William Lewis

1 month ago | wickedlocal.com | Alexander Stoklosa |William Lewis

Alexander Stoklosa and William Irvin LewisMotorTrendCan you believe it? We're summarizing MotorTrend's Ultimate Car Rankings, which ranks every vehicle in every segment sold in America, and compact pickup trucks are a entirely separate category now! Or would that be again? Small rigs such as these were feared extinct for years — even trucks that, in previous lives were compacts have recently re-emerged as larger midsize models.

Jan 24, 2025 | tennessean.com | William Lewis

Want a little more prestige and poise with your compact or subcompact SUV? All of these options allow you to indulge while remaining economical, as not one is above the average price of a new vehicle sold in 2024. They run the gamut, with some being cynical badge exercises and others offering genuinely luxurious comfort for less. And, naturally, all these smaller SUVs are easier to park and maneuver while being budget-friendly.

Jan 4, 2025 | starcourier.com | William Lewis

Almost across the board, pickup truck prices are creeping upward. In reality most of this is due to inflation, but formerly cheap trucks like the Tacoma’s new generation are going somewhat upmarket, while the price creep affecting the cheapest pickups like the Maverick appears to be due to automakers capitalizing on unexpected success. For now, the cheapest work trucks you can buy can still be had for under $40,000, but the trims most consumers buy are in the $50,000 to $60,000 range.

Dec 6, 2024 | tennessean.com | William Lewis

These days hybrids are gradually replacing gasoline-only cars as the bulk of what consumers buy, driven by the forces of tightening emissions regulations, increasing demand and growing choice in the market. Traditional hybrids are much more affordable than pure electric cars or plug-in hybrids while still offering plenty of fuel savings. And the lowest-price hybrid, particularly the hatchbacks and sedans, are some of the best values around, regardless of powertrains.

Nov 25, 2024 | tennessean.com | William Lewis

Even the cheapest new cars are better than they’ve ever been before, and (using an expansive definition of the word “cars”) this includes options in the sedan, hatchback and crossover SUV form factor. For less than $25,000, you can get a subcompact or compact vehicle with a practical amount of space, good gas mileage and in many cases excellent driver assistance systems. Safety, comfort and longevity have likely never been better in cheap vehicles than with these affordable runabouts.