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http://www.nctd.com/review-intro.cfm?Vehicle=2006_Honda_Ridgeline- &ReviewID=1725
Our local dealer won't get theirs until mid-March or so... the salespeople are going to a demo day in the end of February where they get to drive one and learn about it's features, etc.
Sounds like Honda has a home-run here.
Granite
My take on this is that the rear wheels always receive more than 60%. So VTM-4 is never in a front drive only mode. This appears to be contrary to Pilot/MDX which have front only in normal situations.
John
Bob
http://www.hondanews.com/CatID2135?mid=2005011039339&mime=asc
Bob
say you have a load of mulch or top soil in the bed and you get a flat tire. how do you fix it?
Not true. Look carefully at the following link:
http://hondanews.com/CatID2135?mid=2005011041820&mime=JPG
You can clearly see the wheel wells in the bed.
Bob
Of course, I reserve the right to rave about it after a test drive.
But really How often have you gotten a flat? My last truck lasted 7 years hauling and towing with me never even seeing the spare.
Maybe some day in the future they'll come out with a Hybrid that will meet the demands of towing and/or load hauling, but until then... the Ridgeline is the Champ when it comes to MPG vs. load carrying ability.
The one thing I wish they had done, and I think this would have beautifully tied the design together... is to have the rear door windows more closely follow the shape of the door (as the front windows do)... this would "balance" the geometric shape and transition from front to back that your eye wants to follow given the buttresses... but the way they have it now is not a very elegant component of the design and I think it brings the whole look down a notch.
Does anyone understand what I'm saying???
Anywho, it's not going to stop me from buying one though, that's for sure!
say you have a load of mulch or top soil in the bed and you get a flat tire. how do you fix it?
That's a legit concern, and one I too wondered about, and it's not an issue of how often do you get a flat. If you get one, you should be able to access the tire easily, and emptying the bed full of loose mulch to access the spare is not my idea of "easy."
I'm wondering if that spare could have been engineered to have access from inside the cab? Obviously the rear seats would have to be re-engineered to do so, but it could work, I would think.
Speaking of the spare. Honda has said a full-size spare will fit in the spare compartment. If that's the case, why didn't they put a full-size tire in there in the first place. I strongly believe all pickups (and SUVs) should have full-size spares—standard.
Bob
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0502/03/A01-78860.htm
Dodge's upcoming 6-door (?) Ram MegaCab. Surely the apocalypse is coming...
Bob
I would assume that Ridgeline would also pick up 2-3 mpg with the VCM system. My expectation is that VCM is coming to the Ridgeline, since Honda will definitely want to be the mileage "champ" in mid-size pickups.
John
WHILE SOME OF US REALIZE THIS IS NOT A BIG TRUCK, SOME OF US CAN ASSESS OUR CURRENT NEEDS QUITE WELL, AND DECIDE WE DON'T NEED A BIG TRUCK. RATHER, I CURRENTLY OWN AN 02 AVALON, AND A LOG HOME WITH A SEPARATE 3 CAR GARAGE AND 40 ACRES OF LAND. I PULL A SMALL UTILITY TRAILER NOW, GO TO HOME DEPOT AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, AND HAVE A NEED FOR A SNOW WORTHY VEHICLE, THAT GETS REASONABLE GAS MILEAGE, CAN PULL A TRAILER WITH A SNOW BLOWER AND/OR LAWN MOWER ON IT, CAN GET A DECENT RIDE (READ NOT SOLID AXLE REAR SUSPENSION), AND HAS A GOOD RELIABILITY RECORD SINCE I DO ALL MY OWN MAINTENANCE AND CANNOT TOLERATE A VEHICLE THAT COST ME TIME AND MONEY.
NONE OF THE BIG TRUCKS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TOYOTA'S BIG TRUCK, CAN MEET THAT CRITERIA. THEY MAY BE ABLE TO PULL BIG LOADS, BUT THEY RIDE LIKE A OLD TRUCK, THEY CONSUME LARGE AMOUNTS OF GAS, YOU CANNOT EVEN PUT A 4 X 8" PIECE OF PLYWOOD FLAT IN SOME OF THE BEDS, AND THEY ARE NOT RELIABLE.
THERE IS SOME UTILITY IN THIS NEW VEHICLE AND I WELCOME IT INCEPTION.
abfisch
That said, I tend to enjoy Anita and Paul's reviews. They take a very low-key, average-consumer approach to things. They don't write for enthusiasts. They write for people who don't know much about cars.
Also, I think Honda has sorta shot themselves in the foot with their own introduction. Several of the reviews describe a scenario where they pitted the Ridgeline against a 5.8L F-series with both towing 5,000 lbs. The result were apparently close, but why even mention the full-size rigs? Honda Reps should have posted a big "Don't go there!" warning on their own foreheads. I think they would have been better served comparing it with something in its class. Any comparison (even a favorable one) with a vehicle outside its class will immediately invoke additional (not so favorable) comparisons with that vehicle.
It's like when Acura mentioned the 5 Series in their introduction of the TL. Ya gotta be kidding me!
I'm willing to bet that New Car Test Drive article is wrong about a 60/40 power split. They also state that the Ridgeline has an LSD (it doesn't). It states that bending rigidity is 3.5 times greater than the competition (that should be 2.5). They wrote a blanket statement claiming it can handle 1550 lbs of cargo (which, IMO, is kinda misleading given that the bed payload is 1,100 lbs).
As mentioned before, the spare tire can be mounted in the open by fixing it to the side of the pick-up bed. There is a place along the passenger-side "wall" where it can be bolted into place. Do this before you load up the back with soil, rocks, or other cargo you wouldn't want to remove in the event of a flat. If that doesn't tickle your fancy, put it under the back seat.
That said, I agree that it is a serious consideration. Just pointing out that it has been considered. Also, I agree with Bob about manufactures providing full-size spares.
Abfisch - Easy with the screaming (caps). :-)
Actually, most trucks are pretty reliable. Not much to break on many of them. But I think you're right, the Ridgeline may suit your needs best.
In summary, this truck was not designed for the man who really loves trucks. This was made for the man who likes a good riding vehicle and just needs an open space to haul things in periodically. He'd like all 4 wheels to grab in the rain/snow/ice and he's not going to go to the construction site or the back-roads trail. Hope to have a '07 in my garage once that time comes.
"But the Ridgeline is so scary good, so smart and so instantly likable that it's going to send everybody back to pickup school."
"I drove the Ridgeline in a daylong test last week, including drives with competitive trucks, and it's no stretch to say it has the best ride and handling of any pickup, ever."
I stuck a trailer hitch on the back of my van, and have a 5x8 utility trailer. Not as fun as getting a Ridgeline, but far more cost effective.
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How do you figure that? There's about 3" or so of vertical wheel well showing. Regardless, a 4' wide sheet of plywood can lie flat on the floor between the wheel wells—something no other mid-size pickup can claim.
Bob
Bob
Bob
Having only 3" of wheel well protruding into the bed is darned good! Even if the between-well width was not 48+", one could easily add a little (very little) supporting between the wells to lift the payload over them.
Ridgeline RTS $30,075
Ridgeline RTL $31,490
$32,640 with Moonroof and XM Satellite Radio
$34,640 with Moonroof, XM Satellite Radio and Navigation System
Compare to a DC shortbed Tacoma 6cyl Auto:
MSRP = 30,750 (With side curtain airbags)
(This is about same level as RTS I think)
No leather or sunroof option on Taco so can't really compare other levels
Compare to a LE edition Crew Frontier with Leather and sunroof:
MSRP = 30,480
(Compares to the RTL-sunroof at 32,640)
Still - looks like pricing is not that far off, even at MSRP. With some discounting after they've sold 40,000 or so....
I just wish you could add the Sunroof to ANY model - not a big fan of leather in a working truck. Yes I know it's durable etc ... Just don't like it and don't want to have to pay for it to get the sunroof ...
Working truck - that's rich.
But you could always add a sunroof aftermarket.
CR-V - Owner answer here!
Pilot - Owner answer here!
Odyssey - No AWD, never mind! Front obviously!
MDX - Owner answer here!
Ridgeline - Will the answer be the same?
So, VTM-4 (in MDX and Pilot) is pro-active during acceleration and reactive during cruising. Also, VTM-4 will channel power only to wheels with traction.
Perhaps options will become more flexible after the model is better established.
CR-V - Owner answer here!
Pilot - Owner answer here!
Odyssey - No AWD, never mind! Front obviously!
MDX - Owner answer here!
Ridgeline - Will the answer be the same?
CR-V - Front wheels first, then rear wheels.
Pilot - If you step hard on the gas, all four wheels.
MDX - If you step hard on the gas, all four wheels.
Ridgeline - If you step hard on the gas, all four wheels.
As far as the function of the VTM-4 system in the MDX, Pilot, and Ridgeline is concerned, they are the same. The MDX and Ridgeline can send about 20% more power to the rear wheels. And the Ridgeline apparently has a more beefed up prop shaft to help prevent damage when driving off-road or through a rutted job site. But other than that, they are the same.
Granite
p.s. probably add fog lights after market and some additional accessories for storage (racks, dividers, etc.)
http://autodeadline.com/detail?source=Honda&mid=WKA2005011037- - 792&mime=JPG
http://hondanews.com/CatID2135?mid=2005011038548&mime=JPG
Bob
If this is all about the bed's dimensions, comparisons are readily available.
http://autodeadline.com/detail?source=Honda&mid=HON2005020137- 964&mime=ASC
http://hondanews.com/CatID2135?mid=2005020138837&mime=asc
If the only concern is how high the bed is mounted on the body (to clear the wheelwells), then I have to ask, "what's the big deal?"
I mean, sure, that will raise the vehicle's center of gravity when loaded. But reports coming in from the press state the Ridgeline handles better in a slalom than others, even with cargo in the bed.
I suppose it means there is a higher lift-over height for loading. But I kinda doubt it's any higher than full-size trucks. And I've never read any complaints either the Ridgeline or the full-sizers.
I am genuinely confused about what the problem is.
i think honda answered a question nobody asked with the bed design. they simply raised the bed over the wheelwells
I disagree with that statement, as you can clearly see wheel well protrusions in the Ridgeline's bed.
Both links you posted clearly state what I was referring to all along, which is that the space between the rear wheel wells makes the bed 4'x8' friendly, in that paneling can be laid flat on the floor. Not so for any other midsize pickup. And as you pointed out, the load height is comparable to other trucks too; it's a little higher than the Tacoma and Dakota, within a fraction an inch of the SportTrac, and lower than the F-150 Super Crew.
BTW, I saw the Ridgeline again yesterday at the Philly car show. People seeing it for the first time were just blown away with the rear bed trunk and 2-way tailgate. I didn't hear one critical comment there. Several (with the Super Bowl clearly on their minds) commented that it is the perfect tailgate party truck, in that you can pour a load of ice in the bed trunk to cool all your brewskies.
Bob
Anyone know what the spec is for the height of the bed from the ground for the Ridgeline - or anything else? Not listed in the Honda comparison, and not often shown for any manufacturer - it's not even in the very-detailed Toyota Tacoma brochure.
regarding the bed design on the 'ridge, i just feel it's an overly complicated design. the accomodating of 4 foot wide material can be taken care of for about 5 bucks in just about any pickup, and all you need is a cooler to turn it into a 'party zone'.
that tailgate, is it hinged on the left or right, when not dropped down?
as far as the slalom goes, i guess the same people would pick a cobalt over a corvette because it has a greater payload capacity.
this is for illustration purposes only. i'm not equating a 'ridge to a cobalt.
Check the link Varmint provided. That info is right there.
Bob
Back in my motorcycle days of 30+ years ago, I recall owners of Triumphs and BSAs saying the same thing of the Honda CB750 motorcycle, which was the bike that single-handedly brought down the British motorcycle industry.
With all due respect, this new Honda pickup will be the new paradigm—certainly for midsize pickups, and will greatly impact on how future full-size trucks are designed too. I'd bet my first born on that; that's how confident I am of this.
Bob