10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Ford Maverick Gets (Eco)Boost Over Honda Civic Type R
What say you, compact pickup truck shoppers: Hybrid-assisted fuel efficiency and all-around affability? Or peppier performance and optional all-wheel drive? That’s the choice you face once you’ve set your sights on the Ford Maverick. We know this not because Tyler knows this, but because our editors recently pitted two powertrains of the 2022 Maverick — the 2.5-cylinder four-liter hybrid from Cars.com’s fleet of long-term test cars and the more powerful gas-only 2.0-liter EcoBoost — in a Ford-truck fight club.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Audi Q5, VW Atlas Get Their Bearings Vs. Highlander, CR-V
In one of Cars.com’s most popular articles of the past week, we break down how the Maverick powertrains compared in our intensive head-to-head test, which included drag-strip driving and a 200-mile driving loop to gauge real-world gas mileage. Loaded or unloaded, the EcoBoost handily outsprints the hybrid, though the latter legs it out more efficiently and with better manners. The hybrid, meanwhile, easily took the fuel-economy prize, albeit with more engine noise and less-appealing regenerative brake feel.
As the two powertrains are similarly priced on lower trims, the deciding factor for some buyers may be the EcoBoost’s AWD option, which we surmise would improve its standing in our front-wheel-drive-only face-off. For the full details of our assessment of the EcoBoosted 2022 Ford Maverick, follow the link below to the No. 2 article of the week.
Crossing the finish line this week in the third-place position is Cars.com reviewer Damon Bell’s comprehensive critique of the Honda Civic Type R, which returns for the 2023 model year with amped-up performance bits and toned-down exterior styling. Under-the-hood upgrades for the track-ready Civic hatchback include a new turbocharger, improved exhaust system, and 9 additional horsepower and 15 more pounds-feet of torque. And though it opts to dial down its ostentatious appearance for today’s more mature, sophisticated street racer, don’t fret: It’s still got a huge wing on the back hatch, a gaping front grille and plenty of other IYKYK visual cues. It turns out the less aggro attitude jells well with the Type R’s more civilized pedigree.
“One of the nice things about the Civic Type R is simply that it’s a Honda Civic hatchback — a spacious, practical compact car that boasts a rear seat that can comfortably accommodate average-sized adult passengers and a versatile cargo area that offers space on par with (or more than) many subcompact SUVs,” Bell writes in his review.
For his full review of the 2023 Honda Civic Type R, follow the link below to the No. 3 article on this week’s countdown.
Beyond that, we’ve got headlines on the Nissan Versa, Toyota Prius and Prius Prime, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Lexus RX, and Honda Accord Hybrid and Pilot, 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 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
2. Is the Ford Maverick’s EcoBoost Engine’s Performance Worth Its MPG Penalty?
3. 2023 Honda Civic Type R Review: Fast and Not as Furious-Looking
4. 2023 Nissan Versa Starts at $16,825, Gets Sprinkled With Minor Updates
5. Up Close With the 2023 Toyota Prius and Prius Prime: Function Finally Meets Form
6. 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Review: Aging Not So Gracefully
7. 2023 Lexus RX Lineup Priced to Pair With Redesign
8. 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show: Everything You Missed
9. 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Up Close: Trying Hard to Make Us Love Hybrids
10. 2023 Honda Pilot Up Close: More, More, More
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.
