2006 Interview with Gary Flint
Ridgeline Owners Club had the privilege of asking a few questions of Gary Flint recently. Gary is the LPL (Large Project Leader) aka Chief Engineer for the Honda Ridgeline. In other words, he's the guy with the answers and the “scoop” about this exciting truck from Honda that we all love so much.
ROC: First, how are things going with sales and the market response to the Ridgeline, in your opinion?
GF: In regards to your question about market reception; During the Ridgeline introduction at the Detroit Auto show, we succeeded in capturing the attention of the automotive world. This was the best attended unveiling at the Honda display in Detroit so far. We were successful at maintaining the confidentiality regarding the most innovative aspects of this truck which surprised even myself that we kept this secret. The Ridgeline in-fact won Autoweek’s coveted “Most Significant New Vehicle Award” at this years Detroit Auto Show. It has been said that this is the most significant development in the pick-up truck segment in over 50 years. Since the Detroit Auto Show, the praise and recognition have not stopped. As you know it was chosen by a major consumer magazine as the “best pick” in the compact truck segment. Car and Driver also rated it number one in their most recent comparison of “do-it-all” compact trucks. This has been preceded by countless praises from almost every source of automotive journalist in both the US and Canada. Finally, it is the only 4 door truck ever tested by NHTSA to receive a triple crown by achieving a 5 star crash rating in both the front and side impact tests as well as a 4 star roll-over rating with no wheel tip-up. This truck is not only revolutionary – it is also the safest truck on the market to transport your family.
In terms of buyers of the Ridgeline, we are honestly surprised at the number of conquest sales that we have pulled from the full size truck segment. So far through August of 2005, we have sold 22,474 units in the US (and an additional 2,066 units in Canada through August). Sales continue to grow each month including the latest August monthly sales figures which finished at 4,308 units which is our strongest sales month so far. We need to keep in mind the Ridgeline was launched in an extremely conservative market segment in which most of the competitors simultaneously launched new vehicles. This is also a completely new segment for Honda which is perhaps our biggest hurdle: awareness of the product. Additionally, being a new market category, we are experiencing some educational issues among the sales force. We continue to monitor the success of our advertising campaign to ensure awareness of the product in the marketplace. Also, I recently finished filming an instructional video to be used as a sales training piece at the dealership level.
One of the biggest misconceptions is regarding pricing: There are still individuals comparing the Ridgeline to stripped-down compact trucks which are a completely separate segment of the market – both from a use and a demographic viewpoint. If you compare the Ridgeline to a comparably equipped 4 door 4wd compact truck, the Ridgeline is priced approximately $1200-1500 less. This coupled with the fact the Ridgeline offers so many unique features that are not available on other trucks; one would conclude there really isn’t much that directly competes or compares with it. We are encouraged and optimistic the latest sales trend will continue as recognition increases and awareness becomes less of an issue.
ROC: You indicated in an earlier conversation that you just spent some quality time driving the Ridgeline in various elements, like sand on the beach. What's it like getting behind the wheel of a vehicle that you first saw in sketches and you helped to create from the ground up?
GF: First off I would like to say that I was fortunate to have led a team of outstanding engineers during the development of the Ridgeline. This was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to be on the ground floor of creating a product and entering a brand new market segment for Honda. I drive a Ridgeline every day and am consistently pleased with the outcome of the vehicle. Looking back, there are very few decisions I would change in leading the team that developed and brought this vehicle to market. It is amazing to finally see one of the most closely guarded secrets at Honda being actualized on the road. It is rewarding to experience the performance of this vehicle in everyday use. It was a true pleasure to blow by some of the so-called off-road vehicles stuck in the deep sand on the Outer Banks Beach in North Carolina.
I have also spent a significant amount of time driving, hauling and towing with this vehicle. It makes me proud to finally be able to appreciate all the difficult decisions and hard work it took to develop this vehicle. The Ridgeline actually out performs any of the direct competitors at executing its intended truck functions. Additionally, it is setting a new benchmark for ride and handling in a truck – both the loaded and un-loaded conditions.
Some owners have expressed concern about fuel mileage and I’d like to address that here being that I have driven over 20,000 miles in a Ridgeline in real-world conditions. The Ridgeline has one of the lowest coefficients of drag compared to any of the current comparable truck competitors. If you confirm the actual real world fuel economy in a controlled situation with calibrated re-fueling techniques, you will find it is one of the most fuel efficient trucks in the segment (with equivalent towing specification – ie: V6 gasoline engine). I have personally achieved 22.6 mpg with my truck in real world driving at 70-75mph (with a tonneau cover which reduces drag slightly).
Based on previous market experience, displaying fuel economy information actually increases market complaints. Either from inaccuracies from re-fueling techniques (the system is typically more accurate at calculating fuel economy than the consumer), or displaying real-time information. The average consumer does not fully understand the engineering impact of weather affects, temperature (air density), or driving habits (speed/traffic).
