The perennial popularity of pickup trucks and pandemic-precipitated price increases on cars across the board have conspired to force truck shoppers on a budget to become bargain hunters. Well, you can leave your deerstalker cap and foxhound at home because we’ve already taken the liberty of tracking down the most affordable pickup trucks available right now. Tally-ho!
In Cars.com’s most popular news article of the past week, we’ve crunched the numbers to determine the 10 cheapest pickups presently for purchase. “Cheap” is a relative term, of course: While these 10 trucks range in starting price from around $21,000 to just over $32,000 (with destination charges), the respective models that suit a buyer’s actual needs may well cost a lot more — and given the current climate of paying at (and occasionally over) sticker price, dealer discounts are less likely. Still, with the average new vehicle price estimated at nearly $44,000 in March, you’re at least starting on the right side of the spectrum. The cheapest truck for model-year 2022 is the new Ford Maverick, but for details and the full list, follow the link below to Cars.com’s No. 1 news story of the week.
Running a distant — but energy-efficient — second place is Cars.com reviewer Aaron Bragman’s comprehensive critique of the all-new-for-2023 Toyota bZ4X. Bragman’s review of the electric SUV gives kudos to its elegantly modern appearance, roomy cabin and competitive starting price, though charging speed was a point of contention. Overall, he was impressed at how Toyota seems to have gone out of its way to make this an EV that doesn’t wear its newfangledness on its sleeve, instead opting to be as uncomplicated to operate as its name is confounding (personally, I imagine bZ4X pronounced as the sound of dial-up internet). As the reviewer summarizes in his final verdict, “If you like the simple, no-brainer operation of the Toyota RAV4 Prime or Venza hybrid, the easy-to-use bZ4X SUV is a natural step into pure-electric life.”
For Bragman’s full take on the 2023 Toyota bZ4X, follow the link below to the No. 2 article on this week’s car-news countdown.
Beyond that, we’ve got headlines on the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, GMC Hummer EV, Kia Telluride 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. Here Are the 10 Cheapest Pickup Trucks You Can Buy Right Now
2. 2023 Toyota bZ4X Review: Normal Toyota, Natural Step Into EVs
3. What to Know Before Purchasing an Electric Vehicle: A Buying Guide
4. Up Close With the Volkswagen ID. Buzz: Not Your Average Minivan
5. 2022 New York Auto Show: What to Expect
6. 2023 GMC Hummer EV Pickup Review: Awesome in Nearly Every Way
7. What’s the Best New-Car Deal for March 2022?
8. Up Close With the 2023 Kia Telluride
9. 2023 Kia Telluride Piles On New Off-Road Trims, Safety Tech
10. How Does Selling to a Dealer Work?
Keyword: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Ford Maverick Leads Low-Priced Pickups Past Toyota bZ4X