10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Honda Civic, Kia Soul Cash in as Jeep Wrangler 4xe Glitches Out
Advertisement
It seems downright quaint to think that the average price of a new car in 2012 exceeded $30,000 for the first time considering the average price of a new car is now around $50,000. The good news: That’s just an average, factoring in cars of all sizes, body styles and levels of luxuriousness, and driven largely by Americans’ insatiable appetite for SUVs. Although it may seem sad to celebrate still being able to pick up a new ride for a price that represented the highest-ever average 13 years ago, save yourself 20 grand and shop our compilation of best new cars for $30,000 or less — one of Cars.com’s most popular news articles of the past week.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Kia EV9, Lucid Air Pull Plug on Nissan Versa, Toyota Corolla
Spanning multiple body styles, including hatchbacks, sedans and SUVs, and starting from $19,964 up to $29,531, models on our under-30 list were culled from average pricing in Cars.com’s national database of new cars for sale. They include the 2025 Nissan Versa (subcompact car), 2026 Honda Civic (compact car), 2025 Kia Soul (compact hatchback), 2025 Toyota Corolla Hybrid (compact hybrid), 2025 Hyundai Sonata (mid-size sedan), 2026 Hyundai Kona (subcompact SUV) and 2026 Chevrolet Equinox (compact SUV).
For the full list of the best new cars under $30,000 — including starting price range, eligible trim levels and a breakdown of why each model made the cut — follow the link below to the No. 2 news story on this week’s countdown of most read articles.
In other well-read news … y’know how sometimes you hit “install now” on one of those seemingly constant smartphone updates and it makes your pulldown menus harder to use, changes the look of your icons so that they’re difficult to find or just generally makes things worse? Well, that appears to have happened to an unknown population of Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid SUV owners when the brand initiated an Oct. 10 over-the-air update that, according to reports, triggered glitches that resulted in dashboard error messages, sudden power losses and inoperable vehicles. Occurring on a Friday headed into the weekend, Jeep issued a second update, undoing the changes initiated by the first as engineers searched for answers.
For full details on the ill-fated over-the-air update for the Wrangler 4xe — including how owners were instructed to ensure the interim fix worked — follow the link below to the No. 3 news story of the week.
Beyond that, we’ve got headlines on the Toyota Corolla Cross, Acura RDX, Lexus GX 550, Subaru Impreza 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 Best Mid-Size Off-Road Truck for 2025?
2. Best New Cars for $30,000 or Less
3. Jeep Software Update Causes Major Powertrain Glitches in Wrangler 4xe SUVs
4. Nearly 325,000 Evenflo Child-Safety Seats Recalled for Choking Risk
5. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy Right Now
6. 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Review: Modest Changes, Modest Results
7. How Much Is the 2026 Acura RDX?
8. How Much Is the 2026 Lexus GX 550?
9. Cars.com’s Top Pickup Truck Picks of 2026
10. 2025 Subaru Impreza RS Review: Sporty Looks, Squishy Soul
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.
Advertisement
You Might Also Like
Welcome to the most important evolution of the Porsche 911 in the past 25 years — or, more precisely, the past 26 years, as the 1999 model year marked the arrival of the 996 generation, which was the first water-cooled 911. If you’re not familiar with the significance of Porsche’s switch from air cooling to water cooling, just know it was a really big deal — and I reckon the new 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid comes close to matching it for historical importance.
Rivian’s mid-size R2 SUV is on track for launch in the first half of 2026, said CEO RJ Scaringe on an earnings call with investors this week. While the electric-vehicle maker is still keeping most specifications of its new electric SUV close to the chest, Scaringe did provide a few details on the first R2s to emerge from Rivian’s factory in Normal, Ill.
Take a look at how the Latch system and each car seat scored below in our Car Seat Check of the 2025 Ford Expedition.
With a sturdy truck-based frame, a powerful twin-turbocharged V-6 engine and full-time four-wheel drive, the Lexus GX 550 is a three-row mid-size SUV with a well-earned reputation as a capable enough off-road rig. But as a Lexus, it also includes a long list of luxury features, including heated and ventilated seats and a Mark Levinson sound system. For 2026, the Lexus GX 550 starts at $66,935 (all prices include $1,450 destination).
HyundaiThe 2025-and-newer Hyundai Ioniq 5 comes with bigger batteries that charge faster and provide more range—and we’ve tested the real-world results.The EV SUV’s standard pack grew from 58 to 63 kW
Old 322 hp ID.3 GTX becomes a GTI in the facelifted lineup with ID. Polo GTI design cues and a dedicated GTI driving mode