- pickup 159,695
- 1,079 below average
- 12,900 good
- Hampton, VA
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- autoshopper.com
- 1,079 below average pickup 159,695 gasoline blue automatic
2008 honda ridgeline review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Light-duty pickup drives like a car. introductionthe mid-size honda ridgeline vies for the title of most innovative pickup. Honda's best attributes are here in a pickup truck: refinement, fit-and-finish and innovation the honda way. The ridgeline features an easy-to-reach, locking storage box under its bed that no other pickup can match. the differences between ridgeline and more conventional pickups go all the way to the core. Ridgeline is the first mainstream pickup with fully independent rear suspension, which improves ride quality considerably. Other pickup trucks have traditionally been built with a separate nose section, cab section, and cargo bed, bolted to a separate ladder frame. Honda's pickup uses both a one-piece unibody and a steel ladder frame, welded together. Its cab and bed are built as one piece, with separate subframes for the engine, front suspension and rear suspension. Honda claims ridgeline is 20 times more resistant to twisting than any other pickup truck, and 3. 5 times more resistant to bending. we've found the ridgeline to be one of the nicest pickups to drive when measured by comfort and ease of use. For 2007, honda added the value-priced rtx model, which provided popular equipment such as alloy wheels and a trailer package, for a relatively small price increase over the base rt. At the same time, the top-of-the-line ridgeline rtl added a power moonroof and xm satellite radio as standard equipment, and traded its two-tone leather for a single-tone look. For 2008, a new machined-look wheel design appears on the rts and rtl, and the fabric interiors on the ridgeline rt, rtx and rts also change from dual-tone to single tone. the honda ridgeline doesn't look or act like any other pickup truck we've driven, and it shouldn't cost an arm and a leg to own or operate. There are no exterior badges to distinguish models. all ridgelines are powered by a 3. 5-liter v6 engine, generating 247 horsepower, with a five-speed automatic transmission and honda's vtm-4 all-wheel-drive system. This full-time all-wheel-drive normally proportions 60 percent of the power to the front wheels, but if conditions indicate it will automatically send as much as 70 percent of the engine torque to the rear wheels. Ridgeline also incorporates a limited-slip differential with lock feature. the ridgeline rt 28,000) is the base model. But there are dozens of dealer-installed accessories available for all ridgeline models, including roof rails, the tow package, and even the rtx model's neater-looking grille. safety equipment is comprehensive. It includes multi-stage front airbags and side-impact airbags for front passengers, front and rear side curtain airbags for head protection and latch child-seat anchors for the three rear seats. Anti-lock brakes, traction control, vehicle stability assist and a tire-pressure monitoring system are also standard. walkaroundthe honda ridgeline's uniqueness starts with its appearance. Yet ridgeline doesn't look quite like any pickup before it, whether it's from america or japan. The grille, the front end, the cab shape, the buttresses coming down off the rear of the roof to join the integrated pickup bed, all seem to have been deliberately designed to be different, and different can be good or bad. The standard grille looks like an old television antenna, but a cleaner-looking grille comes on the rtx model and is available as an accessory from honda dealers. ridgeline's profile shows a lot of metal sculpting from end to end that conventional pickup trucks with separate beds don't have. ridgeline's cargo bed is made of steel-reinforced smc plastic, not steel with a sprayed-on or slipped-in liner. The bed is five feet long with the tailgate up, and six and a half feet long with the tailgate down, enabling it to carry two dirt bikes or a large atv. A tubular aluminum cargo bed extender is available for longer loads. It will drop down in familiar fashion, top to bottom, and it also opens like a door, from right to left. There's a hidden latch on the lower right side and hinges on the left, so users don't have to lean across the tailgate to store or retrieve items in the bed or the storage trunk. The tailgate is retained by a conventional cable on the left and a patented, hidden retainer on the right. the storage trunk, even more than the tailgate, distinguishes ridgeline for other pickups. This covered, sealed and lockable bin beneath the bed works like the trunk in a sedan. The compact spare tire mounts forward of the storage trunk a sliding, locking tray. Bucket seats come standard in front with a center console. We mean things such as nice, even seams throughout, good quality soft plastics, convenient switch placement and large, easily readable instrument graphics. All models feature an illuminated vanity mirror for the driver. The big, raised pull rings around ridgeline's door-release levers are one of a kind and kind of cool. They're certainly effective for hefting the doors shut. honda's optional navigation system, with its dvd data base and eight-inch screen, is a paradigm for size, brightness, contrast and overall ease of use. The voice commands work well; alternately, the menus are simple, effective and easy to master. It's off center a bit toward the front passenger, and flat, so in certain light in can be difficult for the driver to read. He or she has to almost lean sideways toward the center of the vehicle for a better look. the rear doors are shorter than the front doors, standard practice in this segment, but there's no problem getting in or out. the rear seat is nearly as roomy and versatile as those in front. The back seats are actually comfortable for two adults, with a 24-degree backrest angle, more like a front seat. A six-foot male driver would be able to fit behind himself in the back seat with reasonable leg room and knee room. the rear seat splits and folds, 60/40, to stash fairly large pieces of cargo in the cab. The under-seat storage space, something like an airliner's, is great for backpacks or briefcases. the ridgeline's unusual exterior design reduces outward visibility. The buttresses where the cargo box create a blind spot for glancing over the shoulder. driving impressionfor a hefty truck, the honda ridgeline delivers a truly pleasant driving experience. The goodness flows from the stiffness of its unibody-on-ladder-frame construction. Factor in subframes that cradle the engine and suspension, helping isolate the cab from harsh road shocks, and ridgeline can be a joy to operate when compared to some other trucks. the stiffness of the body and chassis also contribute to crisp, sure handling over twisty two-lane roads. The combination of all-wheel-drive and vehicle stability electronics allows a driver to attack curves in spirited fashion with less worry about getting a wheel wrong. Ridgeline feels lighter on its feet than the ford explorer sport trac and chevy colorado. the steering is surprisingly heavy, but we like it. It's more responsive and communicative than that in m.
12,900 Hampton, VAHampton, VA at autoshopper.com