"Honda planned its truck well"

Honda planned its truck well
Honda Motor Co.'s modus operandi has been to analyze trends and
situations, and then to come up with a better idea followed by an
exemplary execution of that idea, or collection of ideas, prior to
instituting production of a new vehicle.
at http://www.washtimes.com/autoweekend/20061123-121522-2136r.htm

 

Yes, agreed, Honda planned it well. EXCEPT, they overlooked one major
detail: Design. The Ridgeline is ugly! Even the article nailed it --
"Japanese Avalanche" -- and, IMO, that's not a compliment! (IMO, the
Chevy Avalanche is only slightly less ugly [couldn't use "slightly
_prettier_ than"] than the Pontiac Aztec.

And this critique is coming from someone who recently purchased a
you-either-love-it-or-hate Honda Element.

Patrick
'06 Element EX-P

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I personally think it looks better than any Dodge or Ford truck.

 

I think the thing looks terrible. I love my honda but that dosn't mean
I have to be a die hard brand loyalist. Not only that but its based on
a mini van platform. I would certainly not go to honda for a pickup.
Maybe it drives better on a road than many of the other trucks but I
highly doubt that it will command the respect in 10 years that a
Ford/Dodge/Chevy/Toyota(maybe even in 15 years) will. I totally agree
with the ugly japanese avalanche comment.

 

Agreed. I can probably name a dozen folks around here who swear they
would've bought the Ridgeline if it weren't so darn, uh, unusual-looking. A
few subtle design changes and Honda could've sold a helluva lot more of
these Ridgelines, methinks.

 

Mini-van platform....I don't think so.
"Contrary to other pickup trucks, the Ridgeline has a "closed box unit body
frame" that combines unit-body construction (for better quietness, handling
and ride) with a separate "ladder" frame that allows the truck to tow up to
5,000 pounds. Total vehicle payload capacity is 1,550 pounds.
Tough enough? The bending rigidity of the Ridgeline's structure claims to be
more than 2.5 times greater than the best body-on-frame competitor, and 20
times stiffer in rear torsion. Stiff unit-body construction also allows for
narrow body panel gaps of only 3 to 4 millimeters, for better wind noise
control, among other virtues.

The Ridgeline shares some if its basic DNA with Honda's other large utility
vehicles, the Pilot, Odyssey and Acura MDX, all built on its "Global Light
Truck" platform. That said, the engineers modified 93 percent of the basic
components, and gave the Ridgeline a 95 percent exclusive interior and its
very own body panels."

 

Well you said it yourself. I am not saying it isn't a quality truck,
Honda is pretty synonymous with quality. What I am saying is that it
looks terrible. Its got a transversely mounted V6. The tow ratings
are only very impressive when it is factored in that its a V6. Maybe
there aren't any other V6 trucks that have tow ratings like that, but
people who tow rarely look to a V6 (let alone a V6 powered truck with a
price tag like the Ridgeline).

 

snip

well, see http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=629098
Ridgeline, Pilot and Element sales for October 2006 were over 20% lower
than Oct. 2005. A few months more of that and I suspect we'll see some
re-thinking of the whole trucklet thing.

 

Yep.

Based on the same global platform that gives us the Accord, the
Pilot/MDX, and the Odyssey minivan.

When it starts out life like that, there's not much you can do to
overcome the necessary compromises that leave it NOT a truck in the same
mold as a Ford F150, for example.

Too many things that make that platform suitable for an Accord can't be
overcome to make a real truck.

 

Not sure I read the same chart the same way!

Sales of the Ridgeline October 2006 (42,038)-October 2005 (30,761) an
increase of 36.7%.

 

I was comparing Oct 2006 vs Oct 2005 sales. You are looking at year to
date totals (Jan - Oct). Ridgeline wasn't available early in 2005.

 

I do believe the Ridgeline did appear right after the Super Bowl in 2005
(great commercials by the way).


Also, notice on the chart, Honda import truck sales October 2005-10,850 -
October 2006 20,413, an increase of 95.7% (again, according the Honda sales
chart.

 

The chassis is 90% exclusive, how does that equate to it being suitable
for an Accord?

I wasn't aware that an Accord had a fully boxed ladder frame under it.

 

90 percent exclusive is hard to prove. All you have to do is change a
couple of things and than it qualifies as a different part. The ladder
frame is the only thing that even remotely makes it qualify as a truck.

 

Then maybe they should be sued for false advertising.

In a world where the majority of trucks sold never even come close to
being used as intended, does it really matter?

 

The only import truck is the CRV. The newly redesigned model is
selling very well indeed.

 

an 03 Element owner probably going to be an 07 Ridgline or lesser chance an
07 FJ

 

Hmmm but doesn't changing something make it a "different"
part........................thus exclusive.... But that isn't what can be
said for a good thing down the road. CRV and Element owners can swap a lot
of parts making most parts very available.

 

All I am saying is that under all the sheet metal and interior, it has a
hell of a lot in common with an oddysey. I am sure what ever loose
estimation of percentage of different parts was calculated, a lot can
be chalked up to the grill, body panels, seats, radio, steering
wheel.... the list would go on and on.

 

It certainly keeps costs down to have commonality of parts. However, the
frame for the Ridgeline did not come from an existing vehicle...it was
engineered specifically for this truck. The 2005 Odyssey also received a
newly designed and engineered frame on a similar platform That being said,
this truck was never designed to be a heavy duty pickup, rather it was
designed to have a nice comfortable ride and handle the toys and tools most
homeowners need a pickup for.