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| 2006 Honda Ridgeline Review | |||
| Whether you're about to spend $40K on a brand new car, or half that on a used car, it is always important to learn as much as you can about the used car. Read these car reviews to learn about all aspects of the vehicle. Each of the usedcar reviews cover interior and exterior features, options, road tests, and more. | |||
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Introduction
| Road Test
| Inside & Out
| Other Thoughts
| Last Word
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| Inside & Out | |||
There's more to the Ridgeline's common crew cab body than meets the eye. If you go around to the back and open the tailgate - either by flipping it down normally or opening it side to side (innovation #1) - you'll find a "sheet molded composite" bed that's resistant to dents, corrosion, and slipping (innovation #2), eliminating any need for an aftermarket bedliner. After 11,000 journalist-abused miles, our test truck's bed didn't look too beaten up. Finally, this is the first documented sighting of a bed containing a trap door leading to a trunk (#3). It's a big, rectangular 8.5 cubic foot trunk at that, one with a drain plug that invites you to load it up with 50 six-packs. Given the Ridgeline's people-carrying duties and the need for lockable space, owners will likely find it immensely useful. Getting back to the bed, it's a shallow five feet long like most other crew cabs, but somewhat wider at 49.5 inches across. It's also got six tie-down cleats, it's free of wheel well bulges, the area is well-lit from all around, and the 19 inch-long lid itself can support 300 pounds.There's more of this inside. The center console has good depth, good space, useful dividers, nice cupholders, and expands outward. The three power outlets (2 front, 1 back) are handy and the rest of the scenery is pure Honda: clear gauges, crisp buttons, and thoughtful controls everywhere. Nice leather on this RTL model, too. The steering wheel controls aren't stiff like on most Hondas, the powered rear window slides open laterally, and the windows roll down if you hold the key to the right or hold the remote fob's unlock button (except on the base RT model). Same Honda quirks, too, like the dash-mounted sunroof switch and cruise control switch next to your knee. The only things that threw me off were the column-mounted transmission lever, which kicked the wiper controls over to the left side, which had me streaking the windshield every time I tried to turn on the lights. Never seen a Japanese car with the light switch on the dash? You have now. Deserving its own little celebration is the navigation system; it bears repeating that Honda's is probably the most user-friendly on the market, doesn't mess up the audio or climate controls one bit, and is pretty consistent from car to car. There's still the voice recognition system that lets you press a button to ask questions like "WHAT TIME IS IT!" and wait a few seconds for an answer (instead of glancing down at the clock like a lowly commoner); owners of other Hondas and Acuras will need to re-learn nothing. More celebration for the stereo: fantastic sound quality! Radio sounds better than CDs do in some other cars. RTL models with navigation also get an auxiliary input jack above the glove compartment for portable MP3 players. And there's a decent dash of style in here - check out those stylish knobs and floor mats. Ok, the garish oversized silver door grips can go, but who knew Honda could do rugged? The team responsible for the back seat deserves a raise. The full-size rear doors open wide and a high, firm bench with 23 degrees of recline and lots of room make this the best in the field, hands down. The second row in any other truck of this size is positively pre-natal; ever sat in the back of a Frontier? Heck, it even beats the Tundra. Sadly, all disappointment with seating rides on the left-front, where the way-too-reclined seatback makes your arms travel a long, lonely journey to arrive at the steering wheel. Considering how clumsy and ignorant of a mistake this is and that there would be NO drawback in providing just a few more degrees of upright travel (and/or a telescoping steering wheel), it's pretty shocking how often Honda makes it. But if you must stuff five in any truck, the government gives another reason to pick the Ridgeline. Word from the NHTSA is that this Ridgeline aced both the front and side-impact tests with 5 stars each. Surely the full load of six standard airbags (standard in no other and unavailable in some) help, much as the standard antilock brakes, traction and stability control, and tire-pressure monitor help you avoid such situations to begin with. |
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