C&D Publishes Reaction to Ridgeine Winning Pickup Comparo
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,402
From: Toronto, ON Canada
Re: C&D Publishes Reaction to Ridgeine Winning Pickup Comparo
Originally Posted by Threxx
You know damn well that no brand new truck 1st gen truck from a company who's generally thought of as the antonym for the words "Truck" and "V8" is going to be a huge hit right away. The Ridgeline could have been the best truck since the truck was ever invented and it would have taken years to ever make a blip on the sales radar screen. Truck buyers, especially, are habitual and brand loyal. Does that mean I EVER expect Honda truck sales to overtake domestics? I strongly doubt it, because trucks are the one things that our country has always known how to do right and has been perfecting for decades upon decades.
Anyhow... the real point here is that consumers want trucks to be more car like in terms of comfort, ride, fuel economy, handling, interior features, quality, materials used, and so on.
If you really don't believe this then why do you think we've seen the F150, for example (since you brought it up) move so drastically in just the last 10 years over the last 2 generations go from an extremely utilitarian work vehicle that wouldn't look right much of anywhere but parked on a gravel driveway on a farm out in the country, to today's F150 with plush leather, rear seat DVD, climate control, obsessive sound deadening measures, ride quality that would make some luxury cars from 10 years ago unimpressive, etc, etc? Because that's what people want. Honda just took it one step further for those who are willing to come to terms or grips with the fact that they really want a car that sits up high and has a bed in the back but don't care how long it would last trail-running or towing 4 ton boats on a road trip.
Somebody, I think, earlier mentioned that people don't want car-like trucks and the El Camino was proof? The Elcamino was more of something that looked like a car but was built like a truck, and had a bed to match.
That's a totally different class of car and the closest thing I can think of today in that regard is the SSR, which I don't think many people in their right mind would try and compare to a Ridgline. That'd be very apples to oranges.
Anyhow... the real point here is that consumers want trucks to be more car like in terms of comfort, ride, fuel economy, handling, interior features, quality, materials used, and so on.
If you really don't believe this then why do you think we've seen the F150, for example (since you brought it up) move so drastically in just the last 10 years over the last 2 generations go from an extremely utilitarian work vehicle that wouldn't look right much of anywhere but parked on a gravel driveway on a farm out in the country, to today's F150 with plush leather, rear seat DVD, climate control, obsessive sound deadening measures, ride quality that would make some luxury cars from 10 years ago unimpressive, etc, etc? Because that's what people want. Honda just took it one step further for those who are willing to come to terms or grips with the fact that they really want a car that sits up high and has a bed in the back but don't care how long it would last trail-running or towing 4 ton boats on a road trip.
Somebody, I think, earlier mentioned that people don't want car-like trucks and the El Camino was proof? The Elcamino was more of something that looked like a car but was built like a truck, and had a bed to match.
That's a totally different class of car and the closest thing I can think of today in that regard is the SSR, which I don't think many people in their right mind would try and compare to a Ridgline. That'd be very apples to oranges.
I understand your point, but do customers really want their trucks to feel car like, or do they want their truck to simply have features of a car? Leather, DVD, CD-changers, quiet drive... they all make the driving experience a lot more pleasant. But the truck still feels like a truck.
Ultimately, the public would judge that with its purchasing choices, but what is also hurting Honda is its price. If it was priced between Colorado and Sierra, I have a feeling we would be looking at a different picture.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,402
From: Toronto, ON Canada
Re: C&D Publishes Reaction to Ridgeine Winning Pickup Comparo
Originally Posted by ProudPony
Back to the subject of bias in the media...
The media is never biased towards anything.
Missing Persons on Dateline NBC
Apparently, the media at-large not only biases car reviews and coverage towards imports, but apparently they are biased towards young blonde females too.
I was pretty taken back when I read this column, and worst of all - I think they have a good point.
Let's face it... trash, sex, blood, and conflict are what sells.
Truth comes in second place.
GM and Ford are on the right track with their quality these days, but it will take word of mouth, rental drives, and pure exposure to fix their image in the eye of the general public. The press at large is not going to be their salvation in getting the word out.
I submit
again to GM and Lutz for taking a stance against the media last spring.
The media is never biased towards anything.
Missing Persons on Dateline NBC
Apparently, the media at-large not only biases car reviews and coverage towards imports, but apparently they are biased towards young blonde females too.
I was pretty taken back when I read this column, and worst of all - I think they have a good point.
Let's face it... trash, sex, blood, and conflict are what sells.
Truth comes in second place.
GM and Ford are on the right track with their quality these days, but it will take word of mouth, rental drives, and pure exposure to fix their image in the eye of the general public. The press at large is not going to be their salvation in getting the word out.
I submit
again to GM and Lutz for taking a stance against the media last spring.Observation: Media is biased toward white females gone missing.
Link: ??????
Conclusion: Media is biased toward foreign automakers.
I agree that media is biased against domestic automakers, and has been more so in the past, I just don't know how you make the connection between attractive blondes gone missing and car reviews.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 164
Re: C&D Publishes Reaction to Ridgeine Winning Pickup Comparo
Originally Posted by Red Planet
no, a unibody is not stiffer than a hydroformed rail chassis.
The unibody for the Ridgeline is the cab and the bed being one unit attached to a full length closed-box frame. I expect they are gaining some stiffness by losing the gap between the cab and the bed.
Somebody farther back in the thread asked me what happened to my last GM truck and who was the dealer. I don't want to go out on a public forum and trash the dealer by name. I don't know that I would have been treated much better by any of them. I know what I got was a one in a ??? lemon, but it cost me plenty and the parts that went bad, that were replaced with "revised parts" (meaning the original part was so bad, the replacement was redesigned) should have been part of a recall just like the air pump was on my '97 Camaro. Along with all the small things that regularly went wrong with that truck. It just drove me crazy.
It soured me quite a bit and I couldn't bring myself to buy another GM product, even if it did have a lower price.
If a new Camaro ever comes out. I'll probably wait a few years to see how it goes first and if I buy one, I'll cross my fingers and hope I get one of the good ones.
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 100
From: Colorado Springs, CO.
Re: C&D Publishes Reaction to Ridgeine Winning Pickup Comparo
Originally Posted by ProudPony
Heck, maybe I'll design a shower with the soap holder on the floor and the drain in the side wall so the soap won't ever fall out of the holder, and the drain won't get clogged-up with hair anymore - that's a novel idea too.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 857
From: Murfreesboro, TN
Re: C&D Publishes Reaction to Ridgeine Winning Pickup Comparo
I've never fully understood why you'd want a truck to be more like a car. 
One of the things I liked best about my Ram is that it seemed more like a truck than the Chevys and Fords I looked at. If I wanted a car with a bed I'd buy an El Camino. Wait, I have one of those too. 
One of the things I liked best about my Ram is that it seemed more like a truck than the Chevys and Fords I looked at. If I wanted a car with a bed I'd buy an El Camino. Wait, I have one of those too.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,180
From: Yadkinville, NC USA
Re: C&D Publishes Reaction to Ridgeine Winning Pickup Comparo
Originally Posted by muckz
I agree that media is biased against domestic automakers, and has been more so in the past, I just don't know how you make the connection between attractive blondes gone missing and car reviews.
I was just pointing out that the media DOES bias their material to SELL.
It biases everything from blood and guts (Iraq and Afghanistan) to trash and clutter (like Enron and O.J. Simpson) to missing persons and automakers.
What blew me away in that last link was that a MEDIA person had the cojones to stand up and say it.
And over a very sensitive issue to boot.
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,925
From: Detroit
Re: C&D Publishes Reaction to Ridgeine Winning Pickup Comparo
Originally Posted by Threxx
Anyhow... the real point here is that consumers want trucks to be more car like in terms of comfort, ride, fuel economy, handling, interior features, quality, materials used, and so on.
ok, ill give you interior features, and possibly ride and comfort, but the rest...
. I work for a honda dealership. We've sold FIVE of them since their release. (like 4 months ago) the average dodge dealership, the slowest of the big 3, would sell more than that in one day. Ive driven ridgelines, and looked over every inch when i have nothing else to do. they suck. i cant quote the exact mileage off the build sheet off the top of my head, but it sure as s*** was not fwd-v6-car impressive. mediocre mileage, big whoop. having driven one, they sure arent fast like C.R. and etc say either. i test drove a 5 speed 4 banger colorado not too long ago. that thing would run right with the ridgeline if not beat it. i cant imagine what the 5 cyl would do to it. oh, and id like to point out my absolute FAVORITE flaw in the vehicle. they kept the accords exhaust routing. yep, just go ahead and run that pipe right underneath the suspension components... let me know how that goes when you use it as shown in the honda commercial and that exhaust gets pinched off. Dont get me wrong, im not one of those hate all import type of people, as i happen to own a honda and love it... well a dirt bike. Note the honda racing avatar i spent $5 to display with each of my posts. but in my, and 95% of everyone who works at my dealerships opinion... they completely missed the mark with this thing. its not what consumers are looking for at all and the sales show that. If consumers can accept something as off the wall as an element from honda, there is no excuse for sluggish sales off the start with a truck....oops i mean car, i mean
If carlike qualities is what the consumer wants in a truck, why wouldnt they just buy the car in the first place. whats next, a 4wd civic with a lift kit and rebel flag in the rear window?
Last edited by JoeliusZ28; Aug 7, 2005 at 12:03 AM.
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