I've waxed lyrical about Honda on a number of occasions, and by the looks of things I'll be doing the same for a while to come. Granted, the
2013 Honda Accord looks promising, but I'll reserve judgement for when I test drive it myself.
probably intrigued by what it can do. If you've landed here by mistake, you'll probably back your way outta here ‘cause you've no interest in whatever this Ridgeline thing is, or never heard of it.
This is the 2012 Honda Ridgeline's problem. If you know of this vehicle, you are lucky as you're privy to one of the best kept secrets in the car business. And, if Honda maintains their $0 advertising budget and you buy one, you will land on a rare gem that might be worth a pretty penny in 40 years.
Never mind the cover
The point is that the Ridgeline is a rare bird. On a recent
road trip to northern New York State, I counted only three Honda pickups. Compare that to close to two dozen
Nissan Jukes and you know something's up -- not that there's anything wrong with the Juke. Could it be that the sheet metal is the turnoff? Between a Juke and a Honda Ridgeline, I'm not sure that the latter is the uglier one...
Honda recently introduced this $37,790 Sport version, however; black wheels, a blacked-out grille, head and taillights do not, unfortunately, make one “sporty.”
Truthfully, unless you know what lies beneath the steel, there is every reason to judge the book by its cover.
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| Honda recently introduced this $37,790 Sport version. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour) |
Tonnes of room
But this is wrong. The 2012 Honda Ridgeline features a sealed and waterproof hidden in-bed trunk; a genius, dual-action gate, and an impressively roomy and comfortable cabin.
About the bench, if it is not needed, it flips up allowing for storage of large items like a television or a pair of bicycles. Up front in the 2012 Honda Ridgeline, leg, shoulder, head, and elbowroom are in grand supply.
Now, if the exterior is irksome to some, the dashboard will have the same effect. Not pretty, bulky and cold, it is nevertheless easy to navigate and some of the large controls are ideal for glove-wearing seasons. By far, the best part about the interior is the vast number of storage bins which I bet no one can completely fill with useful stuff.
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| About the bench, if it is not needed, it flips up allowing for storage of large items like a television or a pair of bicycles. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour) |
It drives well
The oddball looks of the 2012 Honda Ridgeline are quickly forgotten once the ignition key is turned to the “start” position. The upfront and honest 3.5L V6 comes to life, and once the ultra-mega-fantastic-cool column shifter is slotted into “D,” the Ridgeline comes into its own.
The 250 hp and 247 torques powerplant are silky-smooth and magnificently responsive. The 5-speed autobox glides from one cog to another without effort, and suddenly the driver could swear that they are in an elevated AWD Accord V6.
Despite the lowly on-paper 250 hp, the 2012 Honda Ridgeline moves about with serious vim. Most of the grunt comes in around 5,000 rpm, and so a highway kick-down is rewarding.
Steering is light if somewhat over-assisted, but precision is never an issue. The brakes are strong and respond better than expected. My guess is that this is as such because the Honda pickup has a payload capacity of 690 kg (1,521 lb) and a towing capacity of 2,268 kg (5,000 lb). When fully burdened, the truck needs the extra help.
In order to be capable enough to manage the possible loads, the 2012 Honda Ridgeline sports fully boxed High-Strength Steel (HSS) frame rails with internal stiffeners and a -- I guess -- “medium-duty” suspension. The big Honda handles really well for a pickup.
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| The 250 hp and 247 torques powerplant are silky-smooth and magnificently responsive. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour) |
Don't pull the plug!
The Honda Ridgeline, as I've noted in the past, is ahead of its time. I can only hope that Honda plays its cards right, holds on to the thing, gives it the appeal it so deserves in its next generation and invests in some proper marketing.
With a starting price just under $35k, it might be tough to convince someone looking for a $25k truck, but when faced with all that the 2012 Honda Ridgeline has to offer, a second family car becomes an unnecessary purchase. There are savings to be had!
The Toyota Tacoma, the current small-pickup king, the Chevy Colorado and Nissan Frontier are some of its most direct competitors.
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