Honda Ridgeline
The Honda Ridgeline is a mid-size pickup truck manufactured by Honda. The Ridgeline is the only pickup truck currently produced by Honda. The Ridgeline is built using a unibody frame, a transverse-mounted engine, and is only offered in a crew–cab short-box configuration with one powertrain.[3][4][5]
| Honda Ridgeline | |
|---|---|
2022 Honda Ridgeline RTL | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Honda |
| Production | 2005[1] – early 2015 Mid 2016 – present |
| Model years | 2006–2014 2017–present |
| Assembly | Canada: Alliston, Ontario (HCM) (2004–2009) United States: Lincoln, Alabama (HMA) (2008–2015, 2016–present) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Mid-size pickup truck |
| Body style | 4-door pickup truck |
| Layout | Front-engine, front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive (2017–2020); Front-engine, four-wheel drive only (2021–present)[2] |
First generation (YK1; 2006) edit
The first generation Ridgeline went on sale in March 2005 as a 2006 model year vehicle.[6] According to the author of The Car Design Yearbook, the Ridgeline was "Honda's first foray into the true heartland of the American automotive way of life—the pickup truck."[7] It was designed and engineered by an engineering team from Honda R&D Americas, led by Gary Flint.[8][9] According to the author of Driving Honda, the automaker wanted to target buyers who were looking to transition out of sedans, minivans, and sport utility vehicles (SUV) into pickups.[8]
The development started in 2001 when the engineering team began experimenting with their first development mule, an extended version of a first generation Acura MDX with a competitor's pickup bed integrated into the rear structure.[10] After four years of development, the final design was revealed to the public as Honda's Sport Utility Truck Concept at the 2004 North American International Auto Show.[3] Later that same year, Honda unveiled a revised version of their pickup concept at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show and announced the official name of the vehicle, the Ridgeline.[11] The production version of the Ridgeline was unveiled the following year at the 2005 North American International Auto Show.[6]
Honda's publications state that the first generation Ridgeline shared only 7% of its components with other Honda vehicles. Its powertrain resembled the one used in the first generation Acura MDX but was "extensively calibrated and strengthened" for heavier hauling and towing duties.[3]
Production of the first generation Ridgeline ended in early 2015.[12]
Second generation (YK2/3; 2017) edit
After a one-year hiatus in Ridgeline production, the second generation of their mid-size truck went on sale in June 2016 as a 2017 model year vehicle.[13] The second generation Ridgeline took a different approach in design from the first generation Ridgeline by sharing Honda's new "global light truck platform,"[14] found in the third generation Honda Pilot as well as other large Honda vehicles.[15][16] However, Honda did have to modify the Pilot platform in order to support their second generation pickup, including extending the wheelbase and modifying various parts to support hauling, towing, and off-road use.[17][18] Despite these modifications, Honda has stated that 73% of the second generation Ridgeline's components remain common in some way with the third generation Pilot.[17]
Honda has stated that nearly every major component has been beefed up with a 17% stronger front structure, a 31% sturdier rear,[19] and 50% of the chassis' components changed or were strengthened for the second generation Ridgeline.[18][20] The second generation Ridgeline's new structure gives it an average 78 lb (35 kg) reduction in weight from the first generation pickup.[14][17] The C-pillar and rear subframe were strengthened giving the second generation 28% more torsional rigidity over the first generation Ridgeline.[17][21]
Marketing edit
In addition to being a unibody pickup with a transverse-mounted engine, and a crew-cab short-box configuration, Honda and some automotive journalists have described other noteworthy aspects of the Ridgeline.[3][4][22][23][24]
Some in the automotive press that have studied the first generation Ridgeline, such as PickupTrucks.com, consider it "one of those odd vehicles." They wrote, "The Ridgeline can't really do what most people who like trucks need it to do."[25] Others in the automotive press, such as The Driver's Seat TV, had differing views and call the Ridgeline, "the Swiss Army knife of trucks." They also called the Ridgeline "the anti-truck" and summarized their view by saying "the Ridgeline scores high on practicality but very low on image."[26]
Compared to the first generation Ridgeline, Honda's second generation Ridgeline has the automotive press changing its tune, yet it still has an image problem. Gearheads.org wrote the "2017 Honda Ridgeline still won’t get respect but should" stating, its "downside is going to be looks."[27] Car and Driver wrote, "The company [Honda] readily admits that the problem with the first generation pickup was that the styling was off-putting, but then it went ahead and made the next iteration of the truck just as unconventional as before."[28] "The Ridgeline’s roomy cabin, ample storage, smooth ride, and innovative touches make its rivals seem outdated. ...it not only has cargo space, but also the makings of a great tailgate party..."[29]
Karl Forster, a member of the SAE trailer towing group who was vehicle dynamics project leader on Honda's unibody Ridgeline pickup and Pilot SUV, says Honda's ratings come from actual customer usage. "We spent a fair amount of time observing and talking to light-truck customers to understand how they use and load their vehicles and how they tow trailers," he says. "For the Ridgeline, our survey found out that 84 percent of truck buyers tow 5000 pounds or less."[30]
Production and sales edit
According to Honda, the Ridgeline was not designed to steal sales from the more traditional trucks sold in North America, but was developed to "give the 18% of Honda owners who also own pickups a chance to make their garages a Honda-only parking area."[31] Despite the first generation Ridgeline's poor sales,[32] according to the author of Driving Honda, this mid-size pickup was one of the more profitable vehicles for Honda[8] with reported sales in over 20 countries.[33]
The second generation Ridgeline sales appeared to start strong[34] but comparing sales in the US between 2017 and 2018 shows a 12% decline overall.[35] A 2018 Autoline Daily report stated the Ridgeline is the only mid-size truck in North America whose sales are down in a market that "suggests there’s room for more players."[36]
| Calendar year | Sales | Production | |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | CAN | ||
| 2004 | 199 | ||
| 2005 | 42,593 | 3,512 | 60,679 |
| 2006 | 50,193 | 4,988 | 56,866 |
| 2007 | 42,795 | 4,519 | 55,150 |
| 2008 | 33,875 | 3,987 | 25,264 |
| 2009 | 16,464 | 3,546 | 16,180 |
| 2010 | 16,142 | 3,200 | 20,180 |
| 2011 | 9,759 | 1,713 | 13,356 |
| 2012 | 14,068 | 2,226 | 21,361 |
| 2013 | 17,723 | 2,122 | 19,557 |
| 2014 | 13,389 | 1,803 | 10,015 |
| 2015 | 520 | 229 | 154 |
| 2016 | 23,668 | 2,622 | 34,599 |
| 2017 | 34,749 | 4,632 | 39,282 |
| 2018 | 30,592 | 4,094 | 46,123 |
| 2019 | 33,334 | 3,405 | 29,246 |
| 2020 | 32,168 | 3,369 | 34,055 |
| 2021 | 41,355 | 3,491 | 41,822 |
| 2022 | 42,762 | 1,206 | |
Awards edit
- North American Car of the Year for 2006 and 2017.[38]
- Canadian Car of the Year and Best New Pickup for 2006[39][40]
- MotorTrend's 2006 Truck of the Year[38]
- Car and Driver's #1 mid-size truck for 2006,[41] and 2017–2019[29][42][43]
- Autobytel's 2006 Truck of the Year[44]
- Sobre Ruedas (On Wheels, a Latin American automotive magazine) 2005 Best Pick-up Truck[44]
- Auto123.com's 2017 Pickup of the Year[45]
- J.D. Power and Associates' Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Award for 2006–2008,[17][44] 2017,[46] and 2018[47]
- Green Car Journal's 2017 Green Truck of the Year[48]
- Consumer Guide Automotive's Best Buy Award for 2017–2019[38][49][50]
- Kelley Blue Book's Top Ten Best Resale Value Award for 2017–2019[51][52][53]
- The Car Connection's Best Pickup to Buy for 2018[54]
- Women's Choice Awards in the Eco-Friendly and Safety categories for 2018[55]
- Popular Mechanics' 2006 Automotive Excellence Award for functionality[44]
- Society of Plastics Engineers 2006 Grand Award for the composite in–bed trunk[56]
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's first four-door pickup to earn five-star safety rating[38]
- IIHS's first pickup to earn the Top Safety Pick-Plus award (2017)[38] and has also earned the Top Safety Pick award for 2009, 2012, 2013, and is the only pickup to earn the award for 2018 and 2019[57]
- SCORE Baja off-road race winner in the Stock Mini Class in 2008[58] and 2010[59] as well as Class 7 in 2015,[60] 2016,[61] 2018,[62] and 2019[63]
- iSeeCars.com's longest-lasting truck, most likely to reach 200,000 miles[64]
References edit
- ^ Williams, Evan. "Honda Celebrates 30 Years of Canadian Production (3 Nov 2016)". Autotrader.ca. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ Beresford, Colin (14 January 2021). "2021 Honda Ridgeline Gets $350 Price Hike, Drops Front-Wheel Drive (14 January 2021)". Car and Driver. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d . Honda Canada Finance Inc. 22 March 2005. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
- ^ a b 2017 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit (complete document) 2016-07-28 at the Wayback Machine, American Honda Motor Company Inc., dated 9 May 2016, last accessed 18 January 2018
- ^ "Honda Ridgeline Prices, Reviews, and Pictures | Edmunds". Edmunds.com. 2020-01-17. from the original on 2018-11-21. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
- ^ a b . hondanews.com (Press release). January 10, 2005. Archived from the original on 2017-09-02. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
- ^ The Car Design Yearbook, Issue 4 2016-09-24 at the Wayback Machine, Merrell Publishers, by Stephen Newbury, dated 2005, ISBN 9781858942865, last accessed August 18, 2018
- ^ a b c Jeffrey Rothfeder (2015) [1st published 2014]. (paperback with "afterword" ed.). ISBN 9780141970769. Archived from the original on 2016-05-03. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ Crafting a pickup: Ex-GM engineer designed Ridgeline the Honda way 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine, Autoweek, by Richard Truett, dated June 13, 2005, last accessed November 12, 2016
- ^ 50 Years of American Dreams, The Challenging Spirit (page 151) 2019-10-20 at the Wayback Machine, Honda North America, dated June 2009, last accessed October 20, 2019
- ^ Honda Names All-New 4-Door 4WD Truck 'Ridgeline' 2018-02-20 at the Wayback Machine, Honda Media Newsroom, dated November 2, 2004, last accessed February 19, 2018
- ^ a b "Honda 2022 Digital FactBook". Honda Corporate News. 9 September 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- ^ Honda 2019 Digital FactBook 2019-07-17 at the Wayback Machine, Honda News & Views, dated 17 July 2019, last accessed 17 July 2019
- ^ a b (Press release). American Honda Motor Company Inc. 9 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-07-28. Retrieved 18 January 2018. (Note: This early press release has been found to have errors when compared to the production version for the vehicle and the options made available to buyers, such as: the turning radius, RT and RTS interior colors, and exterior color names.)
- ^ 2017-2018 Honda Ridgeline, Honda's pickup for the non-pickup types 2022-03-19 at the Wayback Machine, TopSpeed.com, by Mark McNabb, dated 24 July 2017, last accessed 2 March 2019
- ^ 2019 Honda Passport already rolling off the assembly line in Alabama 2019-03-06 at the Wayback Machine, c/net, by Andrew Krok, dated 7 December 2018, last accessed 2 March 2019
- ^ a b c d e Steve Behm, Principal Underbody Design Engineer, 2017 Honda Ridgeline Body Development Leader, Honda R&D Americas (17 May 2017). . autosteel.org. Archived from the original on 2018-05-28. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b . HondaPro Jason (YouTube channel). 10 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-02-15. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ 2017 Honda Ridgeline First Drive Review 2020-09-23 at the Wayback Machine Car and Driver, by Jared Gall, dated 9 May 2016, last accessed 21 July 2019
- ^ Honda Ridgeline Carries Over for 2019 With 2 Minor Upgrades 2018-11-09 at the Wayback Machine, TorqueNews, by Parks McCants, dated 5 March 2018, last accessed 9 November 2018
- ^ Mid-Size Trucks Don't Need Frames 2016-09-06 at the Wayback Machine, Jalopnik, by David Tracy, dated 25 August 2016, last accessed 5 September 2016
- ^ Honda Ridgeline Pickup Truck Makes Canadian Debut in Montreal 2022-03-19 at the Wayback Machine, Auto123.com, dated 13 January 2005, last accessed 8 March 2019
- ^ 2017 Honda Ridgeline Named North American Truck of the Year in Detroit 2018-01-11 at the Wayback Machine, The News Wheel, dated 10 January 2017, last accessed 8 March 2019
- ^ 2017 Honda Ridgeline Only Pickup Truck to Achieve Top Safety Pick+ Rating 2019-02-20 at the Wayback Machine, The News Wheel, dated 8 December 2016, last accessed 14 March 2019
- ^ What's Going on With the Honda Ridgeline? 2014-06-18 at the Wayback Machine, PickupTrucks.com, by Mark Williams, dated 8 October 2011, last accessed 12 November 2016
- ^ In The Driver's Seat of the 2008 Honda Ridgeline 2016-04-19 at the Wayback Machine, YouTube, by The Driver’s Seat TV, dated 12 June 2008, last accessed 3 June 2019
- ^ 2017 Honda Ridgeline Still Won’t Get Respect But Should 2016-10-09 at the Wayback Machine, Gearheads.org, last accessed 7 October 2016
- ^ 2019 Ford Ranger vs. 2020 Jeep Gladiator vs. 2019 Chevrolet Colorado vs. 2019 Honda Ridgeline 2019-08-11 at the Wayback Machine, Car and Driver, by Jared Gall, dated 1 May 2019, last accessed 24 August 2019
- ^ a b Medium Done Well: Mid-Size Pickups Ranked-#1 Honda Ridgeline 2016-09-01 at the Wayback Machine, Car and Driver, last accessed 15 August 2016
- ^ "The Numbers Game: How Truck Makers Determine Towing Capacity - Consumer Feature - Truck Trend". Truck Trend. 2009-08-29. from the original on 2017-05-02. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
- ^ Honda re-thinks the pickup: the Ridgeline comes closer to merging the virtues of both cars and pickup trucks than any other vehicle. Honda calls it the first next generation pickup, but will others follow its lead? 2015-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, Automotive Design & Production, dated 1 April 2005, last accessed 1 December 2014
- ^ Honda 2018 Digital FactBook 2019-04-16 at the Wayback Machine, Honda News & Views, dated 31 July 2018, last accessed 1 August 2018
- ^ Honda Appeals After Chile Disqualifies Pickup for Tax Credit 2017-02-13 at the Wayback Machine, Bloomberg BNA, by Tom Azzopardi, dated 19 January 2017, last accessed 12 February 2017
- ^ 2017 Honda Ridgeline sales show good momentum for August 2016-09-03 at the Wayback Machine, TorqueNews.com, by Parks McCants, dated 1 September 2016, last accessed 3 September 2016
- ^ Trucks Drive New Records and Acura Turns a Corner as American Honda Posts December Sales Increase 2019-01-04 at the Wayback Machine, Hondanews.com, dated 3 January 2019, last accessed 3 January 2019
- ^ AD #2493 – FCA Retools Engine Plant for Jeeps, Mid-Size Pickup Segment Soars, How the Jeep Gladiator Got Its Name 2018-12-29 at the Wayback Machine, Autoline TV, dated 7 December 2018, last accessed 28 December 2018
- ^ Honda Ridgeline Sales Figures 2018-01-08 at the Wayback Machine, GoodCarBadCar, last accessed February 3, 2019 (Note: 2016 sales numbers include a few Gen1 Ridgeline sales—three in the US and eight in Canada—that were taken into account when posting the sales figures for this article. Additionally, February 2012 sales figures on GoodCarBadCar's website are in error, according to Honda's press release 2019-06-06 at the Wayback Machine, and have been adjusted accordingly.)
- ^ a b c d e Honda 2017 Digital FactBook 2019-01-05 at the Wayback Machine, Hondanews.com, dated 22 May 2017, last accessed 5 January 2019
- ^ Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, 2006 Best New Pick-up 2015-10-05 at the Wayback Machine, Previous Winners (Vehicle Comparisons)/Canadian Car of the Year, last accessed 11 October 2015
- ^ Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, 2006 Canadian Truck of the Year 2015-10-05 at the Wayback Machine, Previous Winners (Vehicle Comparisons)/Canadian Car of the Year, last accessed 11 October 2015
- ^ 2006 Honda Ridgeline RTS, First Place: Do-It-All Compact Pickups 2016-11-27 at the Wayback Machine, Car & Driver, by Larry Webster, dated June 2005, last accessed 26 November 2016
- ^ Unique and Highly Capable Honda Ridgeline Named to Car and Driver Magazine List of the 2018 10Best Trucks and SUVs 2018-03-06 at the Wayback Machine, Hondanews.com, dated 10 January 2018, last accessed 5 March 2018
- ^ Honda Ridgeline Named to Car and Driver Magazine List of the 2019 10Best Trucks and SUVs 2019-01-19 at the Wayback Machine, Hondanews.com, dated 16 January 2019, last accessed 19 January 2019
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- ^ Honda CR-V and Ridgeline J.D. Power & Associates “2017 APEAL Award” Winners; Honda Brand Places Highly in APEAL Study Rankings 2017-08-27 at the Wayback Machine, Honda Media Newsroom, dated 23 August 2017, last accessed 26 August 2017
- ^ Honda Accord and Ridgeline Named as J.D. Power & Associates "2018 APEAL Award" Winners with CR-V and Odyssey Also Highly Ranked 2018-08-02 at the Wayback Machine, hondanews.com, dated 27 July 2018, last accessed 1 August 2018
- ^ San Antonio Auto Show Green Car Awards 2018-07-28 at the Wayback Machine, Green Car Journal, dated 15 November 2016, last accessed 28 July 2018
- ^ 2018 Honda Ridgeline Best Buy Review 2018-01-19 at the Wayback Machine, Consumer Guide Automotive, last accessed 18 January 2018
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- ^ 2019 Best Resale Value Awards: Top Ten Cars 2018-01-08 at the Wayback Machine, Kelley Blue Book, last accessed 23 January 2019
- ^ 2018 Honda Ridgeline Named as The Car Connection Best Pickup to Buy 2018-03-06 at the Wayback Machine, Hondanews.com, dated 20 November 2017, last accessed 5 March 2018
- ^ Seven Honda Vehicles Earn Multiple Women’s Choice Awards 2018-07-15 at the Wayback Machine, hondanews.com, dated 29 November 2017, last accessed 15 July 2018
- ^ 35th-Anniversary Innovation Awards Gala, "License To Thrill" 2017-11-03 at the Wayback Machine, Automotive Plastics News, dated January 2006 (Volume 35, Issue 2), last accessed 26 November 2016
- ^ Top Safety Picks, Large pickup (go to "Other years" and select the one you want to view) 2019-06-29 at the Wayback Machine, IIHS.org, last accessed 29 June 2019
- ^ Honda Ridgeline Grabs First-Ever Baja 1000 Win 2015-09-28 at the Wayback Machine, PickupTrucks.com, by Mike Levine, dated 22 November 2008, last accessed 20 September 2015
- ^ Honda Ridgeline Wins Again at Baja 2015-09-28 at the Wayback Machine, Honda News & Views, dated 23 November 2010, last accessed 20 September 2015
- ^ Honda Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Conquers Baja 1000 2016-01-29 at the Wayback Machine, Hondanews.com, dated 22 November 2015, last accessed 27 November 2015
- ^ Honda Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Takes Class Victory at Baja 500 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine, hondanews.com, dated 7 June 2016, last accessed 5 November 2017
- ^ Honda Picks Up a 2018 Baja 500 Class Win With Ridgeline 2018-06-24 at the Wayback Machine, PickupTrucks.com, by Mark Williams, dated 15 June 2018, last accessed 23 June 2018
- ^ New Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Debuts With Baja 500 Victory 2022-03-19 at the Wayback Machine, hondanews.com, dated 2 June 2019
- ^ The Longest-Lasting Cars to Reach 200,000 Miles and Beyond 2019-05-24 at the Wayback Machine, iSeeCars.com, by Julie Blackley, last accessed 8 March 2019
External links edit
- Honda Ridgeline Owners Club (ROC) forum
- The Story Behind The Honda Ridgeline's Wildly, Unusually Detailed Wikipedia Page