Clever use of space

 

Much better than the old Ridgeline, but I think I'd still prefer a Tacoma. Maybe silly, but I like the more "macho" look of the Tacoma.

 

It is crazy, but not so crazy when you realise that it is just a car-based SUV with an open bed instead of a covered cargo area. My question is: What if I want to tow with this thing? What is its tow rating? I assume that it is (very) low, especially the FWD model.

Funny how SUVs have evolved...

The first SUVs were not much more than pickup trucks with no separation between the front passenger area and the bed, and a fibreglas roof over the bed. Remember the first (1984) Toyota 4Runner? From there, SUVs evolved to have true station wagon style bodies while remaining body on frame.

Then came the Highlander and RX 300, the first crossover SUVs, which evolved into FWD/AWD station wagons on higher suspensions. Now these tall station wagons have evolved back into pickup trucks, while remaining FWD.

 

According to Autoweek, 3500 lbs for FWD and 5,000 lbs for AWD.

http://autoweek.com/article/detroit-...roit-auto-show

 

They were taking a guess based on the Pilot, they don't know what the actual ratings are as Honda has not released them, rumors are the awd may have a little higher tow rating then the last Ridgeline.

 

The Ridgeline took its ideas from the Avalanche and this new one looks like a Colarado. But for 99% of the people it's the right vehicle. But where I live in pickup truck country male buyers and now an increasing number of female buyers put their urban cowboy credentials in "real trucks".

They serve as urban "battle wagons" because of their imposing size and big grills.

I see endless numbers of F150's, Rams, Sierras with empty pickup truck beds and one person in them. They are used for their supposed safety factor and basically serve as kiddy transport wagons for people who won't look at any other alternative.

And then there are the used Dakotas, Canyons Rangers. The Ridgeline is aimed a very specific import crowd but it sure has been successful among that demographic.

 

yeah, Honda did this in the previous model too.
If i remember correctly, it was large enough to fit an entire set of golf clubs.
Very cool use of space

 

......unless, of course, the compartment seals wear out and start to leak in the rain or car wash. Honda, though, generally has a reputation of quality hardware in their vehicles.

 

Well its not AS ugly as the old one, so I'll give them that. Still the ugliest truck you can currently buy though IMO.

I'd be interested to see how it tows. There were a lot of gripes about the last Ridgeline in that department. You couldn't mount a weight distributing hitch on that truck, it didn't have enough power, and that the handling felt unstable/unsafe. And these weren't people pushing that 5000lb tow limit either.

I'd much rather have a new Tacoma(or Chevy Colorado) over this. Those were designed from the ground up to be a truck, not an Accord with a truck bed.

 

Though it is FWD, I wouldn't call it a redone Accord with a truck bed. The Ridgeline's basic structure is unique and much different from any other Honda/Acura product. It combines a "closed-box-bed" unibody sturucture with a ladder-frame underneath, though the ladder-frame is actually formed in a different manner than with traditional rails and cross members found in RWD pickups.

 

A Pilot with a bed. Totally different in the market and there's nothing wrong with that. Not everyone has to use the same formula. There's plenty of people who would probably like there medium sized "truck" to drive more like a car.

 

As far as I know, the Pilot does not use the same structure as the Ridgeline (though some of the interior parts and drivetrain are shared). That's why I said above that the Ridgeline's structure is unique....a unibody combined with a formed ladder-frame.

 

If I remember correctly, the Gen1 Ridgeline was advertised as being a Pilot with a bed. I have no doubt that this new Ridgeline and Pilot (and MDX) all share a common, basic platform, even if the Ridgeline has an integral ladder frame. Does this Gen2 model still have the integral frame, as the Gen1 model did?

Platform sharing means that they share many common components (usually the unseen, greasy bits); it does not necessarily mean that they share a common floorpan.

No problem with Honda selling such a "truck". Obviously, there are enough buyers out there who agree so that there is enough demand to make it economical for Honda to continue selling with a new model. I would not want to tow with the FWD model though, nor would I want to put too much stuff in the bed; I would not want to take too much weight off the front axle.

 

Yes, I'll agree here. Integral ladder-frame or not, the Ridgeline was never intended to be a hard-core work truck. The larger Nissan Titan and 2Gen Toyota Tundra were specifically designed as large work-trucks, and they still could not significantly break into the F-150/Silverado market. If they couldn't, the Ridgeline certainly won't......though the 2Gen Ridgeline, with its more conventional-truck looks, might be a little more appealing than the 1Gen was.

Still, the 1Gen Ridgeline had a cult-folowing among those comparatively few who did own them, most of whom were extremely satisfied with it.

 

The Pilot and the Ridgeline are based off the Honda Global Truck Platform. They share parts and design elements. Like The Tundra and Sequoia, they were developed together and both share platforms, but there are some different components.

This new Ridgeline is exactly what Honda needs. Should be a competitor to some trims of the Taco and Canyon.