Honda Ridgeline
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,246
Likes: 0
From: Philadelphia, PA USA
Apparently, it is pretty innovative, and something of a class act. Towing capabilites of a much larger truck.
http://www.bullz-eye.com/carreviews/..._ridgeline.htm
The pickup hasn’t changed in decades, and it’s the iconic, quintessentially American vehicle. Europeans eschew ’em; don’t even make ’em. When the Japanese powerhouses Toyota and Nissan decided to confront the Ford/Chevy/Dodge pickup cartel, they opted for the same boxes-on-frame formula.
True to its whipper-snapper reputation, Honda eyed the ever-growing North American infatuation with trucks and said, “We want a piece of that.” Upon which declaration Honda promptly threw away the century-old design paradigm and started from scratch with a blank sheet of paper. Ridgeline is the iconoclastic result.
Ridgeline more or less dispenses with the three-box/ladder-frame concept. Instead, there’s a rigid, base platform into which a monocoque or unibody engine-bay/cabin/cargo-bed structure has been integrally welded. This renders the Ridgeline an incredibly rigid vehicle — some 20 times stiffer than traditional trucks in “torsion” terms (i.e., twisting forces) and 250 percent stiffer in bending terms.
Myriad payoffs result from this novel approach. Ridgeline can afford to be smaller in certain dimensions without sacrificing essential capabilities. The Ridgeline is a full 18 inches shorter than a Ford F-150, for example; yet its five-passenger cabin space is virtually identical. And whereas traditional pickups typically depend on large-displacement V-8s for their towing and payload chores, Ridgeline makes do with a 3.5-liter V-6 enhanced by Honda’s now legendary VTEC variable valve timing.
The proof is in the driving. For medium-duty towing — up to 5000 pounds — Honda’s Ridgeline was as gutsy and sure-footed during its media debut as the 5.4-liter Ford F-150 pulling an identical load nearby. And with a full payload of 1100 lb in addition to occupants on board, it is every bit the “half-ton” pickup that represents the benchmark for American imaginations.
Thanks to impressive stiffness, moreover, the Ridgeline sets benchmarks of its own. In slalom runs with and without maximum payload, the Ridgeline’s handling was razor sharp and scarcely different in either condition. Meantime, rivals like Ford’s Explorer Sport Trac and Toyota’s Tacoma impersonated wallowing whales toting identical loads through identical twists and turns on the slalom course.
Close enough?
This is not to say the Ridgeline perfectly impersonates a full-size pickup. Its bed is shorter, for one thing—only five feet long. But without encroaching wheel wells, the cargo space is truly a flat-sided box, and it swallows four-by-eight-foot plywood sheets when the tailgate is lowered.
There, Honda’s concession to traditional chore lore ends and new versatilities begin. That tailgate, for example, will either open downward or to the side, unlike any other in the biz. And when it’s lying flat, the tailgate is strong enough to support the heavy, bouncing loads that often have to extend beyond the short cargo box. Then, just because it can, Honda has specifically configured the steel-reinforced, composite-molded and dent-proof bed surfaces to nest a full array of Honda products like motorcycles, ATVs, lawn mowers and power generators. Cheeky, eh?
Under the cargo bed lies another surprise. The Ridgeline solves the age-old problem of cargo security with an 8.5 cubic-foot lockable trunk at the rear of the bed. That’s enough waterproof space for three golf-bags’ worth of valuable tools or toys. There’s even a plug for draining ice water from the impromptu “tailgater” beverage cooler into which this space so invitingly converts. Even cheekier, no?
Inside, the folding 60/40 rear bench affords additional cargo storage. With the three-person seat in use, there’s a 2.6-cubic-foot tool trough molded into the floor under the seat bottom. But if the bench is folded flat, 41.4 cubes reveal themselves. All told, the Ridgeline puts more than 52 cubic feet of storage under lock and key, in addition to the 35-plus cubic feet of open-air cargo-bed capacity on hand.
Four-wheel independent suspension and anti-lock disc brakes ensure sports-car manners unlike any traditional pickup’s. The Ridgeline marries this handling precision to a full-time “VTM-4” all-wheel-drive powertrain with locking rear differential and computerized “VSM” stability control. In foothills northeast of Southern California’s Torrey Pines National Forest , the Ridgeline scaled 23-degree ridgeline slopes, crossed calf-deep streams and negotiated obstructive rocks and berms. For all of the infelicities of the trail, however, nary a squeak nor groan emanated from the Ridgeline’s innovative unibody cockpit.
This and its many other novelties, on the other hand, are likely to represent the Ridgeline’s severest challenge. In a world long accustomed to traditional trucks with their dated-but-familiar charms, Honda will not only have to educate customers about its truck’s unprecedented capabilities. It will also have to seduce folks into an unfamiliar paradigm with a better pickup line than merely, “Hey, wanna see my Ridgeline?”
.
http://www.bullz-eye.com/carreviews/..._ridgeline.htm
The pickup hasn’t changed in decades, and it’s the iconic, quintessentially American vehicle. Europeans eschew ’em; don’t even make ’em. When the Japanese powerhouses Toyota and Nissan decided to confront the Ford/Chevy/Dodge pickup cartel, they opted for the same boxes-on-frame formula.
True to its whipper-snapper reputation, Honda eyed the ever-growing North American infatuation with trucks and said, “We want a piece of that.” Upon which declaration Honda promptly threw away the century-old design paradigm and started from scratch with a blank sheet of paper. Ridgeline is the iconoclastic result.
Ridgeline more or less dispenses with the three-box/ladder-frame concept. Instead, there’s a rigid, base platform into which a monocoque or unibody engine-bay/cabin/cargo-bed structure has been integrally welded. This renders the Ridgeline an incredibly rigid vehicle — some 20 times stiffer than traditional trucks in “torsion” terms (i.e., twisting forces) and 250 percent stiffer in bending terms.
Myriad payoffs result from this novel approach. Ridgeline can afford to be smaller in certain dimensions without sacrificing essential capabilities. The Ridgeline is a full 18 inches shorter than a Ford F-150, for example; yet its five-passenger cabin space is virtually identical. And whereas traditional pickups typically depend on large-displacement V-8s for their towing and payload chores, Ridgeline makes do with a 3.5-liter V-6 enhanced by Honda’s now legendary VTEC variable valve timing.
The proof is in the driving. For medium-duty towing — up to 5000 pounds — Honda’s Ridgeline was as gutsy and sure-footed during its media debut as the 5.4-liter Ford F-150 pulling an identical load nearby. And with a full payload of 1100 lb in addition to occupants on board, it is every bit the “half-ton” pickup that represents the benchmark for American imaginations.
Thanks to impressive stiffness, moreover, the Ridgeline sets benchmarks of its own. In slalom runs with and without maximum payload, the Ridgeline’s handling was razor sharp and scarcely different in either condition. Meantime, rivals like Ford’s Explorer Sport Trac and Toyota’s Tacoma impersonated wallowing whales toting identical loads through identical twists and turns on the slalom course.
Close enough?
This is not to say the Ridgeline perfectly impersonates a full-size pickup. Its bed is shorter, for one thing—only five feet long. But without encroaching wheel wells, the cargo space is truly a flat-sided box, and it swallows four-by-eight-foot plywood sheets when the tailgate is lowered.
There, Honda’s concession to traditional chore lore ends and new versatilities begin. That tailgate, for example, will either open downward or to the side, unlike any other in the biz. And when it’s lying flat, the tailgate is strong enough to support the heavy, bouncing loads that often have to extend beyond the short cargo box. Then, just because it can, Honda has specifically configured the steel-reinforced, composite-molded and dent-proof bed surfaces to nest a full array of Honda products like motorcycles, ATVs, lawn mowers and power generators. Cheeky, eh?
Under the cargo bed lies another surprise. The Ridgeline solves the age-old problem of cargo security with an 8.5 cubic-foot lockable trunk at the rear of the bed. That’s enough waterproof space for three golf-bags’ worth of valuable tools or toys. There’s even a plug for draining ice water from the impromptu “tailgater” beverage cooler into which this space so invitingly converts. Even cheekier, no?
Inside, the folding 60/40 rear bench affords additional cargo storage. With the three-person seat in use, there’s a 2.6-cubic-foot tool trough molded into the floor under the seat bottom. But if the bench is folded flat, 41.4 cubes reveal themselves. All told, the Ridgeline puts more than 52 cubic feet of storage under lock and key, in addition to the 35-plus cubic feet of open-air cargo-bed capacity on hand.
Four-wheel independent suspension and anti-lock disc brakes ensure sports-car manners unlike any traditional pickup’s. The Ridgeline marries this handling precision to a full-time “VTM-4” all-wheel-drive powertrain with locking rear differential and computerized “VSM” stability control. In foothills northeast of Southern California’s Torrey Pines National Forest , the Ridgeline scaled 23-degree ridgeline slopes, crossed calf-deep streams and negotiated obstructive rocks and berms. For all of the infelicities of the trail, however, nary a squeak nor groan emanated from the Ridgeline’s innovative unibody cockpit.
This and its many other novelties, on the other hand, are likely to represent the Ridgeline’s severest challenge. In a world long accustomed to traditional trucks with their dated-but-familiar charms, Honda will not only have to educate customers about its truck’s unprecedented capabilities. It will also have to seduce folks into an unfamiliar paradigm with a better pickup line than merely, “Hey, wanna see my Ridgeline?”
.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,218
Likes: 15
From: Swansea, MA
Ric, thanks for the info. There was alot of stuff there that I didn't know about. While I don't like the styling, it seems like the ridgeline is a very capable truck. Might make for a decent "winter beater" once they start hitting the private sales and independant used car dealers lots.
I'm still biased towards Tacoma's (for small trucks) and the Fords and Chevys...
I'm still biased towards Tacoma's (for small trucks) and the Fords and Chevys...
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,246
Likes: 0
From: Philadelphia, PA USA
Originally Posted by GreenMonster
Ric, thanks for the info. There was alot of stuff there that I didn't know about. While I don't like the styling, it seems like the ridgeline is a very capable truck. Might make for a decent "winter beater" once they start hitting the private sales and independant used car dealers lots.
I'm still biased towards Tacoma's (for small trucks) and the Fords and Chevys...
I'm still biased towards Tacoma's (for small trucks) and the Fords and Chevys...
and, I don't know that I don't like the styling yet, it kinda grew on me when I was looking at the photos. I think the front grille treatment is pretty decent, strong, muscular, and the side directly translates the odd proportions of the cab and flatbed. Never be confused for a half-ton, and never be confused for a car. So - it is what it is, an odd well designed little quarterhorse -decent, but a bit chunky in the flanks.
I bet it will fit a niche in the marketplace...............
Last edited by ric; Mar 3, 2005 at 01:50 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,246
Likes: 0
From: Philadelphia, PA USA
three reviews
well, now I've been sucked in:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...idgeline_x.htm
(Partial excerpt of review)
On highways, winding two-lanes and mud-choked off-road paths around here, Ridgeline behaved brilliantly. Honda has melded sporty-car driving with weekend-warrior toting, creating what's likely to be the perfect blend for many people.
No, it won't reroute the guy who has to have a Hemi, wants a diesel, must drive a serious off-roader, or just can't abide deviation from the traditional formula. But Ridgeline sets a new standard for manners and civility among pickups. If you consider it a midsize pickup, the contrast is stark; the rivals drive like buckboards with balky horse teams. If, because of its roomy passenger cab, you consider Ridgeline a full-size offering, its on-road behavior still is better than that of the best-behaved rivals.
Ridgeline is for people who know the value of a pickup but suspect they don't need something built to tow four tons or slam through the worst terrain with half a ton of cargo in back, nor do they value the usually rude road manners of such heavy-duty machines.
Ridgeline's passenger compartment holds five with enough leg- and knee-room in back for adults. The angle of the rear-seat back rests is similar to a car's, instead of being uncomfortably upright, as in many trucks. The front seats are among Honda's best ever.
The rear seats fold up in a slick, one-hand move that opens significant space. Honda says a mountain bike fits inside if seats are folded.
http://www.autosite.com/content/shar...cle_id_int/313
partial excerpt
Think of it: the truck that does everything is selling for less than $28,000. You don’t need the leather. Forget a navigation system – go buy a map. And finding a better deal at another dealer’s lot may be quite a challenge. While Honda does not consider the Ridgeline to be a competitor against big boys like the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150 and Nissan Titan, if you’re in the midsize truck market, you will be hard-pressed to find a better combination of driveability, utility and off road capability. That spells value, and to that the Ridgeline adds innovative new features such as a trunk under the bed.. With a decent tow rating and a ride that is more car-smooth than truck-rough, the Ridgeline will compete with the likes of the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Explorer SportTrac, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma. It will also compete against larger lifestyle trucks such as the Chevrolet Avalanche, and may well compete with smaller SUVs, too, like the Ford Escape, Jeep Liberty and Nissan Xterra.
http://info.detnews.com/autosconsume...x.cfm?id=18252
and from a woman reviewer; (partial excerpt)
By Anita Lienert / Special to The Detroit News
Honda
2006 Honda Ridgeline RTL
Honda
The Ridgeline's cabin is tastefully decorated, with a sliding center console that creates a space big enough to hold a bulky purse. Dealers can install a DVD entertainment system.
SAN DIEGO -- It looks too pretty.
That's what consumers in U.S. focus groups told Honda Motor Co. executives when they saw the 2006 Ridgeline, the Japanese automaker's first pickup truck in North America.
"It doesn't look like a traditional pickup" was another complaint.
That didn't faze Honda, which says it avoided creating a cookie-cutter workhorse patterned after more conventional trucks like the Dodge Dakota or Ford F-150.
"The trouble with most pickups is that the husband feels like he's made a selfish purchase," explained Jim Keller, Ridgeline's assistant large project leader/design. "A guy struggles when he buys a vehicle that doesn't address the lifestyle of the whole family. We wanted a vehicle a wife would approve of."
After a day and a half of testing the Ridgeline in a variety of southern California settings, including driving an off-road course and using the truck to haul a heavy box trailer filled with rocks, this wife -- who selects and buys the vehicles in our household -- gives her seal of approval.
The Ridgeline is the biggest Honda ever built and the only pickup on the market with a lockable trunk designed to hold a baby stroller. This truck is clever, classy and capable.
It's ideal for a hip mom who doesn't want to schlump around in a frumpy minivan or a weekend-warrior dad who needs a Home Depot hauler.
The only person I couldn't picture behind the wheel of the Ridgeline is a macho Texas rancher-type who would probably scoff at a midsize, Japanese-brand truck that puts a huge emphasis on safety features and is more petite than the best-selling F-150, the gold standard in all-American pickups.
The five-passenger, Canadian-built Ridgeline goes on sale in early March.
While Honda has yet to announce prices, the Ridgeline will cost between $28,000 and $32,000, the company says, not including a $515 destination charge. Expect a navigation system to add $2,000 to the bottom line. An options package that bundles a moonroof with XM satellite radio will cost around $1,150.
and from the slickos at Automobile:
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...nda_ridgeline/
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA A pickup truck has been the missing link in Honda's U.S. lineup. It's easy to understand why this is the last major segment for the cautious automaker to dip a tire into. Having no V-8 engines, solid rear axles, or body-on-frame vehicles among any of its other offerings, Honda couldn't readily do a traditional-style pickup. So it had to do something different. Now it has. Honda claims it started with a clean sheet of paper, but it was one with the faint outline of the Pilot on it. Like the Pilot, the new Ridgeline pickup uses unibody construction, a transverse-mounted 3.5-liter V-6, and four-wheel-independent suspension-not typical pickup hardware. The Ridgeline also defies convention in that it offers only one cab configuration (four-door), one bed length (five feet), and one powertrain (a 24-valve SOHC V-6, five-speed automatic, and on-demand four-wheel drive).
The result is a pickup with better-than-expected towing, payload, and off-road capabilities. It has a spacious interior, very good ride and handling, and some interesting cargo-hauling innovations.
Because the Ridgeline's independent rear suspension takes up far less space than a live axle, Honda was able to add a large compartment under the truck bed, providing a clean and dry home to the spare tire (either the standard mini-spare or available full-size) and, more significant, an 8.5-cubic-foot trunk. At last: secure, weatherproof, outside-the-cab cargo space in a pickup. The volume might not sound like a lot, but the ultra-practical box shape allows it to swallow even a giant-size cooler-or, with its waterproof periphery and built-in drain plug, it can be used as a cooler itself.
Cargo beds in 4x4 pickups have gotten pretty high off the ground, and although Honda's underfloor storage doesn't raise the Ridgeline's much farther, owners would need telescoping arms to reach over the dropped-down tailgate to get anything out of that new trunk. Honda's solution, borrowed from station wagons of yore, is a two-way tailgate, which drops down or swings open like a door to allow easier loading of the trunk or of the bed itself. (It's also particularly neat for hosing out debris.) Despite the unconventional hinge arrangement, the lowered tailgate can support 300 pounds when hauling.
On the subject of the cargo bed, we should mention that with 49.5 inches between the wheelhouses, the Ridgeline is the only midsize pickup in which 4x8 building materials can lie flat on the floor. They do stick out
the back, though, as there's no GM-style mid-gate to extend the cargo box. At 6.5 feet with the tailgate lowered, it is long enough to carry a dirt bike or an ATV, however, and it offers a respectable half-ton (1100-pound) payload capacity.
The cargo box is not a separate unit but is fully integrated into the rest of the body. The resultant increased rigidity is evident in the absence of shudder over bumps, an affliction that plagues most 4x4 pickups. The independent rear suspension also contributes to the composed ride. Body control is good, even with a full load, and the Ridgeline stays relatively flat in corners. The firm-feel steering is appropriate for a big truck and is pleasantly free of slop. Stability control and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard, though grippier tires would help both handling and braking.
Honda engineers claim that more than 90 percent of the Ridgeline's chassis is different from the Pilot's, and some of those changes-two additional crossmembers (seven total) and fully boxed frame rails-help explain the Ridgeline's rather porky 4500-pound curb weight. It's no wonder the 255-hp V-6 doesn't send the Ridgeline charging onto the freeway, although Honda claims it will get to 62 mph in 9.5 seconds, which would put it about on par with a V-8 Dodge Dakota but behind a V-6 Nissan Frontier or a Toyota Tacoma. The Pilot's five-speed automatic has been extensively reengineered for pickup duty, helping to give the Ridgeline a 5000-pound towing capacity. That figure isn't the highest in the mid-size class, but it's probably enough for most people.
Likewise, the Ridgeline's 8.2-inch ground clearance and lack of a low range for its four-wheel drive might elicit snickers from off-road extremists, but we were able to bash bumps and tackle steep climbs and water crossings without incident. Wheel travel of 7.3 inches front and 8.2 inches at the rear is better than you might expect from an independent suspension, and Honda's VTM-4 lock button allows the driver to send the maximum torque (70 percent) to the rear axle at low speeds, such as when pulling a boat up a ramp.
To reinforce the message that this really is a tough truck-not some kinder, gentler pansy pickup-Honda designers gave it an exterior that looks as if it were designed with Lego blocks. The all-new interior features oversize matte silver knobs, a huge speedometer, and meaty door pulls (the better to distract you from the hard plastics everywhere else in the cabin). The cabin is sprawl-out comfortable front and back, and there's storage space everywhere. The center console alone is so labyrinthine you could easily lose a Big Mac in there for weeks.
Honda has created something truly different in the world of pickups, an area that has seen lots of one-upmanship but very little critical thinking. The Ridgeline is not designed to establish bragging rights but to meet real needs-which may be its most unusual aspect of all.
So - it sounds to me like a classic Honda/Acura product, quietly innovative, marching to a slightly different drummer and built on the WYSIWYG principle without a lot of fluff or glue-on drivil.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...idgeline_x.htm
(Partial excerpt of review)
On highways, winding two-lanes and mud-choked off-road paths around here, Ridgeline behaved brilliantly. Honda has melded sporty-car driving with weekend-warrior toting, creating what's likely to be the perfect blend for many people.
No, it won't reroute the guy who has to have a Hemi, wants a diesel, must drive a serious off-roader, or just can't abide deviation from the traditional formula. But Ridgeline sets a new standard for manners and civility among pickups. If you consider it a midsize pickup, the contrast is stark; the rivals drive like buckboards with balky horse teams. If, because of its roomy passenger cab, you consider Ridgeline a full-size offering, its on-road behavior still is better than that of the best-behaved rivals.
Ridgeline is for people who know the value of a pickup but suspect they don't need something built to tow four tons or slam through the worst terrain with half a ton of cargo in back, nor do they value the usually rude road manners of such heavy-duty machines.
Ridgeline's passenger compartment holds five with enough leg- and knee-room in back for adults. The angle of the rear-seat back rests is similar to a car's, instead of being uncomfortably upright, as in many trucks. The front seats are among Honda's best ever.
The rear seats fold up in a slick, one-hand move that opens significant space. Honda says a mountain bike fits inside if seats are folded.
http://www.autosite.com/content/shar...cle_id_int/313
partial excerpt
Think of it: the truck that does everything is selling for less than $28,000. You don’t need the leather. Forget a navigation system – go buy a map. And finding a better deal at another dealer’s lot may be quite a challenge. While Honda does not consider the Ridgeline to be a competitor against big boys like the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150 and Nissan Titan, if you’re in the midsize truck market, you will be hard-pressed to find a better combination of driveability, utility and off road capability. That spells value, and to that the Ridgeline adds innovative new features such as a trunk under the bed.. With a decent tow rating and a ride that is more car-smooth than truck-rough, the Ridgeline will compete with the likes of the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Explorer SportTrac, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma. It will also compete against larger lifestyle trucks such as the Chevrolet Avalanche, and may well compete with smaller SUVs, too, like the Ford Escape, Jeep Liberty and Nissan Xterra.
http://info.detnews.com/autosconsume...x.cfm?id=18252
and from a woman reviewer; (partial excerpt)
By Anita Lienert / Special to The Detroit News
Honda
2006 Honda Ridgeline RTL
Honda
The Ridgeline's cabin is tastefully decorated, with a sliding center console that creates a space big enough to hold a bulky purse. Dealers can install a DVD entertainment system.
SAN DIEGO -- It looks too pretty.
That's what consumers in U.S. focus groups told Honda Motor Co. executives when they saw the 2006 Ridgeline, the Japanese automaker's first pickup truck in North America.
"It doesn't look like a traditional pickup" was another complaint.
That didn't faze Honda, which says it avoided creating a cookie-cutter workhorse patterned after more conventional trucks like the Dodge Dakota or Ford F-150.
"The trouble with most pickups is that the husband feels like he's made a selfish purchase," explained Jim Keller, Ridgeline's assistant large project leader/design. "A guy struggles when he buys a vehicle that doesn't address the lifestyle of the whole family. We wanted a vehicle a wife would approve of."
After a day and a half of testing the Ridgeline in a variety of southern California settings, including driving an off-road course and using the truck to haul a heavy box trailer filled with rocks, this wife -- who selects and buys the vehicles in our household -- gives her seal of approval.
The Ridgeline is the biggest Honda ever built and the only pickup on the market with a lockable trunk designed to hold a baby stroller. This truck is clever, classy and capable.
It's ideal for a hip mom who doesn't want to schlump around in a frumpy minivan or a weekend-warrior dad who needs a Home Depot hauler.
The only person I couldn't picture behind the wheel of the Ridgeline is a macho Texas rancher-type who would probably scoff at a midsize, Japanese-brand truck that puts a huge emphasis on safety features and is more petite than the best-selling F-150, the gold standard in all-American pickups.
The five-passenger, Canadian-built Ridgeline goes on sale in early March.
While Honda has yet to announce prices, the Ridgeline will cost between $28,000 and $32,000, the company says, not including a $515 destination charge. Expect a navigation system to add $2,000 to the bottom line. An options package that bundles a moonroof with XM satellite radio will cost around $1,150.
and from the slickos at Automobile:
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...nda_ridgeline/
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA A pickup truck has been the missing link in Honda's U.S. lineup. It's easy to understand why this is the last major segment for the cautious automaker to dip a tire into. Having no V-8 engines, solid rear axles, or body-on-frame vehicles among any of its other offerings, Honda couldn't readily do a traditional-style pickup. So it had to do something different. Now it has. Honda claims it started with a clean sheet of paper, but it was one with the faint outline of the Pilot on it. Like the Pilot, the new Ridgeline pickup uses unibody construction, a transverse-mounted 3.5-liter V-6, and four-wheel-independent suspension-not typical pickup hardware. The Ridgeline also defies convention in that it offers only one cab configuration (four-door), one bed length (five feet), and one powertrain (a 24-valve SOHC V-6, five-speed automatic, and on-demand four-wheel drive).
The result is a pickup with better-than-expected towing, payload, and off-road capabilities. It has a spacious interior, very good ride and handling, and some interesting cargo-hauling innovations.
Because the Ridgeline's independent rear suspension takes up far less space than a live axle, Honda was able to add a large compartment under the truck bed, providing a clean and dry home to the spare tire (either the standard mini-spare or available full-size) and, more significant, an 8.5-cubic-foot trunk. At last: secure, weatherproof, outside-the-cab cargo space in a pickup. The volume might not sound like a lot, but the ultra-practical box shape allows it to swallow even a giant-size cooler-or, with its waterproof periphery and built-in drain plug, it can be used as a cooler itself.
Cargo beds in 4x4 pickups have gotten pretty high off the ground, and although Honda's underfloor storage doesn't raise the Ridgeline's much farther, owners would need telescoping arms to reach over the dropped-down tailgate to get anything out of that new trunk. Honda's solution, borrowed from station wagons of yore, is a two-way tailgate, which drops down or swings open like a door to allow easier loading of the trunk or of the bed itself. (It's also particularly neat for hosing out debris.) Despite the unconventional hinge arrangement, the lowered tailgate can support 300 pounds when hauling.
On the subject of the cargo bed, we should mention that with 49.5 inches between the wheelhouses, the Ridgeline is the only midsize pickup in which 4x8 building materials can lie flat on the floor. They do stick out
the back, though, as there's no GM-style mid-gate to extend the cargo box. At 6.5 feet with the tailgate lowered, it is long enough to carry a dirt bike or an ATV, however, and it offers a respectable half-ton (1100-pound) payload capacity.
The cargo box is not a separate unit but is fully integrated into the rest of the body. The resultant increased rigidity is evident in the absence of shudder over bumps, an affliction that plagues most 4x4 pickups. The independent rear suspension also contributes to the composed ride. Body control is good, even with a full load, and the Ridgeline stays relatively flat in corners. The firm-feel steering is appropriate for a big truck and is pleasantly free of slop. Stability control and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard, though grippier tires would help both handling and braking.
Honda engineers claim that more than 90 percent of the Ridgeline's chassis is different from the Pilot's, and some of those changes-two additional crossmembers (seven total) and fully boxed frame rails-help explain the Ridgeline's rather porky 4500-pound curb weight. It's no wonder the 255-hp V-6 doesn't send the Ridgeline charging onto the freeway, although Honda claims it will get to 62 mph in 9.5 seconds, which would put it about on par with a V-8 Dodge Dakota but behind a V-6 Nissan Frontier or a Toyota Tacoma. The Pilot's five-speed automatic has been extensively reengineered for pickup duty, helping to give the Ridgeline a 5000-pound towing capacity. That figure isn't the highest in the mid-size class, but it's probably enough for most people.
Likewise, the Ridgeline's 8.2-inch ground clearance and lack of a low range for its four-wheel drive might elicit snickers from off-road extremists, but we were able to bash bumps and tackle steep climbs and water crossings without incident. Wheel travel of 7.3 inches front and 8.2 inches at the rear is better than you might expect from an independent suspension, and Honda's VTM-4 lock button allows the driver to send the maximum torque (70 percent) to the rear axle at low speeds, such as when pulling a boat up a ramp.
To reinforce the message that this really is a tough truck-not some kinder, gentler pansy pickup-Honda designers gave it an exterior that looks as if it were designed with Lego blocks. The all-new interior features oversize matte silver knobs, a huge speedometer, and meaty door pulls (the better to distract you from the hard plastics everywhere else in the cabin). The cabin is sprawl-out comfortable front and back, and there's storage space everywhere. The center console alone is so labyrinthine you could easily lose a Big Mac in there for weeks.
Honda has created something truly different in the world of pickups, an area that has seen lots of one-upmanship but very little critical thinking. The Ridgeline is not designed to establish bragging rights but to meet real needs-which may be its most unusual aspect of all.
So - it sounds to me like a classic Honda/Acura product, quietly innovative, marching to a slightly different drummer and built on the WYSIWYG principle without a lot of fluff or glue-on drivil.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,054
Likes: 0
From: Sunshine State
Originally Posted by domn
They got everything but the styling right.
It's a great truck for people that don't mind the exterior looks. I still can't figure out those people that drive Pontiac Aztec's, I mean they've got to have absolutely NO sense of style.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,246
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From: Philadelphia, PA USA
Originally Posted by bigwilliestyle
I don't know. Looked weird at first, but I kinda like the styling now.
The proportions are definitely different than the usual 2+2 and payload pickup, the cab is bigger, the truck lower and more widely stanced than one might be used to. The rear is oddly short for a pickup. BUt in the world of form follows function, I like it.
i souport publik edekason
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,310
Likes: 0
From: Granada Hills, CA
Many of you are so quick to judge...
I have always liked the idea of the ridgeline... (long time coming for Honda)
As mentioned in many of the exerpted articles... I think that Honda has hit a home run with this truck... Let's get one thing straight... First it's not a small truck - if anything it's a mid-size truck... Second it can tow nearly as much as the big boys... Third it has an interior which is as big as the big boys... Next the tailgate is ingenious (borrowed from station wagons of ole - but great use for it nonetheless)...
Yes all of the ppl with ranches, or horse stables, et al will still want and get the full-size trucks fine but for ppl like me who like to have the occasional use of a pick up bed, but the more often comfort of a car will go nuts for this thing...
Another example of Honda's dedication to "getting it right" can be found in the Odyssey... Has anybody here test driven one??? well I have and the mentions of "big European sedans" in Temple of VTEC are not off the mark...
So too will the Ridgeline... As for the styling... always subjective - YES... but as most of these new models industry wide they take some getting used to... Look at the BMWs, when they first came out very few ppl liked them... and the purests hated them... So let us wait and see... + if you look at the http://automobiles.honda.com/ site you will see that the production model is slightly different from the concept we saw at the auto shows clad with all that extra platic...
On a side note I too thought the Aztec was ugly... and still do...
So to close give it a chance...
I know for me I have been and will continue to study and keep this Ridgeline in mind when it's time to turn in my Saturn Vue...
Like our TL's bang for the buck, and lots of innovation... Hummmmmmmmmmm
Cheers fellows
Ciao
I have always liked the idea of the ridgeline... (long time coming for Honda)
As mentioned in many of the exerpted articles... I think that Honda has hit a home run with this truck... Let's get one thing straight... First it's not a small truck - if anything it's a mid-size truck... Second it can tow nearly as much as the big boys... Third it has an interior which is as big as the big boys... Next the tailgate is ingenious (borrowed from station wagons of ole - but great use for it nonetheless)...
Yes all of the ppl with ranches, or horse stables, et al will still want and get the full-size trucks fine but for ppl like me who like to have the occasional use of a pick up bed, but the more often comfort of a car will go nuts for this thing...
Another example of Honda's dedication to "getting it right" can be found in the Odyssey... Has anybody here test driven one??? well I have and the mentions of "big European sedans" in Temple of VTEC are not off the mark...
So too will the Ridgeline... As for the styling... always subjective - YES... but as most of these new models industry wide they take some getting used to... Look at the BMWs, when they first came out very few ppl liked them... and the purests hated them... So let us wait and see... + if you look at the http://automobiles.honda.com/ site you will see that the production model is slightly different from the concept we saw at the auto shows clad with all that extra platic...
On a side note I too thought the Aztec was ugly... and still do...
So to close give it a chance...
I know for me I have been and will continue to study and keep this Ridgeline in mind when it's time to turn in my Saturn Vue...
Like our TL's bang for the buck, and lots of innovation... Hummmmmmmmmmm
Cheers fellows
Ciao
Senior Moderator
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,218
Likes: 15
From: Swansea, MA
I didn't like the Element's styling at first either, but I did respect it's utility. The styling grew on me after a saw a few on them in different colors on the road.
After I read Ric's posting on the first article, I have to admit, that I did do some research on the Ridgeline.
I think the styling will grow on most of us, but like the element, it's probably a "love it or hate it" kinda thing.
I'm sure if the public's reaction to the ridgeline isn't favorable, that honda will "tweak" it in a couple of years, and when the model is up for redesign, it'll only get better looking... I think Honda has shown alot of aggressiveness with the introduction of this truck, and hopefully that agressiveness will extend to all the models in H & A's lineups...
After I read Ric's posting on the first article, I have to admit, that I did do some research on the Ridgeline.
I think the styling will grow on most of us, but like the element, it's probably a "love it or hate it" kinda thing.
I'm sure if the public's reaction to the ridgeline isn't favorable, that honda will "tweak" it in a couple of years, and when the model is up for redesign, it'll only get better looking... I think Honda has shown alot of aggressiveness with the introduction of this truck, and hopefully that agressiveness will extend to all the models in H & A's lineups...
Senior Moderator
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,218
Likes: 15
From: Swansea, MA
Originally Posted by Astroboy
Ric, thanks for sharing the articles....
I am almost toying with the idea of trading my duramax crew cab, for a Ridgeline.
I am almost toying with the idea of trading my duramax crew cab, for a Ridgeline.
Senior Moderator
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 18,017
Likes: 1,737
The Ridgeline is ugly but the Element is still the ugliest thing to ever come out of a Honda showroom. Adding insult to injury, it def seems to be the preferred car of a certain butch lesbian demographic here in the NYC area. 
go like hell
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 5,154
Likes: 1
From: Anna,OH(home of the honda/acura motors)
The thing about me and my lifestyle is if I get a truck I want a "real truck" right now I share a Tundra with my dad it tows 8000 lbs no sweat. you put that behind a Ridgeline and it will puke a transmission like after i had a 5th of Jack Daniels. If they made it tougher and heavier I'd concider it until then. I'll take the new Frontier or Titan 
Duck Fuke!
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,975
Likes: 2
From: Back in NC
Originally Posted by Water-S
The thing about me and my lifestyle is if I get a truck I want a "real truck" right now I share a Tundra with my dad it tows 8000 lbs no sweat. you put that behind a Ridgeline and it will puke a transmission like after i had a 5th of Jack Daniels. If they made it tougher and heavier I'd concider it until then. I'll take the new Frontier or Titan
Honda never has claimed it could tow 8000lbs, thats not the point. I dont think i would compare a Frontier to it either.
Senior Moderator
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 47,710
Likes: 801
From: Toronto, Canada
Originally Posted by Water-S
The thing about me and my lifestyle is if I get a truck I want a "real truck" right now I share a Tundra with my dad it tows 8000 lbs no sweat. you put that behind a Ridgeline and it will puke a transmission like after i had a 5th of Jack Daniels. If they made it tougher and heavier I'd concider it until then. I'll take the new Frontier or Titan
Its definentley not for everyone, but at the same time very few people will ever have to tow more than 5000lbs.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,426
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From: philly
Find it a little hard to believe a Tundra can tow 8k no sweat, the 2005 tow rating w/ the new v8 is 7100lb and those are usually a little inflated compared to real world use.
Think the ridgeline will do well even though the looks aren't the best and the price is a tad high, offers some nice features for 'home depot' truck buyer.
Think the ridgeline will do well even though the looks aren't the best and the price is a tad high, offers some nice features for 'home depot' truck buyer.
i souport publik edekason
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,310
Likes: 0
From: Granada Hills, CA
Originally Posted by domn
Its definentley not for everyone, but at the same time very few people will ever have to tow more than 5000lbs.
and that is who honda is gearing this truck to... Those ppl who have towing requirements, but not as stringent as those required by something like the big three put out...Ciao
Senior Moderator
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 17,085
Likes: 740
From: Brooklyn, NY USA
It's certainly an odd looking "truck", but i'm sure it will sell well. I did already get a few phone calls on it, one most notably from someone who's interested in trading in his loaded Infiniti FX45 for one. 
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 103
Likes: 0
From: Miami, FL
I actually saw a white one on 20's here in Miami! At first glance it looked like an Avalance with painted cladding. Then I looked again, I was really impressed. The truck looks great! Especially with the 20's!! If you're into the Sport Truck scene, the Ridgeline will be a good choice. I could just imagine how it would look lowered, I'm all for it!! IMO this truck is way nicer than the new Chevy Colorado sport truck that came out last year!