Honda Ridgeline - designing an unconventional pickup
The story behind the creation of the Honda Ridgeline seems to be attracting
some attention in the auto world. Automotive News spoke about the project with Gary Flint, a 11-year veteran of Honda,
and a former employee of GM (where he worked on the C4 Corvette, S10, and Fiero). Essentially, he was denied the
usual features of a larger pickup truck - a V8 and body-on-frame construction. Oh, and the budget was
non-existent.
With Hondas excellent V6 lineup, the lack of a V8 powerplant isnt much of an issue considering the trucks usage (those who disagree with this statement should probably browse the full-size offerings of your preferred Big 3 brand). Sure, a 4-valve V6 might be a bit peaky, but the 5-speed auto helps greatly. The lack of body-on-frame construction was a much bigger obstacle. Sure, unibody construction has its disadvantages off-road, and is likely much less tolerant of abuse. Thats a problem for those of us that have accidentally overloaded our trucks by 3,000 lbs or so (the tires get round again at 80 PSI), but for many truck buyers, its of little consequence. Interestingly enough, the Ridgeline isnt a true unibody, in the sense that it also has a full-length frame (GM RWD platforms such as the A-, B-, and G-bodies used a very similar design for over two decades).
Unibody construction, though, brought a huge advantage to Honda by allowing them to use existing production resources. Built on the old Odyssey line, the production techniques required minimal additional investment. The total cost of the project is said to be - get this - under $250 million. Seems like a huge chunk of money, but in the world of multi-billion-dollar platform development budgets, thats chump change.
Honda is on pace to sell about 50,000 units per year. Thats not going to make it a blockbuster in the conventional sense. Assuming they keep it up over five years, the vehicle was put into production for approximately $1,000 per unit. Thatd make it a blockbuster in a very unconventional way, especially for Honda who focuses on a few mega-selling models since they generally lack the resources required for a wide assortment of platforms.
As a 3/4-ton truck owner, Im not impressed by the Ridgeline, but as an automotive engineer, my hats off to Flint and his team for a job well done.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sid Ghosh 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
I fell in love with the Ridgeline as soon as I sat inside one. It's the first and ONLY Honda I've ever ever considered.
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Joel A 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
Huh. Haven't even thought of a truck as a consideration for a future vehicle. Now if I can just convince The Spouse....
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Glenn 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
This is a truck for girliemen.
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BF 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
Oh look, it's a Chevy Avalanche....real forward thinking Honda...wait till the new and imporoved Av hits showrooms in Feb. 06....it will really clean the Honda's clock.
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Scott B 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
#1 -I agree. It doesn't look half bad from the inside, just the outside. Design wise, Flint is still being influenced by GM. Yet, it is still a Honda so 50,000 should not be a problem. I think that "cross over" is a more appropriate category than "truck".
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Steve B. 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
The avalanche is a FWD/AWD truck with a traversely mounted engine with a modern over-head cam powerplant, a 5 speed automatic transmission, unibody construction, a composite bed, a rear suspension system that is NOT straight from the 1950s, and Honda's reputation for quality versus GM's reputation for recalls and blunders?
Damn! Here I was thinking the Avalanche was just a heavily discounted, hacked Suburban covered in plastic paneling and built by a desperate company spiraling to a bankrupt crash.
My bad!
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Brian 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
Ridgeline...it's a joke.
Avalanche is 100 times better than what the Ridgeline could ever possibly be.
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md 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
Steve, the fact that it is a FWD based vehicle is actually a disadvantage in terms of hauling and towing. the independent rear suspension will ride nice I'm sure, but solid axles and leaf springs are the best setup for a truck because of durability, load carrying capacity, and off road articulation. it may be a very old design, but it works very well in trucks.
I respect the Ridgeline as a very well engineered vehicle, but I am not able to see how it will catch on. it is supposed to be targeted at those who need a truck for occasional trips to Home Depot, quarries, trips to the dump, etc. why would somebody who needs a weekend home improvement project vehicle want a brand new car? i know we would never want to purchase a new vehicle and start throwing rocks and trash into the bed. i would also not want to spend a lot on a limited use vehicle. Why not just buy an old beater to serve this purpose? Most of their customers already drive fuel-efficient vehicles as it is. why would they want to move to a larger truck? It seems as if most would upgrade to one of Honda's crossovers before getting a truck
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Steve B. 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
it's the same setup at the CR-V: FWD unless the front wheels start slipping, and then it applies traction to the rear. This is actually a great setup as it avoids the spinning rear tires that so often accompany trucks.
My only problem with the Ridgeline are that it's overpriced. I currently own a compact pickup because it's extremely useful to carry bikes, move furniture, bring home bulky items, etc. Most of the time though, I don't even remove the tonneau cover as I'm just driving to and from work. In other words, it spends most of its life used as a car. I work in an office, not as a ranch hand or cow maneur shoveler, and the only time I go off-road is when I have to visit someone who lives out in the boonies somewhere, or when parking at a local fair or festival is packed.
I suspect the most I haul is probably 6-700 pounds, and usually nto even that. Usually it's just an entertainment center, a couch, or some other relatively light but bulky item. Why would I want a RWD vehicle that spins it's tires every time there is a little bit of ice or snow (or requires me to kill my mileage with hundreds of pounds of sand), or a vehicle with an old-school Jeep-style 4x4 system that adds mechanical complexity, higher repair costs, and sucks away mileage? I'm not trying to cross the Rubicon here, just get up a slick paved hill!
So, for me, an AWD that is primarily front biased is ideal. Now for the frame. As I said, I don't carry a whole lot of weight. I like the open bed to deal with bulky and/or messy things that I wouldn't stick in the trunk of a car or in the back of a minivan or SUV. So, why am I damned to drive a vehicle that has a solid axle that would've been right at home in a 1955 Chevrolet? Leaf sprung live-axles are fine if the road is smooth, but when you get on cracked freeways with lots of expansion joints in the concrete, they'll beat your spine to a pulp. Add in the better handling and accident avoidance of a IRS setup and the choice is once again clear.
The Ridgeline is not the perfect choice for everyone... it's not going to be good for a farmer or an avid outdoorsman hauling his bass cruiser out to the lake. Likewise, an F150 King Ranch for a suburbanite like me to drive to an office parking lot is equally stupid, and kudos to Honda for realizing that the truck market is expanding beyond blue collar workers.
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hammerin hank 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
a neighbor on my cul-de-sac has one, it is ugly.
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Paul S 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
#9 Steve B.
Those are my feelings almost exactly. If it was a little less expensive, I would already have one in my driveway.
I guess what I really want is a Honda El Camino.
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T Mac 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
They are a bit high in price. It's been interesting reading on the Ridgeline owners club board what people are paying across the US so far. Main thing is, they are still new so there is still demand so prices can stay higher. They'll come down over time.
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md 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
Paul,
Honda had a concept called the spocket a while back. It was a goofy little car with a bed and lamborghini doors.
A honda El Camino would be cool. they could base it off the civic similar to what VW did with the Rabbit Caddy pickup years back.
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Jean K Caruso 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
DO NOT PURCHASE THE 06 HONDA RIDGELINE !!!!
We bought the 06 just last week. Immediately found the floor full of water. A front end faulty factory weld is pulling in buckets of water during heavy rains. Check the online complaints. After 10 days in shop, next rainy day, water re-spilling in. Dealer not willing to help. He would not even call Honda for any Service Bulletin TSBS. Wiring rust, and electronic connections problems. Carpet itself is a loss. Shop vac-ing the water is a cover up.
BUYER BEWARE OF THIS MUCH TOUTED, FIRST OFF ASSEMBLY LINE SENSATION, riddled with a major factory recall potential.
Good luck.
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Ian 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
#14 Sounds like you need to find a better Honda dealer. I have a lot of friends that work at one and they'd never turn away a brand new car with problems like that.
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Scott 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
I had always thought that when Honda came out with a truck, I'd buy it. Their cars have always been reliable and affordable. When the Ridgeline came out, I was extremely disappointed. I thought it was uglier than the Avalanche, which I didn't think was possible. It is innovative, yes, but damn it's fugly. Maybe Flint should have spent a little more time on the design to make it look like a truck, not a fruck.
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david 10:25PM (12/18/2005)
That is the most ugly vehicle I have ever seen. The one piece body should rattle nicely before long if it is taken off road more than a few times. They should stick to making grocery getters and the other vehicles that will have a huge hole where you were sitting after you get T-boned by a Ford Ranger. I have a CR-V. Reliable yes but will not buy another honda after this due to safety concerns.
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