Honda Ridgeline test drive since 2009 pickup

In the country Brobdignag

Taking Honda Ridgeline to utilitarian pickups does not rotate. The fact is that from the pickup there is only a body in it, but otherwise it is an absolutely normal car. Comfortable, convenient, even elite.
 

The attitude to pickups is ambiguous. Almost everyone likes them, but they acquire them for personal use of a unit. Moreover, they do this not out of love for pickups. Circumstances are what makes them shake in these underloads for days on end. Someone builds a cottage, and on what, if not on a pickup, to carry a crushed stone from the nearest construction at night. Someone has their own business. Agree, it is still more convenient to transport manure from the farm on pickups than in the Focus trunk. And someone is just a sick, since I decided to connect his life with such a machine, provided that by and large he does not need it.
 

However, this disease, as it turned out, is completely easy. It is enough only one day to spend the Honda Ridgeline in society, in order to lie down for many more nights in a row and, staring at the ceiling stupidly, sort out hundreds of arguments against, which can not outweigh the elementary!
 

And what clings to him so much, you will ask. Yes, everything from the front bumper and ending with the rear folding side. In the appearance of the car, it merged together that in the usual performance and should not stand nearby.
 

Yes, he is brutal. But his brutality is nothing more than a demonstration of unbridled power, capable of turning this block into an instant into an instant of an eye into a meteorite that sweeps everything in its path. Yes, it is too simple to talk about the virtuoso work of designers. But it is precisely this simplicity that makes it such that on any background, whether it is a quarry or a chic night club, it is irresistible. His style is conservative, in connection with which it is eternal. Moreover, conservatism is manifested not only from the outside. The Ridgeline is expected to be good. Although, to be honest, it is much more interesting from the inside than outside.


The first thing that amazes when you open the driver's door is the dimensions of the salon. Supermaz is resting. The feeling is that you fall into the cabin of a huge trunk tractor, with the only difference being that instead of the sleeping bag the second row of seats.
 

Everything is so huge here that you involuntarily begin to feel like a gulliver in the country of Brobdignag. Instead of the instrument shield, the bottom of which is digitized in miles and km/h. Instead of the door handle, the handle is from a large soviet shovel. The buttons on the central console have the size of the matchbox. And what the seats! If there weren’t a huge hanger between them in front, then one could easily sit in a row on them, and there would still be a place left. By the way, about the armrest. Its design is so carefully thought out that even this elementary device allows you to transform it at its discretion, changing not only the departure of the armrest itself, but also the volume of boxing. A lot of space is needed and its lower part is advanced forward. It is necessary to cross the cabin from the left door to the right or vice versa is also not a question. It is enough to push the armrest back, and now, in the front part, nothing blocks the floor of the salon.
 

Someone said that pickups are impractical. Like, they have no room for luggage. If, of course, not to take into account the body itself, which, alas, is unlikely to be called a reliable place for storing a suitcase without a upper superstructure. Enemies! There are no problems in Ridgeline.


Firstly, a rather voluminous luggage can be easily placed in the cabin. To do this, it is enough to raise everything, like on the train, the seats of the rear seats, and now the sports bag is not becoming a passenger occupying a sitting place, but with baggage.
 

Secondly, a secret trunk also has a large volume. It is secretly, because a person who is unfamiliar with the constructive features of this car will be even difficult to assume that there is such. It is located in the rear of the car under the cargo platform. Moreover, like a normal luggage compartment, it is sealed and closed with a key. This was the key to the key initially to us absolutely ill -conceived. Well, how, tell me, you can insert such a clavicle into the end of the floor, and even in such a small opening, which opens when leaning the side? However, everything turned out to be much easier. Ridgeline can both lean down and open to the side, and with this position it is already easy to insert the key to this keyhole. By the way, in the same compartment, but a spare wheel is a little further away. True, for the sake of the volume of the luggage compartment it is not full -size, but a dock. But this is already particular.
 

Being a rather big machine, Ridgeline is equipped with an appropriate engine. The V-shaped six is \u200b\u200bquite advanced in technical terms to issue 247 horsepower and 342 nm of torque to the mountain and at the same time remain indifferent (or almost indifferent) to food. To support the forces, this herd in the city is only 15 liters of fuel, and on the highway there are least 11 that this car does not fit with the dimensions at all.


Since it was about dimensions, it is worth noting that it is quite interesting to drive a car due to a fairly large length and width. For example, we really liked the game of a mooring tanker in a boat parking lot. It is clear that this is quite difficult to do, and yet it is exciting. You feel like the captain of a huge ship is it not happiness.
 

However, the associations with the tanker are replaced by others, it is only worth the dreadnought to leave the harbor and go to another port. At first, Ridgeline seemed to us a meteor rushing on the underwater wings above the water surface. However, then we agreed that he had a smooth move for the meteor. That is still sometimes shaking, and Ridgeline flies over the road like an ekranoplane: beautifully, assertively and, most importantly, smoothly.
 

That's really, it’s better to say about the suspension: it is independent. In addition, in the car, even at high speed, very quietly. Noise insulation is such that another representative of the business class will arrive. You float among this colorful silence called the city and revel in your grandeur.
 

Ridgeline is good not only on the highway or in the city. He feels good on the off -road. After all, there is a permanent all-wheel drive, and even the possibility of interace blocking is present. Although, by and large, riding in the directions is quite problematic again due to dimensions. It is not so simple to refill this colossus between the pines, and the forest paths with steep excesses are also too tough for him due to the large wheelbase. And therefore, the maximum than he can boast is a fervent ride along the sandy beach. However, if you recall that the all -wheel drive gives an advantage not only on off -road, but also on the road, then its presence on this machine is quite justified.


Nevalyashka

It is hard to believe, given the dimensions and weight, but at the request of the American branch of Honda, the Ridgeline Pickup was the most stable. The model became the best in the tests for the coup, which was carried out by the National Road Safety Administration (NHTSA). Ridgeline received the highest point for both indicators and for static stability factor, and for dynamic (Dynamic Rollover). Earlier, Ridgeline was the first 4-door pickup in the world to receive five stars for safety from NHTSA in both lateral and lobe Crash tests. Nevertheless, such results are quite expected, because the list of standard equipment includes an anti -circus system for all four wheels and a VSA stabilization system. There is no residue struggle and the branded Honda system of all-wheel drive Variable Torque Management-4 installed on the Ridgeline. In the usual modes of the Ridgeline pickup, front -wheel drive. The rear wheels are connected to the gearbox through special electronic couplings either when the rear axle hits slippery soil, or with a sharp touch from the place.


Driving
For such a huge car, he is surprisingly easy to drive.

Salon
Spacious, functional, perfectly equipped. Many places for storing a little thing, a full luggage compartment.

Comfort
For comfort, this car can give odds to many cars.

Safety
At a fairly high level. In addition, in the United States, this car is recognized as one of the most undeveloped.

Price
High, although the car is worth it.


Technical characteristics of Honda Ridgeline
Dimensions, mm 5253x1976x1789 mm
Gasoline engine, 3471 cm3, 247l.s./5750 min-1
Automatic transmission, 5 -speed, AWD
Fuel consumption city 14.7 l; The track is 11.2 l
Competitors Chevrolet Avalanche


Advantages and disadvantages
+ Dynamics, comfort, sound insulation, an extraordinary solution for designing a cargo platform, the presence of a large number of security systems.
- High price.
 

Our opinion

Until now, Honda has not produced such cars. And I must say, the first sample of the pen in this field was clearly a success. Ridgeline turned out to be not only a rather balanced car in all indicators, but also set new landmarks for many automakers.
 

Oleg Kalaushin
Photo: Igor Kuznetsov
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Source: Magazine 5 wheel [November 2007]