Engine Automotive

When Honda announced it would produce a tweener pickup (not quite large like an F-150, bigger than a Tacoma) capable of seating 5 and carrying on all the duties any good DIY (do-it-yourselfer) would want, truck loyalists scoffed. First off, the truck has unibody construction (vs. a ‘heavier’ duty body-on-frame of most trucks) which is (mostly) perceptually inferior than a traditional body-on-frame truck.  And while most people couldn’t tell the difference, it was labeled (unfairly) a car-based truck.  Truth is, car companies can make unibody trucks that are extremely capable.  Second, Honda didn’t have any meaningful history with pickups.  As Toyota learned the hard way, larger pickups are something that takes time to develop as the core buyers are extremely loyal to the domestic brands.  It took Toyota a decade to break 100,000 units and they had a “feeder” system with hundreds of thousands of loyal Tacoma drivers on the road. Third, the competition is fierce.  Ford and Chevy have such an advantage in the marketplace in terms of economies of scale and manufacturing experience.  I mean, why take a risk on a Honda when a cheaper, more proven domestic pickup was actually superior?  Personally, I don’t think the product was wrong in any way, but it wasn’t right for the brand.  One thing is for sure, people who bought them loved them. If you look at the consumer ratings on Honk.com, the Honda Ridgeline scores a A-, which is just about as good as any other pickup in its class.

Overall, the Honda Ridgeline has been a sales flop for Honda.  And while it initially achieved its sales goals of 50k units, the recent sales slump has dragged their sales volume below 20,000 units per year – hardly a sustainable number for Honda.  Of course, Honda did spark a new resurgence in unibody pickup interest.  Kia, GM, and even Ford have all been actively looking into unibody compact pickups, although many have said those programs will now go away. Truth is, the big boys have a grasp of this market and the DIY market has slowly retreated back into the cars they came from. I guess rebuilding your house is not as cool as it was a few years back!