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

JOIN US FOR ONE ADVENTURE-READY HONDA, THE NEW PASSPORT TRAILSPORT... WE'LL SEE HOW THE YELLOW SCHOOL BUS IS CHARGING UP WITH THE FUTURE... THEN, RAPIDLY CHARGE FORWARD IN THE CADILLAC LYRIQ EV SUV... AND HOLD ON FOR FORD'S LATEST OFF-ROAD BEAST, THE F-150 RAPTOR...

SO, COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

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.

John: PERHAPS IT'S WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE JUST ABOUT EVERY CARMAKER HAS THEIR EYES SET ON ADVENTURE; CRANKING UP THE CAPABILITY OF THEIR UTILITY VEHICLES FOR PEOPLE WHO TRULY DO VENTURE INTO THE BACKWOODS TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL, OR AT LEAST WANT TO LOOK LIKE THEY DO.

AND HONDA IS THE MOST RECENT, WITH THIS NEW PASSPORT TRAILSPORT.

* FOR THOSE FOLLOWING THE SPORTY UTILITY MARKET THESE DAYS, THE 2022 HONDA PASSPORT TRAILSPORT WILL NOT COME AS A SURPRISE, AS IT FOLLOWS THE RECENT TREND OF OUTFITTING EXISTING MODELS WITH A MORE RUGGED VIBE; SORT OF THE AUTOMOTIVE EQUIVALENT OF WEARING HIKING BOOTS TO THE MALL.

AND, SINCE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT A BIG DEPARTURE FROM THE PASSPORT-- WE'VE COME TO LOVE, IT MOSTLY COMES DOWN TO DOING THE LITTLE THINGS RIGHT; AND ALL OF THE SMALL DETAILS HERE ARE QUITE NICE.

THERE'S NO SUSPENSION LIFT, BUT THERE IS A 10MM WIDER TRACK THANKS TO THE UNIQUE 18 INCH WHEELS WEARING 245/60 TIRES WITH TREAD THAT CREEPS ONTO THE SIDEWALL A LITTLE MORE THAN BEFORE.

OTHER ADDITIONS INCLUDE A GLOSS BLACK GRILLE WITH ORANGE AND BLACK LOGOS, AND SIMULATED SKID PLATES INTEGRATED INTO THE FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS.

BLACK ROOF RAILS ARE STANDARD.

SO, WITH NO ADDITIONAL LIFT OR SUSPENSION UPGRADES, AND TIRES THAT AREN'T ACTUALLY A/TS-- JUST MADE TO LOOK LIKE THEM-- THE END RESULT IS MORE OF A HIGHLIGHTING OF THE PASSPORT'S ALREADY CREDIBLE OFF-ROAD ABILITIES THAN NECESSARILY IMPROVING UPON THEM.

AS IN ALL PASSPORTS, THERE'S OVER 8.0 INCHES OF GROUND CLEARANCE AND WELL-PROGRAMMED I-VTM4 ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE WITH SELECTABLE OFF-ROAD SPECIFIC SETTINGS FOR SAND, SNOW, AND MUD.

OFF-ROADING IN THE TRAILSPORT IS THE TYPICAL STRESS-FREE HONDA EXPERIENCE, WITH POWER MOVING BETWEEN WHEELS ALMOST UNDETECTABLY TO PROVIDE PLENTY OF GRIP FOR GETTING THROUGH MODERATE OFF-PAVEMENT EXCURSIONS.

THOUGH, FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE BASED, IT CAN SEND AS MUCH AS 70 PERCENT OF ENGINE TORQUE TO THE REAR WHEELS, AND CAN EVEN SEND IT ALL TO ONE OF THOSE REAR WHEELS, IF IT'S THE ONLY ONE GETTING GOOD TRACTION.

AND IT WORKS ON PAVEMENT, TOO, MUCH LIKE ACURA'S SUPER-HANDLING ALL- WHEEL-DRIVE, TORQUE VECTORING POWER TO OUTSIDE WHEELS IN CORNERS TO TIGHTEN UP HANDLING.

THAT GIVES THE TRAILSPORT A NIMBLE FEELING-- YOU WON'T FIND IN ANY TRUCK-BASED UTILITY.

AND, LEST YOU THINK THIS TRAILSPORT TRIM PACKAGE IS ALL HONDA HAS ACCOMPLISHED IN THE PASSPORT DEPARTMENT FOR THIS YEAR, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT ALL PASSPORTS ARE SPORTING NEW SHEET-METAL FORWARD OF THE A-PILLARS FOR '22, SHARING THE RIDGELINE'S TALLER HOOD, AND MORE UPRIGHT TRUCK-LIKE FACE.

LIMITED UPDATES INSIDE THE TRAILSPORT, ESSENTIALLY JUST SOME NEW LOGOS, HEAVILY APPLIED ORANGE STITCHING, AND HEAVY DUTY RUBBER FLOOR MATS; BUT AGAIN, VERY WELL EXECUTED.

PERHAPS DUE TO ITS 7-PASSENGER PILOT ORIGINS, THE PASSPORT FEELS INCREDIBLY ROOMY FOR A MIDSIZE 5-PASSENGER UTILITY.

THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE TRAILSPORT IS NOT EXACTLY PREMIUM AS IT DOES RESIDE IN MIDDLE LEVEL TERRITORY; BUT LIKE ALL HONDAS, WELL PUT TOGETHER, AND THERE ARE MORE STANDARD FEATURES THIS YEAR THAN BEFORE, INCLUDING COMFORTABLE HEATED AND POWER ADJUSTABLE FRONT SEATS AND EVEN WIRELESS PHONE CHARGING.

THERE'S ABUNDANT SPACE FOR CARGO TOO, 41.2 CUBIC-FEET IN BACK, EXPANDING TO 77.7; PLUS, UNDERFLOOR STORAGE AND THE ABILITY TO TOW 5,000 POUNDS OF WHATEVER YOU CAN'T FIT INSIDE.

NOTHING CHANGES UNDER THE HOOD, STILL 280 HORSEPOWER AND 262 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE COMING FROM THE 3.5 LITER V6 ENGINE; ATTACHED TO A 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH PUSH-BUTTON SELECTORS WE'VE GOTTEN USED TO, BUT ARE STILL NOT FOND OF.

PUT TO THE TEST AT MASON DIXON DRAGWAY, THERE WAS DECENT POWER OFF THE LINE, WHICH HAD US HITTING 60 IN A QUICK 6.4 SECONDS; A TENTH QUICKER THAN WE GOT A FEW YEARS BACK WHEN THE PASSPORT MADE ITS 2019 RETURN.

POWER DELIVERY STAYED VERY LINEAR THROUGHOUT THE 14.9 SECOND QUARTER-MILE, WITH THE ONLY PAUSES ON OUR WAY TO THE 93 MILES PER HOUR TRAP SPEED, BEING THE FORCEFULLY QUICK SHIFTS OF THE 9-SPEED TRANSMISSION.

IN OUR BRAKING RUNS, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT NOSE DIVE AND A TENDENCY TO PULL TO THE RIGHT; BUT ABS WAS VERY SMOOTH IN OPERATION, AND STOPS AVERAGED A GOOD 116 FEET.

THROUGH OUR HANDLING COURSE, STEERING WAS QUITE DIRECT, BUT THERE WAS A NOTICEABLY TOP-HEAVY FEEL.

THE OFF-ROAD ORIENTED TIRES CONSPIRED AGAINST PASSPORT'S ON-ROAD HANDLING AS BODY ROLL WAS MODERATE.

BUT, ALL IN ALL, THERE WAS PLENTY OF GRIP TO BE HAD.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 19-CITY, 24-HIGHWAY, AND 21-COMBINED.

WE AVERAGED A GOOD 22.5 MILES PER GALLON OF REGULAR.

STILL, IT RATES A WORSE THAN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE USING 14.2 BARRELS OF OIL YEARLY AND EMITTING 6.9 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

PRICING FOR THE TRAILSPORT COMES IN MID-PACK AT $44,265; WITH BASE PASSPORTS STARTING AT $39,665.

THE 2022 HONDA PASSPORT TRAILSPORT IS A FINE ALL-AROUND UTILITY THAT LOOKS MORE DISTINCTIVE AND RUGGED THAN BEFORE.

YET, EVEN WITH THAT MACHO NEW OUTFIT, IT'S STILL NOT THE MOST EXCITING VEHICLE IN ITS CLASS, BUT YOU COULD SAY THAT ABOUT MOST HONDAS.

WHAT YOU CAN ALSO SAY IS THAT THEY DELIVER THE RELIABILITY, COMFORT, AND PRACTICALITY THAT MAKES HONDA BUYERS SOME OF THE MOST LOYAL FANS TO BE FOUND.

* THESE DAYS, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY AUTOMAKER OFFERS A PLUG-IN ELECTRIC MODEL.

WELL NOW, WE'RE SEEING AN UPTURN IN THE NUMBER OF LARGER PASSENGER VEHICLES MAKING THAT EV SWITCH TOO.

SO, FOR MILLIONS OF SCHOOL STUDENTS, THAT MEANS THEIR RIDE TO SCHOOL IS ABOUT TO GET CLEANER AND QUIETER.

* NEARLY EVERY DAY, IN VIRTUALLY EVERY COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND THE COUNTRY, 500,000 YELLOW BUSES HIT THE STREETS, TRANSPORTING 26 MILLION CHILDREN TO AND FROM SCHOOL.

TAKEN AS A WHOLE, SCHOOL BUSES MAKE UP THE NATION'S LARGEST PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NETWORK, BUT ABOUT 95 PERCENT OF THOSE BUSES RUN ON DIESEL FUEL.

THAT PUTS THE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR POPULACE AT RISK FOR RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS AND OTHER ISSUES LINKED TO BREATHING EXHAUST FUMES.

THE RECENT GROWTH OF ELECTRIFICATION FOR CARS AND TRUCKS PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THAT, AND THE RECENT INFRASTRUCTURE LAW INCLUDES TWO AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS IN FEDERAL AID, SPECIFICALLY TO HELP SCHOOL DISTRICTS PURCHASE ZERO-EMISSION ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES AND AN EQUAL AMOUNT FOR OTHER LOW EMISSION AND ELECTRIFIED VEHICLES.

BUT MAKING THE ELECTRIC SWITCH REQUIRES EDUCATION FOR THOSE WHO WILL MANUFACTURE, PURCHASE, AND USE THOSE BUSES, AND THAT'S WHERE PROGRAMS LIKE MEEP COME INTO PLAY.

MEEP IS THE MID-ATLANTIC ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUS EXPERIENCE PROJECT, SPEARHEADED BY THE VIRGINIA CLEAN CITIES COALITION AND BEGUN WITH FUNDING FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY IN 2019.

MEEP IS WORKING WITH BUS MANUFACTURERS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND OTHER PARTNERS TO PROVIDE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AND EXTENDED DEMONSTRATION LOANS OF ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES TO SCHOOL BUS FLEETS THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, DC, PENNSYLVANIA, AND NEW JERSEY OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

Alleyn Harned: WE'VE KICKED OFF THE PROGRAM AND ALREADY DONE MORE THAN TWENTY SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATIONS, AS WELL AS SIX VIRTUAL EVENTS.

THIS HAS LED TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF 100 ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUSES WITHIN THE REGION.

John: THE BUS, KNOWN AS JOULEY, IS MANUFACTURED BY THOMAS BUILT BUSES IN NORTH CAROLINA, USING AN ELECTRIC PROPULSION SYSTEM DEVELOPED BY PROTERRA, AND ALREADY PROVEN THROUGH 8-MILLION SERVICE MILES ON ELECTRIC TRANSIT BUSES ACROSS AMERICA.

JOULEY HAS A DRIVING RANGE OF ABOUT 138 MILES AND CAN RECHARGE IN JUST THREE HOURS USING A DC FAST CHARGER.

Jim Beasley: WELL, THE ROUTES THAT IT RUNS.

IT RUNS IN THE AM AND THE PM MOSTLY, PREDOMINANTLY.

THEY'RE EASY TO CHARGE BECAUSE THERE'S DOWNTIME IN BETWEEN, AND THEY'RE SITTING OVERNIGHT.

THEY'RE QUIET, THEY RUN THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THEY'RE NON-POLLUTERS.

John: THE ELECTRIFICATION OF SCHOOL BUSES IS GAINING A GROUNDSWELL OF SUPPORT FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS, PARENTS AND THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES.

Speaker: I AM SO PROUD OF OUR STUDENTS AND THE AWARENESS THEY HAVE, AND THEY KNOW NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE THE ENVIRONMENTAL LEGACY INTO THEIR HANDS.

Paul D'Andrade: AND THE MAIN THING IS ABOUT OUR KIDS, YOU KNOW.

WE WANT THEM TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE ZERO EMISSION BUSES, TO HAVE A NICE QUIET RIDE, AND LESS EFFECTS ON THEIR HEALTH.

OUR TOTAL AMOUNT OF BUSES IS JUST OVER 1600.

WE HAVE EIGHT ELECTRIC BUSES, AND WE HAVE TEN WE SHOULD GET SOMETIME NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, AND WE PUT IN THE APPLICATION FOR ANOTHER GRANT FOR AN ADDITIONAL TEN.

John: ELECTRIFYING OUR NATION'S SCHOOL BUS FLEET WON'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.

THAT 2-AND-A-HALF BILLION DOLLARS IS EXPECTED TO ADD ABOUT 10,000 ELECTRIC BUSES TO THE NATIONAL TOTAL OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS; BUT IT'S AN INVESTMENT THAT WILL CONTINUE TO PAY HUGE DIVIDENDS IN AWARENESS AND ONE THAT WILL DRIVE US TOWARDS A CLEANER FUTURE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

John: WE'RE GEARED UP AND FULLY CHARGED FOR ANOTHER QUICKSPIN!

* TIME TO PLUG INTO WHAT'S NEW FROM CADILLAC WITH A QUICK SPIN FIRST DRIVE OF THE ALL-NEW AND MUCH ANTICIPATED 2023 LYRIQ 5-DOOR, THE FIRST STEP IN CADILLAC'S TRANSITION TO AN ALL-ELECTRIC FUTURE.

THE LONG AND LOW PROPORTIONS MAY SUGGEST A TRADITIONAL WAGON, BUT CADILLAC WANTS BUYERS TO SEE IT AS A BEAUTIFULLY MODERN CROSSOVER UTILITY VEHICLE; AND WE CERTAINLY CAN AGREE ON THE BEAUTIFUL PART.

FEATURING THE SAME ULTIUM PLATFORM WE FIRST SAW IN GMC'S HUMMER EV PICKUP, THE INITIAL LYRIQ'S THAT WE SAMPLED DURING OUR EARLY DRIVE TIME IN UTAH WERE REAR-DRIVE ONLY, WITH A 102 KILOWATT HOUR BATTERY PACK PROVIDING ENERGY FOR 340 HORSEPOWER, AND WILL DELIVER A RANGE OF 312 MILES.

DUAL-MOTOR ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE, WITH 500 HORSEPOWER WILL BE AVAILABLE NEXT YEAR.

THROWING IT BACK TO CADILLAC'S ELR PLUG-IN HYBRID COUPE, THE LYRIQ FEATURES A REGEN-ON-DEMAND PADDLE TOO, THOUGH IT HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO PROVIDE MORE PROGRESSIVE BRAKING, BUT BY FAR THE BIGGEST CROWD-PLEASER INSIDE WILL BE THE 33 INCH CURVED LED DISPLAY.

Brian Robinson: IT'S DIFFICULT AT FIRST NOT TO BE DISTRACTED BY THAT HUGE SCREEN, BUT ONCE YOU GET PAST THAT AND FOCUS ON WHAT THE LYRIQ IS LIKE TO ACTUALLY DRIVE, IT'S JUST AS EASY TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THE SEAMLESS POWERTRAIN AND THE EFFORTLESS WAY IT GLIDES DOWN THE ROAD.

John: OF COURSE, WITH CADILLAC'S SUPER CRUISE, YOU WON'T HAVE TO DO THE DRIVING AT ALL, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO, PROVIDING YOU'RE LOCKED ONTO A HIGHWAY THAT'S IN ITS MEMORY BANK.

EVs BY THEIR VERY NATURE ARE MUCH QUIETER IN OPERATION THAN ICE-ENGINE CARS, AND MANY TIMES THAT LEADS TO HEARING OTHER NOISES THAT ARE USUALLY DROWNED OUT BY THAT ENGINE OR ITS EXHAUST SYSTEM.

WELL, CADILLAC HAS MADE THE LYRIQ EXPERIENCE AS SERENE AS POSSIBLE WITH NEXT LEVEL NOISE CANCELLATION.

AND WHILE, WE DID ENJOY THE QUIET SERENITY THAT YOU'D EXPECT IN AN ALL-ELECTRIC CAR FROM CADILLAC, WE ALSO TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO DESTROY THAT SERENITY WITH THE PHENOMENAL AKG STUDIO AUDIO SYSTEM WITH 19-SPEAKERS, INCLUDING IN THE VEHICLE'S HEADRESTS.

DELIVERIES OF THE CADILLAC LYRIQ HAVE JUST BEGUN, WITH INITIAL 2023s PRICED RIGHT AROUND $63,000.

2022 MARKS JUST THE SECOND OUTING FOR THE KIA SELTOS, BUT THIS SUBCOMPACT SUV IS ALREADY LEARNING SOME NEW TRICKS.

ONE OF THEM IS THE RECENTLY ADDED NIGHTFALL EDITION TRIM.

NIGHTFALL IS POWERED BY THE MORE-POWERFUL OF THE TWO AVAILABLE POWERTRAINS: A TURBOCHARGED 1.6 LITER 4-CYLINDER ENGINE.

IT'S CAPABLE OF 175 HORSEPOWER AND 195 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, CHANNELED THROUGH THE 7-SPEED DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION TO AN ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEM.

THE RIDE WAS SIMILAR TO THE SELTOS' WE'VE TESTED BEFORE, AND WE ENJOYED THE LITTLE EXTRA PUNCH PROVIDED BY THE TURBO.

OUTSIDE, THE NIGHTFALL EXPRESSES ITSELF THROUGH A TRIM-EXCLUSIVE GRILLE, DARK ROOF RAILS, AND RUGGED SIDE SILLS.

ALL FOUR CORNERS RIDE ON 18 INCH ALLOY WHEELS SPORTING A MATTE-BLACK FINISH.

IN CONTRAST, OUR TEST MODEL WAS OPTIONED OUT WITH A PAINTED WHITE ROOF-- A GREAT LOOKING FEATURE, BUT A BODY-MATCHED OR BLACK-PAINTED ROOF ARE ALSO AVAILABLE ON CERTAIN COLORS.

AT FIRST GLANCE, THE INTERIOR OF THE SELTOS IS MUCH THE SAME AS LAST SEASON'S LONG-TERM TESTER.

BUT THE COMBINATION OF CLOTH AND SYNTEX SEATING MATERIALS IN THE NIGHTFALL FELT MORE DURABLE, AND THE LEATHER-WRAPPED STEERING WHEEL AND GEAR SHIFTER WERE NICE TOUCHES.

WE ALSO APPRECIATED MANY OF THE CONVENIENCE FEATURES PACKED INTO THE NIGHTFALL.

A 10.25 INCH TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY SITS FRONT AND CENTER, COMPLETE WITH NAVIGATION, SATELLITE RADIO AND KIA CONNECT SERVICES.

IF THAT ISN'T ENOUGH, APPLE CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO ARE ALSO COMPATIBLE.

ALL KIA SELTOS' COME STANDARD WITH A SUITE OF SAFETY FEATURES, LIKE FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE ASSIST WITH PEDESTRIAN DETECTION, LANE KEEPING, LANE DEPARTURE WARNING, AND FOLLOWING ASSIST.

THE NIGHTFALL ALSO PACKS BLINDSPOT-COLLISION AVOIDANCE AND REAR CROSS-TRAFFIC COLLISION AVOIDANCE.

TO SUMMARIZE, THE 2022 KIA SELTOS NIGHTFALL FEELS LIKE AN APPROPRIATE STEP JUST-ABOVE ENTRY-LEVEL.

A VERY REASONABLE OFFER GIVING ITS STARTING PRICE OF AROUND $28,000 WITH DESTINATION.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPINS, SOON!

* Greg Carloss: THIS 2022 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT MID-SIZE SEDAN IS VW'S WAY OF SAYING GOODBYE TO PASSAT PRODUCTION HERE IN THE STATES, AND UNFORTUNATELY, AFTER 4,000 MILES, IT'S ALSO TIME FOR US TO SAY GOODBYE TO IT.

WE'VE ONLY HAD THIS PASSAT A FEW MONTHS, BUT SINCE IT'S MOSTLY-- THE SAME AS IT'S BEEN FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, WE DIDN'T GO THROUGH THAT WHOLE AWKWARD "GET TO KNOW YOU" PHASE.

FOR INSTANCE, THE STEERING IS EXACTLY AS WE'VE COME TO EXPECT FROM VOLKSWAGEN.

NICE AND ACCURATE, BUT WITH THE LIGHT WEIGHT THAT KEEPS IT COMFORTABLE FOR DAILY DRIVING.

FOR ME, THAT'LL BE ONE OF THE THINGS I REMEMBER ABOUT THIS CAR.

GODSPEED, PASSAT.

YOU WILL BE MISSED.

WE'VE DRIVEN ALL MANNER OF ROADS OVER THE LAST THREE-MONTHS; BUT THE PASSAT SPENT MOST OF ITS TIME PERFORMING BASIC COMMUTING DUTY, AND SEEMED TO EMBRACE THAT ROLE WITH GREAT COMFORT, PLENTY OF SPACE, AND TECH THAT MAY NOT BE AS FLASHY AS MANY, BUT DOES WHAT YOU NEED WITHOUT BEING COMPLICATED.

VW'S TRIED AND TRUE 2.0 LITER TURBO-4 WASN'T ALWAYS SIMPATICO WITH THE 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC; BUT FELT MORE POWERFUL THAN ITS 174 HORSEPOWER RATING, AND DELIVERED A GREAT 31.1 MILES PER GALLON FUEL ECONOMY.

SO, IF YOU FANCY A FINE FAMILY SEDAN, YOU MIGHT WANT TO GRAB A PASSAT WHILE YOU CAN.

WE'LL SIP EVEN LESS FUEL IN OUR TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME, ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

* John: SOME PEOPLE NEVER GET THE CREDIT THEY DESERVE IN LIFE, AND THERE ARE FEW CARS THAT KNOW THAT FEELING, TOO.

THAT'S CERTAINLY THE CASE FOR FORD'S MUSTANG II AND PINTO.

LOOKED DOWN UPON BY MANY GEARHEADS AND MOST SAFETY-NICKS OVER THE YEARS, THEIR SIGNIFICANCE IN AUTOMOTIVE AND YES, EVEN RACING HISTORY SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED.

DON'T BELIEVE US, GET A WHOLE NEW APPRECIATION FROM MARC CRANSWICK IN HIS BOOK "FORD MUSTANG II & PINTO: 1970 TO 1980."

YOU'RE SURE TO LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT THIS OFTEN-MALIGNED PAIR OF PONIES THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW.

AND IF THAT WEREN'T ENOUGH, THERE'S EVEN A FOREWORD WRITTEN BY SOMEONE YOU JUST MIGHT RECOGNIZE, MAKING IT A MUST READ PERFECT FOR BOTH FORD AND MOTORWEEK FANS.

NO DOUBT FORD UNLEASHED A WHOLE NEW KIND OF PERFORMANCE TRUCK WHEN THE SVT RAPTOR ARRIVED FOR 2010.

THE 2ND-GEN RAPTOR ENTERED FOR 2017, MORE CAPABLE IN MANY WAYS, BUT WITH A TWIN-TURBO V6 INSTEAD OF A MONSTROUS V8.

WELL, NOW IT'S ON TO THE 3RD GENERATION.

SO, LET'S SEE WHAT SURPRISES FORD HAS IN STORE THIS TIME!

* FOR MOST OF ITS FIRST TWO GENERATIONS AND 10 MODEL YEARS, THE FORD F-150 RAPTOR EXISTED WITHOUT ANY REAL COMPETITION.

THAT CHANGED LAST YEAR WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE RAM 1500 TRX.

SO NATURALLY, FORD FELT A NEED TO UP THEIR GAME, AND HAD A NEW F-150 PLATFORM TO BUILD UPON.

THE BIGGEST DEPARTURE FOR THIS 3RD-GEN RAPTOR IS IN THE SUSPENSION SETUP, WHERE IT SWAPS THE F-150'S LEAF SPRINGS FOR SOME COILS, HELPING THE REAR STAY BETTER IN LINE DURING HIGH SPEED DESERT RUNS.

DELIVERING A SMOOTHER RIDE IN DAILY USE IS A SIDE BENEFIT, TOO, AS IS LESS WEIGHT.

THE FRONT SUSPENSION ALSO GETS BEEFED UP A BIT, AS WELL AS SLIGHTLY ALTERED GEOMETRY.

PLUS, THE 3.0 INCH FOX SHOCKS DELIVER AN INCH OF ADDITIONAL TRAVEL OVER LAST YEAR FOR BOTH FRONT AND REAR.

ATTACHED TO THE SUSPENSION ARE 17 INCH WHEELS WITH 35 INCH BF GOODRICH T/A KO2s AS STANDARD, BUT 37s ARE NOW AVAILABLE; DONE NO DOUBT TO KEEP UP WITH THE TRX.

REGARDLESS OF WHICH TIRES ARE FITTED, YOU CERTAINLY HAVE A COMMANDING VIEW OF THE ROAD.

AND WE TALKED SUSPENSION FIRST BECAUSE THERE'S NOT MUCH UNDER THE HOOD TO DISCUSS.

SAME ENGINE AS BEFORE, WITH 450 HORSEPOWER AND 510 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, BUT THE 3.5 LITER TWIN-TURBO V6 IS TWEAKED TO BE A LITTLE MORE RESPONSIVE, AS WELL AS DELIVER BETTER LOW-END TORQUE.

AND, IT GETS A NEW 3.0 INCH ACTIVE EXHAUST SYSTEM WITH QUIET, NORMAL, SPORT, AND BAJA MODES.

MOST AGREE, AT ITS MOST AGGRESSIVE, IT SOUNDS MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE, BUT IT'S STILL NO V8, AND STILL TOTALLY OUT OF PLACE IN A VEHICLE SUCH AS THIS.

THE 702 HORSEPOWER TRX WILL REIGN SUPREME FOR NOW IN REGARDS TO POWERTRAIN; AT LEAST UNTIL THE SUPERCHARGED V8 RAPTOR R ARRIVES LATER THIS YEAR.

SAME 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC, BUT UPDATED TO PROVIDE QUICKER SHIFTS; AND REVISED GEARING ALLOWS FOR TOWING AN ADDITIONAL 200 POUNDS; 8,200 THE NEW MAX.

OUTSIDE, IT'S THE SAME BASIC ULTRA-AGGRESSIVE LOOK OF PREVIOUS RAPTORS, WITH NOTICEABLY UPDATED LIGHTING.

TO THE ALREADY TERRIFIC INTERIOR OF THE LATEST F-150, RAPTOR ADDS A NEW STEERING WHEEL, ALUMINUM PADDLE SHIFTERS, HEAVILY BOLSTERED FRONT SEATS, AND YOUR CHOICE OF ALUMINUM OR CARBON FIBER TRIM.

WITH ALL OF THAT OFF-ROAD HARDWARE, THERE'S A COMPROMISE TO BE HAD ON THE STREET; BUT THE RAPTOR IS NOT TOO BAD AT ALL FOR DAILY DRIVING AND EVEN MANAGING CITY STREETS.

AS FOR GETTING TO 60, IT WAS OFF TO OUR MASON DIXON DRAGWAY PROVING GROUNDS TO SEE IF THE MINOR POWERTRAIN TWEAKS WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT ANY QUICKER.

THROTTLE RESPONSE IS IMMEDIATE, AND POWER STILL COMES ON LIKE A WRECKING BALL RIGHT FROM THE GET GO; BUT IT ACTUALLY TOOK US A TENTH OF A SECOND LONGER TO HIT 60 THAN BEFORE, AT 5.9 SECONDS.

SHIFTS FROM THE 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC ARE SO SMOOTH YOU CAN BARELY FEEL THEM; AND WHETHER IT'S QUICKER SHIFTING HERE, OR THE MORE CONSISTENT TORQUE DELIVERY, IT QUICKLY MADE UP THAT DEFICIT AND THEN SOME, WITH A QUARTER-MILE TIME THAT WAS ACTUALLY TWO-TENTHS QUICKER THAN BEFORE, AT 14.3 SECONDS AND 95 MILES PER HOUR.

ANYTHING THAT SITS THIS HIGH OFF THE GROUND IS NEVER GOING TO FEEL GLUED TO IT, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE DRIVING LIFTED BIG-RIGS THROUGH A CONE COURSE, YOU'LL KNOW THIS ONE'S NOT TOO BAD AT ALL, ESPECIALLY IF YOU TIGHTEN THING UP IN SPORT MODE.

AS FOR NOW, ALL RAPTORS ARE SUPERCREWS; NO MORE SUPERCAB; AND BETWEEN ALL OF THE UPDATES AND INFLATIONARY PRESSURES, BASE PRICING SEES A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE TO $67,070.

IN ITS CURRENT CONFIGURATION, THE 2022 FORD F-150 RAPTOR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MATCH THE TRX WHEN IT COMES TO HORSEPOWER, BUT IT'S STILL A FANTASTIC OVERALL PACKAGE, IMPOSING TO LOOK AT, WHILE BEING FASTER THAN WHOLE LOT OF SPORTS CARS.

IT'S EVEN A LITTLE MORE FUN THAN MANY OF THEM TOO.

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 WE'LL TAKE MAZDA'S ALL-NEW CX-50 CROSSOVER ON A ROAD TEST SHAKEDOWN.

THEN, WE'LL GET DOWN AND AROUND FAST IN SUBARU'S REDESIGNED BRZ COUPE.

UNTIL 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... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

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.

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

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] * YOUR WATCHING PBS.