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2006 Motor Trend Truck of the Year


NickF1011

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So there you have it. The Motor Trend TOTY is the RIDGELINE.

 

Here's a quote that drove me BONKERS:

 

"The Ridgeline showcases a vehicle built on intelligent technology and impressive durability," Angus MacKenzie, editor of Motor Trend, said in a news release.

 

How the hell do they know how DURABLE it is? It hasn't been out for a year. I also recall another publication BREAKING the Ridgeline's suspension the first time they took it out on a dirt trail. Yep. That's durable. I guess the "H" logo on that butt-ass-ugly grille is the "durable" part.

 

This is sad. :angry:

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I wouldn't give two cents for the opinion of the writers of Car and Driver and Motortrend anymore. A couple years ago they went bonkers for the Honda S2000, and Audi TT. These cars got killed in sales after the initial hype died down.

 

By recommending the Ridgeline as the best truck, these guys have lost all credibility.

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So there you have it. The Motor Trend TOTY is the RIDGELINE.

 

Here's a quote that drove me BONKERS:

 

"The Ridgeline showcases a vehicle built on intelligent technology and impressive durability," Angus MacKenzie, editor of Motor Trend, said in a news release.

 

How the hell do they know how DURABLE it is? It hasn't been out for a year. I also recall another publication BREAKING the Ridgeline's suspension the first time they took it out on a dirt trail. Yep. That's durable. I guess the "H" logo on that butt-ass-ugly grille is the "durable" part.

 

This is sad. :angry:

 

 

 

What was that- struts collapsed after light off-road use? Honda didn't want to cover it under warranty? Same transmission as what's in the Odyssey? I can hardly wait until I have to pull my first one out of the woods. :)

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So there you have it. The Motor Trend TOTY is the RIDGELINE.

 

Here's a quote that drove me BONKERS:

 

"The Ridgeline showcases a vehicle built on intelligent technology and impressive durability," Angus MacKenzie, editor of Motor Trend, said in a news release.

 

How the hell do they know how DURABLE it is? It hasn't been out for a year. I also recall another publication BREAKING the Ridgeline's suspension the first time they took it out on a dirt trail. Yep. That's durable. I guess the "H" logo on that butt-ass-ugly grille is the "durable" part.

 

This is sad. :angry:

 

Unbelieveable! Just because something is different, doesn't necessarily make it better. There is nothing better about the Ridgeline, just different. Pretty sad that their standards have sunk this low.

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"The Ridgeline showcases a vehicle built on intelligent technology and impressive durability," Angus MacKenzie, editor of Motor Trend, said in a news release.

 

:angry:

 

What makes the Rimjob, or the Ridgeline an example of "intelligent technology"? Is it having to unload the bed to get to the storage bin or the tailgate that doesn't fit? ;)

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Part of the problem was there was no real competition for 2006. What else was there, the Mitsu Raider or Lincoln Mark LT? Besides, all the car mags swoon over car-based trucks because that's what they want - a car (that just happens to look like a truck).

 

 

 

Well then, Ford should give 'em something to really swoon over. Like this.

 

Link

 

That's world's fastest pickup, BTW. :)

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Part of the problem was there was no real competition for 2006. What else was there, the Mitsu Raider or Lincoln Mark LT? Besides, all the car mags swoon over car-based trucks because that's what they want - a car (that just happens to look like a truck).

 

 

What's the point? Ford and every other truck maker is trying to turn their trucks into cars.

 

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What's the point? Ford and every other truck maker is trying to turn their trucks into cars.

 

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Well, there's a big difference between making your TRUCK feel more like a car than making a CAR look like a truck, especially if you ever want to do anything that people buy a truck to do. Like for instance, drive over a dirt road without having all four struts blow out. Besides, apparently you've never been in a SuperDuty, cause there ain't too much "car-like" about it.

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Part of the problem was there was no real competition for 2006. What else was there, the Mitsu Raider or Lincoln Mark LT? Besides, all the car mags swoon over car-based trucks because that's what they want - a car (that just happens to look like a truck).

 

What THEY want, but obviously not what the public wants. The Ridgeline is an answer to a question NOBODY was asking.

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Well, there's a big difference between making your TRUCK feel more like a car than making a CAR look like a truck, especially if you ever want to do anything that people buy a truck to do. Like for instance, drive over a dirt road without having all four struts blow out. Besides, apparently you've never been in a SuperDuty, cause there ain't too much "car-like" about it.

 

 

Actually, I have driven a Ranchero. Remember those? Torino with a bed. I also happen to currently own a 95 F250 Superduty and a 2004 F250 Superduty. I have owned an 87, 88, and 94 F150 and a 72 F250. From experience, I can say they have tried to turn the 04 F250 into a car. If you can find a 72 F250 with a manual tranny, go push the clutch in. It ain't for sissys. Try the same thing on the 04, granny uses a walker but wouldn't have a problem with that, not that I'm complaining about it. However, remember the problems they had in 87-89 when they first went to hydro clutches so that women could drive pickups? I do, the 88 about aggrivated the dickens out of me with the firewall falling apart and all. There were 2 separate parts made to retrofit and solve that problem. Did Ford offer to install them for customers having problems with their poor design? NOOOOOOOOOO. If you made it through 36000 miles, that design correction was your baby. Fortunately I was competent enough to fix it myself other wise it would have cost about a grand then.

 

As far as going off road, I'd venture a guess that 70% of the F150's never leave the paved road.

 

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Admidadly going offroad isn't the F150's strength... It will generally get beat by other "proper" pickups. But I tell you a large percentage of F150's use their beds to hawl gear nd hitches to tow boats, campers, trailers of all sorts. The F150 was designed to meet the need of every contractor or rancher that utilizes his truck for work, and yet is filled with as much creature comforts so their wife doesn't mind using it to go to the mall. The Ridgeline was a anwser to a question that noone asked... I truck that has no use on a construction sight and yet doesn't even match the F150's interior quality. A truck that can't even carry two motrobikes with gear, or tow a boat to the lake wihtout exceeding the payload/towing ratings. It's a minivan wrapped in a truck body... And at least a minivan will be useful in carring 8 people.

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Admidadly going offroad isn't the F150's strength... It will generally get beat by other "proper" pickups. But I tell you a large percentage of F150's use their beds to hawl gear nd hitches to tow boats, campers, trailers of all sorts. The F150 was designed to meet the need of every contractor or rancher that utilizes his truck for work, and yet is filled with as much creature comforts so their wife doesn't mind using it to go to the mall. The Ridgeline was a anwser to a question that noone asked... I truck that has no use on a construction sight and yet doesn't even match the F150's interior quality. A truck that can't even carry two motrobikes with gear, or tow a boat to the lake wihtout exceeding the payload/towing ratings. It's a minivan wrapped in a truck body... And at least a minivan will be useful in carring 8 people.

 

I really don't know that today's F150 is fit for a work truck. Fact is, I seriously doubt it. I think you'll find that most people looking for a work truck have had to go from half tons to 3/4 ton F250's to get the same quality of truck they are used to having.

 

As far as using the bed to haul goes, bull hockey. Have you looked at the average pickup bed today? Does it appear to be long enough to haul a sheet of plywood? For that matter, does it look large enough to haul much of anything other than a few sacks of groceries? Time used to be when you couldn't buy an F250 with a short bed. Today, I'd venture to say that 95% of them have short beds. That number is probably even higher on F150's. Any serious hauling with mine gets done with a 14' tandem flatbed that I paid $900 for. It's heavy enough to support upwards of 4 tons, the truckbed won't handle near that.

 

I guess my point is, Who cares about Honda's truck? What difference does it make to Ford? Ford needs to worry about coming up with a reliable, powerful diesel to put in THEIR OWN F250's and building an affordable truck that is as capable as trucks from years past. They aren't doing that now. When my 1995 F250 out performs my 2004 F250, something is seriously wrong with FORD's product.

 

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I think that MT is just exhibiting the same slant that Car and Driver and Consumer Reports do...

 

AMERICAN manufacturers = BAD

 

FOREIGN manufacturers (particularly Honda) = GREAT

 

I remember receiving a SPECIAL EDITION of C&D extolling the wonderous virtues of the Audi TT. I sat in the thing at a car show and wondered what car C&D had reviewed... cramped, uninviting interior, wretched driving position and controls, and horrifying sticker price.

 

It has also gotten to the point that I can't even look at my Consumer Reports auto review section anymore... they will literally stop at nothing to bash the hell out of EVERY domestic car/truck and throw in some of the most pathetic little digs at the car, all the while singing the hosannas of (enter import name here) no matter how crappy the car really is.

 

The Ridgeline is a worthless excuse for a "truck" and has a stupefying price - this is the reason for its pathetic sales. Only a biased reporter (or one on the take) could possibly prefer it to worthy trucks from Ford, Chevy, or Dodge.

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I think that MT is just exhibiting the same slant that Car and Driver and Consumer Reports do...

 

AMERICAN manufacturers = BAD

 

FOREIGN manufacturers (particularly Honda) = GREAT

 

I remember receiving a SPECIAL EDITION of C&D extolling the wonderous virtues of the Audi TT. I sat in the thing at a car show and wondered what car C&D had reviewed... cramped, uninviting interior, wretched driving position and controls, and horrifying sticker price.

 

It has also gotten to the point that I can't even look at my Consumer Reports auto review section anymore... they will literally stop at nothing to bash the hell out of EVERY domestic car/truck and throw in some of the most pathetic little digs at the car, all the while singing the hosannas of (enter import name here) no matter how crappy the car really is.

 

The Ridgeline is a worthless excuse for a "truck" and has a stupefying price - this is the reason for its pathetic sales. Only a biased reporter (or one on the take) could possibly prefer it to worthy trucks from Ford, Chevy, or Dodge.

 

Just remember Mr. KABC... only the truly ignorant and stupid read those rags anyway. Look at the Detroit News Auto Forum. You see the same few California cocktasters and down south bumpkins trash the domestics everytime. I won't give names but maybe you need to visit that forum for yourself and see what I see everyday.

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I agree with some here who posted that Car & Driver as well as Motor Trend have lost all credibility by gushing over the Ridgeline. If I remember correctly, didn't both of them give "Car of the Year" status to the Chev VEGA with its silicone impregnated aluminum block?? and wasn't GM forced to extend the warranty to 75,000 miles because of ENORMOUS cylinder block problems? Its easy to bestow awards on something you don't actually have to buy. Let the shlump that works for a living spend HIS money.

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Something I didn't see mentioned: The Ridgeline is one BUTT-UGLY vehicle. I wouldn't drive it just for that reason alone.

 

ALL Hondas are butt-ugly vehicles. They all crash too.

 

Every time I see one of those toaster-looking Elements wheezing down the freeway I have to look at the driver and wonder, "what was he thinking? He is financing that POS for at least FIVE YEARS!!!"

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I've been a subscriber to Motor Trend since the 1980's. After seeing their choice for the (so-called) truck of the year. I've decided to finally cancel my subscription. I can't even consider that thing a truck - it looks like a plastic toy with a weak engine. Its ugly, mainly plastic and not truly functional as a pickup.

 

I've grown increasingly tired of reading the MT articles which endlessly praise any import. Never a negative comment or slight. They save all their venom for the domestics. I really got tired of hearing how the SN95 Mustang was on a aged platform...blah blah blah.....but you never heard a comment like that about the Porsche 911. Just because the writer can't afford it, its GREAT.

 

For this year's truck of the year competition, if the Lincoln or the Dodge had an import log on it - it would have won. I am no longer interested in what those idiots at MT have to print.

 

The biased reporting is a disgrace. Unfortunately, the general public never "gets it" and they go right along believing that these imports are so superior to the domestics. Boycott the mags and let them sell thet crap in Japan.

Edited by krman68
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