Honda Ridgeline Model Info
A four-door ("crew-cab") pick up, the Honda Ridgeline is the only car-based pickup for sale in the United States and Canada. A versatile vehicle, the Ridgeline combines the passenger space of an SUV with the utility of a pickup all in a vehicle that is still able to offer carlike handling. Whether it is off-road driving, cargo hauling, or just going from point-A to point-B, the Ridgeline can do it.
The new Honda Ridgeline is available in three trims: base model RT, midlevel RTS, and high-end RTL. The RT comes equipped with basic features and equipment such as air conditioning, power windows and locks, and basic 100-watt AM/FM/CD Audio system with 6-speaker system. The RTS builds on the options offered by the RT and comes with other features such as a 7-speaker sound system with subwoofer, adjustable driver seat, and privacy glass. The Ridgeline RTL being the high-end trim comes with all these features and includes other options such as leather-trimmed interior, heated front-seats, Bluetooth connectivity, Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation with voice recognition, rearview camera and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Each trim of the Honda Ridgeline is all-wheel drive and powered by a 250-horsepower V6 engine mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, combined with Honda’s VTM-4 system makes the Ridgeline a capable vehicle that can handle both on and off-road duties. The Ridgeline’s four-wheel independent suspension, unibody construction gives it a smooth ride and agile handling that most would say makes the Ridgeline feel more like a car then it does a truck.
For long trips or just large amounts of cargo the Honda Ridgeline is well-equipped to be loaded up with luggage and other bulky items. A dent-resistant composite liner protects the bed from whatever may be put in it. While a hidden trunk in the bed gives owners a little more extra space and can double as an ice chest. The Ridgeline’s 1,100lb payload capacity and 5,000lb towing capacity make it powerful enough to haul virtually anything owners would want to haul.
Honda Ridgeline History
Honda developed the Ridgeline with the impression that consumers needed a "truck with robust yet medium-duty off-road capability" and so created something different then other trucks on the market by giving the Ridgeline a standard V6 engine rather than a V8 option, and bucket seats in the front rather than bench seating. It is because of features such as these that Honda advertised the Ridgeline as an alternative to other ½ ton full-size pickups such as the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, and Toyota Tundra.
When it was introduced in 2006, the Honda Ridgeline represented many firsts to the automotive community. The Ridgeline represents Honda’s first step into the North American pickup truck market. It is the first truck to have a trunk which is located under the bed, and it is also the first truck with a dual action tailgate, that not only opens downward like a conventional tailgate but can also open horizontally, swinging out like a conventional door.
Despite only recently being introduced to the world, the Ridgeline has had a very prestigious history so far, winning numerous awards including: 2006 Motor Trend Truck of the year, 2006 Detroit New truck of the year, Consumer Reports top rated truck, J.D Power & Associates 2005 APEAL award, 2006 Maxim Truck of the year, and 2007 Automobile Magazine All Star award Top 10 cars for 2007.
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