Everyone but honda gets smacked on the sales floor

[SuperTrooper]

Originally Posted by Duffman

Real trucks have a full frame underneath. Unibodies are for cars. I feel sorry for anyone who bought a ridgeline thinking they were getting a truck but dont know the importance of a full frame on a work vehicle.

I doubt anybody bought it thinking it was a work truck. Honda salespeople are taught to emphasize the car-like ride of the unibody construction. The marketing material never shows much more than a dirt bike in the back or towing anything more than 2 Honda watercraft. I've seen quite a few at the local transfer station, so it's bought by folks who occassionally need something to haul trash or other nasty dirty light stuff. The most important factor to these buyers is the Honda name.

[cfg83]

Duffman -

Originally Posted by Duffman

Real trucks have a full frame underneath. Unibodies are for cars. I feel sorry for anyone who bought a ridgeline thinking they were getting a truck but dont know the importance of a full frame on a work vehicle.

I thought the Ridgeline was both :

Honda Media Newsroom Release: 2006 Honda Ridgeline Chassis

Integrated Closed-Box Frame with Unibody Construction

The 2006 Honda Ridgeline uses a new generation of truck platform with a ladder frame and a unibody for enhanced levels of safety with class leading rigidity and performance. The Integrated Closed-Box Frame with Unibody Construction is engineered to balance the rugged traits of a dedicated truck frame with high levels of safety, handling and fuel economy of a unibody design. Underneath the unibody frame sits a fully integrated ladder frame comprised of seven crossmembers with high-strength steel reinforcements that create six fully boxed zones with the lower portion of the unibody. The benefit of the unibody construction (compared to traditional body on frame construction) is better space utilization and vehicle packaging, better handling, and enhanced energy absorption capabilities. MacPherson struts are used for the front suspension and a space saving multi-link with trailing arm suspension is used in the rear. (More detailed information regarding the integrated closed-box frame with unibody construction is available in the Body section.)

CarloSW2

[SuperTrooper]

From the Honda Ridgeline webpages:

"The integrated closed-box frame with unit-body construction is quieter than the conventional body-on-frame design. Not only does this greatly minimize the buzz, squeak and rattle generally associated with body-on-frame trucks, but it also greatly enhances the Ridgeline's ride and handling, especially when fully loaded. The two integrated, fully boxed and reinforced frame rails and seven fully boxed cross members give it added strength and class-leading torsional rigidity.

Basically, the frame keeps the unibody from twisting under load.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by SuperTrooper

Oh the small truck market is out there. The Ranger is still the best selling small truck...

But the Ranger is not a small truck, it's a mid-sized truck. Small trucks are the size of the 75-76 Toyota models pictured at this link: Toyota compact pickup trucks - Hi-Lux and Tacomoa

[funkybunk]

I think this is funny. Ford has for years been refusing to sell the Ford Ka in the U.S. because they think we are not ready for smaller cars like the Ka. Now, that (and the insane laws that cars being imported have to follow, so no use trying to import one from UK.) has bitten ford in their giant, overpriced, prone to fire butt.

[garys_1k]

Ford has missed more than a few opportunities over the years to develop their small car portfolio, but didn't so they could concentrate on the more profitable trucks. Short sighted, and now they're struggling to change (and shedding people while trying to catch up).

[Arminius]

The thing is that Ford has about a half dozen great small cars that are made for other markets. They aren't made for the US market. GM is the same way. I saw a Pontiac in Mexico that was the size of a small Scion.

YouTube - ford ka

[funkybunk]

The ford Ka would be great for American markets. I was reading an article about the Ka (I think it was called "A boy and his Ka") About how it was small, fast for the size, and cheap. (Averaging $5,000 when converted to American dollars.) They also had the Festiva, which I love and plan on getting.
The sad thing is, is that small cars today aren't even small. Compare it to the original Mini Cooper, which was truly small. Or, you can even go smaller than that and look at the Peel P50 and the Peel Trident. Those cars ran on a mopen motor and were so small and light, you could carry it into the office. I would love to have one of those, too. XD

[Arminius]

Speaking of inexpensive cars, I saw the Atoz quite a bit around Mexico. A true micro car. Everyone I talked to liked the Ka better.

YouTube - Fifth Gear Test Proton Savvy, Hyundai Atoz and a French car

[funkybunk]

The Atoz looks extremely awesome, but I'm a fan of all cute cars.