The Big Debut
The 2005 Honda Ridgeline packs a lot of punch in a midsize truck.
February 1, 2006
It seems as if Honda has a super-powered ability to strike fear into the hearts of its
competitors in every market. If you've spent time around boats, for example, you probably heard
rumors for years about Honda's fuel-injected outboard engines and its PWC before either actually
existed. The script was pretty much the same in the automotive industry, where whispers about a
planned Honda pickup were around long before the first Ridgeline rolled off the production line.
Honda has that power because it tends to build extremely solid products that out-innovate and
outperform everything the competition makes. And the all-new 2006 Honda Ridgeline pickup, the
company's first in the U.S. truck market, lives up to the Honda reputation.
Honda did a lot of things right on the Ridgeline, starting with the decision to position the truck as a midsize, so it competes with Chevy's Colorado, Dodge's Dakota, and Ford's Explorer Sport Trac, instead of going into the full-size market with the heavy hitters - the Silverado, the Ram and the F150. If you're going to pick a fight, try to pick one with the smaller guys, and that's just what Honda has done.
Honda also designed a really solid pickup. It's smaller in person, but Honda chose to give the Ridgeline a roomy, full-size cab (with four full-size doors for easy access, even to the back seats), but only a 5-foot bed. That's a drawback if you want to carry a lot of cargo, but most people will be more than happy to have more passenger room and less cargo space.
Besides, the cargo space is dramatically enhanced by the Ridgeline's real claim to fame - the watertight, locking trunk located in the truck bed. It's one of those things that, once you see and use it, you have to wonder why nobody's ever done it before. The trunk can hold three sets of golf clubs or a 72-quart ice chest, and it's completely watertight, so you don't have to worry about your stuff getting wet, even in a monsoon. And it means you can carry luggage safely and securely without having to give up a cubic inch of your cab space. Absolutely brilliant.
Less brilliant is the 255-hp, 3.5L VTEC V6 engine. While the engine does deliver a full 5,000-pound towing capacity, it's really a bit too small and needs beefing up in future incarnations. You simply don't have the power to get up and on the interstate, or to get around a slow-moving 18-wheeler - even if you're not towing. Add a boat, and you sometimes feel as though you need to hop out and give the truck a push to get any real acceleration. It's not a bad motor, and, to be fair, it's more powerful than the 4.0L that drives the Toyota Tacoma, but, with an MSRP of $34,640, it would still be nice to see at least a V8 option for those of us who want a little more muscle under the hood.
Aside from questions about power, the Ridgeline driving experience is every bit as good as you'd expect from a Honda. The closed-box frame with unibody construction delivers a surprisingly sedan-like ride - very smooth. The handling is responsive and accurate, with much less body roll than expected in hard cornering. The trump factor is the lowest in its class, so you feel more confident when maneuvering, and that's a good thing.
It's not much of a stretch to say that Honda's managed to redefine almost every market the company has entered, and it's no stretch to say that the Ridgeline will completely redefine our expectation of midsize pickups. We'd like to see a little more muscle under the hood, but aside from that, the '06 Ridgeline hits on all cylinders.
Honda did a lot of things right on the Ridgeline, starting with the decision to position the truck as a midsize, so it competes with Chevy's Colorado, Dodge's Dakota, and Ford's Explorer Sport Trac, instead of going into the full-size market with the heavy hitters - the Silverado, the Ram and the F150. If you're going to pick a fight, try to pick one with the smaller guys, and that's just what Honda has done.
Honda also designed a really solid pickup. It's smaller in person, but Honda chose to give the Ridgeline a roomy, full-size cab (with four full-size doors for easy access, even to the back seats), but only a 5-foot bed. That's a drawback if you want to carry a lot of cargo, but most people will be more than happy to have more passenger room and less cargo space.
Besides, the cargo space is dramatically enhanced by the Ridgeline's real claim to fame - the watertight, locking trunk located in the truck bed. It's one of those things that, once you see and use it, you have to wonder why nobody's ever done it before. The trunk can hold three sets of golf clubs or a 72-quart ice chest, and it's completely watertight, so you don't have to worry about your stuff getting wet, even in a monsoon. And it means you can carry luggage safely and securely without having to give up a cubic inch of your cab space. Absolutely brilliant.
Less brilliant is the 255-hp, 3.5L VTEC V6 engine. While the engine does deliver a full 5,000-pound towing capacity, it's really a bit too small and needs beefing up in future incarnations. You simply don't have the power to get up and on the interstate, or to get around a slow-moving 18-wheeler - even if you're not towing. Add a boat, and you sometimes feel as though you need to hop out and give the truck a push to get any real acceleration. It's not a bad motor, and, to be fair, it's more powerful than the 4.0L that drives the Toyota Tacoma, but, with an MSRP of $34,640, it would still be nice to see at least a V8 option for those of us who want a little more muscle under the hood.
Aside from questions about power, the Ridgeline driving experience is every bit as good as you'd expect from a Honda. The closed-box frame with unibody construction delivers a surprisingly sedan-like ride - very smooth. The handling is responsive and accurate, with much less body roll than expected in hard cornering. The trump factor is the lowest in its class, so you feel more confident when maneuvering, and that's a good thing.
It's not much of a stretch to say that Honda's managed to redefine almost every market the company has entered, and it's no stretch to say that the Ridgeline will completely redefine our expectation of midsize pickups. We'd like to see a little more muscle under the hood, but aside from that, the '06 Ridgeline hits on all cylinders.
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The Big Debut: The 2005 Honda Ridgeline packs a lot of punch in a midsize truck.
