Honda's New Pickup

[crw]

A quick check of the Honda and Dodge's websites:

Honda tows 5000.

Dodge 3/4 depends on how it's outfitted, but
generally above 13,000. It's Gross Combined Weight
Rating (GCWR) - is around 20,000. This by the way
is not for the Cummins, just a gas-powered 3/4 ton Dodge.

 

[Thermo1223]

Thats what I thought...so ya the Dodge wins. lol

Well I know what people mean when they say a Tundra is not a "real" truck. They mean it's not tested and tried. It has not been bought for years and has loyalty threw it's users. The Titan & Tundra are nice trucks but whether they can hold up to the riggers those of the big 3 survived before their arrival is yet to been proven.

I do the agree the new Tundra looks very promising. Some people have concerns on the Titan's rear differential. I wish the V8 in the Tundra now was a little more powerful other then that it looks like it could take some abuse.

 

[savvy]

Form follows function. I think the Ridgeline will be very successful with it's intended audience. Too bad it's not offered with a diesel.

 

[speedtc]

Too bad it's so ugly.

 

[LarryL]

If you tell a Ridgeline owner his ride is ugly, you might get slapped.

 

[ex_MGB]

I've been researching trucks on the internet quite diligently as I have the itch for one.

First off the Ridgeline's maximum payload (what you can put in the bed - NOT what you can tow) is 1549 pounds. Not many 1/2 ton pick-up trucks are higher than that. The Ridgeline tows 5,000 lbs and comes set up for towing standard equipment except for the receiver.

The Ridgeline is styled ugly as a form follows function thing. It's a "uni-body on frame" hybrid. The purpose is to have a rigid body so as to allow for an independent rear end and suspension tuning. The result is a true car like ride. The independent rear end allows room for the trunk, a very handy feature coupled with the tailgate which opens both ways.

The rear seats are kinda cool, the back not only flips down, but you can flip up the bottom for taller parcels to go in the cab.

It comes standard with full time AWD. For nasty driving conditions on the road, full time AWD beats part time 4WD hands down. Also, AWD is better at the beach on sand.

Down side is the engine is mounted transversely and Honda's 5speed auto had problems in the past. Honda beefed up their 5-speed for the Ridgeline. So far, monitoring the forum on ROC, seems like the Ridgeline has minimal quality problems.

Having said all that the Ridgeline is not for everyone by a long shot. There are some screaming deals out there on trucks right now. For example, on carsdirect.com you can get a Titan 2WD (305 hp V8 - 5 speed auto) Kingcab for $19,107 and $20,582 with the big tow package (9,000 lbs). You can barely find used Titans for this amount of money.

A V6 Tundra regular cab 6-speed manual is $15,127 and a regular cab Tundra with a V8 (5-speed auto) and the tow package (including LSD) is $17,197. That V8 Tundra is a lot of truck for that amount of money.

Finally, a family member recently bought a V6 Ford F-150 which I drove some. I was really impressed with it.

Of course, the problem with all these trucks is paying the gas bill.

[ February 21, 2006, 01:16 AM: Message edited by: ex_MGB ]

 

[Huhwhye]

There is fineprint that comes with that 5000# tow rating. I read it in a RV magazine that it is rated at 5000# with BOAT TRAILERS ONLY. Now what does that mean? Maybe someone else can figure that one out.

I wouldn't buy one because it doesn't suit my purposes. That and it's ugly

 

[ex_MGB]

Yeah its ugly.

But again, it's to get you a car like ride and a lockable trunk (which can hold two golf bags). Coupled with the standard safety features and AWD, a Ridgeline owner concedes nothing in safety to a family sedan or mini-van.

Because it comes with a full back seat standard, tow rating goes down as occupancy goes above two to not exceed the gross vehicle weight rating.

But, again, it is ugly, especially compared to a short bed Taco double cab with TRD graphics and the full blown off road package. This, in spite of the fact, you know you will never take that $30k Taco off-road and extract it's potential beyond what you could easily do just as well in the Ridgeline.

 

[Zaedock]

ex_MGB
Member # 314
posted February 20, 2006 11:05 AM
"It comes standard with full time AWD. For nasty driving conditions on the road, full time AWD beats part time 4WD hands down. Also, AWD is better at the beach on sand."
----------------------------------------------

Huh? AWD=4WD. It's just another name for driving the front wheels. Why would "All wheel drive" be any better than 4WD? AWD still uses open differentials, so that makes it 2WD. It might even be worse if the center diff in the "AWD" transfer case is open too.
Does the Ridgeline come with a rear locking diff? Probably not. Nor does it even have low range.

The Ridgeline is a Pilot with a bed.

 

[speedtc]

Grassroots motorsports stated it has front wheel drive that switches to awd when the conditions require it. I don't think it has fulltime 4wd. It's ugly.

 

[GoldenRod]

WOW! You guys are attacking this Ridgeline like if a poodle fell into a pond full of piranhas.

 

[greenjp]

So many of you guys are completely, utterly missing the point of the Ridgeline. Of course it won't tow or haul as much as a diesel Ram! Of course it won't tackle the rubicon like a CJ-7 or whatever. That's not the point! The point is that a lot of people buy pickup trucks because they want to carry some dirty stuff around from time to time, but they sacrifice ride comfort, handling, amenities, gas mileage, etc to get that capability. Honda has provided an option to get that modest hauling capability without those compromises - instead you compromise on the heavy-duty capabilities the Ridgeline doesn't posses - and many people have absolutely zero need for!

Slamming the Ridgeline for not being a "real truck" is as dumb as slamming the S2000 for being a bad family car.

jeff

 

[jmacmaster]

"Huh? AWD=4WD. It's just another name for driving the front wheels. Why would "All wheel drive" be any better than 4WD?"

AWD and 4WD are not the same thing. Yes, on each of them you get power to all 4 wheels. However, there are differences between the two systems. The main difference is that with AWD, when any of the 4 wheels begins to slip a computer immediately notices it and takes enough power from that wheel so that the wheel stops slipping. The wheel still gets power to it, but only enough to make it stop slipping and start grabbing again. The power taken from a slipping wheel is transferred to a wheel or wheels that are not slipping. This does not happen with 4WD. That is why AWD give you better traction.

Another difference is that you can drive an AWD vehicle on bare pavement, but cannot do so with a 4WD vehicle, because with the former, but not the latter, the drive system is designed so that if the front and rear axles turn at slightly different speeds there is no damage to the drive system.

Finally, 4WD systems almost always have a "lo" range as well as the normal "hi" range, while I know of no AWD systems with a lo range; and 4WD systems are built stronger than AWD systems and will stand up better to serious off-roading.

 

[robbobster]

The boat-trailer thing is due to the aerodynamics of a boat on a trailer. Much more aerodynamic than, say, a typical camper trailer.

Less drag = easier to tow on teh highway = higher tow rating for a boat. I think only Honda does this, they also do it with the Passport. May also do it for the Acura MDX...

A Ridgeline at rated capacity is on is virtually on it's bump stops. Really, you have about a half-inch of suspension travel left. this is not the case with the typical "regular" pickup.

Check the facts again: the Ridgeline, when towing, slows down considerably, while the typical full-size truck is much less affected.

A recent motor Trend article says the same.

The Ridgeline is like a modern-day El Camino, only styled a bit more like a truck. Car-based, good for light duty work.

 

[Thermo1223]

quote:

---

So many of you guys are completely, utterly missing the point of the Ridgeline. Of course it won't tow or haul as much as a diesel Ram! Of course it won't tackle the rubicon like a CJ-7 or whatever. That's not the point! The point is that a lot of people buy pickup trucks because they want to carry some dirty stuff around from time to time, but they sacrifice ride comfort, handling, amenities, gas mileage, etc to get that capability. Honda has provided an option to get that modest hauling capability without those compromises - instead you compromise on the heavy-duty capabilities the Ridgeline doesn't posses - and many people have absolutely zero need for!

Slamming the Ridgeline for not being a "real truck" is as dumb as slamming the S2000 for being a bad family car.

jeff

---

They do make light trucks for this you know. They have a crew cab, and can tow as much as the Ridgeline when properly equiped.

Then there is the Envoy XUV which presents the same idea in a better package.

The Subaru Baja for the more car like ride. Still capable of hauling dirt and other bedable items.

The point is Honda tried to fill a niche in an already filled niche thinking their brand name would surpass all others. Those that can see through the b s know this. Also Honda calls it a truck, if they don't what it is themselves then thats one more reason not to buy it.

 

[greenjp]

quote:

---

They do make light trucks for this you know. They have a crew cab, and can tow as much as the Ridgeline when properly equiped.

---

Point? Sounds like you're saying other makers already make similarly capable vehicles, so Honda shouldn't have bothered. That makes no sense! If you're looking for vehicle with room for 4, AWD/4WD, and some hauling and towing capabilities, isn't it a good thing that the marketplace includes both a "soft" car-based option as well as "real" trucks?

quote:

---

Then there is the Envoy XUV which presents the same idea in a better package.

---

I believe the Envoy XUV has been scrapped.

quote:

---

The Subaru Baja for the more car like ride. Still capable of hauling dirt and other bedable items.

---

The Baja is much, much smaller than the Ridgeline.

quote:

---

The point is Honda tried to fill a niche in an already filled niche thinking their brand name would surpass all others. Those that can see through the b s know this. Also Honda calls it a truck, if they don't what it is themselves then thats one more reason not to buy it.

---

So, a company coming out with a new model to compete in a segment they're not currently represented in is a problem? I guess Nissan shouldn't have come out with the Titan? Cadillac shouldn't be fooling around with the CTS? Toyota shouldn't have the Highlander since it's kinda-sorta like the 4Runner?

We can go back and forth comparing specs or naming competitors that do some things better than another vehicle all day. Nobody's forcing anyone to buy a Ridgeline. It is what it is. A roomy, comfortable, light duty car/truck/pickup whatever vehicle that provides a wide combination of capabilities that are probably attractive to a lot of people. I still don't get what fires you people up so much about it!

jeff

 

[Brikhead]

I'm not crazy about the appearance of the Ridgeline either...but, hey...its a Honda! They seem to redesign thier vehicles every 6 months or so....so it'll probably look much nicer about 1yr from now.

 

[Zaedock]

jmacmaster
Member # 9172
posted February 21, 2006 12:41 AM
"Huh? AWD=4WD. It's just another name for driving the front wheels. Why would "All wheel drive" be any better than 4WD?"

AWD and 4WD are not the same thing. Yes, on each of them you get power to all 4 wheels. However, there are differences between the two systems. The main difference is that with AWD, when any of the 4 wheels begins to slip a computer immediately notices it and takes enough power from that wheel so that the wheel stops slipping. The wheel still gets power to it, but only enough to make it stop slipping and start grabbing again. The power taken from a slipping wheel is transferred to a wheel or wheels that are not slipping. This does not happen with 4WD. That is why AWD give you better traction.

Another difference is that you can drive an AWD vehicle on bare pavement, but cannot do so with a 4WD vehicle, because with the former, but not the latter, the drive system is designed so that if the front and rear axles turn at slightly different speeds there is no damage to the drive system. "
----------------------------------------------

So what you're telling me is that when Subaru came out with AWD brats and such, a computer controlled the wheels? OK Man..

AWD = another fancy name for 4WD. Period.
Do some more research.

 

[RKBA]

"So what you're telling me is that when Subaru came out with AWD brats and such, a computer controlled the wheels? OK Man..

AWD = another fancy name for 4WD. Period.
Do some more research."

While the terms AWD and 4WD can get a little slippery, jmacmaster is pretty much spot on. 4WD vehicles typically have a transfer case that splits power to the front and rear axles 50-50 and therefore cannot be driven on hard dry pavement. AWD systems use a mechanism to provide some sort of variation between the front and rear axles. Some Jeep products actually use a computer actuated differential in the transfer case not dissimilar to a drive axle (quadratrac). I am pretty sure Subaru systems in the 80s used a viscous coupled transfer system. While not electronic, it did allow for operations other than 50-50 split, so they would be considered AWD not 4WD.

As far as AWD having "better traction" than 4WD, I would dispute that assertion. It depends on which AWD system that you have, and the conditions that you drive in.

 

[ex_MGB]

The Ridgeline's AWD system is better on beach sand than a part time 4WD system for much the same reason its better on pavement. You need 4WD for the Rubicon, but on the beach, AWD is better. Myself, I live near the shore and AWD, with the Ridgeline's adequate clearance, is better for my intended purpose than part time 4WD.

BTW - does anyone think part time 4WD is better on pavement with snow and ice than the Ridgeline's AWD system?

I think people get emotional about the Ridgeline because it holds up a mirror asking the question: "Do you really need a 4WD pick-up truck?".

As for considering the Ridgeline a poser, your average owner of a Dodge 2500 Cummins Turbo-charged diesel dually with a 6-speed transmission might refer to Ford F150's as "Sissy 150's".

Afterall, why would anyone who needs a truck buy a 1/2 or 3/4 ton gasser when you can buy a diesel?