10 Biggest News Stories of the Year: Cheap Cars Spend 2021 Up Top, With SUV Pulling Power in Tow
Supply chain issues, microchip scarcity, a resulting inventory shortage and other pandemic-precipitated problems conspired in 2021 to continue pushing up prices for new- and used-car shoppers alike — with little hope for relief on the immediate horizon. It comes as no surprise, consequently, that would-be buyers desperate for a deal would drive Cars.com’s coverage of the least expensive cars to the top of our countdown of the most popular news articles of the past year.
Related: Are New SUVs Cheaper Than Cars?
Taking first place is a report from back in May 2021 rounding up the 10 least expensive new cars you could buy at the time. Ranging in price (including a destination fee as well as any upcharge for an automatic transmission) from about $16,000 to just under $21,000, the list includes 2021 base models of the Chevrolet Spark, Mitsubishi Mirage, Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent, Mitsubishi Mirage G4, Nissan Versa, Kia Forte, Nissan Sentra, Hyundai Elantra and Hyundai Veloster. We’re solidly into the next model year now, but if you’re still looking for a steal on a new car — relative to these price-inflated times, anyway — those 10 nameplates could still be a good place to start.
For helpful context on each of those bargain buys, follow the link below to our No. 1 news story of 2021.
Our cheap-car guidance didn’t stop there, with additional cost-conscious coverage comprising roughly a third of the year-end top 10. At No. 5 you’ll find the least spendy SUVs as reported back in April 2021, ranging in price from about $20,000 to just over $24,000. The list includes the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Ford EcoSport, Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-3, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, Honda HR-V, Chevrolet Trax, Kia Seltos, Mazda CX-30 and Jeep Renegade. And at No. 9 is an article from August rounding up the 11 cheapest electric vehicles, which ranged from around $28,000 to more than $45,000 before any applicable tax credits. That list includes the Nissan Leaf, Mini SE Hardtop, Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV, Mazda MX-30, Hyundai Ioniq Electric, Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV, Volkswagen ID.4, Tesla Model 3, Ford Mustang Mach-E and BMW i3.
While we’re looking back on what car shoppers were reading in 2021, what’s behind also weighed heavy on readers’ minds. Taking second place for the year was our ranking of the 10 best SUVs for towing, per advertised maximum trailer ratings, from back in May. With reported figures ranging from 9,300 pounds at the highest down to 8,200 pounds at the lowest, the top haulers include the Ford Expedition and Expedition Max, Dodge Durango, Lincoln Navigator and Navigator L, Nissan Armada, Infiniti QX80, Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Land Rover Defender and Land Rover Discovery.
Follow the link below to our No. 2 news article of last year for the full story on which SUVs had the most pull in 2021.
There’s a lot more car-shopping advice where that came from, plus headlines on the Land Rover Range Rover and Lexus LX 600 — 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 year:
1. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy Right Now
2. These 10 SUVs Have the Highest Towing Capacity
3. Can I Order a Car From the Factory?
4. How Long Will the Vehicle Inventory Shortage Last?
5. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New SUVs You Can Buy Right Now
6. Shopping for a Used Car? Here Are the Most Reliable 2018 Vehicles According to J.D. Power
7. Up Close With the 2022 Land Rover Range Rover: Quiet, Classy Interior
8. 2022 Lexus LX 600 Up Close: First-Class Perks for First and Second Rows; Third Row? Don’t Ask
9. Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
10. Now Is a Good Time to Sell Your Extra Used Car; Here’s Why
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