Honda’s
all-new Ridgeline makes the grade as a capable tow vehicle with
numerous thoughtful refinements.
 My
first look at the new Honda truck was the prototype shown at
the 2004 Detroit Auto Show. Now we have the real thing, a production
model built in Alliston, Ontario with independent suspension
all the way around to make towing more comfortable and stable.
This is a body-on-frame construction, with a trunk and spare
tire below the bed in the rear. The real surprise is the size
of the eight-and-a-half cubic-foot storage trunk located under
the floor of the bed – big enough to swallow up to four
sets of golf clubs in a locked, weatherproof compartment. In
any normal truck, you would have to place items inside the cab
if you wanted that kind of secure storage. Now there’s
no more shifting valuable cargo from the bed into the cab when
you want to go in to dinner while on the road.
We tested the top of the line EX-L Navi model with a 3.5 litre,
60 degree V6 aluminum engine that turns out 255 horsepower and
252 pounds-feet of torque. Our Ridgeline had a five-speed automatic
transmission and was equipped with a standard transmission oil
cooler and power steering fluid cooler, dual radiator fans and
heavy-duty brakes. Irene was impressed with the interior appointments,
and particularly the heated leather seats. Everything that you
need is within easy reach, from the functional expandable storage
compartment between the seats, to the controls on the dash.
The cruise control and radio functions were handily located
on the steering wheel, so that you did not have to take your
hands off the wheel when changing stations or the volume.
 The
navigation system in our Ridgeline was easy to use and kept
track of our position (without getting lost, even on the back-country
road to our son’s ranch). Hidden behind the navigation
screen was a CD/DVD player. The dash is well laid out with a
storage tray in front of the passenger seat, and also a decent
sized glove compartment for map storage.
The cab has seating for five with the rear seats capable of
being hinged up out of the way when you need to carry large
items inside out of the rain. The front seats were electrically
adjustable to allow for the comfort of different drivers and
could be lowered so that the driver could even wear a hat without
it brushing on the ceiling. The power sunroof is a great addition
when driving through mountainous regions on a beautiful warm
day and it had a sliding cover to keep out the hot sun to prevent
sunburn of the scalp on those burning summer days. The seating
was very comfortable on long trips while towing the trailer
without the numbing sensation that can occur with some vehicles.
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Since the Honda company is known for its motorcycles, all terrain
vehicles, outboard engines, power generators and anything that
needs a motor for power, the truck bed has been equipped with
tie-downs and has room for two ATVs with the tailgate lowered.
The tailgate is unusual, in that it can be opened the normal
way by swinging down or to one side like an old station wagon,
when you have heavy items to load and don’t want to reach
over it. Our test truck had an optional bed extender installed.
This is an item that I would not personally recommend, as I
found it made opening the storage area under the bed difficult.
 Our
friends at Apache Camping Centre (in Toronto, on Langstaff Road)
kindly provided us with a K-Z 21C Coyote hybrid travel trailer
for our towing tests. The 21C, with a suggested retail price
of $19,500, has an unloaded dry weight of 3,370 pounds with
a carrying capacity of 2,142 pounds. It appeared to be a good
match for the Ridgeline, and is a very popular model –
no doubt more than a few of them will wind up behind Ridgelines
in the real world.
When driving with the Coyote in tow, I was impressed with how
well the Honda steered, without the constant fidgeting with
the steering wheel that is common with many vehicles. This truck
goes where you point it. The closed box, ladder-style frame
with unibody construction provides excellent rigidity. The frame
has seven cross members with high strength steel reinforcements
that create six boxed zones with the lower part of the unibody.
The box is integrated as part of the total body of the truck,
not as an add-on that moves separately from the body. The engine,
transaxle, transfer case, steering gear and front suspension
are all supported by a welded-steel sub-frame secured to the
unit body’s longitudinal rails through four-tuned rubber
isolation mounts.
MacPherson struts are used in the front suspension and a space
saving multi-link with trailing arm suspension is used in the
rear for better stability when towing. The Ridgeline’s
rear suspension offers load carrying capacity, strength and
durability characteristics that are as good or better than a
solid rear axle/spring type suspension. Accelerating or hard
braking does not cause the Ridgeline to drift off-line as is
the case with many trucks. The fluid-filled engine mounts minimize
vibration at idle and isolate the power train from the passenger
compartment for a much quieter ride.
The P245/65R-17 tires are mounted on 17x7.5 inch rims with a
45mm offset and a five-bolt pattern. These are load rated at
2,035 pounds for each tire. A compact spare tire is located
on a sliding tray just ahead of the weatherproof under-floor
storage compartment. The spare can also be mounted on the passenger-side
bed wall for easier access if loads in the bed make access to
the regular position difficult or if you are travelling remote
roads and want to carry a second spare tire. There is a tire
pressure monitoring system using four sensors, four initiators
and a receiver to relay the information to the driver when one
or more tires drop below the inflation standards. This information
will show up on the dash in the same area as the speedometer.
Extra large brake rotors and callipers provide the capacity
to stop the truck easily when towing a heavy trailer. The Electronic
Brake Distribution system provides optimum braking effort under
different load conditions. Brake Assist is used to help with
braking function during accident avoidance manoeuvres. If one
rear wheel begins to lock-up, it triggers a pressure modulation
at that wheel and brake pressure is diminished at the adjoining
wheel to preserve lateral stability.
Ridgelines start at $34,800 for the LX model, $39,200 for the
EX-L IS, $40,400 for the EX-L sunroof model and $43,900 for
our top-of-the-line EX-L Navi model.
 Some
of my newspaper writer friends have mentioned that this truck
does not have the power that they would like. I disagree –
on the contrary, I feel it has more than enough power to take
your 5,000-pound trailer in comfort to any destination, and
deliver better fuel economy while doing so. This truck will
be ideal for towing your hardtop camper trailer, medium sized
travel trailer, boat, personal watercraft, or utility trailer.
The Class IV trailer hitch is a dealer-installed option and
is pre-wired for aftermarket brake controls with both four-pin
and seven-pin wiring harnesses using Bargman connectors. Because
of the body shape at the front of the box, the Ridgeline is
not suitable for fifth wheel towing, but it is an excellent
vehicle for just about anything else.
SPECIFICATIONS
Length: 206.8”
Height: 70.3”
Wheelbase: 122”
Engine: 24-valve SOHC VTEC V6
Fuel Capacity: 83.2 L
Tire Size: 17”
Tow Rating: 5,000 lbs. (Page Top)
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