  We combine ALEPH and OPAL results for the spectral distributions measured in
$\tau\to\pi^-\pi^0\nu_\tau$, $\tau\to 2\pi^-\pi^+\pi^0\nu_\tau$ and
$\tau\to\pi^-3\pi^0\nu_\tau$ decays with (i) recent BaBar results for the
analogous $\tau\to K^- K^0\nu_\tau$ distribution and (ii) estimates of the
contributions from other hadronic $\tau$-decay modes obtained using CVC and
electroproduction data, to obtain a new and more precise non-strange, inclusive
vector, isovector spectral function. The BaBar $K^- K^0$ and
CVC/electroproduction results provide us with alternate, entirely data-based
input for the contributions of all exclusive modes for which ALEPH and OPAL
employed Monte-Carlo-based estimates. We use the resulting spectral function to
determine $\alpha_s(m_\tau)$, the strong coupling at the $\tau$ mass scale,
employing finite energy sum rules. Using the fixed-order perturbation theory
(FOPT) prescription, we find $\alpha_s(m_\tau)=0.3077\pm 0.0075$, which
corresponds to the five-flavor result $\alpha_s(M_Z)=0.1171\pm 0.0010$ at the
$Z$ mass. While we also provide an estimate using contour-improved perturbation
theory (CIPT), we point out that the FOPT prescription is to be preferred for
comparison with other $\alpha_s$ determinations employing the $\overline{{\rm
MS}}$ scheme, especially given the inconsistency between CIPT and the standard
operator product expansion recently pointed out in the literature. Additional
experimental input on the dominant $2\pi$ and $4\pi$ modes would allow for
further improvements to the current analysis.
