The Critics' Darling, Honda RidgeRunt, struggling

http://www.freep.com/money/autoreviews/ridgeline14e_20050714.htm

Of course it is. Think about it....who is this thing aimed at? Its more expensive then real full sized trucks and can do less. Who wants something that looks like a truck that drives like a car? Very few people. I can see it being slightly attractive to import car lovers becuase its honda and women. The probelm with women is that they can get a minivan that has more room and costs less.

Honda's styling department needs a wake up call with the Ridgeline.

Oh well, another unibody pickup truck consigned to the history books.

Honda's styling department needs a wake up call with the Ridgeline.


heh heh, they did not style it at all. Chevy did. They just shrank it down a little bit.

I guess a lot can happen in 2 months.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/050520-3.htm

May 20, 2005

Honda to increase Ridgeline production

Las Vegas, Nevada - Honda of Canada Manufacturing has increased the daily input of its new Ridgeline pickup truck, according to a report released by the Specialty Equipment Manufacturing Association.

Originally projecting 53,000 vehicles for fiscal year 2006, Honda is now reported to be on track to build 80,000 Ridgelines annually. The Ridgeline is the first four-door pickup to earn the U.S. government's highest crash test rating for frontal and side-impact crashes.

All I can say is ........................GOOD.

Honda has got away with murder putting out a design as bad as the Element so it is good to see that the public is not buying this POS that is NOT innovative at all. In every article that I have read about the Ridgeline, they never mention how it is a blatent copy of the Chevy Avalanche.

heh heh, they did not style it at all. Chevy did. They just shrank it down a little bit.

All I can say is ........................GOOD.

Honda has got away with murder putting out a design as bad as the Element so it is good to see that the public is not buying this POS that is NOT innovative at all. In every article that I have read about the Ridgeline, they never mention how it is a blatent copy of the Chevy Avalanche.

You guys know that a former GM designer now working for Honda did that design, right?

I agree with the sentiment though... I could care less if they sell another unit.
What's "new" about it?!?!
The Explorer Sport-trac has had 4 doors and a stubby-bed for years now. The old S-10 had a crew-cab. So did the Dakota. BIG DEAL.

FWIW, if the Sport-trac is classified as an SUT (Sport Utility Truck), why is this Honda classified as a "truck"?

Oh well. :rolleyes:

Ad campaign catch phrase

"And best of all, It's a Honda"

Lame...

I'm honestly surprised. I thought all the brainwashed Honda devotees would gobble this thing up. After all it fits what appears to be their main criteria for buying a vehicle: image and a nameplate, without much concern as to the real attibutes of the vehicle.

Then again maybe it'll be like the Titan-- start slow, then begin to ramp up. Although I certainly wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't.

I'm honestly surprised. I thought all the brainwashed Honda devotees would gobble this thing up. After all it fits what appears to be their main criteria for buying a vehicle: image and a nameplate, without much concern as to the real attibutes of the vehicle.

Then again maybe it'll be like the Titan-- start slow, then begin to ramp up. Although I certainly wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't.
Or maybe the people that have bought it so far got laughed at by their buddies driving real trucks and word of mouth spread.

It is too -scaled down futuristic-

:)

Well there are still 14,255 too many of them in existance, but any time Honda struggles at anything, it makes me happy.

Honda's styling department needs a wake up call with the Ridgeline.
The Honda Coronal Ridgeline was definitely beaten mercilessly with an ugly stick.

heh heh, they did not style it at all. Chevy did. They just shrank it down a little bit.
I think the Chevy Crapalanche, while not a beauty queen, looks 10 times better than the Ridgeline.

FWIW, if the Sport-trac is classified as an SUT (Sport Utility Truck), why is this Honda classified as a "truck"?

Oh well. :rolleyes:

Because the sport-trac is an SUV body (Explorer) with a bed added to it. There is no Honda SUV that shares that body, so its simply truck. On a minivan platform :blah: .

Ad campaign catch phrase

"And best of all, It's a Honda"

Lame...
They obviously think they don't even have to try with that one. Lame is right. I seen 1 on the road. I also noticed, I wasn't the only one lookin' at it strange. POS.

Because the sport-trac is an SUV body (Explorer) with a bed added to it. There is no Honda SUV that shares that body, so its simply truck. On a minivan platform :blah: .

Aren't the MDX and Pilot SUV's built off the same platform as well?

Aren't the MDX and Pilot SUV's built off the same platform as well?
yes.

You guys know that a former GM designer now working for Honda did that design, right?



Well I guess now we know why he is a former GM designer dont we Proud? ;)

Aren't the MDX and Pilot SUV's built off the same platform as well?

Yes they share a platform, but not the body, while true SUT's share a body from the c pillar forward with a production SUV such as the HUMMER H2 SUT and the Explorer sport trac. If the Ridgeline had the Pilot or MDX body from the c-pillar forward with a bed after the c pilar, then it would be considered an SUT.

3875*12=46500

I wouldn't call that "well" short of 50,000 a year.

3875*12=46500

I wouldn't call that "well" short of 50,000 a year.

If you consider their total sales so far, 14255/5*12=34,000 for a full year. The truth may be somewhere in the middle, but either way it's still considerably short in a year that's probably going to see overall vehicle sales higher than initially expected.

Yes they share a platform, but not the body, while true SUT's share a body from the c pillar forward with a production SUV such as the HUMMER H2 SUT and the Explorer sport trac. If the Ridgeline had the Pilot or MDX body from the c-pillar forward with a bed after the c pilar, then it would be considered an SUT.

Most people claim the Avalanche was the first SUT. It does not fall not the shared body catagory.

The sloping bed is a joke. Its powerplant is a joke. Its just a really bad joke. Doesnt it have the same towing capacity as a Magnum/300c?

What bothers me the most is that instead of developing a truck the right way, Honday majorly cheaped out with this POS. If GM put a similar effort in any vehicle...the mags would run them up a flag pole.....

I've only seen one on the road...it's a major head turner but it really is a POS for a truck.

What bothers me the most is that instead of developing a truck the right way, Honday majorly cheaped out with this POS. If GM put a similar effort in any vehicle...the mags would run them up a flag pole.....
You mean like the "new" minivans? Or the "new" Monte Carlo?

You mean like the "new" minivans? Or the "new" Monte Carlo?

Well you are talking about GM and their cheap freshinings.

The Ridgeline would be more on the level of Chevy taking the Equinox and attempting to rebody it to compete with the F-150.

Its actually a beefed up accord platform with an odyssey engine.

So lets add up the great things about this truck

1. based off a car
2. unibody
3. weak v6
4. front tires are the primary drive wheels (towing capacity has to suck)
5. only comes in four door
6. exhaust runs underneath suspension components, that oughta work real well when your offroading your rugged ridgline.
7. has a trunk
8. slow as **** (i drive them at the dealership i work at)
9. tires dont look much bigger than your average minivan tires
10. UGLY

...yea, im failing to see anything about this vehicle that resembles a truck.

I cant knock it entirely though, i do like the innovative tailgate.

I didn't expect the unsightly thing to do screamingly good but...........I'm a bit surprised at how badly it has been so far.

I rather expected it to do decent due to hardcore Honda fans.

I cant knock it entirely though, i do like the innovative tailgate.

By "innovative", do you mean a design borrowed from a 1960s Ford Station Wagon? Detroit invented those tailgates about 40 years ago.

By "innovative", do you mean a design borrowed from a 1960s Ford Station Wagon? Detroit invented those tailgates about 40 years ago.
And then re-invented them in the Envoy XUV, first truck usage I think. But didn't like EVERY Detroit wagon have them during the 50s and 60s?

Yeah, maybe they need to give out the employee discount!!! That makes everything look better. :D :rolleyes: :cry: