Business Week: A Pickup With Plenty Of Panache [6.2.5]

[T Mac]

A Pickup With Plenty Of Panache

[Grok Lobster]

This is the closest I've seen to a right on review, except for the part about the longer bed - the bed extender works great for me.


Panache provides an excellent description for the RL!

[Lifesaver1]

In my humble opinion, this is the most important review yet. I was attracted to consider the Ridgeline due to a review by Pulitzer Prize winning LA Times auto reviewer Dan Neil. His views were confirmed, in my mind, by my own test drive and bumper to bumper review. I then bought a Ridgeline, to my great satisfaction. Subsequently, the auto reviewer I respect the most, Consumer Reports, rated the Ridgeline tops.

The power of the Business Week review though, is the audience. These are the people buying Hummers and BMWs and Mercedes, and the like. If the both the pragmatists and those with unlimitted resources are equally attracted to the Ridgeline, we may be the prow of a sadly large ship moving inexorably toward success. One wonders, is it better to be a maverick or to be a trendsetter? I lean towards the former and lament becoming the latter.

[Northwood]

It will eventually be the latter.
Honda has historically been a trendsetter.

[shovelhd]

I don't know about the most important review. A whole bunch of Business Week's "subscribers" are free subscribers (like me ). They line their offices with them and occasionally read them when they have a moment. It's not like BW is a cover to cover read for executives. I did like the stock market symbols in the text

As much as I disagree with how they rate products, and especially how they assign reliability data, it would be hard to argue against the Consumer Reports review as the most important review. It's the publication that millions of consumers look to for advice. The web has changed that somewhat, but it's still the big kahuna.

[Lifesaver1]

I agree with your point about Consumer Reports. I suspect the lower teir auto reviewers look to CR as well, so it has a magnifying effect. The thing is though that the Ridgeline is a unique vehicle in many ways, not the least of which are styling and primary use by design. I hate to say it, but it's something of an inexpensive luxury SUV that offers the benefits of a truck. That's not a slam, just a sense of how to describe it.

As great of a vehicle as the Ridgeline is, the market has got to be something of a niche, even if it is the most highly rated crew cab by CR. That's because if you want a truck for hauling or for real work, this isn't the truck in my opinion. I say that, incidentally, having already taken about five loads of yard waste to the landfill with it piled high (the bed net is really valuable for this). In my area (San Diego) just about every Tundra and Titan I see is shiny, waxed, and unscratched. Even most of the F-150s. In other words, they are not being used for their theoretical primary purpose, but as cars. Nevertheless, those who want them may feel good about owning a truck that is a real truck, even if they aren't going to use it for same.

Turning to the SUV crowd, many if not most of those buyers are really using the things as minivans they can drive without embarassment. In other words they may say, "This think can climb mountains," when in reality, "This thing is a great ride to the Day Care Center and people don't know that's where I'm going." Those people may feel they need the rear enclosed space of an SUV for extra kids and enclosed gear.

Point being that regardless of being tops in the ratings, the Ridgeline does not, in my view, target the mainstream truck buyer or the mainstream SUV buyer. Rather, it creates a crossover market of people dissatisfied with either. These are people who don't have a big family and want a really nice ride, with the occasional benefits of a truck. The question is, how big is that market?

[methodtim]

Originally Posted by Lifesaver1

These are people who don't have a big family and want a really nice ride, with the occasional benefits of a truck. The question is, how big is that market?

I definitely fit in this category, as I think are most people who purchase Ford Explorer Sport Track, Taco Crew Cab, etc., and also for those buying mid-size SUV's such as the Nissan Xterra. I think there's definitely a market for this type of vehicle beyond niche.

[Ahab]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lifesaver1
These are people who don't have a big family and want a really nice ride, with the occasional benefits of a truck. The question is, how big is that market?

Add to that my need for towing and off-road capability .

[shovelhd]

I think the market is waaaaaaaaaay bigger than 50,000 units.

[arteegee]

Honda has really gotten aggressive with the ad budget, so time will tell.