2015 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster GT & 2016 Toyota Tacoma

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

JOIN US FOR SOME PROPER BRITISH MOTORING IN THE ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE ROADSTER GT... PAT GOSS SHOWS US THE DO'S AND DON'T'S, SO WE MIGHT AS WELL JUMP... WE FIND THAT EVEN WITH HYBRIDS YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY... THEN WE DITCH THE LEFTOVER TACOS, AND EAT UP THE MILES IN THE ALL NEW TOYOTA TACOMA...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

Announcer: 35 YEARS OF MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU BY... KENNY'S NOT THINKING ABOUT HIS TIRES RIGHT NOW.

IF HE WERE, TIRERACK.COM COULD HELP HIM FIND THE RIGHT TIRES.

BUT KENNY'S NOT THINKING ABOUT TIRES.

KENNY'S THINKING, "OH MAN.

OH MAN.

OH MAN, OH MAN, OH MAN.

THIS IS AWESOME."

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT TIRERACK.COM.

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: YOU KNOW THE TYPE: NO MATTER HOW SPECIAL A CAR SOME FOLKS HAVE, THEY'RE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SOMETHING, SPECIAL-ER.

IF THAT'S YOU, OUR NEXT CAR IS ONE YOU MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF: THE ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE ROADSTER GT.

SURE YOU COULD BUY ONE JUST FOR THE BEAUTY, OR EVEN ITS RARITY.

BUT IT'S A WHOLE LOT MORE SPECIAL THAN THAT!

ONE LOOK AT THE 2015 ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE ROADSTER GT, AND THERE'S NO MISTAKING THAT IT BELONGS IN THE LEGENDARY ASTON MARTIN FAMILY.

BUT WHILE TRADITIONAL STYLING CUES ARE OBVIOUS, AND THE OVERALL LOOK IS FAR FROM FRESH, THERE'S NO DENYING THIS CAR IS TRULY STUNNING.

AND PROOF THAT THERE IS STILL PLENTY OF SHELF LIFE LEFT FOR A DESIGN THAT WORKS THIS WELL.

SURE IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, EXOTIC SPORTS CAR, BUT THERE'S A SUBTLE GENTLEMANLY MANNER ABOUT IT THAT ENABLES IT TO BE APPRECIATED BY ANY AGE GROUP AND MEMBERS OF ALL INCOME BRACKETS.

OF COURSE IT ALL FLOWS FROM THE ICONIC GRILLWORK, HERE NICELY TRIMMED IN WHITE AND MADE OF REAL ALUMINUM, NOT CHROMED PLASTIC.

THIS SKYFALL SILVER LIVERY FEATURES ADDITIONAL WHITE ACCENTS THROUGHOUT, AND IS ONE OF FIVE SPECIAL PAINT SCHEMES YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM.

THINGS ARE CLEAN AND UNCLUTTERED IN THE REAR, WITH ASTON FEELING THE DESIGN SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, SO NO NEED FOR EXCESSIVE BADGING.

THOUGH THE ADDED GT GRAPHICS PACKAGE ON OUR TESTER SUGGESTS OTHERWISE.

19-INCH GRAPHITE FORGED ALLOY WHEELS WEAR 245 SERIES RUBBER IN FRONT, 285 IN THE BACK.

THE FABRIC TOP IS POWER OPERATED AND STORES ITSELF UNDER A HARD TONNEAU COVER AND ALSO HIDES POP-UP ROLL-OVER PROTECTION BARS.

INSIDE, IT'S CERTAINLY GT CAR SPACIOUS, NOT THE MORE CRAMPED FEELING OF SAY A CORVETTE.

THE GAUGES RESEMBLE FINE WATCH FACES, AND ALL INTERIOR SWITCH GEAR HAVE A SOLID, HIGH QUALITY FEEL.

THE LEATHER IS DEEP, LUSH, AND EVEN SMELLS TERRIFIC.

IT'S NOT ALL GREAT, THOUGH, AS WITH HARDLY ANY MILES ON OUR TEST CAR, SOME INTERIOR SURFACES ARE ALREADY SHOWING SIGNIFICANT WEAR.

THE SCREEN FOR NAVIGATION RISES FROM THE TOP OF THE DASH; WHILE A CENTRAL CONTROLLER IS MOUNTED LOWER ON THE CENTER STACK.

AS FOR OPTIONS, HOW ABOUT A 1,000 WATT BANG & OLUFSEN BEOSOUND AUDIO SYSTEM FOR $8,330?

BUT, TRUNK SPACE FOR PICKING UP WHATEVER LUXURY ITEMS THE TYPICAL ASTON MARTIN CUSTOMER PICKS UP IS FAIRLY LIMITED TO JUST 5.0 CUBIC-FEET.

WE WERE VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT OUR TESTER ALSO SPORTED A MANUAL SHIFTER!

IT ENGAGES SWIFTLY AND IS ACCOMPANIED BY EXCELLENT CLUTCH FEEL.

THE 6-SPEED CAN BE REPLACED WITH A 7-SPEED AUTOMATIC SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO WIMP OUT.

CLASSIC BRITISH TOUCHES ABOUND, LIKE THE OUTBOARD PARKING BRAKE HANDLE.

BUT PERHAPS OUR FAVORITE FEATURE IS SLIDING THE CRYSTAL KEY INTO THE IGNITION, AS IT REMINDS US OF SUPERMAN ACCESSING THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, AND THE RESULTS THAT IT TRIGGERS ARE NO LESS STUNNING.

POWER ERUPTS FROM A 4.7 LITER V8, AND WHILE IT DOESN'T HAVE THE BITE OF A SUPERCHARGED JAGUAR F-TYPE, ITS BARK IS MUCH NASTIER WITH A MORE REALISTIC AND PRIMAL SOUND.

MAKE SURE YOU ENGAGE SPORT MODE FOR FULL EFFECT.

HORSEPOWER IS 430; TORQUE COMES IN AT 361 POUND-FEET.

OUR DRIVE TIME WAS LIMITED TO A FEW DAYS IN THE GARDEN STATE, SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO HIT THE TRACK, BUT ASTON CLAIMS A 0-60 OF 4.6 SECONDS AND THAT SEEMS SPOT ON.

THE SUSPENSION IS VERY TIGHT FOR A GT, WITH RIDE QUALITY EASILY ON THE FIRM SIDE, FALLING JUST WITHIN DAILY DRIVER PARAMETERS.

IT HANDLES WELL ENOUGH TO SURPRISE, SO YOU'LL NEED MUCH MORE THAN SWEEPING BACK ROADS TO FIND THIS CAR'S LIMITS.

HORSEPOWER NUMBERS ARE CERTAINLY FAR FROM CLASS LEADING, BUT AS WITH MOST CLASSIC ROADSTERS, POWER NUMBERS ARE NOT THE BE-ALL-END-ALL.

AS AT NO MATTER WHICH SPEED YOU'RE TRAVELLING, THIS CAR FEELS LIKE A TRUE DRIVER'S CAR; THE PROVERBIAL EXTENSION OF YOUR DRIVING SOUL, IF YOU WILL.

AND CAN BOTH HELP YOU REMEMBER THE JOY OF DRIVING AND FORGET ABOUT WHATEVER WAS BOTHERING YOU BEFORE YOU GOT BEHIND THE WHEEL.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE ABOUT WHAT YOU'D EXPECT; GAS GUZZLER TAX WORTHY AT 13-CITY, 19-HIGHWAY, 15-COMBINED.

THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS THUS DISMAL AT 22.0 BARRELS OF ANNUAL OIL CONSUMPTION WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 9.6 TONS.

NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS, THE V8 VANTAGE GT IN COUPE FORM IS ACTUALLY THE CHEAPEST ASTON MARTIN YOU CAN BUY, STARTING AT $104,425.

ROADSTER GUISE OF COURSE, COSTS A BIT MORE AT $117,225.

TIME MAY BE WINDING DOWN FOR THIS PLATFORM, BUT THE 2015 ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE ROADSTER GT STILL EXUDES APPEAL AND SEXINESS THAT FEW MANUFACTURES CAN CHANNEL.

AND WHILE YOU MAY CHOOSE TO BUY IT BASED ON LOOKS ALONE; AFTER SPENDING ONLY A LITTLE TIME DRIVING IT, YOU'LL QUICKLY REALIZE THAT MOTORING IS THIS CAR'S GREATEST ASSET.

WE'VE ALL HEARD THE DISCLAIMER "YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY" IN REGARDS TO FUEL ECONOMY CLAIMS.

AND IN OUR EXPERIENCE AS CAR TESTERS, WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN MATCH THE GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY ESTIMATES DEPENDS A LOT ON WEATHER CONDITIONS, TERRAIN, AND DRIVER INPUT, ESPECIALLY FOR HYBRID AND ELECTRIC CARS.

SO WE WANTED TO KNOW: HOW ARE THE OFFICIAL ESTIMATES OBTAINED FOR THESE ELECTRIFIED VEHICLES, AND HOW MUCH CAN DRIVER BEHAVIOR REALLY AFFECT THE RESULTS?

CARS THESE DAYS IS FUEL ECONOMY.

MPG ESTIMATES ARE STATED ON THE WINDOW LABEL, AFFIXED TO EVERY NEW CAR AND CAN BE FOUND ONLINE FOR BOTH NEW AND USED CARS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S FUEL ECONOMY WEBSITE.

THOSE FUEL ECONOMY ESTIMATES ARE OBTAINED THROUGH TESTING DEVELOPED AND REGULATED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AT THEIR LAB IN ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

ALTHOUGH, CAR MAKERS PERFORM THE ACTUAL TESTS ON EACH MODEL THEY MAKE.

ALL OF THE TESTS ARE RUN IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT, ON A DYNAMOMETER, WITH A HUMAN DRIVER EXERCISING THE VEHICLE THROUGH A SET PATTERN OF ACCELERATION, CRUISING, DECELERATION, AND BRAKING.

FUEL ECONOMY IS DETERMINED BY THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY USED BY THE VEHICLE OVER THE COURSE OF THE EXERCISE, THROUGH MEASURING EXHAUST EMISSIONS OR ENERGY DRAINED FROM THE BATTERIES, AS THE CASE MAY BE.

THESE TEST PROCEDURES HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME, AS DRIVING BEHAVIORS HAVE CHANGED AND NEW TYPES OF VEHICLE DRIVETRAINS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED.

Maria Peralta: WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EVALUATING IN A FAIR MANNER AND WE WORK WITH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S A NEW TECHNOLOGY, ON HOW ARE WE GOING TO EVALUATE THIS?

HOW ARE WE GOING TO USE SOME OF THE TESTS THAT WE HAVE TODAY, IN A DIFFERENT WAY, TO REALLY EVALUATE THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL TOGETHER.

John: THERE ARE FIVE TEST CYCLES IN TOTAL: SIMULATING CITY, HIGHWAY, MIXED DRIVING, HOT WEATHER, AND COLD WEATHER, AND THE TEST RESULTS ARE WEIGHTED AND AVERAGED TO OBTAIN THE FIGURES THAT WIND UP ON THE WINDOW LABEL.

THE SAME DRIVE CYCLES ARE USED FOR ALL CARS, REGARDLESS OF FUEL TYPE, BUT FOR PLUG-IN HYBRIDS AND OTHER ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY VEHICLES, THE TESTS ARE REPEATED FOR EACH DRIVE MODE THE VEHICLE IS CAPABLE OF.

FOR INSTANCE, PURE ELECTRIC CARS PROVIDE A COMBINED FUEL ECONOMY RATING BASED ON ELECTRICITY USED, STATED IN MPG EQUIVALENTS, ALONG WITH HOW MANY KILOWATT HOURS OF ELECTRICITY ARE NEEDED TO TRAVEL 100 MILES.

LIKEWISE, PLUG-IN ELECTRIC HYBRID VEHICLES HAVE THEIR COMBINED RATING IN MPGE AS WELL, AND IN STRAIGHT MILES PER GALLON WHEN RUNNING ON GASOLINE ALONE.

Jeff Alson: THE LABELS WE GIVE CONSUMERS, WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO COMPARE ACROSS DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES.

AND WHILE SOME OF THESE ALTERNATIVE-FUEL VEHICLES DO MAKE IT A CHALLENGE, WE'VE DESIGNED OUR LABELS TO BE AS FAIR AND AS NEUTRAL AS POSSIBLE, TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO MAKE THOSE COMPARISONS ACROSS TECHNOLOGIES.

John: BUT HOW DO THESE LABORATORY NUMBERS TRANSLATE TO THE REAL WORLD?

SURPRISINGLY WELL, ACTUALLY.

BUT THE OLD CAVEAT OF "YOUR MILEAGE WILL VARY" DOES COME INTO PLAY HERE, WITH WEATHER CONDITIONS, TERRAIN, TEMPERATURE, AND ESPECIALLY DRIVING BEHAVIOR ALL HAVING AN EFFECT ON MILEAGE.

COMMON SENSE TIPS LIKE, KEEPING THE TIRES INFLATED AND EXCESS WEIGHT OUT OF THE TRUNK APPLY TO ALL CARS, BUT FOR HYBRID AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES, THERE ARE OTHER VARIABLES TO CONSIDER.

Jeff: SO FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU HAVE REGENERATIVE BRAKING IN AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE, THE MORE MODERATELY YOU BRAKE, THE LONGER IT TAKES FOR YOU TO BRAKE, YOU WILL RECAPTURE A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF THE BRAKING ENERGY THAN IF YOU JAM ON THE BRAKES.

John: MANY EV'S AND HYBRIDS HAVE AN "ECONOMY MODE" THAT MAY LIMIT OTHER ASPECTS OF THE VEHICLE'S PERFORMANCE, SUCH AS ACCELERATION RATE, TO SAVE FUEL.

KEEPING THE BATTERY CHARGED AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY WILL HELP MAXIMIZE YOUR ELECTRIC ONLY DRIVING RANGE.

USING ACCESSORIES WISELY...

HEATING, AIR CONDITIONING, AND ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEMS AFFECT FUEL ECONOMY ON ALL VEHICLES, BUT CAN HAVE A GREATER EFFECT ON HYBRIDS AND ELECTRICS.

PRE-HEATING OR PRE-COOLING THE CABIN OF A PLUG-IN HYBRID OR EV WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STILL PLUGGED IN, FOR EXAMPLE, CAN EXTEND ITS ELECTRIC DRIVING RANGE.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, CONSULT YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL FOR TIPS SPECIFIC TO YOUR VEHICLE.

* AS AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES, MANY CAR MAKERS ARE HAVING TO TAKE DRASTIC STEPS TO ENSURE THE SURVIVAL OF CERTAIN MODELS.

THIS TOYOTA SUPRA IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT.

ONCE A PLUSH GT CAR, IN A CLASS OF ALL OUT SPORTS CARS, THE LATEST SUPRA HAS SLIMMED DOWN AND ADDED SOME REAL MUSCLE.

THE RESULT COULD BE A WHOLE NEW LEASE ON LIFE.

AND A NEW LIFE MEANS AN ENTIRELY NEW WARDROBE.

THESE RAPIDLY FLOWING LINES ARE A FAR CRY FROM THE ANGULAR SUPRA OF OLD.

AND NOW, COVER A PROVEN LEXUS SPORT COUPE CHASSIS.

BODY STYLES INCLUDE ONE WITH A LIFT OUT ROOF, AND OUR COUPE.

WE ALL NEED A JUMP START EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, WHETHER IN LIFE, OR JUST FOR ONE OF OUR CARS.

PAT GOSS HAS SOME TIPS ON THE LATTER!

Pat Goss: OH, YOU GOTTA LOVE OLD FASHIONED BOOSTER CABLES.

THEY DON'T WORK WITH MODERN CARS.

YOU GOTTA BE REAL, REAL CAREFUL WITH THEM, IF YOU LIKE TO USE THEM.

ME?

I WOULD THROW THEM AWAY.

ONE OF MY CLIENTS CALLED FOR ROAD SERVICE; THE ROAD SERVICE GUY CAME OUT, HOOKED THEM UP BACKWARDS, AND FRIED ALL KINDS OF THINGS ON HER CAR.

WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD NEVER THINK OF, IS RIGHT HERE: THIS IS THE 3RD BRAKE LIGHT.

WELL, THIS IS AN LED UNIT, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, EVEN IN A BRAKE LIGHT, THERE IS A CIRCUIT BOARD FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.

WELL, SOMEHOW IT MANAGED TO DESTROY THIS, ALONG WITH OTHER THINGS.

IT GOT VERY EXPENSIVE.

THIS ALONE WAS $150 PLUS A COUPLE OF HOURS OF LABOR TO INSTALL IT.

SO, WHAT WOULD YOU DO AS AN ALTERATIVE?

WELL, THERE ARE A TON OF THESE LITHIUM-ION BATTERY PACKS.

THESE ARE ACTUALLY JUMP STARTERS.

THEY COME WITH CABLES LIKE THIS.

YOU HOOK THE CABLES UP TO THE BATTERY, AND THEN YOU LET IT SIT FOR A FEW SECONDS, GO AROUND, AND START THE CAR.

THESE ACTUALLY PRODUCE ALMOST AS MUCH POWER AS YOU WOULD GET OUT OF THE END OF AN AVERAGE SET OF BOOSTER CABLES.

THEY RANGE IN PRICE, FROM OH, ABOUT 30 BUCKS UP TO WELL OVER $150.

NOW, WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE?

WELL, SOME OF THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE SIZE OF THE BATTERY.

AND THAT DETERMINES THE POWER OUTPUT.

BUT THE OTHER THING IS THE NUMBER OF PORTS; THE NUMBER OF PLACES TO PLUG IN.

FOR POWER IN, AND POWER OUT, AND USB, AND SO ON.

SEE, LIKE THIS ONE, I PAID 139 BUCKS FOR IT.

AND IT CAME WITH ALL OF THESE ADAPTERS.

HAS AN ADAPTER TO CHARGE IT OUT OF THE CAR.

IT HAS VARIOUS ADAPTERS FOR MY ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND SO ON.

SO IT'S VERY, VERY VERSATILE.

BUT DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH YOU LIKE TO GET INTO DO-IT-YOURSELF, ONE OF THESE COULD BE INVALUABLE.

SEE, FROM TIME TO TIME, IF YOU'RE INTO DO-IT-YOURSELF, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO DO WITH THE BATTERY DISCONNECTED IS SAVE THE MEMORY IN ALL OF THE DEVICES IN THE CAR.

SO HERE'S AN ADAPTER YOU CAN BUY AS A SEPARATE PIECE.

WHAT THIS IS IS THE PLUG THAT GOES INTO THE INTERFACE UNDER THE DASH OF THE CAR.

AND THIS HAS A POWER OUT FITTING LIKE SO.

YOU PLUG THIS IN, PLUG IT INTO THE CAR, AND NOW, THE MEMORY IN THE CAR IS PROTECTED FOR SEVERAL HOURS, WHILE YOU WORK ON THE BATTERY.

VERY, HANDY THING TO HAVE.

SO, IF YOU'RE INTO DO-IT-YOURSELF, AND YOU THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT, WELL, WHEN YOU BUY YOUR BOOSTER, LOOK FOR ONE THAT HAS THE FEATURES SO THAT YOU CAN CONNECT THESE VARIOUS ACCESSORIES.

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

John: MAZDA'S GOT US FEELING FINE IN OUR CX-9.

AFTER 18,345 MILES AND 8 MONTHS, WE'RE STILL BIG FANS OF THIS BIG CRUISER.

SPACE IS PLENTIFUL, AND SO IS POWER.

THE 273 HORSEPOWER 3.7 LITER V6 ZOOM-ZOOMS US FROM WORK TO HOME, AND BACK, WITHOUT FAIL.

FOR THOSE OF US WITH KIDS, DOGS, OR STUFF TO HAUL, THE CX-9 HANDLES IT ALL.

IT'S ALREADY GOT THAT LIVED-IN, BROKEN-IN FEELING, AND THAT'S A WELCOME REPRIEVE WHEN WE'RE CONSTANTLY SHUFFLING BETWEEN NEW VEHICLES EACH WEEK.

ALSO SHUFFLING IS FUEL ECONOMY.

WE USE THE CX-9 FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE... LONG STINTS ON THE HIGHWAY AND SHORT BURSTS AROUND TOWN, FULLY LOADED.

WE'RE SEEING A REASONABLE BUT UNSPECTACULAR 19.3 MPG AS A RESULT.

SO, IT'S MORE MOSTLY HIGH MARKS FOR MAZDA'S FAMILY HAULER, AND WE EXPECT IT TO STAY THAT WAY.

WE'RE JUST GETTING TO KNOW THIS 2016 KIA SORENTO MID-SIZE CROSSOVER, AND MUCH LIKE THE NISSAN MURANO ALSO ON OUR LONG-TERM LOT, IT SEEMS TO BE THE PERFECT SIZE FOR A 5-PASSENGER FAMILY HAULER.

IT ALSO HAS AN EXTERIOR DESIGN THAT'S MORE CLASSY THAN FAMILY.

WE CHOSE THE NEW 2.0 LITER TURBO-4 FOR OUR EXTENDED TEST, AND WITH 240 HORSEPOWER, IT HAS PLENTY OF PEP FOR PASSING.

BUT YOU DO HAVE TO KEEP YOUR FOOT ON IT TO STAY UP WITH INTERSTATE SPEED LIMITS.

WE'RE AVERAGING AN OKAY 23.4 MILES PER GALLON.

BUT, SEEING NEAR 30 DURING HIGHWAY CRUISE.

IN OUR FULL ROAD TEST WE NOTED THE SORENTO'S IMPROVED RIDE WAS ITS BEST CHARACTERISTIC, AND 2,900 MILES OF SMOOTH COMMUTING HASN'T CHANGED OUR MINDS.

A WORD TO THE WISE.

LIKE MANY PREMIUM LOOK CROSSOVERS, THE SORENTO'S EXHAUST PIPE RUNS THROUGH THE REAR FACIA AND IS CLOSE TO LEVEL WITH THE TRAILER HITCH.

IF YOU USE A BIKE CARRIER OR HITCH BASKET YOU MIGHT FIND YOUR CARGO COOKED OR MELTED LIKE WE DID.

A RISER/EXTENDER SOLVED THE PROBLEM FOR US.

IT'S WITH MUCH SADNESS THAT WE BRING YOU THE FOLLOWING NEWS ABOUT THE 2015 VOLKSWAGEN E-GOLF, IT'S NO LONGER HERE!

THAT'S THE ONLY NEGATIVE THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH AFTER OUR 3-MONTH 4,300 MILE PLUG-IN ADVENTURE, EXCEPT FOR SOME ODD NOISES THAT EMANATED FROM THE CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM ON STARTUP.

WE'RE VERY MUCH IN LOVE WITH THE WHOLE GOLF LINEUP, AND OUR TIME SPENT IN THE E-GOLF HAS ONLY DEEPENED OUR AFFECTION.

MUCH LIKE THE GTIs THAT RECENTLY PASSED THROUGH OUR LONG-TERM FLEET, THE E-GOLF IS WAY MORE ENJOYABLE THAN THE TYPICAL 4-CYLINDER HATCHBACK, WITH EVERY STOPLIGHT REMINDING YOU OF ITS AWESOME EV TORQUE.

WE'LL CHECK IN ON THE NISSAN MURANO AND OUR CHRYSLER 200 ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD REST UPDATE!

John: THE COMPACT/MID-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK SEGMENT USED TO BE A HUGE ONE, WITH JUST ABOUT EVERY DOMESTIC AND ASIAN BRAND AFTER A PIECE OF IT.

BUT CHEAP GAS AND LOW PRICES FOR FULL-SIZE TRUCKS CAUSED MOST MAKERS TO EITHER ABANDON THE SEGMENT, OR SOLDIER ON WITH BADLY AGED DESIGNS.

WELL, THINGS ARE CHANGING.

GM IS BACK WITH AN ALL NEW COLORADO, AND CANYON.

AND NOW, THE NUMBER ONE TRUCK IN THE SEGMENT, THE TOYOTA TACOMA, IS DEFENDING ITS TURF.

THE 2016 TOYOTA TACOMA IS ONLY THE 3RD GENERATION OF THE TACOMA, WITH THE LAST GEN SOLDIERING ON FOR 10 YEARS.

BUT OTHER SMALL TOYOTA PICKUPS LIKE THE STOUT AND HI-LUX HAVE BEEN ON AMERICAN STREETS SINCE THE 1960s.

ONE AREA WHERE TOYOTA'S SMALL PICKUPS HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN SUPERIOR TO RIVALS IS IN OFF ROAD CAPABILITIES, AND THAT CONTINUES TO BE THE CASE FOR 2016.

ALL 4-WHEEL DRIVE TACOMA'S COME WITH A LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL THAT WE FOUND QUITE CAPABLE.

TRD OFF ROAD MODELS UP THE ANTE WITH A FULL LOCKING REAR AND A-TRAC TRACTION CONTROL.

AS WITH MOST MODERN 4X4s, THERE'S LESS TO MANUALLY CONTROL AS MORE ELECTRONICS HANDLE THE SITUATIONS.

HERE THERE ARE 5-MODES TO CHOOSE FROM PLUS CRAWL CONTROL.

WITH SETTINGS FOR MUD AND SAND, LOOSE ROCK, MOGUL, ROCK AND DIRT, AND JUST ROCK, IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET YOU OUT OF JUST ABOUT ANY JAM BETTER THAN MACGYVER.

THE MOST LOGICAL COMPARISON FOR THE TACOMA IS THE REBORN MID-SIZERS FROM GM, AND WHILE THIS INTERIOR IS HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL, IT'S NOT AS NICE AS THOSE DETROITER'S.

MATERIALS HAVE SOFTENED TO THE TOUCH AND LOOK VERY NICE AT FIRST GLANCE, BUT THE MORE TIME YOU SPEND IN CONTACT WITH THEM, THE LESS IMPRESSIVE THEY BECOME.

THE SEATING POSITION HAS DEFINITELY BEEN RAISED, NOW FEELING MORE TRUCK LIKE AND LESS LIKE A CAMRY.

AND SINCE NOTHING REALLY HAPPENS THESE DAYS UNLESS YOU CAPTURE IT ON CAMERA, ALL TACOMA'S COME WITH A GOPRO MOUNT READY TO HELP YOU CATCH YOUR OFF AND ON ROAD EXPLOITS.

AS BEFORE, I4 AND V6 POWER ARE AVAILABLE.

THE 159 HORSEPOWER 2.7 LITER 4-CYLINDER CARRIES OVER UNCHANGED, BUT THE V6 IS DOWNSIZED FROM 4.0 LITERS TO 3.5.

HORSEPOWER, HOWEVER, IS UP TO 278, THOUGH TORQUE DROPS BY A SINGLE POUND-FEET TO 265.

AND IT DOES INDEED FEEL MORE POWERFUL, AND TOWING CAPACITY INCREASES BY 300 POUNDS TO 6,800.

6-SPEED AUTOMATICS ARE AVAILABLE FOR BOTH ENGINES, AND PAIRED WITH THE V6, IT FELT MUCH MORE SORTED OUT THAN ON THE GM'S.

MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS ARE ALSO STILL AVAILABLE, A 5-SPEED IN THE I4 AND A 6-SPEED WITH THE V6.

THOUGH NVH HAS BEEN IMPROVED UPON THROUGHOUT THE NEW TACOMA, ONE AREA THAT IT CLEARLY FALLS SHORT COMPARED TO THE COLORADO AND CANYON IS IN INTERIOR SOUND DEADENING.

THERE'S STILL LOTS OF NOISE IN THE CABIN, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

THROUGH THE ROADS AROUND TACOMA, WASHINGTON OF ALL PLACES, WE FOUND THE RIDE TO BE ABOUT WHAT YOU'D EXPECT IN A MIDSIZE TRUCK THAT'S BUILT MORE FOR WORK THAN PLEASURE.

SOLID, BUT NOT UNFORGIVING, WITH A LITTLE MORE FLOAT THAN THE GM'S.

HARSH JOLTS CAME ONLY FROM LARGE BUMPS.

AS FOR CAB CONFIGURATION, THERE IS ACCESS CAB, AND A FULL 4-DOOR DOUBLE CAB; ALONG WITH 2 BED LENGTHS, 5 AND 6-FEET.

AND AS BEFORE THE INTERIOR OF THE BED IS MADE UP OF FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITE.

TO OUR EYES THE EXTERIOR DESIGN IS STILL VERY FAMILIAR.

IT'S A MIXTURE OF OLD TACOMA FROM THE SIDE, AND NEW TUNDRA FROM THE FRONT AND REAR.

ALONG WITH MORE SQUARED OFF FENDERS FOLLOWED BY DOMESTIC TRUCKS, IT IS INDEED TOUGHER LOOKING.

THE TWO MOST OBVIOUS TUNDRA TRICKLE DOWNS ARE THE HEXAGONAL GRILLE AND STAMPED BRANDING ON THE TAILGATE.

EVERYTHING FROM 16-INCH STEEL TO 18-INCH POLISHED ALLOYS WHEELS ARE AVAILABLE.

AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE ARE STILL DRUMS DOING THE BRAKING AT THE REARS.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS AREN'T FINAL, BUT ACCORDING TO TOYOTA THEY'LL BE FAIRLY SIMILAR ACROSS THE BOARD REGARDLESS OF POWERTRAIN.

RANGING FROM ABOUT 17-CITY, 21-HIGHWAY, AND 19-COMBINED FOR A V6 MANUAL 4X4 TO 19-CITY, 24-HIGHWAY, AND 21-COMBINED FOR A V6 AUTOMATIC 4X2.

KEEPING BASE PRICING LOW WAS A PRIORITY, AND THE STILL AMERICAN MADE TACOMA'S START AT JUST $24,200, BUT AS BEFORE, IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL WITH OPTIONS, YOU CAN APPROACH FULL-SIZE PRICING IN A HURRY.

SO YES, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR THE 2016 TOYOTA TACOMA TO ARRIVE, AND SURELY AN AWFUL LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE WILL BE QUICKLY BUYING ONE.

BUT WHILE WE MAY PREFER THE COLORADO OR THE CANYON FOR OUR EVERYDAY DUTIES, TOYOTA CLEARLY KNOWS THEIR CUSTOMERS AND HAS DONE WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP THEM HAPPY AND THE COMPETITION AT BAY.

FOR NOW, THE TACOMA'S SPOT AT THE TOP LOOKS SECURE.

FOR MORE MOTORWEEK WHY NOT CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST AS WELL AS COMPLETE EPISODES AT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, AS WE TEAR IT UP WITH A MOTOWN TWOSOME: THE CADILLAC ATS-V AND CTS-V. THEN LOG SOME QUALITY TIME IN THE AUDI Q3.

PAT GOSS HELPS US SCORE THE PERFECT CLASSIC CAR FIND.

ZACH MASKELL HEADS 'DOWN THE OCEAN' FOR SOME OVER THE EDGE CRUISING.

AND MORE QUICK SPIN FIRST DRIVING IMPRESSIONS.

UNTIL 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 PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... KENNY'S NOT THINKING ABOUT HIS TIRES RIGHT NOW.

IF HE WERE, TIRERACK.COM COULD HELP HIM FIND THE RIGHT TIRES.

BUT KENNY'S NOT THINKING ABOUT TIRES.

KENNY'S THINKING, "OH MAN, OH MAN, OH MAN, OH MAN, OH MAN.

THIS IS AWESOME!"

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT TIRERACK.COM.

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.

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