http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...idgeline_x.htm

Honda anticipates 50,000/year
$28,215

Nissan Titan
$22,800.00
+rebate
sold under 100k last yr

 

IMO, the Ridgeline is quite lacking, it's not built on a true cab on frame design and has no V8...

 

The Ridgeline reminds me of Durex condems. Its nice that they have them and good for competition but they still suck......

 

I wish only the best for Honda. They seem to study the industry first, then improve it with their product. The styling department needs a new director!?!

 

Looks aside, at least in this particular road/performance test it seemed to hold its own and even best its competition. I can't be sure, but it also seems to have more interior safety equipement than other trucks like the side air bags and head curtain bags. It also seems that the IRS give it more stability than other trucks as well. I know this is one test review, but it seems to be holding its own and actually doing surprisingly well.

 

I wouldn't give this any serious weighting considering it comes from USA Today..such a high quality journalistic source...NOT

 

I think you guys are panning this truck too much. After all, this vehicle has an all-welded unibody COMBINED with a ladder-frame underneath. That sure looks to me like a winning combination. Honda also rates it for at least 5000 lbs. for towing.....which is about average for a V6 mid-size truck ......and shows that Honda is confident in the ability of this truck to at least match traditional ladder-frame trucks.
I plan to inspect this new truck closely and test-drive it. I think a LOT of people are going to be interested in it, and I want to be able to comment on it first-hand.

 

Honda apparantly has noted your comments about condoms.
4 full-size doors and a roomy back seat are standard on all versions.

 

It's amazing the parity between the two. One is a full size truck with all the trimmings and the other a pilot with a small bed. Believe it or not there's a market niche for the RidgeLine. It will be the choice for diehard Honda buyers, but for the rest of us..........I'll take the Titan anyday!.....but wait I already have one:
2004 Titan SE CrewCab with 5spd auto Gated Shifter Console and Utilitrack.[0-60 in 6.9 sec]

 

Is it holding up OK? There have been some troubles with that new plant in Mississippi that builds them.

 

I dont know what to think about Honda/Acura anymore. Years before I used to LOVE Honda/Acura as much as Toyota/Lexus. Now, the past 3-4 years, I havent been impressed at all with any of there products except the TL. They all seem to be LACKING. I dunno if its me or not. But they arent making me go ohh and ahh like they used to anymore. My friends work for a Honda and an Acura dealership, and they used to hate them, but now its like all that Acura/Honda stuff got to there head. They are brainwashed. They think they are very superior to ALL brands. Cant have a normal convo without them talking about a damn Acura.

Insight. Dont care for. Prius is better.
Civic. Liked the previous generation when not riced out. New gen looks horrible, and not an improvement over the older model.
Accord. Loved the past 2 generations. My best friend had one, and I loved it. They were great cars. The new one. I dont like anything about it at all. Interior/Exterior, the non torquey V6. The 3.3L Camry, runs pretty compareable times while having less power.
Pilot. Bland as all hell. Belongs at Hertz with the sea of Taurus's.
Element. Yikes!!
Ridgeline??? It looks very ugly, but compared to a Ford SportTrak, it seems to be better, however to me a SportTrak is not a good starting point. That thing is Lacking also. Time will tell.
RSX. More power please
TSX. Its okay. Room for improvement?? Yes, alot.
TL. The best Honda/Acura sedan out right now. I dont care whatothers have to say about the TL and/or its tranny problems. Car is nice as hell. For the price, I wouldnt look at anything else(until the IS350 comes out).
RL. Enlarged Accord, and the new Accord isnt that great looking so why make it bigger. However could be a good buy for those that like features over anything else, but the name isnt Prestigious enough for me to put 50+ down on. Sorry RL lovers, but I'll wait a few years.
NSX. Beautiful car, but this car dates back to the early 90's which is when the time I was loving Honda/Acura.
S2000. Same thing as NSX.

 

Consumer Reports agrees with you on the TL...they gave it one of their highest ratings ever.
As far as the Pilot being bland, it is no more bland than its primary competitor....the Toyota Highlander.
And there is still one thing Honda does better than anyone else in the American market. The shift linkage on their front-drive manual cars is just out of this world when it comes to crispness, fluidity, and ease of operation.....although the new Hyundai Tiburon's comes close.
Honda also has led the industry in engine efficiency, HP, and mileage per liter of displacement....though many of their engines are low on torque. Honda has introduced several engine technologies that the rest of the industry took years to catch up to.

Yes...Honda has faults, just like any other automaker. The worst of them is probably the hush-hush and arrogance of the company reps and their unwillingness to talk frankly about the future of their products. I hate...absolutely HATE...trying to get advance information out of the Honda corporate structure. Even this Ridgeline truck which the thread is about...they were too hush-hush for too long. Toyota reps are also hush-hush but not quite to the same extent...though they have really kept a lid on the new IS we're all waiting to see.

 

I love people saying a car won't sell or will sell. I personally think the Ridgeline will be a hit, but I don't have the magic ball either. Let's review this thread in a year and see what really happens. I tell ya, when things like the Scion Xb sell like crazy, I get really confused.

Oh and BTW, the TSX seems to win almost every comparo it is in - pretty darn nice car if you ask me.
Oh and the Pilot leads its class - there is nothing in its price range that competes with it (go look at a Highlander's 3rd row for a funny joke). I agree, however it is bland.

 

It's holding up well(knock on wood) BTW you are correct. They did have problems that were addressed by bringing in Japanese Engineers and Consultants. My Titan was built 11-15-03 and was the first one on my dealer's lot. So far, a pure joy to drive.
It's not as soft and sophisticated as my LX470, but then again, it wasn't meant to be a luxury cruiser. Today was 83 degrees outside, so the Titan hauled it's first batch of lawn weed & feed and mulch plus a few trees and shrubs.
I knew there was a reason I got a truck for..........

 

Yep. Youre right about that Marshall, and I truthfully forgot to include a comparo to the Highlander which is no better. Both are rather bland boxy trucks or shall I say soft roaders. I've been more disappointed with the Pilot because to me looks more generic and the interior reminds me of a mid 90's Honda. I loved Hondas then, but its 2005, and that interior needs some work. Afer driving one a few times I've grown to dislike it. What I find common with all Honda/Acuras is the starter.For some reason it seems as if the engine is going to choke and die out if you dont hold the key in the start position long enough. Its something that I thought happened becasue of the small fuel efficiwnt engines, but the Tl and other big engined Honda/Acuras sound the same. Something that I always noticed(maybe I'm not explaining it well enough)

HOnda manual trannys are great. Very smooth, and exact. (TL manual is great, definitely fell in love with it, including the ergonomics of the shifter and the area.) I never had a problem with them.

I'm not the most knowledgeable in engines and how they actually work, but I remember reading on some other forums saying that the Honda engines now are not that advanced as most seem to think they are(I still think they are great). They were advanced a few years ago, but now they are very common. One even said that the Vtec and iVtec are very old designs and that Nissna and Toyota have both passed Honda in engine technology. Others even say that the VVTiL in the Celica at the time was the most advanced engine, which is now outdone by the 3.5L V6 engines in the GS and Avalon.

TSX is a rather nice car, however, after driving the car after an extended amount of time made me not care for the car. Most of my problems had to deal with the engine. I think the car looks nice inside and out, but the to me the TL offers so much more at a price of only 3-4 grand more. Its a good car, but they could have done a little bit more to differenciate the Euro Accord with the TSX. Its like they didnt even try and it was jsut a rush job. Almost like certain Gm cars and its reputaiton for Badge Engineering.

Man this post sure sound like I'm bashing Honda/Acura which I'm not trying to do for you Honda/Acura lovers out there(and former, like me).