Auto News: Honda counting on sheep to stir interest in Ridgeline

[Born2Drive]

Being a different type of chassis, it might (?) also ride a little smoother and handle a little better than a conventional pickup, but I can't verify that......I haven't test-driven the latest version. Most truck-buyers in this class, though, aren't as concerned about ride comfort as towing/hauling ability, though the Dodge Ram (a generally larger truck) prides itself on its ability to combine both both work-ability and comfort...where it does deliver.

Ram really makes those 300C drivers looking pathetic......

 

[mmcartalk]

Ram really makes those 300C drivers looking pathetic......

The Hemi-equipped 300C actually has fairly firm underpinnings and tires (the SRT-8 model even more so)...they are not soft-riding luxo-cruisers like the Kia K900 or Hyundai Equus. The base V6 300 has more compliant tires and suspension.

Anyhow, back to the new Ridgeline, have you had a chance to drive the new one? I'd guess not, unless you have a connection to the auto press or they have an advance-preview one locally where you are. It is not going to be officially released until spring.

 

[IS-SV]

^ Oh I missed the vege bears too.

But I saw Bruno Mars and Beyoncé so that was good.

(And I saw the blue angels fly over the Santa Clara Valley and over the stadium from my backyard deck. )

 

[mmcartalk]

^ Oh I missed the vege bears too.

Here. Catch up.

 

[IS-SV]

^ Thanks, (I think, because there's 30 seconds I'll never get back).

 

[mikeavelli]

MPG is really disappointing considering its a FWD uni-body...

http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/the-2...3800299#_ga=1.238052800.1543457900.1420225497

 

[mmcartalk]

MPG is really disappointing considering its a FWD uni-body...

Could be any one of a number of reasons (besides the obvious one of a body that is not very aerodynamic), but one of them might be in the transmission and/or final-drive gearing. Pickups trucks have to be geared for power and torque-muitiplication rather than cruising, though of course adding some tall gears to the upper-end of the transmission helps.

An old trick, BTW, for cutting down on drag on a pickup (assuming that the bed is not loaded or a tonneau-cover is not used) is to simply let the tailgate down.

 

[GSCT]

I find the Ridgeline odd. It's neither truck nor SUV and not a very good version of either. My best guess is that the new one will have marginally greater appeal than the last one as it at least looks like a truck.

 

[mmcartalk]

On a slightly different subject (though still topic/Ridgeline-related), Ford should consider bringing back the Explorer Sport Trac (which was essentially a four-door Ranger with a short bed). That was a real body-on-frame truck, done on a mid-size chassis just like the Ridgeline, and more versatile because you could do mild off-roading and tow heavier loads. It also had a flip-down bed-extender (with the tailgate down), for longer loads.

Now that Ford is looking into bringing back a slightly larger, mid-size Ranger pickup and two-door Bronco, it probably wouldn't take much additional tooling to do another four-door Sport Trac. It would probably decimate what few Ridgeline sales there are, except for die-hard Honda supporters. A close friend of mine has a 15-year old, 2001 model Sport Trac that has been useful, reliable, and still runs quite well.