2005 Honda Ridgeline

TranceKrayz

New member
I'm bored at work and just decided to take over Thai's job for a day ;):

I was browsing the web and discovered that Honda is releasing it's first pickup truck. Here is the article from MSN news:

http://autoshow.msn.com/as/article.aspx?xml=Honda&shw=autoshow2005&src=autoshow2005Coverage&GT1=5967

Story Filed:1/10/2005 2:10 PM
World Premiere of Honda’s First Pickup

Honda enters an entirely new market segment with the world debut of the 2006 Ridgeline pickup truck.


Honda’s first entry into the half-ton pickup segment is a 4-door 5-passenger truck that offers a number of innovative features including a steel reinforced composite bed, a dual action tailgate, and a lockable watertight storage area location under the truck bed. The Dual Action tailgate can be lowered like a traditional tailgate or swing to the side.


Ridgeline is powered by a 3.5-liter VTEC V6 engine that produces 255 horsepower and 252 lb-ft of torque, mated to a standard 5-speed automatic transmission.


Standard equipment includes air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, air conditioning, and 5-passenger seating. The second-row features a 60/40 split bench seat will lift up to allow using the rear seat area for cargo. Standard safety equipment includes side curtain airbags with rollover sensor, front side airbags, ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Vehicle Stability Assist, and traction control.


Unlike traditional full-size pickup trucks, the Ridgeline does not have a cargo bed that is separate from the passenger cab; the bed and cab are integrated, giving the truck a distinctive look. The Ridgeline uses a fully integrated closed box frame and unit body construction, and is rated for a half-ton (1,100-pound) bed capacity and 5,000-pound towing capacity.


The Ridgeline also features four-wheel fully independent suspension and a fully automatic Variable Torque Management 4-Wheel Drive System (VTM-4WD) that can transfer up to 70 percent of the available torque to the rear wheels.


Ridgeline will be offered in three versions, RT, RT-S, and RT-L, and will go on sale at Honda dealerships in March of 2005. Final pricing has not been announced but is expected to be in the range of $27,000 to $32,000.
 
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You can find more info on the truck at honda's site:

http://automobiles.honda.com/new_models/landing.asp?function=overview

Some Key Specs:

Technical
• 255-hp, 3.5-Liter, 24-Valve SOHC VTEC® V-6 Engine
• 5-Speed Automatic Transmission
• Variable Torque Management® 4-Wheel Drive System (VTM-4®)
• Locking Rear Differential
• Heavy-Duty Automatic-Transmission and Power Steering Coolers
• Heavy-Duty Radiator with Dual 160-Watt Fans
• Fresh-Air Intake
• 4-Wheel Independent Suspension



Capabilities
• 5,000-lb. Towing Capacity
• 1,550-lb. Total Payload Capacity
• Half-Ton (1,100-lb) Bed Capacity



Safety
• Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with EBD and Brake Assist
• Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®) with Traction Control
• Front, Side and Side Curtain Airbags with Rollover Sensor
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• Power Door and Tailgate Locks
• LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children)



Audio
• 100-Watt AM/FM/XM®-Ready/CD Audio System with 6 Speakers



Interior
• Power Windows, Door Locks and Mirrors
• Multifunctional Center Storage Console with Sliding Armrest
• 60/40 Lift-Up Rear Seat with Underseat Storage
• Power Sliding Rear Cabin Window



Exterior
• Dual-Action Tailgate
• In-Bed Trunk™
• Automatic Heated Wiper Zone
• Remote Entry System
• Large Foldable Side Mirrors
• Privacy Glass
• Integrated Bed Lights (4) with Auto-Off Timer
• Heavy-Duty Tow Hooks (Front and Rear)
• Hidden Roof-Mounted Antenna
 
Here are some pictures from the MSN article above:

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Automobile Mag's Detroit Auto Show Coverage

Here's the site:

http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_shows/naias_2005/0501_honda_ridgeline/

2006 Honda Ridgeline

The truck world may never be the same. This March the all-new Ridgeline pickup will land at Honda dealerships across the country, further complicating the decision of truck buyers who in simpler days would have listed Chevy, Dodge, Ford, and maybe GMC as their only options. Toyota, Nissan, and Honda once built nothing even close to a real truck for the American market. Times have changed, and Honda’s Ridgeline is out to alter things even more.

Honda's four-door, five-passenger, 4WD entry sets itself apart from the growing slew of others by virtue of its first-in-class unibody frame and four-wheel independent suspension system. A 3.5-liter V-6 transfers 255 horsepower to the wheels through a five-speed automatic. Its appearance vaguely resembles Honda's current Pilot and Element models, but it definitely stands out in any crowd, even dressed in some of the drab colors shown at NAIAS. Honda promises this is not a Pilot with a bed (“It has a ninety percent exclusive frame, we swear!”), but that puts a somewhat accurate image in your head.

The Ridgeline is full of cool features, including a steel-reinforced composite bed, flip-up rear seats, and loads of stowage space for your miscellany. Probably the coolest feature of the Ridgeline, though, is the “In-Bed Trunk,” an 8.5 cubic-foot, lockable, weather-tight compartment underneath the bed floor and behind the rear axle. It even has a drain so you can ask it to play cooler for your beverages of choice-just pull the plug when the bottles are empty and the ice melted. Access is made easier via a two-way tailgate that swings to the side to open or flips down like a traditional gate. There’s also room for a full-size spare tire in this compartment.

The bed is only 60 inches long, but the lack of wheel-well intrusions means that you can lay a 4x8 ft sheet of plywood down flat. Numerous anchoring hooks will assist securing items back there, and several bed lights will help loading and unloading after the sun has set. Honda designed the bed so that it can fit two of its biggest dirt bikes or a full-size ATV in the back with the rear wheels resting on the lowered tailgate.

The lack of a V-8 may turn away many prospective buyers, but Honda says the half-ton truck will tow 5000 pounds with its 252 lb-ft of torque. While it will be able to tow that much weight without breaking, it might not make it up much of a grade.

Expect pricing in the $27,000 to $32,000 range when the truck goes on sale in March as a 2006 model. The Ridgeline is already being built in Alliston, Ontario. Light trucks made up forty percent of Honda sales in North America in 2004; expect that proportion to increase significantly with Ridgeline’s addition to the fleet.
 
TranceKrayz said:
I'm bored at work and just decided to take over Thai's job for a day ;):

Damn...i am out of the job! Anyone need a neurotic overstressed car freak??? I will work for food.:(
 
Haha Thai, you can have your job back until the next time I get bored. This may be easy to do, but it takes effort and time. Nobody is more dedicated and qualified than you! Or maybe you're just bored at your job too. :D I will have to post reviews/road tests of the truck as soon as they're available. Unless you wan tto do it for me......:clap:
 
Well, all I can say is that if all these manufacturers keep making square wheel wells, the 4Runner might start to look normal!!

I hate square wheel wells so much that it almost stopped me from buying my 4Runner. The problem was that the square wheel wells were the only thing I didn't like about it (except maybe the bumper lenses in the rear), so I got it anyway...
 
Yeah, except the Sport Trac is actually a truck. I hope Honda did something to up the torque in their engines. I have a Civic now and it might have some horsepower but the torque is crap. Plus you need to really build those revs to get everything out of the engine. VTEC is good, but it seems like Toyota is able to squeeze the torque out with the VVTI.
 
wow, i must say i'm impressed!

honda voluntarily pit their truck up directly against a ford f150 (the 5.4L V8 no less!) for towing capacity, and beat out the explorer sport trac and tacoma pickup in handling while carrying 1500lbs. of payload!

"20 times the torsional rigidity and over twice the resistance to bending compared to the top-selling midsize pickup"

...but it's still kinda ugly tho....! :D
 
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Whenever a new vehicle comes to market it usally is the next best thing since sliced bread. Time will tell!

Koz
 

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