Honda Sweeps North American Car and "Truck" of the Year Prizes

[TrainTrac]

Like I said yesterday, my wife described the Ridgeline in two words: "It's girly".

Honda Sweeps North American Car and Truck of the Year Prizes



Date posted: 01-10-2006



DETROIT — The 2006 Honda Civic and the 2006 Honda Ridgeline were awarded the 2006 North American Car of the Year and North American Truck of the Year on Sunday by 49 international journalists. It marks Honda's first win in either category — and the first time that a single brand has won both awards in the same year.



The awards, presented each year at the opening of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, recognize the most outstanding car and truck of the year based on innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, and value for the dollar.



The Ridgeline redefined the truck segment with its in-bed "trunk." The Civic received a major exterior redesign for 2006, including a new Civic Si that offers a 197-horsepower, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine with a six-speed manual transmission.



What this means to you: The Civic and the Ridgeline get the nod from the prestigious panel — and what a coup for Honda.

 

[Deleted deleted]

Well, gotta admit Honda is heading into a new segment.... "girlie trucks". Gotta admit they are out on a limb on this one.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Here is a list of other winners.

2006 Honda Civic

2005 Chrysler 300

2004 Toyota Prius

2003 Infiniti G35 Coupe / Sedan

2002 Ford Thunderbird

2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser

2000 Lincoln LS

1999 Chrysler 300M

1998 Chevrolet Corvette

1997 Chevrolet Malibu

1996 Dodge Caravan

1995 Chrysler Cirrus

1994 Ford Mustang

1993 Ford Probe GT

1992 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan

1991 Chevrolet Caprice Classic LTZ

1990 Lincoln Town Car

1989 Ford Thunderbird SC

1988 Pontiac Grand Prix

1987 Ford Thunderbird

1986 Ford Taurus LX

1985 Volkswagen GTI

1984 Chevrolet Corvette

1983 American Motors Renault Alliance (Awesome car!!!)

1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z28

1981 Chrysler K-cars, Dodge Aries/Plymouth Reliant (Sweet!!!)

1980 Chevrolet Citation(Oh baby!)

1979 Buick Riviera S

1978 Chrysler, Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon (Another fine one)

1977 Chevrolet Caprice

1976 Chrysler, Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volare

1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2 V-8

1974 Ford Mustang II

1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

1972 Citroen SM (Ha Ha Ha Ha!)

1971 Chevrolet Vega

1970 Ford Torino

1969 Plymouth Road Runner

1968 Pontiac GTO

1967 Mercury Cougar

1966 Oldsmobile Toronado

1965 Pontiac Motor Division

1964 Ford Motor Company

1963 American Motors Rambler

1962 Buick Special

1961 Pontiac Tempest

1960 Chevrolet Corvair

1959 Pontiac Motor Division

1958 Ford Thunderbird

1957 Chrysler Corporation

1956 Ford Motor Company

1955 No Award

1954 No Award

1953 No Award

1952 Cadillac Motor Car Division

1951 Chrysler Corporation

1950 No award

1949 Cadillac Motor Car Division

Something to be very proud of. In the ranks of a Citroen, Renalt, K-Car and Omni. The GLH was sweet though.





Tom

 

[TrainTrac]

These particular awards weren't from Motor Trend.

The 2006 Honda Civic and the 2006 Honda Ridgeline were awarded the 2006 North American Car of the Year and North American Truck of the Year on Sunday by 49 international journalists.



The awards, presented each year at the opening of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, recognize the most outstanding car and truck of the year based on innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, and value for the dollar.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Motor Trend did name the Civic and the Ridgeline, Car and Truck of the year.





Tom

 

[TrainTrac]

True, Tom. Guess the journalists at the Detroit show think like those at Motor Trend.

 

[Gerald Pierce]

Test drove a Civic the other day after going to the car show.... it's a very nice little car. thinking of getting one for DW here in a few weeks. Very smooth, good bit of pep, and the LX package had all the options we would like, all for 17k.



I prefer to buy american, but considering it is built in OH......



Still debating buying it, but it is the first car I have been able to convince DW to actually test drive for herself.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Even though it is built in Ohio, it is a foreign company.





Tom

 

[Keith McElroy]

I don't give much credit to a list that names the Pontiac GTO the car of the year in '68 (understandable) then, six years later, names the Mustang II the same thing. Come on, they couldn't have published that with a straight face.

 

[Deleted deleted]

They reached a new low with the 1996 Dodge Caravan.... they lost all credibility with me after that selection.

 

[TrainTrac]

I don't give much credit to a list that names the Pontiac GTO the car of the year in '68 (understandable) then, six years later, names the Mustang II the same thing.

As far as the Mustang II goes, you've got to put it into context for the time in which it was introduced. That was right at the height of the Opec oil embargo. Lee Iacocca was very market-savvy and knew that a smaller, more fuel efficient Mustang was right for the time.

The 1974 introduction of the short-lived Mustang II earned Ford Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year honors again and actually returned the car to more than a semblance of its 1964 predecessor in size, shape and overall styling. Though Iacocca insisted that the Mustang II be finished to quality standards unheard of in the American auto industry, the II suffered from being not only smaller than the original car, but heavier and slower as well. Available as a hardtop or three-door hatchback, the new car's base engine was a 2.3 L SOHC I4, the first fully metric engine built in the US for installation in an American car. A 2.8 L V6 was the sole optional engine, meaning the popular V8 option would disappear for the first and only time in 1974, and Ford was swamped by buyer mail and criticized in the automotive press for it.



Since the car was never meant to have a V8 in the first place, it became a mad scramble to reengineer the car in order to reinstate the 302 in³ (4.9 L) V8 option in time for the 1975 model year. Like the car that preceded it, the Mustang II had its roots in another compact, the Ford Pinto, though less so than the original car was based on the Falcon. The car sold well, with sales of more than 400,000 units its first year. It's also interesting to note that four of the five years of the Mustang II are on the top-ten list of most sold Mustangs. Despite innovations such as rack-and-pinion steering and a separate engine subframe that greatly decreased noise, vibration and harshness, the Mustang II never caught the public's fancy like the original ten years prior had.



The Arab oil embargo, skyrocketing insurance rates and aforementioned US emissions and safety standards that destroyed the straight-line performance of virtually every car of the period certainly didn't help. Chrysler ended production of the Barracuda and its stablemate, the Dodge Challenger in 1974 and GM nearly discontinued the Camaro and Firebird. However, on the momentum of the Mustang II's understated success and under the direction of Ford's new styling chief, Jack Telnack, a totally new Mustang hit the streets in 1979.

 

[Keith McElroy]

My friend had one in high school and we had two terms we used equally to describe it:



1. Rustang - This thing literally rusted apart while you watched.



2. Smogtang - They had bought it new and only after 60-odd thousand miles, it was enveloped in a blue/grey cloud every time it was started.



By the time it quit running, they were putting Marvel Mystery Oil in it as much as gas. I hold it in as high regard and the Yugo (which, by name, is synonymous with junk).

 

[Eduardo Bailey]

Hi folks. First, let me say I learned a while ago that when a magazine offers placements on vehicle ratings and in the same pages has PAID ADVERTISERS, I rather take their statements lightly. I know the Ridgeline is a good truck because of Honda's reputation. Nevertheless... As for the Mustang II, I had one with the German built V-6. Once I put dual exhaust on it, it ran rather nicely. I liked it. It did have it's quirks.



Ed