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You'd think some of those folks would downsize into a Ridge. The Tacoma DC and the Ridge have similar mileage and size. The Honda dealers in my area are advertising some serious discounts and lease deals.
Last time I looked, the smaller trucks, like the Frontier, Canyon, and Colorado weren't selling all that well, either.
I have a Tacoma Access Cab. If the Ridge had a 6 foot or greater bed with a shorter cab, on the same wheelbase, I definitely would have given it more time. The four folks I've pointed the Ridgeline to just couldn't get by the looks of it. Unfortunately, we "wear" vehicles in the USA, so that was that. I think it may have been the perfect vehicle for them, but it's their money...
One thing that GM and Ford seem to be very good at is styling. If the Ridge's features were incorporated into something with F150 or Silverado styling, they probably wouldn't be able to make them fast enough.
Around town a Ridgeline should not be much different than 4wd Pilot MPG as weight is close. ON highway the RL appears to have higher cd which I have never seen published--.40 would not surprise me at all with the brick styling which Honda did on purpose and over did somewhat to make a truck statement--kind of in your face styling. I found a bug deflector helps break up that huge nose. The MDX has a .36 cd. the Odyssey has a .32 cd which explains the Odyssey ability with 4400 pounds to get 26 on the highway. The MDX which I one had got about 23-24 on highway with Premium. however, all the Honda Acura 3.5 heavies should yield the same dismal city mileage since very heavy with safety features.
This street burner Ridgeline looks all-business (forget the multipurpose stuff).
It may have trouble powerwise though.
Thanks Bob for the link, photos, and write-up.
John
For some reason the link didn't show properly. You may have to go directly to the Edmunds STRAIGHTLINE blog section, which is just a few days old.
Bob
http://blogs.edmunds.com/.ee8b9d9
"We thought this road seemed pretty tame but our Ridgeline didn't. Four new struts later we learned that it's not quite as tough as our long-term Tacoma. " :sick:
Edmunds flogged it too hard...................Waaahhhhhh............. :lemon:
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
The off-road package looks too much like the Avalanche for me. And it's not like the truck was really modded enough to serve as a real off-roader.
When I was at Paragon in PA, I remember passing three Jeeps that were good and busted up on the edge of the trails. Two were Liberties which had over-heated. The other was a Cherokee with a busted suspension component. I didn't get close enough to figure out which.
Poor Jeeps. I was taking my time in the park and didn't have any trouble with those trails... in my CR-V.
link title
Honda Slashes Ridgeline Production
TOKYO -- With Ridgeline sales starting out slower than expected, Honda Motor Co. is cutting production of the new pickup.
Honda is taking 3,000 units out of its January-March production plan. The full-year target was 50,000.
Honda CFO Satoshi Aoki revealed the plans to cut production during a press conference announcing Honda's earnings for the quarter ended Sept. 30.
The Ridgeline, Honda's first foray into the pickup segment, is built exclusively in Alliston, Ontario. The vehicle went on sale in March. Sales through September in the United States totaled 25,787.
Honda built 17,402 Ridgelines in the third quarter.
In an interview with Automotive News at the Tokyo Motor Show this month, Honda CEO Takeo Fukui blamed the soft sales on high U.S. incentives on light trucks.
He said Honda would not join the incentive wars to jump-start Ridgeline sales.
"We won't introduce any incentives," Fukui said. "We'll adjust our production."
Honda executives said they hope to lower overall incentive spending in the United States. But they conceded that Honda's spending has grown more rapidly than expected.
Hideki Okada, general manager of Honda's accounting division, said at the press conference that the carmaker hopes to trim U.S. incentive spending by about one-third in the October 2005-March 2006 fiscal second half compared with the previous six months.
But Honda also raised its forecast for incentive spending for the full fiscal year ending March 31. It now expects to spend between $990 million and $1 billion on incentives this fiscal year.
Last spring, Honda had projected incentive spending of $690 million. It then raised that forecast to $890 million in July.
Kinda funny when you look at the big picture. Honda cuts production by 6% and the news calls it "slashing". Meanwhile the domestics are fighting for the ability to cut production. They can't do it!
The real news in the article is that Honda has been forced to increase their incentives spending. The "Employee Discount" program saved Detroit's backside all summer long and the promotion forced everybody else to take a hit. Of course, now the party is over and Detroit finds itself with one serious hangover. I read somewhere that Explorer sales were down almost 60%. That's ten times the percentage Honda is cutting from the Ridgeline.
Bob
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
They also only sold 30K TSXs in 2004. Guess that's a flop, too, huh? Also, less than 60K MDXs, only a tick over 20K RSXs, and less than 60K Elements. Gee, ya know, looking at these, seems to me the Ridge is doing GREAT!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Honda is taking 3,000 units out of its January-March production plan. The full-year target was 50,000, a 6% reduction.
Honda did not boost production to 80K. The claim was that Honda *could* build as many as 80K units if sales took off. (Obviously, they did not.)
If Honda continues to sell Ridges at the current rate (about 3,800 per month), they will fall about 4,000 units short or initial projections (6%)
In October, Honda sold 4,974 of them. I'm sure they got a little help from the fact that the Big 3 stopped their employee discounts. If they continue at that rate, they'll make the 50K goal.
If you asked me to make a prediction, I'd guess that Honda will end the year about 4 or 5% off their original target goal.
Bob
i don't think the plan was to sell the 'ridge under invoice either.
Remember the first-generation Odyssey? Everyone laughed at that vehicle too. Those same folks aren't laughing today, as it's now considered the gold standard in minivans by most in the industry.
Bob
That's how products evolve. Toss out what doesn't work (small size, underpowered) and keep and expand upon what does work (3rd-row folding magic seat, etc.). Honda will do the same with the Ridgeline.
For the record: I don't think anyone here, myself included, has ever said the Ridgeline is perfect. We/I realize there's room for improvement. Name me one vehicle out there that's perfect, or was perfect when it first debuted.
Bob
The Ridgeline might serve as a study for Honda's future plans in the truck market, and it might evolve into something bigger and better. Until then it is here to stay. Success doesn't come overnight, it comes from trial and errors. Whatever Honda learns from the Ridgeline now they will apply it to future models and strategies.
But for now it serves the purpose for that market of recreational truck buyers. If you don't like it buy something else that suits your needs.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I imagine Honda would have told us private owners have a nice day please provide $1000 for strut replacement.
regards..
Nobody ever said that it would happen overnight. You're putting words in people's mouths.
It was predicted (and I would do it again) that the Ridgeline would force an evolution of truck products in the US. Not a revolution... an evolution.
By that, myself and others contend that many of the features found in the Ridgeline will begin to make their way into other personal use trucks. The days of primitive BOF only designs are limited (not gone, just winding down). Limited are the days when the market will accept a truck that bounces two feet into the air over a speedbump. No longer will buyers accept trucks with poor crash ratings, poor handling, bare minimum content, and sloppy interiors.
In short... players in the truck market will finally be required to innovate. Vehicles like the Avalanche have also hinted at this move. The Ridgeline is not necessarily the best of them. It is simply the line in the sand. There will be more to come.
link title
And this is a Hummer, designed for offroading. :sick:
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
BUT...that Hummer was used in REAL world off roading
and broke. That tin can ridgeline broke just driving
down a washboard road...........LOl !!!!!!!!!!
If you ignore them, they ALWAYS go away!
When Honda introduced the Ridgeline, they allowed journalists to drive one on a test loop which included hills, ruts, water, a frame-twister, and washboard terrain. It wasn't terribly aggressive stuff, but enough to give people an idea.
If I recall correctly, they had journalists driving the same rig over this loop for at least two days. You can bet that if there were a strut failure, you'd have read about it.
I am holding out for a diesel engine Ridgeline or something that is similar to the Ridgeline.
Add in the cost issue (doubtful that Honda is going to increase prices).
John