We’re constantly dealing with emails and comments here at TundraHeadquarters that all say something like (paraphrasing) “If U were a real truck owner, you wouldn’t buy a Jap rice burner truck, you’d get a real pickup from GM, Ford, or Dodge…” Right. That’s a pretty ignorant thing to say considering the Tundra is made in Texas, has more domestic content than trucks from Dodge or GM, and meets or exceeds the trucks offered by the not-so-big-three in almost every measurable way. The Tundra is, after all, the 2nd most American truck on the market today.
Still, we get hate mail. So be it. We’re fighting the good fight, trying to explain to loyal American truck buyers that the Tundra should stand right alongside it’s brethern from Detroit. Then, out of the blue, Honda goes and does something like this:
No wonder the Honda Ridgeline is hated by hard-core truck enthusiasts.
That’s a screen-shot of an advertisment for the Ridgeline – the “nimble yet powerful” truck.
Come-on Honda let’s be real! The ad says “Nimble Meets Powerful,” but that statement is bordering on an outright lie. The Ridgeline might be considered “nimble” if you compare it to bigger trucks with a lot more capability, but not by much. The last Ridgeline Edmunds.com tested back in 2006 ran through a slalom course at 57.2 mph. Compare that to the Tundra’s result of 54.9 mph – hardly significant. A 2.3 mph slalom advantage hardly makes the Ridgeline “nimble.”
So what about “powerful?” The Ridgeline’s V8 has…oh yeah. No V8. They’ve got a 255 hp 3.5L V6 that pumps out about 250 lb-ft of torque at about 4300 RPM. Not bad, but not even close to the power produced by even the smallest V8 available in a Ford, GM, Dodge or Tundra.
The point here is that it’s ree-frickin-diculous to call the Ridgeline “nimble” and/or “powerful.” Sure sure – what else is Honda supposed to advertise? How about “smart features” or “right-sized” or something like that? A case can be made that the Ridgeline does everything that most truck owners need (much like the Tacoma), and it has quite a few clever features. The advertising should talk about any of these traits, but not “nimble and powerful.”
Some say that comparing a Tundra (or any full-size truck) to the Ridgeline is unfair, yet Honda’s own literature says “charge into new territory with a half-ton of muscle,” perpetuating the ridiculous myth that this is a real truck…which is exactly why your typical died-in-the-whole-xenophobic-domestic-truck-loving-American hates the Honda Ridgeline, and precisely why we, as Tundra enthusiasts, are constantly inundated with ignorant and ridiculous comments about our “foreign” trucks.
If Honda’s ads stopped trying to portray this baby brute as the real deal, Japanese automakers (and Tundra owners, more importantly) wouldn’t have to fight the stereotype that their trucks aren’t built to American standards. Instead, Honda patronizes the truck-buying world by offering a “half-ton” truck that doesn’t have a V8. Ridiculous.
Notice to Honda and the people advertising the Ridgeline – you’re not helping. Please stop.
Popularity: 2%
One of my customers parked his Ridgeline next to my CM that other day at my office. He was admiring my truck, and I felt the need to return the compliment, so I said, “Yours is keeeyyyyyy-UTE!” in my best teeny-bopper voice. He gave me a sideways smile, so I went further and said, “You have a nice truck too. Where’s the rest of it?”. Luckily this customer has a great sense of humor, otherwise I would have lost the company a few million a year in sales!
Bottom line, the Ridgeline is a “crossover” SUV/truck. It’s great for what it is, but Honda shouldn’t base their marketing plan on trying to tie it in with the big dogs. Market it as what it is, and no one should have any bones to pick.