Honda Ridgeline named truck of the year by Motor Trend
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,123
From: Melbourne, Australia
Honda Ridgeline named truck of the year by Motor Trend
DEE-ANN DURBIN / AP Auto Writer
DETROIT - The Honda Ridgeline has been named the 2006 truck of the year by Motor Trend magazine, an award that could help boost the pickup's lackluster sales.
It's the second time this year that a Honda vehicle has won the magazine's top award. Motor Trend last month named the newly redesigned 2006 Honda Civic its car of the year. The 2006 Nissan Xterra was the publication's sport utility vehicle of the year. The designation is important to automakers, who often use Motor Trend's endorsement in their advertising.
This is also the second straight year that a Japanese maker has won Motor Trend's truck of the year. Last year's winner was the 2005 Toyota Tacoma.
The Ridgeline, which went on sale in the spring, is Honda's first entry in the pickup market. Motor Trend said innovative features set it apart from other trucks in its class, including an 8.5-cubic-foot trunk under the pickup's bed, four cargo lamps that illuminate the bed and a rear gate that opens like a door or swings down.
"The Ridgeline showcases a vehicle built on intelligent technology and impressive durability," Angus MacKenzie, editor of Motor Trend, said in a news release.
Finalists for the truck of the year were four large trucks _ the Dodge Ram 1500, Dodge Ram Mega Cab, Lincoln Mark LT and the Ridgeline _ and two compact trucks, the Isuzu i350 and the Mitsubishi Raider. Only new or substantially redesigned trucks were considered, and all had to be on sale to the public by Jan. 1, 2006.
The Ridgeline was the unanimous pick of Motor Trend's editors after thousands of miles of testing in a variety of weather conditions. Motor Trend evaluates the vehicle's finish and materials, engineering, handling and response, safety and power.
Motor Trend also takes into account the truck's value for its price. The Ridgeline starts at $27,700, according to Edmunds.com, an online vehicle research site. By comparison, the Isuzu i350 starts at $16,989, the Dodge Ram 1500 starts at $20,090, and the Lincoln Mark LT starts at $38,680.
Despite the accolades, the Ridgeline may not meet Honda's sales targets this year. Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., said in January that Honda expected to sell 50,000 Ridgelines this year. As of the end of November, Honda had sold 36,000.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...512200427/1148
And I thought Angus McKenzie was a respected expat journalist from downunder. It's obvious money can buy almost anything... it could even make judges forsake their commensense.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 77
From: Middle Island, NY
Re: Honda Ridgeline named truck of the year by Motor Trend
Originally Posted by SSbaby
Did MT even bother to drive it for its intended purpose... to haul loads? It says nothing there about practicality... it's a truck for crying out loud? Trucks don't need Japanese 'technology' as much as American value and practicality.
And I thought Angus McKenzie was a respected expat journalist from downunder. It's obvious money can buy almost anything... it could even make judges forsake their commensense.
And I thought Angus McKenzie was a respected expat journalist from downunder. It's obvious money can buy almost anything... it could even make judges forsake their commensense.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,123
From: Melbourne, Australia
Re: Honda Ridgeline named truck of the year by Motor Trend
Originally Posted by Threxx
We already had a very lengthy thread on this exact topic IIRC. No sense in repeating everything.
Motor Trend really is rewarding a poor product, not for its quality but for Honda's failure to develop a proper truck for its intended audience. The use of the V6 engine is really a way of bailing out of developing a real load hauling engine. The chassis is unable to cope with a decent load... as discussed before... 3.5L V6 hi-tech... blah!!!
At least the buying public are not fooled. Rather than dropping prices due to poor sales, Honda have decided to cut Ridgeline production. Rarely is any product made my Honda an abject failure... I wonder if GM would receive such an award for a poorly received vehicle?
Sorry for the rant... but such reviews and awards are unbelievably baseless, IMHO.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,495
From: Westmont, IL
Re: Honda Ridgeline named truck of the year by Motor Trend
That "truck" is most certainly not deserving of that award, and MT should no longer be allowed to give out COTY or TOTY awards because of their complete idiocy. The Ridgeline is no truck, therfore should not recieve a TOTY award. It would be acceptable to award the Ridgeline the Car That Looks Like A Truck Award (CTLLATA)...cuz thats pretty much what it is.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 10,285
From: Albany, NY
Re: Honda Ridgeline named truck of the year by Motor Trend
I would have picked the Dodge Mega cab for TOTY and Corvette Z06 or Solstice for COTY
I don't know how they can live with them selves for picking a minivan based "truck"
I don't know how they can live with them selves for picking a minivan based "truck"
Registered User
Joined: Sep 1998
Posts: 4,320
From: Memphis
Re: Honda Ridgeline named truck of the year by Motor Trend
Originally Posted by eagleknight97
That "truck" is most certainly not deserving of that award, and MT should no longer be allowed to give out COTY or TOTY awards because of their complete idiocy. The Ridgeline is no truck, therfore should not recieve a TOTY award. It would be acceptable to award the Ridgeline the Car That Looks Like A Truck Award (CTLLATA)...cuz thats pretty much what it is.
It's certainly no worse than calling any of today's unibody SUVs an "SUV", as those don't have a traditional ladder frame underneath at all. At least the ridgeline does.
Originally Posted by SNEAKY NEIL
Honda shouldn't get the award based solely on the fact that it is a rip-off product. Did the Avalanche recieve the TOTY award?
Midgate? The ridgeline doesn't have a midgate, and that's the only thing unique to the Avalanche anyhow.
TOTY/COTY is not necessarily awarded to the 'best' vehicle on the market at the time as much as it is awarded to the most innovative and/or mold-breaking new vehicle that has come out in the past year. The Avalanche, while a worthwhile vehicle, is not nearly far gone enough from the previously existing GMT-800 trucks to award it with TOTY. It's a Silverado + midgate and some (now optional) body cladding, more or less.
I can promise you that even if for some reason the GMT-900 is a total flop and doesn't meet nearly the hype that we all know it's going to, that it would still be TOTY next year unless some other all new truck comes out that's more innovative.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 8,504
From: Ohio
Re: Honda Ridgeline named truck of the year by Motor Trend
If it one "SUV of the year" or "Crossover of the year"... I think it would've been more appropriate.
I still think the trunk in the bed, and storing the spare tire inside, is short-sighted ridiculous.
I still think the trunk in the bed, and storing the spare tire inside, is short-sighted ridiculous.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 1998
Posts: 4,320
From: Memphis
Re: Honda Ridgeline named truck of the year by Motor Trend
Originally Posted by Darth Xed
I still think the trunk in the bed, and storing the spare tire inside, is short-sighted ridiculous.
So you can't get to the spare tire if you have a load in the bed? That's a very dumb idea.
I think it'd be OK if you could get to it from 'either' side, that way it'd be easier to get to it if you didn't want to get under the truck. But if you can only get to it from up top, then I agree that was a very short-sighted design.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 2,072
From: Lilburn, GA, USA
Re: Honda Ridgeline named truck of the year by Motor Trend
Originally Posted by Threxx
It sits on a true truck ladder frame chassis in addition to having a unibody structure. It is, to me, a truck AND a car.
It's certainly no worse than calling any of today's unibody SUVs an "SUV", as those don't have a traditional ladder frame underneath at all. At least the ridgeline does.
What did the Ridgeline rip off from the Avalanche other than the look of the transition from the cab to the bed?
Midgate? The ridgeline doesn't have a midgate, and that's the only thing unique to the Avalanche anyhow.
TOTY/COTY is not necessarily awarded to the 'best' vehicle on the market at the time as much as it is awarded to the most innovative and/or mold-breaking new vehicle that has come out in the past year. The Avalanche, while a worthwhile vehicle, is not nearly far gone enough from the previously existing GMT-800 trucks to award it with TOTY. It's a Silverado + midgate and some (now optional) body cladding, more or less.
I can promise you that even if for some reason the GMT-900 is a total flop and doesn't meet nearly the hype that we all know it's going to, that it would still be TOTY next year unless some other all new truck comes out that's more innovative.
It's certainly no worse than calling any of today's unibody SUVs an "SUV", as those don't have a traditional ladder frame underneath at all. At least the ridgeline does.
What did the Ridgeline rip off from the Avalanche other than the look of the transition from the cab to the bed?
Midgate? The ridgeline doesn't have a midgate, and that's the only thing unique to the Avalanche anyhow.
TOTY/COTY is not necessarily awarded to the 'best' vehicle on the market at the time as much as it is awarded to the most innovative and/or mold-breaking new vehicle that has come out in the past year. The Avalanche, while a worthwhile vehicle, is not nearly far gone enough from the previously existing GMT-800 trucks to award it with TOTY. It's a Silverado + midgate and some (now optional) body cladding, more or less.
I can promise you that even if for some reason the GMT-900 is a total flop and doesn't meet nearly the hype that we all know it's going to, that it would still be TOTY next year unless some other all new truck comes out that's more innovative.
The public has voted with thier wallets and the vote says that this is not what the people want. Not only that, but the vehicle is Element-Ugly inside and out. Yes, that is subjective but I think that is the concensus of the general public. So why should it win? Is the competion for the award, that bad that the Honda wins by default? Should a vehicle win an award like this when no one wants it?
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,165
From: Sterling Heights, MI
Re: Honda Ridgeline named truck of the year by Motor Trend
Originally Posted by Threxx
It sits on a true truck ladder frame chassis in addition to having a unibody structure. It is, to me, a truck AND a car.
Seriously you can cut up and box and weld an Accord all you want, you've still got the basis of an Accord.Anyway, I'm not surprised at all it took MT TOTY. In fact, the Detroit News also made it their TOTY (even less surprising.) I never saw Aztek win any awards, and as maligned as that thing was, it was also pretty innovative. Seriously, it had the optional pop-out tent out back, a feature-packed interior....sure it was ugly as stink but why did it not get the free pass from the public and (especially) the press that the Ridgelame gets? It all certainly sounds like the Ridgeline formula, right down to the low sales figures.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 1998
Posts: 4,320
From: Memphis
Re: Honda Ridgeline named truck of the year by Motor Trend
Originally Posted by SNEAKY NEIL
The public has voted with thier wallets and the vote says that this is not what the people want. Should a vehicle win an award like this when no one wants it?
Last month's sales were ~5,250 which is nothing amazing but certainly not an unwanted product, either.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 1998
Posts: 4,320
From: Memphis
Re: Honda Ridgeline named truck of the year by Motor Trend
Originally Posted by Z28Wilson
I know you've gone round-and-round with people on this, but to me, a vehicle that claims to be both, generally isn't. I'd classify it as a "thing". Seriously you can cut up and box and weld an Accord all you want, you've still got the basis of an Accord.
Seriously you can cut up and box and weld an Accord all you want, you've still got the basis of an Accord.Kind of like how my GS400 was meant to be a luxury sports sedan. It did pretty well in both aspects but was not 'amazing' at either as it could have been if it had only focused on 'sport' or 'luxury'. Point is that if it did either it would be a pointless vehicle to even offer from Lexus' lineup because you already have the IS and SC for sportiness and the ES and LS for luxury. The GS was for people who wanted as much of both as they could without owning two seperate cars.
This Ridgeline is no different. It's not the best truck and it's not the best 'minivan' or whatever you want to call it. But that's not what they were shooting for. They wanted to give people as close as they could get to both worlds in one - and in order to do they that combined a traditional truck chassis with a traditional car chassis; something that in and of itself is very innovative to the industry unless I've missed something?