When the then-new Honda Ridgeline emerged as the winner of a five-vehicle comparison test a couple years back ["Do-It-All Compact Pickups," June 2005], our mailbags (both snail and cyber) overflowed with outrage. The essence of this bilious tide of correspondence was that "this thing you weirdos call a truck" is not a truck at all but some sort of car decked out in pickup drag and therefore an insult to all true truckers.

At the conclusion of that test, our take on the car-or-truck issue was this: "Who cares?" And now, after two years and 40,000 miles with a Ridgeline, we heartily endorse the finding of that '05 comparison-test crew: "Let's appreciate the Ridgeline for what it is: a new type of utility vehicle." Hey, even the state of Michigan, which has more than a little motor-vehicle experience, is confused about the Ridgeline's classification. Our tester's registration documents describe it as a "station wagon."

Whatever we may choose to call it, a vehicle is ultimately defined by what it does, and what better word than "utility" to describe a vehicle that does just about everything. And yet everything, as it applies to the Ridgeline, does have limits. For example, Honda's unibody truck (a structural distinction that makes it unique in pickupdom) is rated to tow as much as 5000 pounds, which is on the low side of capabilities of mid-size pickups. Moreover, towing gets to be fairly deliberate as trailer loads near that max. One of the staff club racers, whose car-trailer combo scales in at just over a ton, thought the Ridgeline towed just fine. But another, with a 4600-pound load, found it merely adequate, noting that "you can forget about passing on two-lane highways."

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True truckers might also sneer at the Ridgeline's smallish cargo bed. It's a little narrower than other mid-size-pickup beds, but there's ample space between the fender wells (49.5 inches). At 60.0 inches, it's also short, and even with the two-way tailgate open in the horizontal position, a four-by-eight sheet of building material will overlap the gate's end by 17 inches. So, not a good choice for someone in the home-building trade.

Even though all-wheel drive is standard, there's no low-range feature for creeping in tough job-site terrain-our '05 comparo rated the Ridgeline least comfortable with off-road duty-and, of course, no one, true trucker or poultry inspector, has ever called the Ridgeline pretty. In fact, the U-word-ugly-pops up often in our test truck's logbook.

But pretty is as pretty does, and by the time the Ridgeline's odo clicked past 40,000 miles, our drivers saw right past its-let's try a different U-word: unique-exterior to its beautiful usefulness. The nine-cubic-foot lockable trunk set into the floor of the pickup bed came in for particular praise, as did the volume of the aft half of the cabin-ample for passengers, and adaptable for pretty good-sized cargo.

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Just about everyone who drove the Ridgeline was pleasantly surprised by its agility, and all occupants had good things to say about its ride quality. Sometimes they even forgot to add the "for a truck" disclaimer, and one logbook scribbler thought it behaved "like a tall Accord."

Inevitably, there were a few niggling gripes. For example, after creeping blindly through a frog-strangling downpour, one logbook diarist thought the windshield wipers' fast setting was hard to distinguish from the slow one. Another thought the side mirrors needed to be bigger to illuminate the substantial blind spots created by the flying-buttress C-pillars (there were several mentions of this design-imposed drawback).

And speaking of design-imposed drawbacks, the cargo-bed sides, which slope up en route to the front of the box (from 16.0 inches at the rear to 21.5 inches at the front) made it impossible to grab stuff in the bed's center without bellying up against the outside of the truck-not a good thing if you happened to be wearing your Tom Wolfe whites.

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Cosmetics aside, it's always easy to develop warm feelings about a vehicle that refrains from calling in sick, and in this sense, the Ridgeline, like other Hondas we've encountered over the years, had an attendance record that was all but perfect.

The only unscheduled dealer visit occurred at 2586 miles when a staffer managed to break the hood-release handle on a cold February morning. He was trying to thaw the Ridgeline's frozen windshield washer nozzles and first attempted to get the washers to function by dousing them with hot coffee. Frustrated when this zany cure failed to produce the desired result, he decided to take a look at the washer-fluid reservoir and snatched the hood release handle with an excess of irritation-enhanced force. Whereupon it detached from the cable, provoking colorful language from our colleague.

The hood-release mechanism was restored under warranty at no cost. Beyond that, all service visits were for scheduled maintenance. There were five, plus another for installation of some Honda accessories [see Baubles and Bolt-Ons]. The total for the five routine service visits over the course of the test was $387.

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Beyond the Ridgeline's unfailing readiness, we were also impressed with its all-around durability. The original tires (Michelin LTX M/S), for example, were still in good shape at 40,000 miles and produced better stopping distances at the end of the test (180 feet) than they had at the outset (195 feet). In addition, brake-pad wear was negligible-surprising in view of the Ridgeline's extensive towing duties.

Towing takes a toll on fuel economy, so we were mildly (but pleasantly) surprised when the Ridgeline's overall performance in this category scored 19 mpg, just a couple mpg short of its EPA highway rating. In all, the Ridgeline consumed 2105 gallons at $2.78 per, for a total of $5852.

We were also pleased, although not surprised, to see that the performance of the Ridgeline's 247-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 was more robust at 40,000 miles than it was at the 1390-mile initial test: 0 to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds new, 7.8 seconds at the conclusion of this long-term test.

Just as significant, the Ridgeline seemed just as new at 40,000 miles as it did when it actually was new-no squeaks, no rattles, no loose trim pieces, no mechanical idiosyncrasies, with the feel of something carved from a single chunk of billet.

It might not be a "real" truck, and it might not be pretty. But of vehicles in its size class, we can't think of any others that deliver a more comprehensive menu of all-around utility attributes. Proving once again that you don't have to be beautiful to be brilliant.

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RANTS AND RAVES

DAVE VANDERWERP
Leave it to Honda to build the first driver's pickup.

DAN WINTER
Great highway cruiser. Without a doubt the best-driving pickup out there.

RUSS FERGUSON
Dislike the C-pillars (Son of Aztek). Everything else makes up for this, though. Smooth ride, good seats, easy-to-use controls, tons of storage, even under the seats.

JOHN PHILLIPS
On the freeway, you can really feel this thing battle its way through the air. Must have the Cd of a Kenworth.

JAYNE YODER
Love it. Easy to drive, maneuver. Used the trunk under the bed for luggage and fit four adults comfortably in the cab.

JARED GALL
It has a bed only as a novelty. Took some creativity and prayer to haul a trio of kayaks.

MARK GILLIES
Very impressive truck. Tows very well, rides nicely, and is extremely user-friendly.

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Auto Show: 2008 Dodge Dakota
News: First Suzuki Pickup
Long-Term Test: Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4X4 V-6 Long Bed

BAUBLES AND BOLT-ONS

ACCESSORY GRILLE: Given all the unkind remarks concerning the Ridgeline's unique styling, we thought a small attempt at beautification couldn't hurt. Unfortunately, the Honda Ridgeline accessories catalog didn't yield much help. The only piece that looked like a good bet was a substitute grille ($299, part number 08F21-SJC-100; now standard on the RTX model).

The stock grille looks as though it might have been inspired by the heating element in a 1950s deep-fat fryer. The accessory version is more conventional, with Honda's silver-H logo floating on a black mesh background.

Both grilles, stock and accessory, are plastic, secured by clips and nine screws. However, swapping them isn't quite that simple, since getting at the grille involves removing the entire front bumper, a job the dealer performed for $67.

Although Dan Winter-the art-department home slice who lobbied for the substitute grille-likened the upgrade to "putting lipstick on a pig," we think it's a worthwhile improvement on the Ridgeline's front end. And we should note that Winter is among the staff's biggest Ridgeline fans.

UNDER-BED-TRUNK CARPET AND DIVIDER TRAY: As nifty as it is, the Ridgeline's subcargo-bed trunk is like any other when smallish objects are tossed in there loose, especially objects that are hard and prone to slide or roll when the vehicle is cornering.

There are two Honda accessory solutions to this problem: a carpeted mat that fits snugly into the bottom of the trunk to cushion stuff that might be sliding around in there and a divider tray for organizing and securing small objects you don't want sliding at all. This is also designed to fit snugly in the bottom of the trunk, and we opted to cushion the divider tray with the carpet

The carpet and the divider tray sell for $59 each. Installation poses no challenge and will save you $8 per item.

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2006 Honda Ridgeline RTL

VEHICLE TYPE:front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door truck

PRICE AS TESTED:$32,040 (base price: $32,040)

ENGINE TYPE:SOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 212 cu in, 3471cc
Power (SAE net): 247 bhp @ 5750 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 245 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 5-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 122.0 in
Length: 206.8 in
Width: 76.3 in
Height: 70.3 in
Curb weight: 4540 lb

PERFORMANCE:

NEW

40,000

Zero to 60 mph:

8.1 sec

7.8 sec

Zero to 100 mph:

24.3 sec

23.6 sec

Street start, 5-60 mph:

8.5 sec

8.1 sec

Standing ¼ mile:

16.4 sec @85 mph

16.1 sec @85 mph

Braking, 70-0 mph:

195 ft

180 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad:

0.78g

0.81g

Top speed (governor limited):

110 mph

110 mph

EPA fuel economy, city driving: 16 mpg
C/D-observed fuel economy: 19 mpg
Unscheduled oil additions: 0 qt

WARRANTY:
3 years/36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper; 5 years/60,000 miles powertrain; 5 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection

OPERATING COSTS (FOR 40,000 MILES):
Service: (5 scheduled, 1 unscheduled) $387
Normal wear: $0
Repair: $0
Gasoline (@ $2.78 per gallon): $5852

LIFE EXPECTANCIES (ESTIMATED FROM 40,000-MILE TEST):
Tires: 85,000 miles
Front brake pads: more than 100,000 miles
Rear brake pads: more than 100,000 miles

WHAT BITS AND PIECES COST:
Headlamp: $208
Engine air filter: $20
Oil filter: $7
Wheel: $253
Tire: $178
Wiper blades: $27
Front brake pads: $66

MODEL-YEAR CHANGES:
2007: RTX trim level added (includes trailer hitch, gray alloy wheels, accessory grille, and body-color door handles); driver's-side illuminated vanity mirror added; sunroof and XM satellite radio standard on RTL trim level; new SAE procedures drop horsepower rating by eight and torque by seven pound-feet.

Talk back in the forums:
Is this Honda a good compromise or just a 'wanna-be' truck?