10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Ford F-150 Tests Its Mettle Against Lexus NX 350h
In order for the official bestselling vehicle in America to be the bestselling vehicle in America, supply needs to keep pace with demand. But if you’ve been shopping for a new Ford F-150 in the months following a pair of fires late last year at the automaker’s major aluminum supplier’s manufacturing plant, you know that just ain’t happening right now. F-150 buyers right now must be prepared to act fast and pay more if they want to procure that pickup truck purchase, a state of consumer affairs we examine in Cars.com’s most popular news story of the past week.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: BMW iX3 Moves Up in the World, Ram 1500 Fuels Interest
The shortage follows fires in September 2025 and November 2025 at Novelis — Ford’s primary source of the aluminum needed to produce its half-ton pickup truck — located in upstate New York’s Oswego County. Resulting plant shutdowns have translated to F-150 inventories diminished by some 24%, according to Cars.com inventory data, a listing time reduced by 30% (meaning less time on the lot before someone snaps up available trucks) and an average sale price of nearly $63,000 — up almost 3%. Amid Novelis aluminum production ramping back up, tariff relief measures and gradually recovering inventories, Ford is bullish on the future of F-150 sales.
For full details on the Ford F-150 supply shortage — including our advice on how would-be buyers should proceed in the current market — follow the link below to the No. 1 news story on this week’s countdown of most read stories.
If, rather than America’s most popular purchase choice of pickups, you’re more interested in the next-most-desireable compact SUV class, look no further than one spot down as we bring you Cars.com reviewer Brian Normile’s comprehensive critique of the 2026 Lexus NX 350h. Normile commends the hybrid luxury SUV for its fuel economy, boasting an estimated combined mileage figure of 39 mpg with all-wheel drive; exquisite exterior styling and interior accommodations; user-friendly multimedia system; surprisingly cushy ride relative to wheel size; well-powered hybrid powertrain; low-drama driving experience; reliability and resale rizz; and availability of options. He condemns its unfavorable size-versus-expense prospect easily enough in excess of $60,000; stingy interior dimensions, particularly rearward; obstructive center console; F Sport style over substance; higher effort needed at highway speeds without sufficient payoff in driving engagement; transmission drone; and challenging value prospect in the face of more enticing non-luxury models.
For our full take on the 2026 Lexus NX 350h, follow the link below to the No. 2 article of the week.
Beyond all that, we’ve got headlines on the Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota Prius and RAV4, Volkswagen Tiguan 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. New Ford F-150 Inventory Is Hurting; Here’s What’s Going On
2. The 2026 Lexus NX 350h Is Efficient and Stylish, But With a Number of Trade-Offs: Review
3. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New SUVs You Can Buy Right Now
4. How Would the 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander Have Performed in Our Compact SUV Comparison Test?
5. Honda, Acura Unveil Next-Generation Hybrid Models
6. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy Right Now
7. What Happens When You Skip Oil Changes?
10. What’s the Best Compact SUV for 2026?
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
