HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US AS MITSUBISHI ADDS A JOLT TO THEIR TRIED AND TRUE OUTLANDER... PAT GOSS DISCOVERS WHERE CRITTERS FIND A FEAST IN YOUR CAR... ROGER MECCA SLIPS INTO A SPORTY IMPORT THAT BECAME AN AMERICAN LEGEND... AND FORD GOES STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF THE F150 TO STAY AHEAD OF THE PACK...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

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Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

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HUM IS THE CONNECTED CAR SYSTEM THAT ASSISTS AND EMPOWERS DRIVERS TO HELP THEM BE PREPARED FOR THE ROAD AHEAD, SO THEY CAN GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED, CUSTOM FIT, VEHICLE FLOOR PROTECTION IN THE FRONT, BACK, AND UP THE SIDES.

WEATHERTECH.

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John: BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT WAS ACTUALLY SIX YEARS AGO AT THE 2012 PARIS MOTOR SHOW THAT MITSUBISHI SHOWED US THEIR VISION OF THE FUTURE, THE OUTLANDER PLUG-IN HYBRID SUV.

SINCE THEN, AVAILABILITY OF THE HYBRID VERSION OF THIS MIDSIZE UTILITY, HAS BEEN SLOWLY TRICKLING AROUND THE WORLD, AND ITS FINALLY ARRIVED HERE IN THE STATES.

LET'S FIND OUT IF IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT.

* CONSIDERING THAT MITSUBISHI IS CURRENTLY BOASTING A MOSTLY ALL UTILITY LINEUP, IT MAKES SENSE, THAT THEIR MOST ADVANCED PLUG-IN WOULD BE BASED ON A CROSSOVER.

THUS, THE 2018 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV.

BUT, THEY'VE DONE MUCH MORE THAN JUST TACK AN ELECTRIC MOTOR AND BATTERY PACK ONTO THEIR OUTLANDER.

AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, MITSUBISHI WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FIRST TO HAVE A FULL EV ON THE STREETS IN THE U.S., WITH THE TINY IMIEV IN 2011, AND IT REMAINS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE EV TO DATE AS WELL.

[ENGINE SOUND] THE OUTLANDER POWERTRAIN STARTS WITH A 2.0 LITER I4.

DESIGNED WITH EFFICIENCY IN MIND, OUTPUT IS MODEST AT JUST 117 HORSEPOWER AND 137 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

IT WORKS WITH A UNIQUE SINGLE SPEED REDUCTION GEARBOX.

ADDING TO IT, ARE A PAIR OF 60 KW ELECTRIC MOTORS; ONE LOCATED ON EACH AXLE, GIVING THE OUTLANDER A TWO-MOTOR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM.

AND AGAIN, MITSUBISHI IS NO STRANGER HERE EITHER, HAVING EARNED ACCOLADES FOR THEIR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEMS IN BOTH RUGGED OFF ROADERS, AS WELL AS IN PERFORMANCE MACHINES WITH MANY GENERATIONS OF RALLY RACING INSPIRED LANCER EVOS.

THE 12.0 KWH BATTERY PACK OFFERS A 22 MILE EV-ONLY RANGE, A FEW LESS THAN THE KIA NIRO PHEV, WE TESTED A FEW WEEKS BACK, THOUGH THAT OF COURSE IS FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE ONLY.

THE MINI E COUNTRYMAN, WITH A SIMILAR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE ARRANGEMENT, HAS JUST 12 MILES OF EV DRIVING.

SO, IT'S SQUARELY IN THE GAME.

IN OPERATION, THE OUTLANDER IS MORE SIMILAR TO THE CHEVROLET VOLT THAN A TYPICAL HYBRID; AS IT WANTS TO BE AN EV AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AND USES THE GAS ENGINE MORE AS A GENERATOR TO CHARGE THE BATTERY, SEEMINGLY ONLY APPLYING ENGINE POWER TO THE WHEELS WHEN IT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

OTHERWISE, BEHIND THE WHEEL, THE OUTLANDER PHEV DRIVES LIKE A USUAL HYBRID, BUT WITH VERY QUIET OPERATION OF THE POWERTRAIN, AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE VEHICLE.

NVH IS NOTICEABLY IMPROVED OVER THE LAST GAS-ONLY OUTLANDER, WE TESTED.

YOU CAN DRIVE IT AROUND LIKE A NORMAL VEHICLE WITHOUT REALLY EVEN THINKING ABOUT WHERE THE POWER IS COMING FROM; THOUGH DUE TO BATTERY CHARGING EFFORTS, ENGINE NOISE DOESN'T NECESSARILY CORRELATE TO THROTTLE INPUT.

OR, WITH THREE DRIVE MODES TO CHOOSE FROM, YOU CAN OPT TO SAVE EV MODE FOR WHEN YOU WANT TO USE IT, OR PRIORITIZE BATTERY CHARGING.

THE CHASSIS FEELS SOLID, THE ADDITIONAL EV HARDWARE WEIGHT HELPS HERE, BUT RIDE QUALITY IS MORE IN THE SOFT, FLOATY, LUXURY VEIN; THAN MOST EURO-STYLE PERFORMANCE ORIENTED ELECTRIFIED UTEs.

NONE OF THAT SEEMED TO HINDER IT AT OUR TEST TRACK, HOWEVER.

STEERING WAS LIGHT, AND FAIRLY QUICK, AND THE OUTLANDER SEEMED EAGER TO GIVE US ALL IT HAD.

UNDERSTEER ARRIVED GRADUALLY AND WAS VERY PREDICTABLE.

GRIP WAS QUITE GOOD, AND WHILE WE COULD SENSE THE POWER DELIVERY COMING FROM THE FRONT, AND REAR SOURCES, THEY SEEMED TO BLEND ALMOST SEAMLESSLY, UNLIKE, THE HERKY-JERKY PUSH-PULL WE'VE FELT IN SOME OTHER PHEV'S WITH SIMILAR SETUPS.

IT WAS MUCH MORE FUN HERE THAN WE EXPECTED.

AND IT'S QUICK OFF THE LINE INITIALLY, AIDED BY THE ELECTRIC BOOST, BUT THEN JUST AS QUICKLY, IT SETTLES INTO A MILD PROGRESSION OF POWER; TAKING US A LENGTHY 9.7 SECONDS TO HIT 60.

FOR THE 17.5 SECONDS OF WIDE OPEN THROTTLE THAT IT TAKES TO COMPLETE THE QUARTER MILE AT 80 MILES PER HOUR; THE ENGINE REALLY SOUNDS STRAINED, LIKE IT HAS BEEN FORCED TO WORK OVERTIME AND IS VERY UNHAPPY ABOUT IT.

MITSUBISHI'S GRAPHICS DESIGNERS PUT IN SOME EXTRA HOURS AS WELL, APPLYING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF DECALS AND BADGES JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE ON THE VEHICLE.

NOW, WE COULD CERTAINLY, DO WITHOUT ALL THE EXTRA CRIES FOR ATTENTION, BUT OTHERWISE THE OUTLANDER IS A VERY NICE, MODERN-STYLED UTILITY.

INSIDE, ARE UNIQUE GAUGES, AND DISPLAYS OF COURSE, AND WHAT APPEAR TO BE LARGE SHIFT PADDLES, THEY'RE ACTUALLY ADJUSTERS FOR THE AMOUNT OF REGEN BRAKING YOU WANT.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 74-COMBINED FOR THE MPGE, AND 25-COMBINED OVERALL.

WE AVERAGED A VERY GOOD 34.8 MILES PER GALLON ON REGULAR GAS.

THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS QUITE GOOD, USING JUST 6.8 BARRELS OF OIL ANNUALLY, WHILE EMITTING 2.9 TONS OF CO2.

PRICING STARTS AT $35,590, THOUGH DEPENDING ON YOUR SITUATION, TAX INCENTIVES COULD BRING THAT DOWN TO JUST UNDER 30-GRAND.

UP LEVEL GT TRIM START AT $41,290.

SINCE, MITSUBISHI DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ANY BIG SELLERS THESE DAYS, IT'S HARD TO SEE THE 2018 OUTLANDER PHEV GOING GANG BUSTERS IN A CROWDED CROSSOVER MARKET.

BUT THEY REALLY DO HAVE A GOOD THING GOING HERE, AND IT'S CERTAINLY GREAT TO SEE THAT THEY FINALLY LOOK TO HAVE A SOLID PLAN GOING FORWARD.

HERE'S HOPING WE SEE MORE OF THIS FROM MITSUBISHI, NO MATTER HOW LONG, WE HAVE TO WAIT.

* IN THE LATE 1960s, IMPORTED JAPANESE CARS WERE STILL A PRETTY RARE SIGHT ON AMERICAN ROADS.

AND WHEN YOU DID SEE ONE, IT WAS SMALL AND BOXY.

WELL, THAT ALL CHANGED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE 1970 "Z-CAR," A FASTBACK TWO SEATER THAT WOULD BECOME ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SPORTS CARS EVER.

WELL, OUR OWN ROGER MECCA WANTED TO FIND OUT FOR HIMSELF WHY THE ORIGINAL 240Z ACHIEVED SUCH LEGENDARY STATUS, AND CHANGED AMERICA'S OPINION OF JAPANESE CARS, FOREVER.

* Roger Mecca: EVEN 50 YEARS AGO, IMPORTED JAPANESE CARS WERE ALREADY MAKING A NAME FOR THEMSELVES AS FUEL EFFICIENT AND RELIABLE.

BUT, WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, THEY WERE ALSO SNOOZERS, WITH LITTLE TO ATTRACT U.S.

PERFORMANCE FANS.

BUT THAT ALL CHANGED AT THE NEW YORK AUTO SHOW ON OCTOBER 22, 1969.

NOW, ON THAT FATEFUL DAY AT THE GRAND BALLROOM OF THE PIERRE HOTEL, THE AUTOMOTIVE PRESS GOT THEIR FIRST LOOK AT THE NEW DATSUN 240Z, A CAR THAT WOULD HELP CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF JAPANESE AUTOMOBILES, AND OF WHAT A SPORTS CAR COULD BE.

NISSAN ACTUALLY, ALREADY SOLD A SMALL SPORTY CONVERTIBLE ALREADY IN THE U.S., THE DATSUN 2000 ROADSTER, BUT IT WAS UNDERPOWERED AND OVERSHADOWED BY THE IMPORTS FROM EUROPE.

TOYOTA MADE A PLAY WITH THE BEAUTIFUL 2000GT, BUT AT A COST OF OVER $7000; MUCH MORE THAN A JAG E-TYPE; 2000 GT SALES WERE FEW, LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN FOR ANOTHER BRAND TO MAKE A MOVE.

AND WITH THE HELP OF NISSAN'S PRESIDENT OF U.S. OPERATIONS, YUTAKA KATAYAMA, THE STAGE WAS SET.

MR. KATAYAMA, OR MISTER K., AS HE WAS LATER KNOWN, HAD STUDIED THE U.S. AUTO MARKET FOR YEARS AND HE KNEW THERE WAS A NEED FOR A PRACTICAL, AND RELIABLE, AND AFFORDABLE GT.

BUT HIS SKEPTICAL BOSSES IN TOKYO WEREN'T SO SURE.

BUT HE CONVINCED THEM THAT IF NISSAN MADE THE 240Z, IT WOULD BE A MASSIVE SUCCESS.

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT HE EVEN REALIZE JUST HOW BIG A HIT IT WOULD BECOME.

WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE RECIPE FOR THE Z, IT'S EASY TO SEE WHY AMERICA FELL IN LOVE.

THIS BEAUTIFUL AND SLEEK DESIGN EMULATES BITS FROM THE JAG E-TYPE, C-3 CORVETTE, FASTBACK MUSTANG, AND YES, EVEN THE FERRARI DAYTONA.

THE LONG HOOD AND FLARED FENDERS WERE AN IMMEDIATE HIT FOR CAR-CRAZY AMERICANS.

UNDER THAT HOOD WAS A 2.4 LITER STRAIGHT SIX DELIVERING 150 HORSEPOWER; REAL GRUNT FOR THE TIME.

AND THE $3500 PRICE TAG MADE IT THE AFFORDABLE CHOICE, WE'D BEEN WAITING FOR.

AT THE TIME, THE CARS THAT COST THE SAME AS THE Z, INCLUDED THINGS LIKE, THE TRIUMPH SPITFIRE, THE OPEL GT OR THE FIAT 124.

BUT THEY COULD NEVER KEEP UP WITH THE 240 ON THE ROAD.

AND THE CARS THAT COULD, LIKE THE 911, OR A CORVETTE, OR A JAG E-TYPE, WELL...THEY COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MORE.

SO WHAT NISSAN HAD DONE IS CREATED A CAR THAT WAS AS MUCH FUN TO DRIVE AS A 911, LOOKED ALMOST AS GOOD AS A JAG, AND COST ABOUT THE SAME AS A FIAT.

BY 1972, NISSAN HAD SOLD MORE THAN 50,000 Zs IN THE UNITED STATES.

FOR PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S ALMOST TWICE THE NUMBER OF CORVETTES THAT WERE SOLD THE SAME YEAR.

NISSAN HAD BUILT A PRETTY, SPORTY GT FOR THE MASSES, NOT JUST MILLIONAIRE PLAYBOYS; A SPORTSCAR THAT ANYONE COULD ENJOY EVERY DAY.

THE LOW CURB WEIGHT OF JUST 2300 POUNDS AND PRECISE HANDLING MADE IT A HOOT TO DRIVE.

BEFORE LONG, THE WAITING LIST TO OWN ONE WAS 6-MONTHS OR MORE ZERO TO 60 TOOK ABOUT 8.0 SECONDS AND TOP SPEED OF AROUND 125, SO IT WAS NEVER BLISTERINGLY FAST.

BUT IT'S NOT SLOW EITHER.

YOU GET THIS STRAIGHT SIX, UP AROUND 3000 RPM, AND THERE IS SOME REAL PULL.

IT HANDLES BEAUTIFULLY, THE SHIFTER IS NICE AND SMOOTH.

AND IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO HAVE A SMILE ON YOUR FACE ONCE THE ROAD GETS CURVY.

SOMETHING ELSE, THAT MIGHT MAKE YOU SMILE IS REALIZING HOW EASY IT IS TO OWN ONE OF THESE GEMS.

BECAUSE NISSAN MADE MORE THAN 160,000 OF THEM, FINDING A 240Z IN GOOD CONDITION IS FAIRLY EASY AND EVEN ONE AS NICE AS THIS EXAMPLE WILL ONLY SET YOU BACK ABOUT 20 OR 30 GRAND.

PARTS ARE EASY TO FIND, THE REPAIRS AREN'T PARTICULARLY, COMPLICATED AND BEST OF ALL BECAUSE IT'S SO COMFORTABLE AND RELIABLE, YOU CAN ENJOY THIS ICON EVERY DAY, NOT JUST ON THOSE PERFECT WEEKENDS WHEN IT'S 73 AND SUNNY, AS WITH SO MANY VINTAGE SPORTS CARS.

TODAY, JAPANESE BRANDS ARE BEHIND MANY OF THE WORLD'S BEST VALUES IN SPORTY CARS; THE MIATA, THE WRX, AND EVEN THE GT-R.

BUT IT ALL STARTED WITH THE 240Z.

A CAR THE WORLD NEVER SAW COMING, NEVER KNEW IT NEEDED, BUT AFTER THAT FATEFUL DAY IN NEW YORK, IT WAS A CAR WE COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT.

John: THIS WEEK PAT GOSS IS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SMALL INTRUDERS THAT CAN CAUSE BIG PROBLEMS.

Pat Goss: THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH CARS THAT HAS BECOME ALMOST EPIDEMIC LATELY.

AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD NEVER, EVER, THINK ABOUT.

AND THAT'S RODENTS THAT EAT THE WIRE HARNESSES IN OUR CARS.

IT DISABLES THE CAR, DOES ALL KINDS OF DAMAGE.

WE'VE SEEN SOME WHERE IT'S ACTUALLY TOTALED THE CAR IT WAS THAT BAD.

NOW, ONE OF THE REASONS BEHIND THIS IS FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, VARIOUS MANUFACTURERS HAVE BEEN USING WIRE WHERE THE INSULATION IN IT IS MADE OUT OF A SOY BASED PRODUCT.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE FOOD TO THE RODENTS.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT THESE SORTS OF PROBLEMS?

WELL, NUMBER ONE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO FOOD SOURCES AROUND THE CAR.

NOW, WHAT YOU HAVE IN MANY CASES, YOU MAY HAVE STRAY DOG FOOD, YOU MAY HAVE A BAG OF DOG FOOD, YOU MAY HAVE GRASS SEED, OR ANY NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE AROUND YOUR GARAGE OR SOME PLACE NEAR THE CAR AND THESE ARE FOOD SOURCES FOR THE RODENTS.

THEY COME TOWARD THE CAR.

ONCE THEY GET IN THE GENERAL VICINITY THEN THEY DISCOVER THIS SOY BASED MATERIAL ON THE WIRES AND THEY HAVE A FEAST.

NOW...SO, WE WANT THE FOOD SOURCE DONE AWAY WITH.

ALSO, YOU MAY FIND THAT YOU HAVE TO PLUG VARIOUS PARTS OF THE CAR AND SO ON, TO KEEP THEM FROM GETTING INSIDE, AND SO ON.

ONE OF THE WAYS TO DO THAT IS STEEL WOOL.

BUT A BETTER WAY IS BRONZE WOOL.

THE STEEL WOOL GETS WET AND IT RUSTS.

THE BRONZE WOOL WILL NOT RUST.

YOU BUY THAT TYPICALLY AT A MARINE SUPPLY STORE BECAUSE IT'S USED ON BOATS.

THERE ARE VARIOUS CHEMICALS THAT YOU CAN BUY AND VARIOUS DEVICES THAT YOU CAN BUY.

NOT ALL OF THESE WORK, NOT ALL OF THEM FAIL, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO TRY TO FIND A SOLUTION.

NOW, HERE'S SOMETHING THAT IS RELATIVELY NEW, AND IT SEEMS TO WORK.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE WORK ON YOUR PART.

AND THAT IS...TAPE THAT YOU CAN WRAP THE WIRE HARNESS WITH THAT IS IMPREGNATED WITH CAPSAICIN.

NOW, THE THING THAT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER HERE IS WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH THIS STUFF YOU'RE CERTAINLY GOING TO WANT TO WEAR RUBBER GLOVES IN ORDER TO PROTECT YOURSELF.

AND AFTER YOU'VE DONE IT, DO NOT WIPE YOUR EYES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT UNTIL YOU'VE THOROUGHLY WASHED YOUR HANDS.

ANOTHER PART OF THAT IS THAT IF YOU TAKE YOUR CAR IN FOR SERVICE, MAKE SURE THAT YOU TELL THE TECHNICIAN THAT YOU HAVE THIS COATING ON THE WIRE HARNESS.

BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, WELL, THEY MAY GET INVOLVED WITH IT, AND RUB THEIR EYES OR SOMETHING, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE FUN FOR THEM.

SO, THERE'S NO ONE FOOL PROOF SOLUTION TO THIS, BUT IF YOU EXPLORE THESE DIFFERENT ITEMS, YOU PROBABLY CAN GET IT UNDER CONTROL.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: THE ROAD NEVER ENDS FOR US AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.

SO HERE, WE GO ON ANOTHER QUICKSPIN!

* WE'RE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A QUICK SPIN IN SOMETHING FUN AND EFFICIENT, AND A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

SO, WE'RE SCOOTING AROUND ON A 2018 BMW C EVOLUTION SCOOTER.

IT DELIVERS EVERYTHING YOU EXPECT IN A SCOOTER, BEING EASY TO RIDE, HIGHLY ENTERTAINING, AND VERY PRACTICAL; YET...IT'S POWERED BY A 19KW ELECTRIC MOTOR.

THE 3KWH BATTERY IS MOUNTED IN THE CENTER OF THE SCOOTER, MAKING IT MORE OF A STEP-OVER THAN STEP-THROUGH DESIGN, BUT THAT PRESERVES THE UNDER-SEAT STORAGE SPACE THAT PEOPLE EXPECT IN A SCOOTER.

AND LIKE MOST EVs, IT FEELS FAST, AND IT IS.

A QUICK TWIST OF THE THROTTLE, AND YOU'RE AT 80 BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.

AND IT SEEMS TO BE ELECTRONICALLY LIMITED AT ABOUT THAT SPEED, AS YOU CAN'T GET MUCH MORE OUT OF IT, ALTHOUGH IT FEELS MORE THAN WILLING.

DRIVEN MORE SEDATELY, OR IN ECO PRO MODE, YOU CAN EASILY GET 100 MILES ON A FULL CHARGE, AND THEN BRING IT BACK TO FULL IN AS LITTLE AS 4.5 HOURS.

CHOOSE DYNAMIC MODE FOR FULL POWER DELIVERY AND AGGRESSIVE ENGINE BRAKING, OR SAIL MODE FOR TRADITIONAL COASTING INTO CORNERS; WHILE ROAD MODE DELIVERS A HEALTHY COMPROMISE OF ALL OF THEM.

AND THERE'S EVEN REVERSE, AND A PARKING BRAKE THAT ENGAGES AUTOMATICALLY WHEN YOU FLIP THE KICKSTAND DOWN.

SO, LOADS OF FUN AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, BUT NOT INEXPENSIVE, AS YOU HAVE TO PAY ALMOST $14,000 FOR A 2018 BMW C EVOLUTION.

BEFORE FAMILIES FLOCKED TO UTILITIES, THE MINIVAN WAS THE STAPLE FOR UNMATCHED PRACTICALITY.

THOSE BASIC NEEDS STILL EXIST, AND THE 2018 TOYOTA SIENNA MEETS THEM, WITH A MILD OVERHAUL THAT GOES BEYOND A NEW FRONT FASCIA.

THE SIENNA ARRIVED FOR 1998, REPLACING THE PREVIA.

THIS THIRD GENERATION IS NOW IN ITS 7TH YEAR.

THAT'S A LONG TIME IN THE AUTO BUSINESS, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN ADVANCES ALONG THE WAY.

2017 BROUGHT A NEW POWERTRAIN, A 296 HORSEPOWER 3.5 LITER V6 AND AN 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

ACCELERATION IS STRONG, SHIFTS ARE EASY AND FLUID.

THE FRONT WHEELS DO THE WORK, BUT THE SIENNA REMAINS THE ONLY MINIVAN OFFERING ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

THE SUSPENSION IS MACPHERSON STRUTS UP FRONT, AND TORSION BEAM IN THE REAR.

THE SE TRIM ADDS WHAT TOYOTA SAYS IS A SPORT-TUNED SUSPENSION.

Garick Zikan: NOW, A MINI-VAN IS PROBABLY NOT YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR A DRIVE ALONG YOUR FAVORITE BACK ROAD.

BUT AT SOME POINT DURING YOUR FAMILY JOURNEYS, THERE WILL BE CURVES ALONG THE WAY.

AND IN THOSE SITUATIONS, THE SIENNA SE PREMIUM WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW IS CERTAINLY STABLE, IT'S FIRMER THAN YOU MIGHT EXPECT...

WHILE OFFERING A SMOOTH RIDE."

John: INSIDE, THERE'S NATURALLY PLENTY OF SPACE, AND BETTER TECH.

TOYOTA SAFETY SENSE P IS STANDARD, INCLUDING BRAKE ASSIST.

THE UPGRADED ENTUNE MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM BECOMES MORE CONNECTED THE FURTHER UP THE LINE-UP.

YES, UTILITIES RULE, BUT THERE'S STILL A NEED FOR MINIVANS.

THE 2018 TOYOTA SIENNA PROVES ROOMINESS CAN ALSO BE COMFORTABLE AND CAPABLE.

PRICING STARTS AT UNDER $31,000.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPIN'S, SOON!

YOU'D THINK THAT AFTER BRINGING AN ALUMINUM BODY TO THE FULL-SIZE PICKUP RANKS JUST 3-YEARS AGO, FORD WOULD BE DONE FOR AWHILE WITH THE F-150.

BUT THE LIGHT DUTY F-SERIES DIDN'T BECOME AMERICA'S LONG TIME NUMBER ONE SELLING VEHICLE BY STAYING THE SAME YEAR AFTER YEAR.

SO, IT'S NO REAL SURPRISE THAT FORD HAS UNLEASHED AN UPDATED F-150 FOR 2018.

* TO BE FAIR, AS FAR AS UPDATES GO, THE 2018 FORD F-150 IS FAR FROM COMPREHENSIVE; BUT FORD IS OUT TO GIVE YOU MANY MORE CHOICES WHEN YOU GO IN TO BUY ONE.

HAVING ALREADY BROUGHT A LOT NEW TO THE FULL-SIZE TRUCK SEGMENT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WITH A CHOICE OF ECOBOOST ENGINES AND FEATURES SUCH AS TRAILER BACK-UP ASSIST, THIS YEAR, FORD BRINGS A NEW 3.3 LITER NATURALLY ASPIRATED V6 ENGINE TO REPLACE THE 3.5 LITER, AS WELL AS A NEW 2.7 LITER ECOBOOST V6, AND AN UPDATED 5.0 LITER V8; ALONG WITH WIDER AVAILABILITY OF THEIR 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, AND MAKING AUTO STOP/START STANDARD WITH ALL ENGINES.

BUT BIGGER THAN ALL OF THAT IS A FIRST-TIME 3.0 LITER V6 POWER STROKE DIESEL OPTION THAT WILL BE ARRIVING SOON, WITH 250 HORSEPOWER AND 440 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

IT WILL ALSO ACHIEVE 30 MPGs ON THE HIGHWAY, ACCORDING TO FORD, AND WILL PULL 11,400 POUNDS OF TRAILER.

WE JUST GOT BACK FROM SAMPLING THE NEW POWER STROKE IN COLORADO.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS?

IT'S A QUIET OIL BURNER FOR SURE, BOTH OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE AND INSIDE.

WITH TOW MODE ENGAGED, IT HAD NO PROBLEMS TOWING A 3-TON HORSE TRAILER.

UPHILL GRADES STILL REQUIRE A DOWNSHIFT OR TWO FROM THE 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC, BUT WE WERE STEADILY INCREASING OUR SPEED AS WE WERE CLIMBING.

REGARDLESS OF POWERTRAIN, ALL '18s GET AN UPDATED EXTERIOR WITH A NEW BILLET-LOOK GRILLE, REVISED FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS, NEW TAILGATE, AND UPGRADED LIGHTING, AS WELL AS FRESH TRIM AND WHEEL OPTIONS.

ALL KEEPING IT ARGUABLY, THE TOUGHEST LOOKING RIG AMONG THE BIG THREE.

FOR TESTING HERE AT HOME, OUR LARIAT SPORT SUPERCREW WAS SPORTING THE 2.7 LITER ECOBOOST V6, AND IT PACKS A SERIOUS PERFORMANCE PUNCH.

HORSEPOWER STAYS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR AT 325, BUT TORQUE TAKES A HEALTHY LEAP FROM 375 POUND-FEET TO 400, WITH ALL OF IT DELIVERED WELL BELOW 3,000 RPM, [TIRES SCREECHING] AND DELIVERING US TO 60 IN JUST 5.7 SECONDS.

THERE'S EXPLOSIVE POWER OFF THE LINE...SO MUCH, THAT WE HAD MUCH BETTER SUCCESS LAUNCHING IN 4-WHEEL DRIVE TO GET TRACTION.

SHIFTS ARE QUICK AND TIDY, WITH POWER DELIVERY STAYING CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THE 14.3 SECONDS IT TOOK US TO COMPLETE THE QUARTER MILE AT 99 MILES PER HOUR.

THOSE TIMES ARE JUST A FEW TENTHS OFF THE LAST SVT LIGHTENING WE TESTED BACK IN 2001.

SUCH NUMBERS WERE CRAZY FOR A PICKUP TRUCK AT THAT TIME, NOW THEY'RE JUST COMMONPLACE.

HANDLING HAS CHANGED A LOT IN A LITTLE TIME AS WELL.

THE CLUNKY DISCONNECTED FEEL YOU EXPECT IN A PICKUP HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH BLAZINGLY FAST STEERING, CONFIDENCE INSPIRING GRIP, AND MINIMAL BODY ROLL.

AWAY FROM THE TRACK, THE RIDE HAS GOTTEN SMOOTHER, BUT NOT QUITE TO RAM-LEVEL OF PLUSHNESS.

HERE, THE F-150 STILL FEELS LIKE A TRUCK, JUST A VERY COMFORTABLE ONE.

CAPABILITIES CONTINUE TO ESCALATE IN THE ONGOING BATTLE FOR PICKUP SUPREMACY.

AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE F-150 IS TOPS IN TOWING AT 13,200 POUNDS, THOUGH THAT'S WITH THE 3.5 LITER ECOBOOST ENGINE AND 2-WHEEL DRIVE.

CHANGES INSIDE FOR '18 ARE RELATIVELY MINOR, JUST SOME NEW SEAT AND TRIM MATERIALS FOR MOST TRIMS INCLUDING OUR LARIAT.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS FOR THE NEW 2.7 LITER ECOBOOST ARE 19-CITY, 24-HIGHWAY, AND 21-COMBINED.

AS FOR PRICING, YOU CAN SPEND AS LITTLE AS $29,100 FOR A BASE REGULAR CAB XL, THOUGH, MOST PEOPLE WILL SPEND SOMEWHERE IN THE 40s FOR THEIR F-150.

OUR 4X4 SUPERCREW LARIAT SPORT STICKERED FOR JUST OVER $50,000, AND FOR THE REALLY BIG SPENDERS, KING RANCH AND PLATINUM TRIMS ARE HIGHER STILL.

WHILE, THE FORD F-150 HAS MAINTAINED ITS PLACE AS THE NUMBER ONE SELLING VEHICLE IN THE U.S. FOR 35 YEARS, 2018 LOOKS TO BE A YEAR WHERE THEY'LL FACE THEIR TOUGHEST COMPETITION EVER.

ALL-NEW TRUCKS FROM CHEVROLET, GMC, AND RAM, ARE CLEARLY DESIGNED WITH THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF CHALLENGING FORD'S SUPREMACY.

NOT TO MENTION, THE INCREASING PRESENCE FROM IMPORT BRANDED RIGS TOYOTA TUNDRA AND NISSAN TITAN.

IT WILL BE AN INTERESTING SALES YEAR FOR SURE...BUT ULTIMATELY, ONE THAT WE THINK WILL CONTINUE TO SEE THE FORD F-150 RIDING HIGH.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME...

WHEN THE TINY KIA RIO GETS BIG CHANGES INSIDE AND OUT.

AND TOYOTA TAKES AIM AT YOUNGER BUYERS WITH AN ALL-NEW AVALON.

'TIL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

Man 1: I DO.

Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS AND TOOLS TO HELP.

Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A...TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

Announcer: FIND...DELIVER...INSTALL...

WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS AND CARGO LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED, DIGITAL FIT PROTECTION FOR YOUR VEHICLE'S FLOORS.

WEATHERTECH.

MADE IN AMERICA.

HUM IS THE CONNECTED CAR SYSTEM THAT ASSISTS AND EMPOWERS DRIVERS TO HELP THEM BE PREPARED FOR THE ROAD AHEAD, SO THEY CAN GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] *