10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Toyota Camry Hits the Gas, Rivian R2 Names Its Price
The 2026 Toyota Camry does all of the things. It’s everyday practical. It’s affordable. And, as our fuel-economy report on the now-hybrid-only mid-size sedan demonstrates, it gets better EPA-estimate gas mileage all around than then any of its closest competitors — reaching its personal best at 52/49/51 mpg city/highway/combined. You can read all about in Cars.com’s most popular news story of the past week.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Cadillac Escalade IQ Is High, Ram 1500 Picks Up
The latest Camry does its best work at the base, with its entry-level, front-wheel-drive LE trim posting the best estimates, followed by the LE with all-wheel drive, bumping those numbers down slightly to 50 mpg combined. The SE, Nightshade and XLE trims maintain a steady combined rating of 46 mpg across drivetrains, as does the range-topping XSE with FWD; the XSE drops to 43 mpg combined when you add AWD. At its best, the Camry bests the fuel-economy figures across the board of rivals from Honda, Hyundai, Kia and Nissan — with only the 2026 Hyundai Sonata Blue Hybrid’s 56 mpg highway rating beating it and 51 mpg combined rating tying it. Meanwhile, its starting price at just over $30,000 is also cheaper than comparable hybrids and only slightly spendier than key gas-only sedan alternatives.
For the full scoop on the 2026 Camry’s fuel economy — including a trim-by-trim mpg breakdown with and without AWD, as well as a quick-reference competitor comparison — follow the link below to the No. 1 news story on this week’s countdown of most read articles.
In other news on the fuel-efficient-and-affordable front, Rivian’s all-new, accessibly priced (by comparison, anyway) R2 is due at dealerships in the spring. The luxury compact electric SUV’s biggest claim to fame is its $46,495 entry-level price (including destination charge). The catch here is that anyone hoping to procure that price will have to wait at least a year and a half when the bargain-basement Standard trim finally makes its way to the lots in late 2027. R2 early adopters will have to pony up $59,485 for the fully loaded, limited-edition Performance with Launch Package, followed by the Premium arriving in late 2026 (starting at $55,485) and an uplevel variant of the Standard in the first half of 2027 (starting at $49,985). So, the longer you wait, the more you can save.
For the full scoop on the upcoming Rivian R2 — including a trim-by-trim breakdown of performance specs and equipment, in addition to info about cabin accommodations, optional add-ons and onboard tech features — follow the link below to the No. 2 news story of the week.
Beyond all that, we’ve got headlines on the Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid Wagon, Toyota 4Runner 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. What’s the 2026 Toyota Camry’s MPG?
2. Rivian R2 Is $59,485 at Launch With Leasing Confirmed; $45,000 Model on the Way
3. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy Right Now
4. 47,000-Plus Fords, Lincolns Recalled for Loss of Drive Power
5. Toyota Recalls 550,000 Highlander, Highlander Hybrid SUVs for Seat Issue
6. The 2026 Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid Wagon Is (Almost) Everything I Want in a Car: Review
7. The New Toyota 4Runner No Longer Fits Three Car Seats Across
8. Every New Car Offering 0% Financing in February 2026
9. These 10 SUVs Have the Highest Towing Capacity
10. Which 3-Row SUVs Offer Captain’s Chairs?
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