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Best midsize trucks for 2024

Pickup trucks are hugely popular in the United States, but most of them carry huge dimensions and huge price tags to match. That's where the rapidly expanding midsize truck market comes into play. With options from nearly every major manufacturer in America, there are plenty of midsize trucks to consider, but the best midsize pickup trucks are more comfortable, more capable off-road or more luxurious than the rest of the crowd. Put simply, there's an excellent midsize truck for every buyer, whether they want to save money with a low starting price and strong efficiency, tackle technical trails, surround themselves with leather and wood or even hit the road with the wind in their hair on their way to the beach. We've tested all of the midsize trucks in America available for 2024 and picked out the best choices for any type of buyer. Read on to find out which option is the best midsize truck for you for 2024 or 2025 (expect more versions of the Toyota Tacoma and Jeep Gladiator in 2025, too). If you're needs don't require a midsize truck, you may want to consider a compact. There are only two for sale in 2024, and we break down our rankings here.   Best midsize trucks for 2024 2024 Chevrolet Colorado  Why it stands out: Good ride, handling; powerful engines; strong towing; refined interior; Google infotainment Could be better: Only one cab/bed combination (four door, short bed) Starting Price: $31,095 Read our most recent Chevrolet Colorado review Suffice it to say, we're big fans of the latest Chevy Colorado. In fact, we think the Colorado is the best midsize pickup truck in America overall. Thanks to the base WT offering, the starting price is reasonable, but the Colorado is really at its best in one of its more specialized forms. The Trail Boss expands its off-road capabilities with a suspension lift and chunky tires, the ZR2 adds an even larger suspension lift and a gaggle of off-road special bits and the ZR2 Bison tops the range with sensational Multimatic DSSV spool-valve dampers, special bumpers and underbody cladding for rock-crawling prowess. In between those specialist packages lie the LT and Z71 trims, which is what will make up the majority of sales. A low-power turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder making 237 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque is standard, while the more common engine is a more powerful version with 310 HP and 390 lb-ft. A High-Output engine option keeps the same 310 HP but boosts torque to 430 lb-ft.

Takata allegedly hid failed airbag rupture tests in 2000

New evidence suggests Takata engineers knew about the dangers of the supplier's ammonium-nitrate-propelled airbag inflators as early as 2000, but employees hid or even destroyed test results. The allegations came out in a pre-trial hearing in a civil suit from a woman who claims that a forcefully deploying airbag in her 2001 Honda Civic paralyzed her. The pre-trial hearing included an examination of a deposition from Thomas Sheridan, a former Takata airbag engineer, to see if the evidence was admissible for the case, according to the New York Times. Sheridan alleged that Takata created a report for Honda in June 2000 that showed the parts failed, but the supplier hid the testing data. The company also reportedly got rid of the ruptured components so that there was no physical evidence. "But when I went to look for the parts, because some of the parts had come apart, they were no longer available. They had been discarded," he said in the deposition, according to the Times. Takata disputes these allegations, and one of the company's lawyers asserts the inflators in the 2001 Civic are safe. "None of them have ruptured, zero," attorney David M. Bernick told the Times. "We have no evidence, in fact we have evidence to the contrary, that this inflator was defective at the time of the accident." However, Honda has recalls for the driver's side airbag in the 2001-2005 Civic. Previous reports also indicated some Takata employees allegedly knew the inflators were dangerous. For example, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal in 2015 cited internal memos from US employees in 2000 that complained that their counterparts in Japan altered or hid the results of failed validation tests. The New York Times also found evidence of engineers joking about manipulating results. The first Takata inflator recall came on Isuzu models in 2001, and automakers have recalled millions of vehicles around the world since then. Several companies, including Honda, have pledged to stop using Takata's inflators, and he US government fined the supplier $70 million last year. Related Video:

Honda Clarity goes on sale in Japan, but only 200 units a year

Honda has officially started leasing its Clarity hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to select customers in Japan, and the sedan should arrive at a few dealers in California late in the year. Once the model is available in the US, expect the Clarity to be the natural challenger to the Toyota Mirai FCEV. The Clarity boasts an electric motor with 174 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. In Japan's JC08 test, Honda claims the sedan can travel the equivalent of 466 miles, but that evaluation is more lenient than its US equivalent. The automakers expects the sedan to receive an EPA-estimated driving distance of over 300 miles. Prices in Japan begin at the current equivalent of $67,800. However, examples here should retail for around $60,000 and lease for under $500 a month. The Toyota Mirai is similar to the Clarity in major categories, including an EPA range of 312 miles and leases for $499 a month. The two of them should have quite a fight. Honda plans to limit Clarity production to 200 units in Japan for the first year, and only government agencies or businesses can lease them there. After the company collects impressions from these clients, it intends to make the sedan available to individuals. The decision only to lease the Clarity at first evokes the early days at of electric vehicles when companies like General Motors used the strategy to get the EV1 to customers. One thing that could give Honda the edge in the upcoming hydrogen fuel cell battle is its history in the market. The company first offered them with the FCX and later followed up with the FCX Clarity. By this point, the automaker should be well acquainted with the process. Related Video: Honda Begins Sales of All-new Clarity Fuel Cell - Clarity Fuel Cell realizes the world's top-class cruising range among zero emission vehicles of approximately 750 km - TOKYO, Japan, March 10, 2016 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today began sales in Japan of its all-new fuel cell vehicle (FCV), the Clarity Fuel Cell. Striving to realize full-fledged popularization of FCVs, Honda created Clarity Fuel Cell as an FCV featuring both a high level of practicality that represents the "universal value" of an automobile and "cutting-edge appeal" that is suitable for a vehicle that is at the forefront of the times. Clarity Fuel Cell is the world's first*1 five-passenger sedan type FCV, realized by making the fuel cell powertrain more compact using original Honda technologies and fitting it entirely under the hood of the car.