He took some Ridgeline pictures!!

[princess]

one

[princess]

two

[princess]

three

[princess]

four

[princess]

five

[princess]

six

[princess]

seven

[princess]

eight

[princess]

Last....
no, he wasn't the installer & he didn't do the PDI....

just thought we'd share.....:)

[Coil99]

Nice pics!

[princess]

They were taken with his cell phone... that's the main reason I agreed to that stupid thing..... he really needed more gadgets!

They ran the rear suspension totally different than the Pilot... he was all excited....for whatever reason....:dunno:

[princess]

they started out one way & went the other with the runing boards, sides steps..... which would you have liked better.....

black on black?

[princess]

black with chrome?

[princess]

silver with chrome?


I don't see a silver with balck picture....

[princess]

inside controls

[princess]

inside front

[princess]

steering wheel

[princess]

Apparently the spare can be accessed with unloading the bed!

[princess]

ready to sell!!!

[princess]

Here's my biggest surprise! I didn't know it was this much bigger than the Pilot!!

Now they HAVE to make the Pilots larger!!:D

[Coil99]

More great pics - thanks!

[princess]

Ridgeline rocks
Honda jumps into the truck wars and lands a serious hit.
March 3, 2005: 3:10 PM EST
by Lawrence Ulrich, MONEY magazine

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Pick-ups have been around for almost 90 years. But leave it to Honda to change the game on its first try.

Its new Ridgeline scores with a unique, roomy trunk packaged below its cargo bed -- a Pandora's box that will send competitors running to their drawing boards.

The Ridgeline may not tempt your average Ford, Dodge or Chevy man to climb down from their manly steeds. What it will do is delight families who can't abide a traditional sport-ute or minivan, who want AWD toughness with their kids-and-cargo space, and already swear by Honda reliability and refinement.

This truck is a winner, despite -- let's face it -- oddball looks. Among pick-ups, if the Ford F-Series is Russell Crowe, the Honda is Paul Giamatti, the iconoclastic nerd with hidden talents and reserves of strength. Because despite its bluff sides and bulky flying-buttress roof pillars, the Honda's fine character soon has you looking below the surface.

Start with what's below the cargo bed, itself notable for its non-slip composite construction that's nearly impossible to dent: A lockable panel flips up to reveal a surprisingly deep and useful trunk space, big enough for groceries, luggage, even ice for tailgating and cookouts.

Say goodbye to the chief drawbacks to a pick-up: Fretting over thievery from your bed, even during that two-minute coffee stop. Or having to leave valuables in the back seat in open view and hogging passenger space. (One quibble: After snow melted in the bed, a little water leaked into the trunk).

Throw in a dual-action tailgate -- it drops down or swings open from the side, the latter saving your lower back and your best jeans while loading -- and Honda has clearly one-upped the pick-up.

The secret here is the fully independent rear suspension. Another pick-up first, the suspension not only carves out extra space but delivers comfortable and composed ride and handling. There's none of the rear shake-and-shimmy associated with leaf-sprung pick-up trucks.

The Ridgeline is built on the Odyssey and Pilot's unibody car chassis. In addition to beefing up the unibody cage, Honda engineers added a truck-style frame for stength. In size and capability, the Honda acts more like a family SUV with a cargo bed than a big pick-up. It's most direct competitor is the Ford Explorer SportTrac, but frankly it's no competition: The Ridgeline is leagues ahead.

With a length and wheelbase about two feet shorter than a Ford F-150 SuperCab, the Honda parks easily and has a nearly four-foot shorter turning circle. Yet the Honda still manages a roomy, four-door cabin. Six-foot-plus passengers gave thumbs-up to a back seat with three inches more legroom than the F-150, but about four less than the class-leading Nissan Titan Crew Cab. (The hypothetical fifth passenger gets a tighter center perch, but the hard backrest isn't good for long trips). Tall bed sides also create noticeable blind spots around the truck's flanks.

Pull a handle, and the seat bottoms flip up to create a flat cargo area in back. When the back seats are down, there's storage space under them as well.

Typically strong Honda execution inside is offset by some uncharacteristically cheap-looking plastics, especially for the center console. But switches, seats and ergonomics are first-rate. Then there's Honda's optional, industry-best navigation system, that now accepts roughly 600 voice commands. Hit a button and the navigation screen pivots to reveal a 6-CD changer. Nice.

You also get more standard safety gear than most competitors, including ABS with electronic brake distribution, stability control and side curtain airbags with a rollover sensor.

Power comes from the Odyssey's 255-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6, mated to a smooth five-speed automatic. The V-6 moves the Ridgeline smartly -- it's nonsense that this truck "needs" a V-8 to succeed -- but I'll admit my wish for a bit more displacement and torque, especially at freeway speeds.

Standard all-wheel-drive can send up to 70 percent of torque to the rear wheels when the fronts start slipping. A button lets you lock the system to direct maximum power to the back wheels.

With that engine motivating about 4,500 pounds, I managed 17 mpg overall. The EPA figures 16 mpg city and 21 highway; the Ridgeline is also the first pick-up to reach ULEV (ultra-low emissions vehicle) standards in all 50 states.

Now, the payback for the Honda's smart-sized versatility is reduced workhorse skills. The bed will carry 1,100 pounds of payload, versus well over 1,600 for some half-ton pick-ups. Towing capacity is 5,000 pounds, compared to their 9,000-plus. And the only bed choice is a five-foot "shortie," about a foot less than standard pick-ups. Yet that wide bed does allow four-foot wide building materials to lay flat, something that even the biggest midsize pick-ups like the Dodge Dakota can't claim.

The Ridgeline starts at $28,210 for the RT version, $30,585 for the RTS or $32,005 for the top-shelf RTL. Adding moonroof, nav system and XM Satellite Radio to my RTL - the only available options - kicked the price to $35,155.

That loaded price sneaks alongside bigger V-8 pick-ups from Ford, Dodge or Nissan. But it's clear that Honda isn't after the power pick-up buyer.

More and more people are turning to pick-ups as everyday family transportation, not as 9-to-5 work vehicles. Plenty will see a comfortable cab, polished road manners and bulletproof operation -- don't forget that revolutionary trunk -- as more important than how much topsoil you can dump in back.

For them, seeing the Honda badge on a pick-up means there's a new sheriff in town.

[princess]

Ridgeline: Weirder than it looks
Honda's first pick-up truck is a nearly total re-thinking of what it means to be a truck.
March 2, 2005: 11:46 AM EST
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN/Money staff writer

• Ridgeline road test

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The Honda Ridgeline is very strange. Its appearance is rather odd. But under its skin, it's even weirder than it looks.

It is, of course, a pick-up truck. You can tell that by looking at it because it has a large area in the back where there are no seats, no windows, and no roof. But it differs from other trucks in some fundamental ways

Pick-ups of virtually all shapes and sizes have a cab and a bed, which are built as separate pieces and attached to a strong, simple metal frame. (If you get up close, you can actually see daylight between the cab and bed of most pick-ups.)

The Ridgeline has a uni-body design instead of body-on-frame. In a body-on-frame design, the body isn't meant to do much more than shelter the vehicle's occupants while the frame supports most of the weight. In a uni-body design, the body does double-duty, providing shelter as well as supporting weight and preventing twisting over bumps and such.

The Ridgeline does have a frame, as other trucks do. But the Ridgeline's frame is an add-on integrated into what is, essentially, a strengthened uni-body. Honda claims that make its truck 20 times more resistant to twisting and 2.5 times more resistant to bending than rivals.

The structure also allows the Ridgeline to have independent rear suspension, instead of the more common front-wheel independent suspension.

With independent suspension, each front wheel is connected individually to the frame. If one wheel hits a bump, the other wheel can roll undisturbed.

Traditional pick-ups' rear wheels, however, are mounted on a long axle that connects the two wheels. This is called a solid axle, or live axle, design. To absorb bumps, each end of the axle is connected to the frame via a leaf spring -- a stack of long thin metal bars connected to the truck's frame at each end and to the axle in the center. The bars bend to absorb impacts.

It's a simple set-up and it's proven tough, with a history dating back to the hard-working horse-drawn wagons guys called "teamsters" used to drive.

Independent suspension systems, which offer a smoother ride and better handling than solid axles, can be strong, too. But making them strong isn't easy or cheap.

Honda claims that the Ridgeline can haul and tow loads as heavy as those pulled by many other trucks. But the Ridgeline rides and handles more like a tall car than a pick-up thanks to its sophisticated suspension system

An independent suspension requires a rigid body structure, otherwise the suspension can get a little too independent. That's one reason the Ridgeline's complex body structure is so important. (Honda had no body-on-frame vehicles in its product line on which to base its first truck. For Honda, it made more sense to start with a uni-body design and make it work as a truck.)
Lock it up

Following this line of engineering thought a little further, we come to the trunk.

That's right. The trunk.

The Ridgeline has a lockable trunk in the rear part of the bed. To get into it, you raise a cover that lies flat in the floor of the bed. The trunk rides under the bed, in space made available by the Ridgeline's independent rear suspension.

But getting into that trunk would be a real pain if you had to lean across an open tailgate. So the Ridgeline has a unique and complex tailgate. It can be opened downward like any other pick-up tailgate, but also by opening to the side like a long car door. That means it's out of the way for reaching things in the trunk or farther back in the bed.
Who's buying?

With everything it has going for it -- car-like ride and handling, plus the ability to haul big stuff -- it's tempting to think that Honda might have a hit on their hands beyond the mere 50,000 units they expect to sell.

After all, except for its relatively short bed -- five feet compared to six or more for a full-sized truck -- it can do most things a full sized truck can do. Plus, it rides and handles better, too.

"It makes, in my view, a terrific car with a bed," said Jim Hossick with automotive marketing consultants AutoPacific.

So why isn't this thing going to turn the whole truck world on its head?

For one thing, the truck world just isn't meant for nice guys like this.

"Image is important and pickup buyers like to think of themselves as macho," said Hossick.

The Ridgeline is a Honda, after all. "Tough guy" is just not part of the Honda brand DNA, as marketers like to say.

Still, Honda will likely sell every one they can build.

"There's a waiting list now at most of our dealers," said Mark McReady for CarsDirect, a Web site that sells cars through selected dealers.

Even so, don't expect other truck-makers to start including trunks, independent suspension and two-way tailgates on their models. That stuff's just too pricey and too fancy for traditionalists, anyway.

[BenjiBoy650]

Here's some more Ridgeline pics for y'all. I like this thing a lot better in person, especially in the first picture!

http://www.reaction-image.net/albums/album235/IMG_0846.sized.jpg
http://www.reaction-image.net/albums/album235/IMG_0849.sized.jpg
http://www.reaction-image.net/albums/album235/IMG_0851.sized.jpg
http://www.reaction-image.net/albums/album235/IMG_0852.sized.jpg

[princess]

Aren't you amazed about how BIG it is? That was such a surprise to me!

[BenjiBoy650]

It's pretty big for a Honda but nothing surprises me anymore. I've grown up loving American trucks, ESPECIALLY duallies, and I have 4 or 5 of them (duallies) on campus at school (teachers/admin), so yeah...lol

[princess]

I saw my first, live, in-person Ridgeline yesterday! It was parked right in front of my car when I came out of a store. It was in Amazon Green... not one of the prettier colors.... Having grown up with a mom that HAD to do everything in Olive green.... :puke: I've had enough for a lifetime!!

I resisted the temptation to press my nose against the windows to peek inside... but it was noticably bigger than the Pilot.

[04blkpearlcoupe]

nice pics. im pretty impressed with how rugged-looking the ridgeline turned out to be. it doesnt have that conservative honda look to it. i think it will sell real well.

[BenjiBoy650]

More Ridgeline for y'all

http://www.reaction-image.net/albums/N4TECguy/IMG_1068.sized.jpg
http://www.reaction-image.net/albums/N4TECguy/IMG_1069.sized.jpg
http://www.reaction-image.net/albums/N4TECguy/IMG_1070.sized.jpg
http://www.reaction-image.net/albums/N4TECguy/IMG_1072.sized.jpg

[Inspector1]

My Addition

I1 :D

[princess]

Is that the green one???

My daughter has now seen 2 out & about.....

[Inspector1]

Is that the green one???

My daughter has now seen 2 out & about.....

Yes and Black They had 2 up on the showcase roof and several on the ground..
Shot this at the traffic light......gotta keep rollin :yes:

I1 :)

[stiller fan]

May 15, 2005

The 2006 Honda Ridgeline has earned a 5-Star safety rating for both frontal and side impact crash test performance from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), American Honda Motor Co., announced today. The Ridgeline, Honda's first truck, is the first ever 4-door pickup to earn the government's highest crash test safety rating.

Honda has six vehicles - more than any other vehicle brand - that achieve a top rating for both frontal and side impacts under the federal government's NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) program.

"Consumers don't want to sacrifice safety for performance, functionality or fuel efficiency," said John Mendel, senior vice president of American Honda. " The Ridgeline's unique design allows us to deliver on all fronts with great safety, class leading fuel economy and tremendous truck capability along with a fun-to-drive element unmatched in the pickup truck segment.

Completely new for the 2006 model year, the Ridgeline's integrated full-frame body structure is designed to help protect its occupants while reducing the effect of crash energy on opposing vehicles for improved compatibility with smaller vehicles. The Ridgeline, like most Honda vehicles sold today, is also equipped with an array of pedestrian safety features such as breakaway windshield wiper pivots; and energy-absorbing hood structure and hinges.

In keeping with Honda's industry-leading "Safety for Everyone" initiative, all Ridgeline model come equipped with a comprehensive list of advanced safety features including dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags; Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Traction Control; side curtain airbags with rollover sensor; driver's and front passenger's side airbags (passenger side airbag with Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) to prevent airbag deployment when a child or small stature adult is in the deployment path); anti-lock brakes; and electronic brake assist.

[princess]

:thmsup:

[edwilson13185]

All I can say is that the Ridgeline is beautiful.

I test drove one the day I bought my Accord. Had I been in the market for a truck, there's no way I'd buy anything else.

[princess]

and now it's got a 5 star safety rating!! :thmsup: