|
The car-based Ridgeline
was introduced as a 2006 model, and quickly became a darling of the media but
something of a sales disappointment. When it had just come out and was
reviewed in the previous IFCAR midsize pickup comparison, it was selling above
sticker. The just-introduced 2007 version is already $2,500 below, which helps
put it closer to the others in this group. And it is very good at many things
as well. It rides and handles very well for a pickup, has an especially roomy
and comfortable interior, did very well in crash-testing, and has good
acceleration and fuel economy. It also has class-competitive towing and
payload specifications despite its FWD-based unibody construction, though
doubts have surfaced as to whether it can actually hold up to either
heavy-duty hauling or off-road use over time. But for consumers who want their
pickup truck to behave like a car while coming with enough capability for
occasional use, the Ridgeline excels.
The Ridgeline has a the
most comfortable ride in this group, both absorbent and composed, similar to
the Honda Pilot on which it is based. It handles capably for a pickup, but
feels like the wide, heavy vehicle that it is. It doesn’t feel clumsy in
cornering, and body roll is restrained, but even with its responsive,
well-weighted steering it isn’t as enjoyable to drive as the Nissan Frontier.
Its standard V6 delivers reasonable acceleration and never feels strained, but
it isn’t as quick as some of the others here. It is rated to tow 5,000 lbs.
Wind noise is well-suppressed, road noise less so. Gas mileage is decent for
this group, but the Ridgeline’s weight takes its toll.
Inside, the Ridgeline
has high, large, roomy, and well-shaped front seats. The rear is very roomy,
and mounted high, but it is too upright, and a bit firm. The rear seat folds
to open up a roomy interior cargo area. The bed is not particularly long, but
wider than the others in this group. A much-hyped “trunk” is beneath the bed
floor, and it’s roomy and conveniently shaped.
 The
early-production Ridgeline sampled for the last IFCAR midsize pickup
comparison test had some ill-fitting trim pieces, but that has since been
resolved. There are still few soft-touch interior plastics, however, the
hard-plastic trim pieces just fit together better. The gauges are especially
large and easy to read, and the instruments are conveniently placed and easy
to use. Drivers sit fairly comfortably, but some might want a telescoping
steering column. Rearward visibility is obstructed by the Ridgeline’s sizeable
bed appendages. Entry/exit is especially easy, with very large doors, low
step-in, and sizeable footwells.
The Ridgeline reviewed
here came in at $28,361, well-equipped. A sunroof is only offered on the
top-of-the-line RTL version, but it does include automatic air conditioning, a
rollover sensor, and a tire-pressure monitor.
The Ridgeline is an
excellent family vehicle and comfortable daily driver that can see use as a
traditional medium-duty pickup. But it’s not inexpensive, and lacks the
capability of most of the others in this group. It can’t win this comparison
because it does not provide the all-around pickup package of comfort and
capability. But excels in one of those areas and is at least passable in the
other, so it comes in as a solid runner-up.
NEXT PAGE
|
