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Tough pick-up fans are the main detractors of the groundbreaking Honda Ridgeline, the first full-size truck to be offered by the Japanese automaker known worldwide for dependable, fuel-efficient sedans and small SUV's. But this new one-piece truck is doing well, despite being called "ugly" (or at best "funny-looking") by those enamored with the traditional two-part pick-up silhouette. How can it be that a strange new mutant vehicle such as the Ridgeline is attracting so much positive attention and so many converts and buyers?

The secret lies in Honda's marketing research. Honda took its time on this one, and they knew what they were doing. Many people shy away from pick-up trucks because of their rattling ride, their tough-guy attitude, their poor fuel economy, and lack of room or comfort for passengers. Honda took a big risk here, but did an awesome job of concocting an in-between vehicle with a V-6 engine that carries 1.5 tons, tows 5000 lbs. (boat trailer, anyone?), has more horsepower and gets better gas mileage than many big trucks, and has an innovative seamless body/bed design that provides a sedan-like, rattle-free ride in a roomy and comfortable passenger area - which gives the Ridgeline its distinctive (albeit unusual) shape. Best of all, as Business Week reported (April 26, 2006), the Ridgeline has a key safety advantage as well, being ". . .the first four-door pickup truck to win the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's five-star safety rating for both front and side impact crash test performance, and it had the highest rollover resistance of any pickup NHTSA ever tested."

This is an important advantage, because a typical pick-up truck or standard-size SUV is twice as likely to roll over in a crash as a standard sedan. And rollover crashes carry much greater rates of serious and fatal injuries.

When Honda debuted the Ridgeline as a 2005 model, its hefty sticker price was admittedly a deterrent for some buyers. But dealers have offered incentives and discounts, so the Ridgeline is making its presence felt more and more across the country these days. Check out Consumer Reports and MSN Auto for a look at owner satisfaction and vehicle reliability, as well as comparisons with other popular pick-ups.

No, the Honda Ridgeline is not a Ford F150, and it's not a classic Chevy work truck. But it IS a great cross between a full-size traditional pick-up and a comfortable SUV, and is lots of fun to drive.

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