page_title: Honda Ridgeline (2006–2014)
section_title: Marketing and sales
hierarchical_section_title: Honda Ridgeline (2006–2014) / Marketing and sales
caption_attribution_description: English: Image of a 2009 Honda Ridgeline RTL towing a 2005 Sea Ray 220 Sundeck via a 2010 Karavan KKBT-4800-DB-78-L boat trailer.
context_page_description: The Honda Ridgeline is the first generation of pickup truck manufactured by Honda under the Ridgeline nameplate. According to Honda and automotive journalists, the first generation Ridgeline has some additional noteworthy designs, including:
  An in-bed trunk
  A dual-action tailgate
  A dent and corrosion resistant half-ton capacity composite bed
  An all-wheel drive truck with a fully independent suspension
  Ultra-low emissions
  A large interior for a mid-size pickup
  Contrary to some media reporting, Honda's publications state that the first generation Ridgeline was a uniquely engineered vehicle with only 7% of its components shared with other Honda vehicles. Its powertrain resembled the one used in the first generation Acura MDX but was "extensively calibrated and strengthened" for heavier hauling and towing duties.
  The first generation Ridgeline went on sale in March 2005 as a 2006 model year vehicle. Production of the first generation Ridgeline ended in early 2015.
context_section_description: According to Automotive Design & Production, Honda was slow to enter the minivan and SUV markets, so "given that track record it is no surprise that Honda has just now [2005] gotten around to building a pickup truck."  According to Bloomberg, Honda hoped buyers would find it an attractive alternative to large SUVs and conventional pickup trucks.
  Some in the automotive press that have studied the Ridgeline, such as PickupTrucks.com, consider it "one of those odd vehicles."  They wrote, "The Ridgeline can't really do what most people who like trucks need it to do."  While AutoTrader.com wrote, "Sure, some homeowners and weekend warriors may actually need a 10,000-lb towing capacity, but the Honda Ridgeline is probably just right for most."  Motor Trend conducted a long-term road test of the 2006 Ridgeline and stated that they "fully expected the hard-cores to be outraged" suggesting they would proclaim "It's a modified minivan," it "didn't qualify as a truck because of its unibody chassis and transverse-mounted engine," and that "it looks funny."  After a year in their long-term fleet, Motor Trend stated "the Ridgeline has ultimately made a few converts among our car-loving staff, some of whom would never consider themselves fans of anything with a pickup bed."  They wrapped up their long-term review by stating that whatever their next long-term vehicles is, "it's likely not to be as versatile as the Ridgeline.  We'll miss this urban-suburban and mountain Swiss Army knife for sure."  Others in the automotive press, such as The Driver's Seat TV, had similar views and also call the Ridgeline, "the Swiss Army knife of trucks."  They also called the Ridgeline "the anti-truck"—due to Honda's lack of following the rules—and summarized their view by saying "the Ridgeline scores high on practicality but very low on image."
  According to the Chicago Sun-Times, "Since its March [2005] debut, Honda's first pickup for the US market is slow to gain traction.  Nissan's full-size Titan pickup also has fallen short of sales targets in this all-American segment, which ... is proving tough for outsiders to crack."  According to Bloomberg Business, early slow sales can partly be attributed to the expense of the vehicle, which some considered "over-priced."  Consequently, dealers began to discount the truck and sales increased.  Additionally, Honda gave the Ridgeline a facelift for 2009 and again in 2012, but sales remained "lackluster," according to AutoBlog.com.  During the time period of the Great Recession, Automobile Magazine wrote that Ridgeline sales "dropped by half from 2008 to 2010 and then fell another 40%" in 2011, possibly due, in part, to parts shortages created by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.  Soon after, Honda posted "an open letter from the company's head of truck product planning, denying rumors that the Ridgeline would be dropped and insisting that a pickup truck will remain part of the company's portfolio."
  The first generation Ridgeline ended production in early 2015.  According to Auto Trader, the automaker planned to continue production until the second generation Ridgeline was introduced; however, "slow sales of the truck have prompted the automaker to pull it sooner than expected."  Despite this, the Ridgeline was one of Honda's more profitable vehicles due in large part to the company's frugal nature that allowed them to develop and deploy the Ridgeline for under $250 million US dollars—half of what General Motors would normally pay—maximizing Honda's profits.
caption: 2009 Ridgeline RTL towing a 2005 Sea Ray 220 Sundeck sport boat
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