Honda Ridgeline The GM Truck Of The Future?

[Robert Ryan]

Just curious, but where did you get that from?

A months observation going across the US, from coast to coast. A US couple traveling through Australia RVing , made a comment that the vehicles here actually seemed to be carrying something..Try to find the reference.

[kenman923]

So are they going to give the same treatment to the Enclave? Just think, a Buick with a bed.

[PA Dweller]

Originally Posted by Michael_S

Yes. It's interesting that the AWD Lambdas are rated for better fuel economy than the AWD Ridgeline despite being 300 pounds heavier, having 20-odd more peak horsepower and slightly more peak torque about 1000 RPMs lower,

I checked the numbers, and the Ridgelines second through fifth gears are slightly taller than the second through fifth gears in the Lambda AWDs too. So it's not taller gearing helping the Lambdas in the city either.

The Lambdas are slightly wider, 4 inches or so shorter in length, 0.8 inches shorter in ground clearance but over 2 inches taller overall.

I really don't understand it either. My opinion is that GM has more experience building larger vehicles than Honda does, thats why I think if GM made a Ridgeline competitor it would get at least 25 MPG. Such a vehicle would meet the needs of most homeowners looking for a pick up which can double as a family hauler.

Compared to the G8 ST I like the Ridgeline and Denali XT more since they have the same ground clearance as a traditional truck. Along with the other things I mentioned (Crew Cab, and 4WD/AWD).

[FenwickHockey65]

I think that the Denali XT concept in production form (aka TONED DOWN) would sell quite well if it was fuel efficient enough. That Chevy LUV/Chevy Montana would also be a hit seller.

[jcurry05]

Originally Posted by ByTheLake

How funny ... this is just what I suggested a year ago, after deciding NOT to replace my family's '04 Silverado with a GMT-900 based truck. What I really needed was a FWD or AWD light truck that could tow 3000 pounds of pontoon boat or watercraft. FWD would be great in the snow and at the boat ramp.

I even did a cheezy mock-up using Windows Paint.



Bring it on! I'll buy it (or whatever the real truck would look like).

All i can say is that if this happens I hope it looks better than that.

[cbennie2]

Originally Posted by PA Dweller

I didn't even think about that, makes sense since the most fuel efficient cars are so low to the ground. I need to learn more about aerodynamics.

Wasn't GM working on a new suspension for there full size trucks that would allow it to be lower to the ground?

[PA Dweller]

Originally Posted by cbennie2

Wasn't GM working on a new suspension for there full size trucks that would allow it to be lower to the ground?

I don't know about that, maybe someone with more knowledge can tell us.

[JeffInDFW]

Uh, you don't want front wheel drive on a boat ramp.....The tounge weight of the trailer on the back of the truck means there is now less weight on the front wheels, now add in the fact that you are trying to go up hill, and it is wet, and you have a heavy boat on a trailer trying to pull you back into the lake, and you have a problem.

Fact is, it used to be that the only people who bought trucks were the people who NEEDED a truck. Those people will still NEED a truck, no matter what CAFE says. But, there are some people who need a smaller, less capable truck. As we have seen with the Ridgeline, it still does not get much better fuel milage.

[car.doork]

I'm happy to hear this. I've always been a fan of the Ridgeline from a design perspective. I thought it was perfect for those more suburban families that don't honestly need a V8 king cab pickup truck just because they have a family of four and want something a little more utilitarian than a Suburban. I was just completely turned off by the partial AWD (only up to a certain speed), the price, and the fuel economy.

If GM can make a knockoff that beats it out in grunt, strength, and (especially) fuel economy while still catering to that particular crowd, I think it would be a pretty successful.

Just so long as it's left as a niche, or otherwise not replacing any model of the Silverado. It's a neat idea, but living and traveling through the midwest, I've seen maybe two Ridgelines--ever. They were both parked in driveways in residential areas.

[RedVee8]

Originally Posted by PA Dweller

I didn't even think about that, makes sense since the most fuel efficient cars are so low to the ground. I need to learn more about aerodynamics.

Open beds also cause a lot of drag. Put a tonneau on, or a hard lid.

[AndrewGS]

Well, it's about bloody time. Look at all of the sales that the Ridgeline is bringing in that could've been GM sales. I'd gladly give up several thousand pounds of towing capacity, several hundred pounds of payload and 75HP if I could drive one (1) more mile per gallon of gas.

[johnstarnes]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

I think that the Denali XT concept in production form (aka TONED DOWN) would sell quite well if it was fuel efficient enough. That Chevy LUV/Chevy Montana would also be a hit seller.

Thanks, that's the concept whose name I could not think of. But I love the radical looks and would hope it would not be toned down too much. A car based truck like that gem is just what GM needs and pronto. Then again, it was a very cool concept that was well-recieved, so GM is likely to NOT put it into production.

[tgagneguam]

I'm not so sure BOF FS trucks, with their amazing capabilities, are going to go the way of dinosaurs. The market remains one of the largest in NA, moving nearly 2.4 million units last year. Even if sales were to tank by 40%, you're left with 1.45 million units, which would probably mean casual FS pickup truck buyers would migrate to something else (like an El Camino, perhaps?), leaving the market for people who actually need the capabilities of such a vehicle. Assuming GM gets its "fair share," which I tally at 40%, that would mean about 600,000 units annually (excluding the at least 100,000 FS SUV models that would share the platform). That's not chump change, and GM should commit to building the best FS truck platform available. And remember, viewed globally, there's even more sales to be had. This talk in another thread about delaying investment in these vehicles is typical GM lack of vision. You lead the market now, so avoid investing in it to secure your position so that competitors walk away with yet another market. Simply unbelieveable thinking at GM.

Originally Posted by RedVee8

Open beds also cause a lot of drag. Put a tonneau on, or a hard lid.

According to MythBusters, which looked into the very question of the aerodynamics of pickups driven on the highway with various things done to their beds, your contention is not well supported. Granted, MythBusters isn't an automotive source, but their investigation was reasonably scientific.

Originally Posted by AndrewGS

Well, it's about bloody time. Look at all of the sales that the Ridgeline is bringing in that could've been GM sales. I'd gladly give up several thousand pounds of towing capacity, several hundred pounds of payload and 75HP if I could drive one (1) more mile per gallon of gas.

I would hardly consider the Ridgeline a sales success and would prefer that GM simultaneously expand Lambda for a more friendly albeit less capable pickup truck and regularly develop the GMT-900's to maintain GM's competitive edge in one of the few market niches that GM seems to enjoy some competitive edge.

[GM-Joe]

The Ridge gets 1 mpg more than the Silverado and it is smaller, can't tow anything more than a 19' boat (which will kill its mileage), and needs an exergerated C pillar so it doesn't bend in half should it go over a bump. To me, the Ridge is not only useless, but also ridiculous.

[DW115]

If you want to see what a Lambda truck go to the revitalization in action website (http://www.gminsidenews.com/naias/re.../outlook.shtml and look at the Outlook. It has a version of what one would look like.