Honda’s New Truck: Ridgeline
The Honda Ridgeline is Honda’s newest pickup truck on the market. It uses Honda’s unibody large vehicle platform, shared with the Acura MDX and Honda Odyssey. It is powered by a 255-hp 3.5L aluminum V6 engine mated to a 5-speed all-wheel-drive automatic transmission capable of towing 5,000 pounds. The Ridgeline will be the first truck with a fully independent suspension.
Some of the most innovative features of the Ridgeline are its tailgate, which can be folded or flipped to the side, and an 8.5 cu. Ft. “Trunk in bed” under the truck bed. The bed is integrated with the body, similar to the Chevrolet Avalanche. Ridgeline comes with antilock brakes and side curtain airbags as standard equipment.
Bed measures 49.5 “x 60” with the tailgate raised. With the tailgate down, you get 49.5 “x 79”. And remember, the tailgate also swings to one side so you can easily access the trunk from the bed. The tailgate is designed to support 300 pounds. While driving. Steel-reinforced composite bed resists dents and corrosion. Another cool feature was wide bed tie downs and multiple cargo lights.
Standard towing features include 4-pin and 7-pin pre-wiring, along with a brake controller. Heavy-duty radiator, power steering cooler, and transmission cooler keep things cool when work starts. Huge 4-wheel disc brakes help you stop faster with the help of Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD). All the dealer has to do is install the hitch and harness.
8 “ground clearance works well with 4-wheel independent suspension. Yes, 4-wheel. Unheard of in a truck, but this is a Honda. They wanted their truck to instill confidence in cornering and a stable, responsive feel while ride quality was maintained The closed box frame and unit body construction mean this truck is rugged and ready to go.
Traction control is standard along with a locking rear differential for extremely low traction conditions. You can stay locked with the push of a button up to 18 mph. Along with traction control, you get a stability control called Vehicle Stability Assist. This fixes your cornering problems before they become a problem.
The tires come with tire pressure monitoring systems that will be standard on all vehicles very soon (government mandate). Airbags are everywhere on the front, side and side of the curtain. It will only display what is necessary according to the type of accident. These safety features along with the ABS brake make this one of the safest trucks on the road.
There are three trim levels starting with the RT, RTS, and the deluxe RTL. You can get heated leather seats and a sunroof. These amenities were thought to only be available in cars. This truck also has a navigation system, homelink, and a hidden in-dash cd changer available.
The 22 gallon tank is sufficient for EPA mileage estimates of 16 MPG city and 21 MPG highway. The six color combinations come with 3 interior options. Options include a bed extender, tail light “garnish”, chrome bumper trims, 17 “wheels, body side shields, luggage rack, fenders, running boards and a trailer package mentioned above. Bed and dividers. from the trunk on the bed A larger brush guard for the front bumper is available for SUVs.
All in all, it appears to be a pretty good, well-thought-out Honda pickup. Check out my photos of the Honda Ridgeline at the car show on my website.