Hey, a reindeer might've bowled over Grandma, but it seems Cars.com readers hoped to avoid running over anything else this Christmas, judging by the interest in safety stories during the holiday week. Three pieces involving safety landed among the top 10 most-read stories, with pieces on the latest crash-test awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ranking Nos. 5 and 10. Between the two, a safety recall on the new Toyota Corolla Hatchback landed at No. 8.
Of course, it seems even more readers toyed with the idea of using that New Year's bonus to buy Ford's reincarnated mid-size pickup truck, the Ranger — or, for that matter, any car with heavy discounts.
A recap of our thoughts after driving the Ranger was the most-read story of the week. Mark Williams, editor of sister site PickupTrucks.com, found compelling aspects in the Ranger's drivability, capability and cockpit layout. But in what he called a "selfish complaint," Williams bemoaned the lack of available towing mirrors. A teaser of our First Drive, which you can read in full right here, landed at No. 4.
The No. 2 most-read story, meanwhile, highlighted nine cars with big discounts for the week between Christmas and New Year's. If you're looking to buy a new car, this is a good time for savings: Even as incentives per vehicle sold have seen year-over-year declines for three straight months, per Motor Intelligence, December remains historically strong. The final month of the year has been the top month for new-car incentives in the past two years running, and it's held that position in three of the past five years.
Cars.com photo by Mark Williams
Other popular pieces last week include a recap on our recent top reviews and videos, a primer for any Hoosiers attending the 2018 Indianapolis Auto Show, and stories on the 2019 Honda Civic and Land Rover's forthcoming Defender.
Here's the full list:
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