Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We're saying our goodbyes to the 3rd generation of one popular truck, the Toyota Tacoma... Then, we'll pull into the garage for a deep dive on detailing... We're looking back on the three decades of a clean fuel champion... And we'll get behind the wheel of the redesigned Honda Accord!

So, come drive with us, next.

Closed Captioning provided by Maryland Public Television.

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JOHN: As You've probably heard by now, there's an all-new 4th generation of the Toyota Tacoma midsize pickup truck heading our way soon.

But before we make way for it, let's take a look back at what made the 3rd gen Tacoma so outstanding and popular, and how it stacks up to what we already know about what comes for '24.

♪ ♪ While there have been numerous small Toyota pickup truck designs on American streets since the 1960s, it was the first gen Tacoma's arrival in the mid-1990s that put Toyota on the fast track to become today's midsize truck sales leader.

This 3rd generation Tacoma debuted for 2016 as a much more serious truck than predecessors, with significant upgrades in ride-and-handling and capability.

TRD off-road chops expanded greatly too, including the most capable TRD Pro yet.

That theme will continue for '24 with the 4th gen not only offering TRD Sport, TRD Pro, TRD Off-Road, and TRD PreRunner models, but even turning to the aftermarket for help as well, with a new Trailhunter rig upgraded with pieces from ARB, Old Man Emu, and Rigid.

Third gen arrived with a choice of 159 horsepower 2.7 liter I4, or 278 horsepower 3.5 liter V6 with 265 pound-feet of torque; and no major changes were made to either throughout its 8-year run.

Gen 4 will see a big departure with all 4-cylinders.

But not to worry, there's turbo and even hybrid assistance.

So, the base 2.4 liter i-FORCE turbo will rate the same 278 horsepower as gen 3's V6.

The i-FORCE MAX will crank it up to 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, which is 200 more than the V6.

Automatic transmissions will go from 6-speeds to 8, and a 6-speed manual will remain available too, though only with the base turbo-4.

We felt one last hurrah for the 3rd gen was in order at our Mason Dixon test track.

While the V6 Tacoma has always felt plenty torquey off-pavement, at the track it launched very softly for a lengthy 7.9 second trip to 60.

We can't wait to get that i-FORCE MAX up here to see what it will do.

Even with off-road tires, it was a very smooth, pleasant shifting trip down the rest of the quarter-mile, albeit a very loud one.

We tripped the lights in 16.1 seconds at 89 miles per hour.

Those Good Year Wrangler A/Ts are surely designed for gripping wet rocks and cutting through mud more than providing maximum traction through cones, so our slalom speeds were relatively low; but steering was light, and overall handling very predictable.

In panic braking runs, we could really feel the ABS working overtime, but that just makes sense, as bringing this truck to a halt in just 115 feet from 60 is hard work indeed.

The majority of Tacoma's sold are 4-door Double Cabs like this TRD Off-Road and come with a choice of either a 5 or 6 foot bed.

That won't change for '24.

But, oddly, the current Access Cab with two front and two rear hinged doors, will be replaced with a 2-door only XtraCab.

Crash worthiness and declining demand were apparently behind the decision.

But, the new XtraCab will have added space for gear inside as well as a 6-foot bed.

Another major departure for Gen 4 will be its frame.

It's shared with the full-size Tundra.

If there's one issue that Gen 3 trucks had, it was frame rust.

To be fair, Toyota quickly addressed the situation, and even replaced early run frames under warranty.

Perhaps even more significant is that most trims will have an all-new coil spring suspension bolted to the back half of that new frame.

Leaf springs will still suspend the lowest trims.

Styling is always subjective, but we love the fact that the '24 appears to build on Gen 3, looking like a tougher Tacoma and not a baby Tundra.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are sure to improve over the current V6 auto's 18-City, 22-Highway, 20-Combined with 4-wheel-drive.

That's a worse than average Energy Impact Score; 14.9 barrels of oil annually; emitting 7.4 tons of CO2.

Now, if you're the kind of truck buyer who prefers to stick with the well-proven and let someone else work out the kinks, you still have plenty of time to pick up a '23 Tacoma with prices ranging from $29,585 to $49,020, with our TRD Off-Road at $37,775.

We expect pricing to stay pretty close to that when '24s go on sale this fall.

With smaller trucks sales now hotter than they've been in a long time, this 2023 Toyota Tacoma remains the best seller in the midsize segment, despite its lack of change.

So, Toyota probably didn't have to do as drastic a rethink as they did for '24.

While the Gen 3 is still a great truck, we think we'll also love what's coming next, and Tacoma fans will too.

♪ ♪ The number of electric and hybrid vehicles on US roads has grown exponentially in just the past few years, and electrification is universally recognized as the auto industry's power choice for the future.

But advancing the use of clean fuels and technologies is hardly a new crusade.

The US Department of Energy's clean cities program has been leading the charge for efficient transportation alternatives for the past three decades, and their successes have been victories for us all.

♪ ♪ Clean Cities is a groundbreaking network of community-based coalitions, each tasked with encouraging the use of alternative fuels in their region.

Starting with just six cities in 1993, Clean Cities has now grown to 75 coalitions with 20,000 active public and private stakeholder partners.

Clean Cities works with fleet managers, vehicle and fuel suppliers, local governments, and community organizations to develop solutions based on understanding local needs, opportunities, and markets.

MARK BENTLEY: Since 1993, Clean Cities organizations, like our Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, have created significant and positive change in the transportation sector by building public and private partnerships to reduce our dependence on foreign petroleum.

JOHN: From big corporations like Frito-Lay, Coca Cola, and UPS leading by example on a national level, to local contractors, taxis, and refuse haulers, each new clean fleet deployment has driven demand for alt fuel, as well as electric and hybrid vehicles, and helped to expand the national clean fueling and charging infrastructure to where it is today.

It's a winning formula.

And the results are impressive: 1.5 million new alternative fuel vehicles on the road, 5-billion gallons of imported petroleum eliminated through alt fuels, cleaner technologies, and smarter driving, and 67 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions prevented from entering the earth's atmosphere.

JOY GARDNER: I like to refer to the Clean Cities as a clean transportation matchmakers.

We're able to tap into this amazing national network of-our fellow coalitions, their stakeholders, the DOE, national labs; and we're able to make these connections that have led to the millions of alternative fuel vehicle and infrastructure deployments across the country.

JOHN: In 1997, only 6.0 percent of US transit buses used alternative fuels.

Since then, that number has jumped to over 50 percent.

But despite its tremendous growth, Clean Cities is still very much a grassroots operation at heart, celebrating one ribbon-cutting at a time, and relying on each other for much needed support.

MARK SMITH: So, we've had some great things to be proud of over the past 30 years; but, now we have the next 30 years ahead of us, and we know that we're in the transition to zero-emission vehicles, be that battery-electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles-- and...we need to make sure that our Clean Cities Coalitions have the tools and the expertise to help their stakeholders make that transition into the zero-emission vehicle, uh, era.

But, in the meantime, we have to make sure that those traditional alternative fuels that we've used to get where we're at today-such as biofuels, propane, natural gas-that they will play a role as we help to make the transition.

JOHN: The idea of government empowering local citizens to be agents of change for the common good is an innovative approach that has exceeded all expectations.

And if the past 30 years is any indication, clean cities coalitions will continue to show the way forward, for decades to come.

Keeping your car looking its best takes lots of attention to the details, so we asked Dan Maffett to show us some of his favorite car cleaning tips on MotorWeek's "Your Drive."

♪ ♪ DAN MAFFETT: If you're doing a detail job on your vehicle at home, there's a few things you can do to take it to the next level.

For example, look at these wheels.

They look phenomenal; but, if you flip them around, you'll notice they're actually quite filthy.

Taking the wheel off and hitting it with a little bit of degreaser will show you... just a little bit of elbow grease and you can make them a lot cleaner.

Likewise, if you make a trip to your local hardware store, you can find utensils like these.

Couple common items like these cotton swabs, a standard bristle brush, and even some panels tools like these.

You can use these to get into nooks and crannies, cracks and crevices that you wouldn't be able to get to normally.

Even taking a paint stick and a no-lint rag, you can get in between the body gaps to get really hard to reach spots when you're cleaning.

Also, another tip is when you're washing your car always start top to bottom.

The last thing you want to do is get all the way through your wash, realize you've got to spray something off on top, and then all that dirt runs across your fresh, clean paint.

Tires are another issue, too, because a lot of people like to use petroleum-based shines.

While, they look good while it's sitting in your driveway, soon as that tire starts spinning, it's going to sling petroleum all down the side.

You're not going to see it at first, but road grime is going to stick to it, and you'll wonder where all this dark dirt came from.

Something like a tire conditioner or spray is gonna be a lot better long-term.

A little tool like this, a micro buffer, is gonna make it really easy to buff your headlights, your taillights, even some nooks and crannies around your door jams.

You can even use this same tool with different attachments on the end to agitate dirt in the carpets, the seats and even your headliner.

Using that to vibrate loose the dirt and clean it up with a shop-vac while you're doing it will make cleaning the carpet a cinch.

Also, one of the most overlooked things is your air vents.

You're in your car all the time breathing the air through those vents, so taking a panel gapping tool like this and a nice rag, and getting through those vents nice and tight with an alcohol or even a spray shine will get all that dirt out of there.

If you have any questions or comments, hit us up here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: Let's merge into the fast lane for another QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ JESSICA RAY: The Jeep Wrangler needs little introduction.

Even with this 2024 update, it's still unmistakably Jeep.

Still, there are plenty of new features making this mid-cycle refresh worthy of sometime behind the wheel.

And what better place to get some seat time than on the roads and trails of southern Utah.

We spent most of the drive in the Wrangler 4xe, the plug-in hybrid version of this off-road legend.

It packs 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, summoned by a turbocharged 2.0 liter inline-4 and two electric motors.

Great for your average commute, and plenty capable for your not-so-average ones, too.

KYLE SCANLON: And this thing does work off-road, let me tell you.

We were on some sketchy rock faces, and I was at 20 percent pitch with a 20 percent roll to the left side, and this thing was absolutely glued to these rocks.

And right now, I am in some seriously... seriously loose sugar sand, and this 4xe is eating it up, just driving through it as if I were on pavement.

JESSICA: Jeep expects 49 MPGe and 21 miles of all-electric range; but, the best 4xe news is the price.

It's now available in the Sport S model, giving a new entry point for this PHEV...around $50,000.

But don't worry, a 2-door Wrangler Sport starts under $34,000 with delivery, and that's with the 285 horsepower 3.6 liter V6 under the hood, paired to a standard 6-speed manual or optional 8-speed automatic.

Exterior enhancements include the updated seven-slot grille, windshield-integrated antenna and wheel designs.

The cabin is enhanced by standard side curtain airbags and a 12.3 inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen.

All Wranglers may wear the "Trail Rated" badge, but it's the Rubicon which most trail-junkies will eye up on dealer lots.

This Rubicon features the first Dana 44 HD full-float solid rear axle, front, and rear-axle lockers, and a factory-available Warn winch.

A new Rubicon X model ups the ante with standard 35 inch all-terrain tires, integrated trail cameras, steel bumpers, and a Rock-Trac full-time Transfer case.

But now, we're getting ahead of ourselves.

We'll have more in our upcoming Road Test, and we'll have more QuickSpins, soon!

GREG CARLOSS: Summer is speeding by quickly, but we're getting our money's worth of summertime driving fun in this 2023 Acura Integra.

We've racked up over 6,000 miles in just 3-months' time, averaging a great 33.8 miles per gallon from the tiny but mighty 200 horsepower 1.5 liter turbo-4.

We were thrilled that Acura brought the Integra name back and have been even more excited to discover it delivers a driving experience worthy of the name; easily winning a MotorWeek Drivers' Choice Award earlier this year.

Two-hundred horsepower coming from the Integra's 1.5 liter 4-cylinder doesn't sound like much, but trust us...it is.

We've talked about the turbo before and how there's a bit of lag at low rpm.

Yeah, you wouldn't get that in a naturally aspirated engine, but you also wouldn't get as much low-end torque, and torque is what brings a smile to your face.

We mostly love the functionality and looks of its sporty interior, but do wish they would have poured just a tad more Acura into it, as in certain places, its Civic roots are a little too obvious.

Also obvious, our Kia EV6's winning ways; it's on the next MotorWeek Long-Term Road Test Update!

JOHN: The Honda Accord is not only America's best-selling car over the last 50 years, but it has been built here in America for over four decades.

And an all-new 11th generation of Honda's midsize sedan is arriving now, so let's see what the Accord faithful have to look forward to.

♪ ♪ For many Americans, their vehicle buying decision doesn't come down to choosing what car to buy, but which Honda Accord to get this time to replace their current one that's probably being passed on to a family member.

And, for 2023, those loyalists have an all-new Accord lineup to choose from.

Powertrain choices are linked to trim level.

LX and EX feature the same base 1.5 liter turbo-4 as last year, with 192 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque.

For Sport, EX-L, and Touring, there's the upgraded two-motor hybrid system from the CR-V with a more powerful 2.0 liter I4 as its base.

Both attached electric motors have increased output as well; and while the combined horsepower rating only increases from 202 to 204, the added 15 pound-feet of torque was noticeable, with power arriving with much more immediacy than before.

More than the power boost, the Hybrid's incorporated Linear Shift Control provides a more neutral automatic transmission feel than comparable CVTs, with simulated shifting on both acceleration and deceleration; plus, heavy regen braking for EV-like 1-pedal style driving.

For customizing all of this, a new Individual drive mode has been added to Normal, Sport, and Econ.

Unfortunately, the 2.0 liter turbo-4 engine is no longer in the lineup, at least for the time being.

So, that means our top Touring's hybrid is your most powerful option; and while it's noticeably peppier than the previous hybrid in everyday driving, at our Mason Dixon proving grounds, acceleration was way shy of last gen's turbo-equipped Touring.

Still, 7.1 seconds to 60 is plenty quick for a family sedan.

Power delivery was both linear and smooth, with engine noise kept well in check throughout the 15.7 second quarter-mile which was completed at 88 miles per hour.

This new-gen Accord rides on a structurally enhanced version of their global architecture platform.

That, along with a wider rear track, revised bushings, and altered suspension geometry, are all in place to improve ride and handling.

And it does have a very smooth and settled ride, living up to the Touring name.

It was no slouch through our cone course either, very responsive and turning in eagerly; showing only minor understeer and moderate body roll.

Steering feel was quite good, and the overall experience was incredibly sporty for a family sedan without sport attached to its name.

Inside this midsizer are new front seats that are significantly more comfortable than last gen, and there's still full-size sedan-like legroom in back.

There's also, a new smart looking dash layout that seamlessly integrates center vents, and is comprised of very nice materials in both look and feel.

Perhaps the biggest departure is the new 12.3 inch dashtop touchscreen, the largest ever for a Honda.

It looks great and is very easy to use; plus, has an actual volume knob that looks like it was an afterthought, but we much appreciate it.

There's also, the first infotainment system with Google in a Honda, but that comes only in Touring trim.

Sport and EX-L get the same screen without Google, while LX and EX get a smaller 7.0 inch display.

Exterior styling is rarely a big part of the family car decision process, but this latest Accord is certainly modernized; same wheelbase as before, but with a longer hood and contemporary coupe-like roof profile added.

Reasonable pricing remains baked into the cake when it comes to the Accord, starting at $28,390; top Touring trim at $38,985.

For an all-new generation of Accord, the changes may seem relatively minor, but they come together to make a huge advancement.

It still looks and feels like an Accord, only a greatly improved one, with sharper style, better tech, enhanced ride and handling, and boosted fuel economy.

The whole world's not rushing out to buy full-EVs just yet; so, in the meantime, the 2023 Honda Accord delivers what most people really need in a family sedan, and does it better and more efficiently than ever.

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, we'll open the hatch on the all-new Subaru Impreza, then go all-out in the all-electric BMW i7.

We'll pop the hood for some tips on effective cold air induction, then go on tour with a rebellious two-wheelin' cruiser from Honda.

Til next time, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

ANNOUNCER: To learn more about MotorWeek ... Television's original automotive magazine, visit... To order a DVD of this program, call... MotorWeek has been brought to you by... ANNOUNCER: 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!

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper To Bumper, featuring major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast.

Learn more at AutoValue.com and BumperToBumper.com.

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.

♪ ♪ This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(car engine revving) ♪ ♪ You're watching PBS.