Honda: Ridgeline News
#442
AZ Community Team
^ Correct, I should have said "body frame chassis". The Ridgeline is a unibody like the Pilot and Oddy. My wife has a Pilot and it's under frame box sections look very similar to the Ridgeline. There are four longitudinal box sections in the mid section of the Pilot as well with several lateral cross-overs box sections.
#443
I drive a Subata.
iTrader: (1)
^ Originally just current/previous Honda owners who owned domestic and other import pickups. Mostly weekend construction and recreational use. Very similar to the marketing approach to the Oddy/Pilot being Accord/Civic owners who owners who had Dodge minivans and SUV's from other manufacturers.
Then the marketing folks decided to gather input from the real pickup truck users, the blue collar crowd. This is were I think the Ridgeline went off course they tried to go after too many different segments of the market. The result of this was the large knobs (alot of workers wear gloves) and controls, the Tonka truck styling, ..
If it had remained more mild in styling would it have been more successful? Who knows, but I think they tried for too many market segments.
Someone above commented it was useless, and that is complete opposite comment that many Ridgeline owners in the AZ forums have said. Edmunds also said the Ridgeline was also a very versatile truck.
It's got some pretty neat features that are unique but the pickup truck market is very loyal and having a ladder frame, V8, and RWD requirements so the Ridgeline from the get go had alot going against no matter how nice and functional it is.
Then the marketing folks decided to gather input from the real pickup truck users, the blue collar crowd. This is were I think the Ridgeline went off course they tried to go after too many different segments of the market. The result of this was the large knobs (alot of workers wear gloves) and controls, the Tonka truck styling, ..
If it had remained more mild in styling would it have been more successful? Who knows, but I think they tried for too many market segments.
Someone above commented it was useless, and that is complete opposite comment that many Ridgeline owners in the AZ forums have said. Edmunds also said the Ridgeline was also a very versatile truck.
It's got some pretty neat features that are unique but the pickup truck market is very loyal and having a ladder frame, V8, and RWD requirements so the Ridgeline from the get go had alot going against no matter how nice and functional it is.
#444
Senior Moderator
Yep, but they're only available on the Silverado 2500 also not the 1500.
One of my friends in CO just bought a 2012 Silverado and I was in it recently. Not a hugh surprise but the interior styling of the controls, displays, instrument/center consoles are more GM car bases than truck base. Quite different from the Ridgeline which choose large controls for it's interior. None the less it was a really nice interior in a $45K truck.
One of my friends in CO just bought a 2012 Silverado and I was in it recently. Not a hugh surprise but the interior styling of the controls, displays, instrument/center consoles are more GM car bases than truck base. Quite different from the Ridgeline which choose large controls for it's interior. None the less it was a really nice interior in a $45K truck.
#445
AZ Community Team
My bad, it does depend on the trim package. On the 1500 LS only the 4AT is available.
http://www.chevrolet.com/tools/byo/b...trim&pvc=81043
http://www.chevrolet.com/tools/byo/b...trim&pvc=81043
#446
LOL snag-it
#447
AZ Community Team
I should be more professional as well
#448
AZ Community Team
#449
Safety Car
Commitment
Despite consistently slow sales, Honda has executed a slight facelift for the Ridgeline's 2012 model year and begun offering a new low-cost Sport model (pictured) to enhance appeal. But the unibody 4-door pickup's sales have been lackluster since its 2006 model year debut, leading to widespread speculation that the Ridgeline would disappear from showrooms altogether. The rumormill eventually built up enough steam that American Honda's Truck Planner, Sage Marie, was compelled to take the unusual step of addressing the gossip head-on last month with an official statement confirming the truck is "here to stay." However, that statement of support didn't shed any light on future developments for the model.
We're here in Japan for the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, and we've had the chance to talk with Tetsu Iwamura, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Honda, about the future of the Ridgeline. According to Iwamura,
"Ridgeline is quite an important model to us. It's the only truck-type of model we have. We're fully aware of the importance of that model and we're trying to make that model grow much more. At this moment, there is no intention to stop the Ridgeline. In order to make Ridgeline much more attractive – in order to enhance Ridgeline – we are studying lots of things at this moment."
When further pressed if Honda remains fully committed to this segment, Iwamura confirmed that the company is indeed in it for the long haul, though he declined to say that that the Ridgeline would get a 2nd-generation model. Still, it sounds like Honda is still expecting to offer something with a bed, and the Ridgeline can't continue to soldier on indefinitely as-is... might the Japanese automaker ponder a radical new direction like the rumored CR-V-based successor?
#451
The sizzle in the Steak
Honda wants a dog in the truck fight....even if their dog is a chihuahua among pit bulls.
If Honda wants to sell more and compete the Ridgeline needs to become a REAL truck.
or....
Honda could provide a large bed, but still make it a light duty truck...and introduce a 4cyl turbo diesel engine with V6 like torque, and mind blowing MPG....
yea...that won't happen.
If Honda wants to sell more and compete the Ridgeline needs to become a REAL truck.
or....
Honda could provide a large bed, but still make it a light duty truck...and introduce a 4cyl turbo diesel engine with V6 like torque, and mind blowing MPG....
yea...that won't happen.
#452
Does the ridgeline sell anywhere else in the world? It may not be great here in the land of giants, but in other parts of the world, this may be as full-sized as it gets....
#453
Race Director
A down sized CR-V based one to appeal to former Ranger owners makes the most sense. Trying to make any kind of inroads in the larger truck market will be a non starter.
#454
I don't think the Ridgeline needs to be a "real" truck. the current Ridgeline needed only a few things right to have been a runaway hit - cheaper, smaller, lighter, more fuel efficient. The design was ho-hum by Audi standards, but for a Honda, it stood out from the crowd. the inside of the car is brilliant IMO - best center console by a mile on any car, I just wish they didn't try to copy the Americans to a T with that rectangular dash panel. and the trunk in the bed idea really epitomizes the Honda innovation we've all come to love and admire about the company (which unfortunately has not been shown lately on some of their newer products...)
#456
The sizzle in the Steak
Americans love trucks...not "sorta" or "almost" trucks.
Honda might have designed something different/niche market....and it might have been great...but the market wants a truck...pure and simple.
Honda might have designed something different/niche market....and it might have been great...but the market wants a truck...pure and simple.
#457
AZ Community Team
If the Ridgeline had less bold styling and looked less like a Tonka truck it would have been more successful. That also goes for the interior, it's a little too rugged looking, a friend just got a 2012 Silverado 2500 LTZ and it's interior looks more like a Buick than a truck.
The Ridgeline's size was dictated by the Pilot/Odyssey platform, to keep the development and production costs low. IIRC the sales goal was ~50-60K with the main customer base being previous Honda owners.
The Ridgeline's size was dictated by the Pilot/Odyssey platform, to keep the development and production costs low. IIRC the sales goal was ~50-60K with the main customer base being previous Honda owners.
#458
#459
AZ Community Team
One thing to keep in mine is Ford cancelled the Sport-Trac based on the Explorer. That was probably the only direct competition to the Ridgeline
#460
AZ Community Team
Quite a few folks bought Sport-Tracs, one was a co-worker who liked the interior and features of the Explorer more than 4 door F150.
Back a decade ago truck interior's were more truck-like, nowadays the interiors are more car-like.
Unfortunately for Honda, the marketing folks got on this big "let's go for the real truck user crowd" for interior ergonomics. If they had kept that and the exterior styling more mild the Ridgeline would not have been so polarizing.
The original Ridgeline intent was to attract Honda car owners who also owned domestic pickups for weekend home use. Honda's mistake was targeting the real truck users (blue collar crowd) where they never stood a chance with the platform.
I don't think the weekend crowd were as concerned with it's unibody, transverse V6, and 4WD centric drivetrain unless they were towing something heavy or doing serious off-roading.
#461
#462
The sizzle in the Steak
#463
Instructor
You are spot on. I'm one of those weekenders and I loved my Ridgeline *because* of its car-like attributes. It rode and drove like a car with the convenience of having a bed to haul stuff. I no longer have the Ridgeline and I miss it.
#464
Safety Car
Sport
After years of ignoring the exploding market for pickup trucks, Honda finally in 2006 brought out its 1st pickup, the Ridgeline. Rather than develop a V-8 engine and a body-on-frame chassis from scratch, Honda adapted the unibody underpinnings of its Pilot SUV to create an unconventional pickup, but one that nonetheless would meet the needs of a large number of pickup buyers.
4-wheel drive is standard. The lone cab configuration has 4 real doors. Passenger space both up front and in back in generous. The cargo bed is only 5 feet long but it's more than 4 feet wide, so building materials can lie flat. The towing capacity of 5000 pounds can't approach the max capacities of full-size pickups (which are constantly one-upping each other) but is sufficient for most recreational towing.
Honda also added a few clever touches. The most significant is a standard, lockable, under-floor trunk below the cargo bed, providing a secure, outside-the-cab place to stow luggage. And there's a 2-way tailgate that drops down like a conventional tailgate or can swing open like a door, providing closer reach-in access to whatever's in the bed and making it easier to hose out debris.
The reaction among pickup buyers has been a collective yawn. Sales, which were never great to begin with, lately have been in a freefall. Volume dropped by half from 2008 to 2010 and then fell another 40% last year. In fact, a few months ago, Honda felt compelled to post on its media web site an open letter from the company's head to truck product planning, denying rumors that the Ridgeline would be dropped and insisting that a pickup truck will remain part of the company's portfolio.
For 2012, Honda gave the Ridgeline a bit of attention, coaxing another 1 mpg out of the powertrain and adding the Sport trim level.
At $30,805, the latter is a $745 step up over the base model. It adds a bit of much-needed flash outside, mostly with black-finish 18-inch wheels. There's also a black grille with a unique texture, fog lights, and black surrounds for the head- and taillights. Inside, the Sport gets a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, an aux input jack, heavy-duty rubber floor mats, and rear privacy glass.
The fuel economy boost brings the Ridgeline up to 15/21 mpg (city/highway), but that's no more economical than a Ford F-150 4x4 with the Ecoboost V-6.
Clearly, none of the 2012 changes is likely to reverse the Ridgeline's fortunes. That's too bad, because the Ridgeline is in many ways far more pleasant to drive and easier to live with than a full-size 4-door pickup. Being 2 feet shorter, and with a 4-foot smaller turning circle, it's far less hassle to park and maneuver. The Ridgeline also doesn't require the huge climb up that regular 4x4 pickups do.
Having the cab and the cargo bed integrated as a single unit makes for a more rigid body structure and thus the Honda is free of the shudder over bumps that plagues typical pickups. With an independent rear suspension, there's no axle hop. The 3.5-liter V-6 is no powerhouse, at 250 hp, but it has enough muscle to get the Ridgeline moving, and 4-wheel drive eliminates any torque steer. The transmission is only a 5-speed, but the ratios are well spaced and the gearbox doesn't do a lot of hunting.
The Sport interior is pretty basic, with lots of hard plastic, and cheap-feeling cloth upholstery (why not vinyl?). There really are no factory options, so buyers looking for more niceties, like leather or navigation, have to move up a more deluxe trim level. In typical Honda fashion, the switchgear is very clear; cabin stowage is plentiful. The flip up rear-seat cushion makes it easier to carry bulky items inside the cabin. The worst aspect of the Ridgeline interior is the somewhat awkward driving position, with an intrusive and strangely positioned dead pedal.
Apparently, though, none of that matters much. Pickup buyers like their trucks big, and unless Honda can make the Ridgeline a more compelling alternative -- perhaps by giving it a clear advantage in fuel economy -- it appears likely to remain an outlier.
2012 Honda Ridgeline Sport
Base price (with destination): $30,805
Price as tested: $30,805
Standard Equipment:
3.5-liter V-6 engine
5-speed automatic transmission
4-wheel drive
Traction control, stability Control
Power steering
6 air bags
Front fog lights
Air-conditioning
Leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls
Cloth seats
Power windows
Power rear sliding window
Dual-action tailgate
Power door locks with keyless entry
AM/FM/CD/MP3 6-speaker audio system
Split-folding rear seat
Integrated class III trailer hitch
In-bed trunk
18 x 7.5 inch black alloy wheels
Black honeycomb grille, headlight surrounds, taillight surrounds
Options on this vehicle:
None
Key options not on vehicle:
Hard tonneau cover - $1382
Fuel economy:
(city/hwy/combined)
15 / 21 / 17 mpg
Engine:
3.5L V-6
Horsepower: 250 hp @ 5700 rpm
Torque: 247 lb-ft @ 4300 rpm
Drive:
4-wheel
Transmission:
5-speed automatic
Curb weight:
4504 lb
Wheels/tires:
18 x 7.5 inch black alloy wheels
245/60R18 Michelin LTX M/S tires
Competitors:
Chevrolet Silverado
Dodge Ram
Ford F-150
Nissan Frontier
Toyota Tacoma
Base price (with destination): $30,805
Price as tested: $30,805
Standard Equipment:
3.5-liter V-6 engine
5-speed automatic transmission
4-wheel drive
Traction control, stability Control
Power steering
6 air bags
Front fog lights
Air-conditioning
Leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls
Cloth seats
Power windows
Power rear sliding window
Dual-action tailgate
Power door locks with keyless entry
AM/FM/CD/MP3 6-speaker audio system
Split-folding rear seat
Integrated class III trailer hitch
In-bed trunk
18 x 7.5 inch black alloy wheels
Black honeycomb grille, headlight surrounds, taillight surrounds
Options on this vehicle:
None
Key options not on vehicle:
Hard tonneau cover - $1382
Fuel economy:
(city/hwy/combined)
15 / 21 / 17 mpg
Engine:
3.5L V-6
Horsepower: 250 hp @ 5700 rpm
Torque: 247 lb-ft @ 4300 rpm
Drive:
4-wheel
Transmission:
5-speed automatic
Curb weight:
4504 lb
Wheels/tires:
18 x 7.5 inch black alloy wheels
245/60R18 Michelin LTX M/S tires
Competitors:
Chevrolet Silverado
Dodge Ram
Ford F-150
Nissan Frontier
Toyota Tacoma
#466
Three Wheelin'
This is a fail
Competitors:
Chevrolet Silverado
Dodge Ram
Ford F-150
Nissan Frontier
Toyota Tacoma
How do you compare midsize and fullsize... time and time again.
Competitors:
Chevrolet Silverado
Dodge Ram
Ford F-150
Nissan Frontier
Toyota Tacoma
How do you compare midsize and fullsize... time and time again.
#467
The sizzle in the Steak
Wow that interior is really starting to look low rent!
#468
Three Wheelin'
There is no doubt the Ridgeline is in desperate need of a FMC... Honda really needs to make up their mind to either put this one to rest, or roll out something exciting and marketable within the mid-size segment
#469
Why? I believe you wouldn't buy one anyways, and it seems they have more trouble else where to worry about a "truck" that sales a certain amount no matter what is said.
#470
Three Wheelin'
(CBP on Ebony RTL w/ Navi...) - Search a little before typing...
#471
Senior Moderator
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Better Neighborhood, Arizona
Posts: 45,634
Received 2,328 Likes
on
1,308 Posts
Needs less polarizing styling next redesign. A diesel V6 with a less 'spartan' interior would do wonders for sales.
#472
The sizzle in the Steak
#473
Senior Moderator
#474
AZ Community Team
#475
AZ Community Team
#476
2G TLX-S
#477
Team Owner
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Fontana, California
Age: 47
Posts: 30,991
Received 582 Likes
on
346 Posts
Source: Honda News
<table width="400 "><tbody><tr><td style="font-size: 22px; font-family: Arial;">Statement by American Honda Regarding Spare Tire/Tire Information Placard Recall: 2011-2012 Ridgeline</td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 13px;">TORRANCE, Calif. – Feb. 1, 2012 – Honda will voluntarily recall 206 model-year 2011 and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles in the U.S. to inspect whether the factory-installed spare tire matches the spare tire information included on the FMVSS mandated tire information placard installed on the vehicles’ driver-side doorjambs. If the tire information placard and the installed spare tire do not match, Honda will either provide customers with a compact spare tire that matches the information included on the originally installed tire information placard or install a new placard that reflects the spare tire that was installed at the factory.
The Ridgeline sold in the United States normally is factory-equipped with a compact spare tire. In affected vehicles, a full-sized spare tire specified for certain export markets may have been mistakenly installed in the In-bed Trunk® during vehicle assembly. For these vehicles, the tire size and recommended cold inflation pressure for the installed (full-size) spare tire are not correctly displayed on the vehicle’s tire-information placard, and thus the tire-information placard does not comply with FMVSS requirements. No crashes or injuries have been reported.
Honda is announcing this recall to encourage owners of all affected vehicles to take their trucks to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification of this recall from Honda. Mailed notification to customers will begin in mid-February 2012. In addition to contacting customers by mail, in mid-February, owners of these vehicles will be able to determine if their vehicles require inspection by going on-line to www.recalls.honda.com or by calling (800) 999-1009, and selecting option 4.
</td></tr></tbody></table>
The Ridgeline sold in the United States normally is factory-equipped with a compact spare tire. In affected vehicles, a full-sized spare tire specified for certain export markets may have been mistakenly installed in the In-bed Trunk® during vehicle assembly. For these vehicles, the tire size and recommended cold inflation pressure for the installed (full-size) spare tire are not correctly displayed on the vehicle’s tire-information placard, and thus the tire-information placard does not comply with FMVSS requirements. No crashes or injuries have been reported.
Honda is announcing this recall to encourage owners of all affected vehicles to take their trucks to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification of this recall from Honda. Mailed notification to customers will begin in mid-February 2012. In addition to contacting customers by mail, in mid-February, owners of these vehicles will be able to determine if their vehicles require inspection by going on-line to www.recalls.honda.com or by calling (800) 999-1009, and selecting option 4.
</td></tr></tbody></table>
#478
But a typical Ridgeline owner wouldn't want a diesel. And a typical diesel truck owner is looking for something like a Cummins or Powerstroke/International. Honda has yet to implement a diesel in the US production car lineup, and I doubt one of the first vehicles to get one if at all would be a Ridgeline.
Unless Honda is further along the diesel sans DEF/urea pipeline than I think they are....
#479
Honda Ridgeline to Take Nearly 2-Year Hiatus
Honda will pull the plug on its current-generation Ridgeline compact pickup earlier than expected, according to the most recent WardsAuto/Automotive Compass forecast.
Industry sources say the Ridgeline now is set to end production in September 2014, with a new model not launching until second-quarter 2016.
This is a change from a prior forecast that had the current-generation truck ending its run in spring 2016 and the next-generation model beginning production the following week.
The Ridgeline is built at Honda’s Lincoln, AL, plant alongside other Honda and Acura light trucks, including the Honda Pilot and Acura MDX cross/utility vehicles.
Honda introduced the Ridgeline to the U.S. as an ’06 model in spring 2005.
Ridgeline deliveries mostly have been on a downward trajectory since record volume of 50,193 was achieved in 2006.
Sales of the pickup did grow last year to 14,068 units, a 44.2% rise from 2011 that Honda officials credit to a new Sport grade that debuted for ’12.
With demand for the truck falling sharply from its 2006 high, rumors and reports of the Ridgeline’s imminent departure have been rampant. However, Honda has vigorously denied the vehicle will disappear completely from its U.S. lineup.
The auto maker’s Detroit-based spokesman Steve Kinkade says, “(While) we don't comment on future product decisions, Ridgeline continues to be an important part of our lineup and we're pleased with Ridgeline sales, up 24% year-on-year and 32% in June.”
When the Ridgeline debuted, Honda billed the truck as an “SUT,” or sport/utility truck, partially due to its then-innovative in-bed storage box.
While manufacturers of competing body-on-frame pickups initially decried the Ridgeline because it shared some lineage with the unibody Pilot, MDX and Odyssey minivan, elements of the Ridgeline design later were co-opted by other auto makers, including Chrysler, which has a similar storage box in its Ram fullsize pickup truck.
Additionally, competitors have discussed or shown concepts of unibody small trucks, believing such models could be a way to reignite the drastically declining segment.
WardsAutodata shows small-pickup sales fell from a record 1,462,543 units in 1986 to 278,265 last year.
Pricing that approaches or is on par with that of fullsize pickups has been blamed for the decline in compact-truck volume. Many manufacturers already have abandoned the segment in the U.S., including Dodge (Dakota) and Ford (Ranger). General Motors also has been absent in recent years but will roll out new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon models in early 2014.
While the Detroit Three used to rule the compact-truck segment much as they do fullsize pickups, Toyota’s Tacoma has led Ward’s Small Pickup group since 2005.
Tacoma deliveries in 2012 tallied 141,365, a 27.7% increase from 2011 and nearly 90,000 units ahead of Nissan’s Frontier, the No.2-selling compact pickup last year.
http://wardsauto.com/auto-makers/hon...-2-year-hiatus
Industry sources say the Ridgeline now is set to end production in September 2014, with a new model not launching until second-quarter 2016.
This is a change from a prior forecast that had the current-generation truck ending its run in spring 2016 and the next-generation model beginning production the following week.
The Ridgeline is built at Honda’s Lincoln, AL, plant alongside other Honda and Acura light trucks, including the Honda Pilot and Acura MDX cross/utility vehicles.
Honda introduced the Ridgeline to the U.S. as an ’06 model in spring 2005.
Ridgeline deliveries mostly have been on a downward trajectory since record volume of 50,193 was achieved in 2006.
Sales of the pickup did grow last year to 14,068 units, a 44.2% rise from 2011 that Honda officials credit to a new Sport grade that debuted for ’12.
With demand for the truck falling sharply from its 2006 high, rumors and reports of the Ridgeline’s imminent departure have been rampant. However, Honda has vigorously denied the vehicle will disappear completely from its U.S. lineup.
The auto maker’s Detroit-based spokesman Steve Kinkade says, “(While) we don't comment on future product decisions, Ridgeline continues to be an important part of our lineup and we're pleased with Ridgeline sales, up 24% year-on-year and 32% in June.”
When the Ridgeline debuted, Honda billed the truck as an “SUT,” or sport/utility truck, partially due to its then-innovative in-bed storage box.
While manufacturers of competing body-on-frame pickups initially decried the Ridgeline because it shared some lineage with the unibody Pilot, MDX and Odyssey minivan, elements of the Ridgeline design later were co-opted by other auto makers, including Chrysler, which has a similar storage box in its Ram fullsize pickup truck.
Additionally, competitors have discussed or shown concepts of unibody small trucks, believing such models could be a way to reignite the drastically declining segment.
WardsAutodata shows small-pickup sales fell from a record 1,462,543 units in 1986 to 278,265 last year.
Pricing that approaches or is on par with that of fullsize pickups has been blamed for the decline in compact-truck volume. Many manufacturers already have abandoned the segment in the U.S., including Dodge (Dakota) and Ford (Ranger). General Motors also has been absent in recent years but will roll out new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon models in early 2014.
While the Detroit Three used to rule the compact-truck segment much as they do fullsize pickups, Toyota’s Tacoma has led Ward’s Small Pickup group since 2005.
Tacoma deliveries in 2012 tallied 141,365, a 27.7% increase from 2011 and nearly 90,000 units ahead of Nissan’s Frontier, the No.2-selling compact pickup last year.
http://wardsauto.com/auto-makers/hon...-2-year-hiatus
#480
The sizzle in the Steak
The 2-Year Hiatus should turn into the models death.
Honda should focus on other things.
Get back to the Honda they used to be.
Honda should focus on other things.
Get back to the Honda they used to be.