Forbes: 2006 Honda Ridgeline RTL (http://www.forbes.com/vehicles/2005/05/02/cx_mf_0502test.html)

by Michael Frank

That's an excellent article. They must have had the GenII trunk, though. :)

Great article. I think it describes Honda's advantage really well.

This truck was never intended to replace the need for an F350.
But a Dakota...Colorado....Frontier...Tacoma ...all better watch out.
Within the next five years, they're all going to have to make serious advances in innovation. Which, in the end, is best for all of us.

But one thing I didn't get...
What are 8 by 10 sheets of plywood?
or even 5 by 8 for that matter?
Maybe I misunderstood.

Excellent article. I like how it stated that the Ridgeline is not intended to replace a Ford F150 but to give potential truck buyers another choice.

If I read the article right, it seems to suggest that by keeping the production volume low, the foreign manufacturers can avoid all the incentives that the Big 3 have to include to move their trucks out of the showroom. I guess for those on the fence about purchasing a Ridgeline, it appears that they (Honda) will not alter their manufacturing output drastically to meet demand. I guess Honda is known to function in this manner so prices should not drop much....so what are you waiting for...stop reading this and buy a Ridgeline!!!! :)

"Cool Factor" I like that terminology.

Controlling volume also increases resale value :cool: . But I'm thinking: Why would I sell anyway? :D

It seems like the media has been hammering nails into the coffin of American auto industry for a while now. I don't buy it, but then again, I don't buy American cars either. ;)

Build it and they will come.Follow the leader....Happy Honda:)

Great article. It's that way of thinking that the foreign manufacturers try to get a foothold in a large segment and succeed. 50,000 pick-ups here, 270,000 Toys there, and the next thing you know: GM selling stock for 6.00 a share!!

.....
But one thing I didn't get...
What are 8 by 10 sheets of plywood?
or even 5 by 8 for that matter?
Maybe I misunderstood.

Yeah, I'm with ya on that one. Can someone please explain this gibberish?

True, this is still a short-bed truck, so 8-by-10 foot sheets of plywood:confused: will hang way out the back. But there is enough width between the wheel wells to put a standard, 48-inch-wide sheet into this bed, so a 5-by-8 foot sheet, with the tailgate left down and the wood flagged, would fit just fine. :confused:

Other than this paragraph, I have to say this is one of the best reviews I have seen of the Ridgeline......anywhere.

fins

Forbes knows plywood.:rolleyes:

So how did they test drive a 2005 Ridgeline? Mine's a 2006!

Otherwise, not a bad article (given the mistakes the others have pointed out)

-ridgeln

If I read the article right, it seems to suggest that by keeping the production volume low, the foreign manufacturers can avoid all the incentives that the Big 3 have to include to move their trucks out of the showroom. I guess for those on the fence about purchasing a Ridgeline, it appears that they (Honda) will not alter their manufacturing output drastically to meet demand. I guess Honda is known to function in this manner so prices should not drop much....so what are you waiting for...stop reading this and buy a Ridgeline!!!! :)On the contrary, Honda adjusts the output to meet demand, they just don't over-produce which is what causes the need for incentives. If GM and Ford had followed this practice, they would be in much better shape than they are today.

The problem (at least with GM) is they seem to be in denial. If I complained to them about my last Chevy truck, they treated me like I'd seen a ghost. It was my imagination or that I shouldn't care that it needed expensive repairs, because these are some of the most reliable trucks on the road.
They also have the outward attitude that they don't have to take Japanese trucks seriously. That's so stupid I can't even stand it. They said the same thing about Japanese cars back in the early eighties, and look where that got 'em.
I hope the American owned car companies wake up, but if they don't it's their own fault. I'm not spending my hard earned money on inferior products, so I can give them more of my hard earned money to fix them!

Yeah, I'm with ya on that one. Can someone please explain this gibberish?

True, this is still a short-bed truck, so 8-by-10 foot sheets of plywood:confused: will hang way out the back. But there is enough width between the wheel wells to put a standard, 48-inch-wide sheet into this bed, so a 5-by-8 foot sheet, with the tailgate left down and the wood flagged, would fit just fine. :confused:

Other than this paragraph, I have to say this is one of the best reviews I have seen of the Ridgeline......anywhere.

fins

The likelihood that anyone concerned with Forbes has ever seen, cut, stacked, loaded/unloaded or smelled a sheet of plywood personally is pretty remote.

That said, I have used a LOT of 4x10 sheets of siding. But, 8x10? Maybe in an aircraft application...I don't thing we'll be picking any of these up from Home Despot in REDA$$.

....They also have the outward attitude that they don't have to take Japanese trucks seriously. That's so stupid I can't even stand it. They said the same thing about Japanese cars back in the early eighties, and look where that got 'em.


WELL PUT! LOL:D And we could add to that the same things about mini van competition. Yeah, they ultimatly lost that battle too.

fins