The term, cross-utility, has come to connote everything from modified station wagons to vehicles that truly defy classification as cars or trucks. Just as the Honda Element broke new ground with its innovative interior, a hidden trunk in the new Honda Ridgeline raises the bar for pickup trucks. Located beneath the cargo bed, the lockable compartment has 8.5 cubic feet of storage space.
Developed Entirely in the USA
The Ridgeline is Honda’s first foray into the pickup truck market. Because the vehicle is intended primarily for the American market, all research and development took place at Honda’s Raymond, Ohio facility. Honda’s goal was to hit the sweet spot between compact and full-sized pickups, by combining a spacious interior with value, fuel economy and environmental friendliness. A sport-utility truck concept debuted at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, with features such as tie-down cleats large enough to accommodate large all-terrain vehicles, notches in the bed wall and tailgate for motorcycle tires, and enough towing capability to haul a medium-sized trailer.
Focus groups prior to the start of development revealed that sport-utility truck owners were unhappy with their inability to separate clean and dirty cargo. Buyers wanted a secure cargo area that was separate from the passenger compartment: hence the Ridgeline’s hidden trunk beneath the cargo bed.
Spacious, Versatile Interior
The standard crew cab seats five adults. A storage area under the second row seats is large enough to hold a couple of duffle bags. The 60/40 split rear seats also lift up, creating a space large enough to hold a road or mountain bike with the front wheel removed. Lighting in the rear doors comes illuminates the interior, making it easy to lube the chain or inflate the tires before the sun comes up. There are three, twelve-volt power outlets: two in the instrument panel, and one in the back of the center console for second-row passengers.
All of the seating positions have adequate leg room for adult passengers. The front seats have good lumbar support: the standard center console has cup holders large enough to hold water bottles, and a large bin for CDs or a small tote bag. The armrest slides back and forth to yield a built-in tray in the back that holds a PDA, phone, and removable coin holder. There is a second floor-level storage tray for backpacks, and additional cup holders are located in the doors. A three-part storage tray on the passenger side above the glove box comes in handy for small items such as cell phones. Rubber floor mats in the front and rear make it easy to clean up after a day on the muddy trails.
The windshield wipers heat up in cold weather to prevent them from freezing to the windshield. A power sliding rear window is also standard.
Visibility to the front and side of the vehicle is excellent. Large C pillars to the rear limit visibility, but well-designed side-view mirrors do a pretty good job of minimizing the blind spots.
Durable Chassis with Car-like Performance
By combining a closed box frame with unibody construction, Honda engineers created a vehicle durable enough to function as a pickup truck, but with the ride and handling characteristics of a passenger car. Although the Ridgeline does not have a two-speed transfer case for serious off-roading, its electronic four-wheel drive system automatically transfers engine power to the wheels with the best traction.
Honda’s internal testing of the vehicle included a 28-degree dirt hill, sand, water, rock roads, washboard surfaces and gravel. In other words, the Ridgeline is a great choice for those who live in the snow belt, or drivers who find themselves navigating unimproved roads en route to the trailhead.
All models come with a V6 engine and five-speed automatic transmission, which has plenty of low end torque for accelerating into high-speed traffic. Fuel economy is 16/21 miles-per-gallon for city and highway driving: a slight improvement over the Honda Pilot. A fully-independent suspension design smoothes out the bumps in the road. Vehicle Stability Assist integrates the antilock braking and traction control systems and adds yaw control: it allows the driver to maintain directional control on slippery roads, and during aggressive cornering.
Honda has traditionally done a great job of engineering vehicles that are extremely easy to drive without being boring. The Ridgeline falls into that tradition. It’s big enough to hold a lot of gear and multiple passengers, but small enough to park easily in a standard parking space.
Steering response is good at all speeds: it is light and easy to turn sharply in a parking lot, while providing good tracking and stability on the highway. Drivers who like to take the turns on two-lane roads at speed will find that the chassis stays flat and in control. The exhaust note is throaty without being obnoxious. There’s enough feedback to make the driver feel connected to the road, but not so much that he or she feels every bump of a dirt road.
Medium Duty Payload and Towing Capacity
Unlike many crossover vehicles, the Ridgeline has the towing and payload capacity of a true pickup truck. The cargo bed holds up to 1,100 pounds, and the truck can tow up to 5,000 pounds with the optional towing package. The tailgate opens two ways, down and to the side, to make loading the cargo area easier. The tailgate itself can hold up to 300 pounds. The cargo bed comes with six standard cargo hooks capable of holding 350 pounds apiece.
Priority on Safety, Comfort and Convenience
Standard safety features include front and side-curtain airbags, tire pressure monitoring system, and LATCH child seat attachment systems in all three rear seating positions. The hood and bumpers of the Ridgeline were designed to deform if they come into contact with a pedestrian, to offer some protection for those outside the truck.
The optional navigation system with voice recognition is one of the best in the industry: it’s easy to figure out, and calculates routes extremely quickly. Other available comfort and convenience options include leather interior, moonroof, and XM satellite radio.
A roof rack with ski, snowboard, bike or kayak attachments is a dealer-installed option. A trailer hitch-mount bike attachment is also available through dealers. There are also storage bins and trays for organizing items under the second-row seats.
The Ridgeline comes in three trim levels, with base pricing ranging from $27,700 to $32,640. Honda estimates annual sales of about 50,000 units annually in the United States. The Honda Ridgeline is currently rolling into area dealerships.
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