10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Nissan Sentra Lives Large, Toyota Tacoma Charges Ahead
The car-shopping conversation understandably gets dominated by SUVs. After all, it’s what people want these days, and the top-selling non-pickup-truck vehicles tend to be high-riding family haulers. But as the average price of a new car flirts with 50 grand — largely attributable to the SUV upcharge buyers pay for the privilege — there are still plenty of people interested in a simple, inexpensive car that’ll carry them comfortably enough on their commute and grocery runs. As Cars.com reviewer Conner Golden indicates in his comprehensive critique of the 2026 Nissan Sentra — one of our most popular articles of the past week — this still-popular compact sedan does that and then some in its 2026 redesign.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Mercedes-Benz E-Class Prices Out Acura RDX
To its continued credit, the all-new Sentra is affordable and has a starting price somewhere around $24,000; bold, sweeping exterior styling; identical driving dynamics propelled by its perfectly adequate 149 horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine pushing power through its continuously variable automatic transmission to the front wheels; comfortable, effectively adjustable seats; decent standard onboard tech features; stylish, sporty cabin flourishes; and a surprisingly quiet ride. On the other hand, it’s not as zippy as its direct-rival small sedans, and it may be hard to make the case to opt for the Sentra when you literally pay a nominal SUV upcharge for a Nissan Kicks.
For our full take on the 2026 Nissan Sentra, follow the link below to the No. 2 article on this week’s countdown of most read stories.
But if you wanna go the entire opposite direction from a compact sedan with your new-car purchase, the 2026 Toyota Tacoma returns almost unchanged from the previous model year — albeit a little pricier for the same mid-size truck but endlessly configurable in cab size, bed length, drive wheels, powertrain, transmission and beyond. The base SR now starts at $33,740, $555 more than the outgoing model, and pricing rises incrementally across the trim lineup before maxing out at just a shade under $66,000 for the range-topping TRD Pro (all prices include destination).
For full details on the 2026 Toyota Tacoma — including a trim-by-trim breakdown of features and equipment, powertrain specs and fuel economy — follow the link below to the No. 3 news story of the week.
Beyond all that, we’ve got headlines on the all-new R2 electric SUV from Rivian, Subaru Forester Hybrid, Kia Telluride, Nissan Pathfinder and much more — so don’t stop reading till the digits double. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:
1. Solid-State Batteries Are Set to Be a Game Changer for EVs
2. 2026 Nissan Sentra Review: Long Live the Sedan
3. How Much Is the 2026 Toyota Tacoma?
4. $45,000 Rivian R2 to Get Launch Edition, Bidirectional Charging
5. We Take the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid on Our MPG Loop to See if It Delivers the Goods
6. 15-Year Car Loans Aren’t a Thing, But Americans Are Getting More Comfortable With Long-Loan Terms
7. Kia Shows Off 2027 Telluride’s Bold New Look Ahead of Los Angeles Auto Show Debut
8. As Sales Climb, Affordability for Cars in the U.S. Suffers
9. 2026 Nissan Pathfinder: New Tech Helps It Find Its Way
10. Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
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