Subdriven | The Subaru Enthuisast Website

The 2006 Honda Ridgeline.

Nothing even comes close. No, not a hybrid of some sort, like the Lexus RX400h. No, not some new super-sexy sports car, like the Corvette Z06. No, not even the all-new SUV crossover Subaru B9 Tribeca. …And no, not some wild concept car, like the Jeep Hurricane; because, well… it’s a concept vehicle that will likely never find its way into someone’s garage. So the Honda Ridgeline it is. In fact I will go out on limb here and say that the Ridgeline will most likely be the most significant new model launch of the entire US auto show circuit for 2005.

Why do I feel so strongly about this? Very simply the new Ridgeline has just become the new paradigm by which all future pickups will be judged; especially those pickups that double as family haulers. Just like the trend-setting Honda CB750 motorcycle in 1969; and the trend-setting Honda Accord in 1976; and most recently, the trend-setting Honda Odyssey (with its 3rd-row folding magic seat); the Honda Ridgeline will forever be remembered as the trend-setting pickup that interjected some really new and novel creative problem solving into a market segment that until now was woefully short in that area. Those who use their trucks for commercial purposes will likely scoff at the Ridgeline. But mark my words, even the Ford Super Duty, etc., will eventually see some of the Ridgeline’s far-reaching influence.

Let’s look at some specifics:

• Honda considers the Ridgeline to be a midsize pickup truck; but it is a wide-body midsize pickup truck. It is nearly as wide as many fullsize pickups. This allows it to be the only midsize truck to have the ability to carry 4’ x 8’ paneling flat on the floor between the rear wheelhouses, as there 49.5 inches available. That means no more 2-tier loading, using 2” x 4” bed slats to accomplish that same feat. So it can handle this stuff just like the big boys can.

• It’s the first mainstream pickup with a fully independent suspension - finally!

• That IRS allows for a huge under-the-bed lockable storage trunk. You can put tools back there, thus eliminating the need for those tacky-looking bed-mounted diamond-plate toolboxes. You can put several golf bags back there. It’s also big enough to hold several suitcases - and if you’re into tailgate parties, just fill it with ice to cool a bunch of your favorite brewskies! Have no fear, as there is also a drain plug to rid itself of all the melted ice, when the game is over. Just make sure you have a designated driver assigned to the task of getting home…

• Then there’s the ingenious 2-way tailgate, which works much like the rear gate in your dad’s old Country Squire. This allows you to access the rear bed trunk (or the bed) soooooo very easily. In fact, once you’ve experienced it, you wonder why hasn’t some automaker already applied this (really old) idea to pickups before? It’s a classic case of the obvious design/engineering solution being right in front of your eyes - yet you never saw it, until now.

• It’s not just a Pilot or Odyssey on steroids. No sir. Honda has taken a unitized body and attached it to a full truck-like box frame. This vehicle is very stiff, very rugged, and I’ve been told it handles like no traditional pickup ever has before. Think car-like handling and ride, but with a 1500+ pound payload and 5000-pound towing. In addition, all the major components have been beefed up to meet the tasks ahead.

• The size is reasonable too. No longer does a truck buyer feel he must get a fullsize ½-ton to get the room needed for family and/or cargo. This is a BIG deal folks! I have long felt that the fullsize truck market as being completely out of control in terms of vehicle size. It seems long-time truck-makers feel each new succeeding generation of pickup must out-size its previous model, not to mention out-size the competition. To be honest, I really think all current so-called fullsize trucks are really supersized trucks. Now Honda has shown there is another and better way to do business.

• With its reasonable size, car-like handling, large lockable bed trunk, and 2-way bed gate, this new Honda really does become a true alternative to the traditional family car. And… I bet it will be an “easy sell” to your significant other too- an important, but often-overlooked consideration.

• The Ridgeline is not a pickup designed to impress others. It’s for the truck owner who knows what he/she needs in this type of vehicle. There’s very little “machismo” here. It’s mostly all about what makes the most sense for this type of vehicle purchase. No more, no less.

So is it perfect? No - no vehicle is perfect. The spare tire is located in that bed trunk compartment, which means if you have a flat tire with a load of loose mulch in the bed, you have problem. Maybe that spare could have been engineered so that it could be accessed from inside the rear of the cab? Speaking of the spare, what’s with equipping this “truck” with a temporary spare tire? Honda says there is room for a fullsize spare, so why not equip it with one in the first place? Temporary spare tires have no place on pickup trucks or SUVs. Also, there’s no low range for those who are the least bit serious about off-roading.

Okay, so what does this all have to do with Subaru?

I mean Subdriven is after all a “Subie” web site - for “Subieheads”…

Plenty! It’s no secret that the Subaru Baja has been less than a stellar success in terms of sales. There have been rumors that it won’t survive much longer. Well, if it’s not already dead, this new Ridgeline will likely be the final nail in the coffin.

This is the vehicle that the Baja should have been from day one. If the Baja is to survive into a second-generation model, Subaru needs to benchmark the Ridgeline. While another, but better, Outback-based Baja is certainly possible, it’s almost certain to fail, in light of the new Ridgeline’s debut. If not fail, it certainly won’t sell in numbers that will make it a good business proposition for Subaru to pursue. No, if Subaru has any intention of staying in the pickup truck business, which it should, it needs to chase this new wide-body, midsize Ridgeline.

Now with the addition of the B9 Tribeca, that’s now a very real possibility. It’s built on a larger and stronger platform, always good when you’re “talkin’ truck.” It’s still not as wide as the Ridgeline though, and that would need to be addressed. If Subaru should decide to build a B9 Baja, the vehicle needs to be able to handle the width of 4’ wide paneling flat on the bed floor, just as the Ridgeline can. If Subaru thinks this is not an issue to consider, I say this: Pack your bags, and go home. Don’t even consider a new pickup without that capability. Why? Because the Honda can; if you can’t match them on this aspect, you’re wasting your time and money.

Finally, I tip my hat to Honda for bestowing upon the American public a truly new and groundbreaking - and long overdue - way to think about how pickups should be designed and engineered. Frankly, I think this is very exciting, as I can’t wait to see how the other automakers respond to the Ridgeline. You can bet that many auto executives and product planners from Detroit and Tokyo are going to be losing a lot of sleep, figuring out ways to combat this new and very worthy competitor. Come on Subaru! You can do it too! I know you can. See this new Ridgeline - not as an excuse to kill off the Baja - but rather as an opportunity from which SOA and its customers can benefit.