Greg In The Desert

This is Honda’s first attempt to make a truck. It’s called the Ridgline and is suppose to come out somewhere around March 2005. A friend of mine that recently bought a Honda Pilot pointed it out to me, knowing I will be in the market for a new truck in the next few years.

I kinda of like the look of it. To me, it’s no so ugly as the Aztek, though I know there are those that disagree. At least this thing is pretty consistantly boxy, where as the the designers of the Aztek tried to put every angle possible on it. Though still, you know what they say about beauty. The concept vehilcle show on their website is apparently not exactly what the real thing will look like. There’s been sightings that it has more “normal” looking headlights and not such strange tires.

What I’m really looking for in my next vehicle is innovation. Lets look at the specs on this thing:

• 3.5-liter V6 engine
• 5-speed automatic transmission
• Automatic 4-wheel drive system
• Anti-lock brake system
• Fully integrated, closed-box frame with unibody construction
• Half-ton payload capacity
• Five-foot bed with minimal wheel arch intrusion
• Five-passenger interior
• Side curtain airbags
• Vehicle Stability Assist

The specs compare pretty favorably to my current ride, a 1997 Ford Ranger. I do have a bigger engine but I suspect Honda has been able to get some more performance out of the 3.5L V6 that would compete pretty well to my 4.0L. My ranger has over 1/2 ton payload capacity (if my calculations are correct) but I’ve never come close to that. What amazes me the most is how little has changed in the specs of the ranger in the last 8 years. That is what I call a lack of innovation.

I like the auto 4×4 system, which is more like an automatic all wheel drive system. At least from what I’ve seen on my friends Pilot. It would sure beat this 4×4 system on my ‘97 Ranger, in which the motor, controlled by the electronic switch, has gone out twice (that’s about $500 a pop for repairs). What’s worse is you don’t find out that it’s out till your out i the middle of the snow. Not to mention the automatic system on the Honda doesn’t require unlocking the hubs.

The interior on it looks pretty nice too. I like the way they have eliminted the carpet. When I custom ordered my current truck I tried to order it without carpeting but the wouldn’t do it for my class of truck, only the low end gets that.

Another consideration I’ve had for my next vehicle is having 4 doors. The size of my Ranger is fine (I don’t need a F350 like half the people in this state do) but it turns out I want to haul people around a lot more than I suspected. Who knew?

The big disadvantage that purchasing this vehicle has over my current Ranger is price. My truck is paid for, and has been for about 4 years. I love not having to make a payment and I would expect to pay between $25,000 to $30,000 for the Ridgeline. That will be a pretty hefty payment, one I don’t look forward to paying.

Related Items:

Full Color 4x4 Offroad Truck Decals in SilverMake your truck or SUV an original with this unique design. Manfacutered with the lastest digital print technology on high performance automotive grade vinyl using an outdoor specific process for the most durable, sharpest graphics around.

Haynes Ford Ranger Pick-ups (93 - 05) ManualHAYNES ENGINE SERVICE MANUAL -- Using A Haynes Manual Is Like Having A Mechanic In Every Book, Each Manual Is Written And Photographed From The Hands-... Read More >

1997 FORD RANGER Sales Brochure [eb3041N]Published specifically for this model year, this sales brochure, literature, folder, mailer or postcard includes color pictures of exteriors and interiors, along with promotional text. It is a great collectors item, and is useful for restoration details. This piece measures 9 x 11 and has 16 pages.