Yes, the market does exist apparently. There were quite a few of them on the lot at Findlay Honda Henderson last weekend when I was in getting my Fusion serviced(bought the car there, came with a year of oil changes).

I guess I just really hate quirky....and this truck really has kind of a me-too poser feel to it.

 

The design is largely what killed the Ridgeline, but if you look at a strong majority of how most midsize truck owners actually use their vehicle, the Ridgeline fulfills everything they would want, and likely a bit better with its pavement oriented 4WD/AWD system and better ride. They may not want to admit that this "minivan based truck" could ever withstand the usage they want, but it largely does.

But, for pickup market overall, image is everything.

 

so you don't like quirky (unique) and your don't like "me too". you sound like a hard consumer to please.

 

Yep, correct on both counts. The Ridgeline WAS a competent, everyday, easy-to-handle, daily-driver mid-sized truck, unless you wanted to go out and try to haul several tons of logs with the big boys. Not only that, but it also has some nice and unusual features on it like the multi-function tailgate and the weatherproof covered storage areas. But most people here on CL never liked it, many poured scorn on it, and tagged it as a joke from Day One. And, as you say......image ruled. Even some of those who DID like the truck were afraid to buy one over what their friends and colleagues would think.

Here is a list of automative awards the Ridgeline has earned:

Motor Trend truck of the year 2006
North American Truck of the year 2006
Detroit News truck of the year 2006
J.D. Power & Associates 2005 APEAL award for the Honda Ridgeline
Autobytel 2006 Editors' Choice Award: Truck of the year 2006
Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) Best New Pickup 2006
On Wheels Incorporated: Ridgeline 2006 Urban Wheel Award for the Urban Truck of the Year
Strategic Vision's coveted "Most Delightful" compact pickup award
Best rollover resistance rating of any pickup tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety, Administration (NHTSA)
Society of Plastic Engineers 2005 Grand Award (composite embed trunk)
Car And Driver Rates Honda Ridgeline #1 Pickup, AutoWeek Editors' Choice Award as the 'Most Significant' new vehicle in the show
Maxim Truck Of The Year 2006
2007 Automobile Magazine All Star award Top 10 cars for 2007

 

This looks like the new Ridgeline

 

The 'Honda' badge needs to be straightened out

 

You got it

 

OMG LMAO

 

Agree, they are pretty popular around me and the people that have them love them. Everything you need for most truck buyers but drives/handles more car like. My friend who does not know much about cars asked me to recommend a pickup for him, I said I don't care for pickups nor keep up too much about them but if I needed a pickup I would only get a Ridgeline after reading about them and having some experience in them. He laughed and said that is the pickup he was looking into after seeing a few and test driving it and being very impressed. He got one and loves it.

There is not a big market for them but there is a market of loyal owners/buyers that love them. I hear most Ridgeline owners would like more power, better fuel economy, and a little more interior room/bigger bed which does not sound too hard to do.

 

Better fuel economy is a MUST. It drinks gas like it's a V8. A Chevy Suburban with 355hp/383ft-lbs gets 16/23 while the Ridgeline is at a lowly 15/21.

 

What did the Odyssey and Pilot which it was based on get? Similar or a few more mpg do you know?

 

Just a tad better. Maybe 16/22 for AWD Pilot. They were all held back by the 5 speed transmission.

 

Some Suburbans, though, come with RWD, where AWD is standard on the Ridgeline. AWD, of course, generally uses more gas. Also, having said that, I'm not sure I believe the Suburban's official EPA numbers. Even in base-trim RWD with the 5.3L, IMO it's just too large and heavy, with too big a V8 engine, to get that kind of mileage in the real world. But, hey....I've sometimes been wrong before.

 

I recently rented a 2015 Tahoe with the same EPA rating as the Suburban. Took a trip averaging 70-75mph and was able to acheive 22mpg highway. The new engine is much improved over the old one, plus it has a nice 6 speed transmission. The Ridgeline was stuck with a 5 speed and non-DI engine.

 

An ancient version of the J-Series engine family yes?