We theoretically consider a three-level laser with an incoherent one-way pump from a ground state into an intermediate excited state and a coherent drive into the upper laser state. The possibilities of inversionless lasing are studied. It is demonstrated that, in the case of a strong coupling with the drive laser (when its generation depends essentially on the three-level medium), the quantum properties of laser radiation can be improved by using m-quantum coherent excitation or by applying a sub-Poissonian coherent pump.