Feature > New Vehicle Reviews
'06 Honda Ridgeline
Driving the Redgeline: Honda’s first entry into the pickup market is a mid-sized winner
story and photos by Bruce W. Smith
Honda Ridgeline body profile has strong characteristics of the Chevy Avalanche, against which the new pickup competes. Ridgeline is all-wheel-drive with four-wheel-independent suspension.
Frank Vessels’ world-class Quarter horse breeding ranch is a nice little spread that covers 3,200 acres in the heart of some of the richest and most productive wine country in Southern California. Situated near the city of Temecula, the long valley, flanked by steep hills with knife-edge ridges, is an idyllic setting that isolates its occupants from the nearby interstates and bustle of San Diego a few miles to the southwest.
It is also the perfect setting for Honda to show off the 2006 Ridgeline — the company’s first entry into the ultra-competitive and ever-expanding world of four-door pickups.
Yes, you heard right: Honda is introducing a pickup.
Not just any pickup, but an AWD, four-door that sets its sights on the likes of the Toyota Tacoma, Dodge Dakota, Nissan Frontier, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, as well as the Chevy Avalanche and the full-size pickups.
Our first impression of the 2006 Ridgeline is that this mid-size is the most advanced, comfortable, and utility-friendly pickup to hit the market. This conclusion was drawn after spending more than a day behind the wheel on the interstates and country roads north of San Diego, and a half-day roaming the dirt roads that carve deep into the hills and ridges on Vessels’ ranch.
Innovation Leader
Ridgeline is just at home on dirt back roads as it is the shopping mall.
Honda has always been a technology leader, be it in their cars, vans, outboards, ATVs, generators or lawn equipment. So it is no surprise the Ridgeline takes the same course and brings with it innovations that make life easier, more efficient, more comfortable whether the new pickup is being used for family, work, or personal use.
For example, Honda’s new pickup features a really cool trunk hidden beneath the rear half of the bed floor. Swing open the dual-opening position tailgate (it can be either dropped down like a conventional pickup tailgate or swung open like a door), and there’s a locking latch on the end of the bed.
Slip your fingers inside the latch and the bed floor lifts as if by magic, revealing an enormous waterproof and secure storage compartment large enough to carry three sets of golf clubs or a 70-quart cooler. It is also the storage space for the full-size spare tire, which slides snugly into its own compartment under the forward section of the 5-foot-long bed’s floor.
A trunk in a pickup; who would have thought. Only Honda.
In fact, storage space in the Ridgeline far exceeds that of any of the mid-size offerings, and actually rivals that of the Chevy Avalanche and other full-size pickups.
The bed, although only 5-feet in length, measures 49 inches wide between the wheel wells (only an inch narrower than the Avalanche and F-150) and stretches out to 6-1/2-feet with the tailgate dropped. The bed utilizes composite material reinforced with a trio of steel cross members. It is rated to handle 1,100 pounds of cargo — of any type.
The tailgate is load rated for more than 300 pounds, making it the strongest in the pickup market and ideal for loading/carrying today’s 600-pound ATVs. Four integrated bed lights and a half-dozen strategically placed tie-downs makes it well suited to haul a pair of dirt bikes, and ATV, refrigerators, plants, or just about any other item pickup owners find themselves hauling.
A truck-style boxed frame with seven crossmembers is integrated into the Ridgeline’s unibody.
Inside the spacious cab is more storage/cargo space. The rear seat is totally open underneath, providing slide-under storage and a flat floor. The seat is split, and one side or both can be folded up against the rear cab wall so a mountain bike or other bulky items can be stored.
Rider Friendly
The Ridgeline is also very occupant friendly. Leg and headroom is abundant both front and rear. The rear seatback angle is the best of any pickup; sitting in back for long rides is near car-like, the padding a little firm, but comfortable. Cup holders and nooks for keeping smaller items abound.
As one would expect from a Honda, the interior is well-appointed. Instrumentation is easy to read and the heating/air-conditioning/stereo/navigation systems easy to use. By the way, the Ridgeline doesn’t carryover any interior parts from previous Honda or Acura products. This is an all-new vehicle.
Visibility out the front and sides is excellent. The sloped hoodline makes it easy to judge distance — and the slope of the bed sides and slightly lowered height of the tailgate gives the Ridgeline driver a decent rear view as well.
With its boxed-rail truck-like chassis embedded in the unibody, the Ridgeline exhibits exceptional stability. Towing a 5,000-pound trailer without the need of a weight-distribution hitch is just one of the new truck’s attributes.
The door openings are large, step-in height low. Grab handles are nicely positioned and abundant to help those who need such assists get in and out easily. They are also nice when the security and smoothness of the asphalt road is discarded in favor of an off-road adventure.
On-road or off, the ride is excellent and noise from outside elements nearly non-existent.
Technically Speaking
The innovations in interior design, under-bed storage, and smoothness in ride and handling are the result of Honda designing the new Ridgeline with four-wheel-independent suspension combined with a truck-like closed box-frame chassis integrated into a ultra-rigid unibody design.
This cutaway view shows spare tire is tucked inside a trunk-like compartment beneath the floor of the steel crossmember-reinforced composite bed.
With the truck-style boxed frame and seven cross members Honda says the Ridgeline is 20 times stronger than a conventional pickup chassis when it comes to testing frame twist. This is more than apparent when we drove around the ranch, crossing creeks, over suspension twisting sections of trails, and sped along the tight ridgeline roads. The new pickup handled all with relative ease.
As it should — the drivetrain is the only “carry-over” from other Honda products. The engine and all-wheel-drive drivetrain is from the renowned Acura MDX sport-utility. The 3.5L V6 makes 255 horsepower at 5,750 rpm and 252 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm.
But the engine’s Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) design and dual-stage intake manifold design allows it to make good torque from about 2800 rpm and up, which is where a lot of off-road adventures will find a comfortable driving speed.
The 5-speed automatic and 4.53:1 axle gear ratios also contribute to the Ridgeline’s strong performance from a V-6, as does the drive-by-wire throttle. On- or off-road the Ridgeline is smooth and strong just like the MDX.
The AWD system is also MDX-derived. The Ridgeline is sure-footed on all types of surfaces. The AWD system is the Honda Variable Torque Management 4-Wheel-Drive (VTM-4) version that is fully automatic.
Double-opening tailgate can hold 300 pounds in the drop-down position, stretching the bed to 6.5-feet, which is ideal for hauling a pair of dirt bikes or a big ATV.
It provides front-wheel-drive when the road conditions warrant. Then, when traction conditions deteriorate, the computer redistributes torque wherever it’s needed — be it rear (up to 70-percent), left side, right side or opposite corners.
It works seamlessly so the driver doesn’t have to do anything but steer and give it throttle.
If the computer detects too much wheel slip occurring because there’s too much throttle, it’ll take control of the throttle and back it off until traction is under control. Of course, you can override that feature by pressing a button on the dash that overrides the VTM-4 throttle control system.
You also have the option of engaging another button on the dash that overrides the automatic function of the electromagnetic limited-slip differential.
Doing so keeps the maximum voltage applied to the electromagnetic 19 wet clutch plates so the torque to the rear wheels is evenly split. This is usually only needed in a situation where traction conditions are at their absolute worst, such as deep sand, mud, snow, or when one rear wheel comes completely off the ground when crossing uneven terrain.
Real-World Use
When it comes to use, the Ridgeline will surprise a lot of buyers looking for a new pickup.
Suspension travel is moderate and chassis very rigid, as shown by the wheel-high antics when traversing a very difficult section of test track designed to show any weaknesses in body/chassis flex. Honda’s VTM-4 AWD system makes up for any traction loss due to such tire lifting.
Not only is the ride sweet, it is also quite capable in the real world. It can tow 5,000 pounds without need of weight-distribution hitches and sway control bars. When such a trailer is in tow, the Ridgeline is more stable than full-size pickups rated to pull nearly twice as much.
The four-wheel disc brakes are both big and stout, bringing the 4,500-pound four-door to a stop straight and true. And best of all, the Ridgeline gets 16 mpg around town and 21 mpg on the highway, giving it a driving range of more than 450 miles on the open road.
Those are the types of numbers and characteristics many off-road adventurers looking for a new pickup can appreciate.
The 2006 Ridgeline, which will be priced less than $28,000 for the nicely appointed base model, will be at dealers the first week of March 2005.
Basic Specifications:
| 2006 Honda Ridgeline | |
|---|---|
| MSRP: | $27,735 (RT); $29,750 (RTS); $31,735 (RTL) |
| Major options (est. cost): | Moonroof ($1,000), Navigation system ($2,000) |
| Body: | 4-door Pickup |
| Seating capacity: | 5 |
| Drivetrain: | All-wheel-drive |
| Engine: | 255 hp 3.5L V6 |
| Transmission: | 5 spd Automatic |
| Suspension: | Independent: McPherson strut-front; Multi-link with trailing arm-rear |
| Steering: | Variable-assist rack-and-pinion |
| Wheelbase: | 122 in. |
| Track f/r: | 67.1 / 66.9 in. |
| Overall length: | 206.8 in |
| Height: | 68.1 in. |
| Ground clearance: | 8.2 in. |
| Bed length: | 5 ft. (tailgate up) |
| EPA estimated numbers: | 16 city / 21 highway |
| Towing capacity: | 5,000 lbs |
| Payload capacity: | 1,558 lbs |
| NHTSA Roll Stability: | 4 star (no tip up) |
| Crash protection rating: | 5-star |
| Air bags: | Side curtain and front standard |
| Federal emissions classification: | ULEV-2 / 50 State |