Oct 06 - Popular Mechanics Award

[R 3]

07 ST won one of the 2007 Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Awards.



VERSATILITY

Ford Explorer Sport Trac

It’s hard to think of a more handy combination of ingredients than a blend of the best features of a Ford Explorer and an F-150 pickup. Don’t be fooled by the fact that the newest Sport Trac looks remarkably like its predecessor--the ’07 is bigger outside, roomier inside and offers more power than previous versions. With a family-of-five-friendly cabin, Sport Trac is ideal as an outdoor vacation vehicle or a commuter. The cargo box is still 4 ft. in length, but it’s taller and wider than before with 26 percent more load space. And with a rugged SMC plastic interior, the box won’t suffer from bouncing tools, camping gear or whatever you’re hauling from the home center. An optional hard cover for the box helps keep what’s back there safe. The optional V8 makes it a potent tow vehicle, able to pull up to 6800 pounds behind you. The fact that the Sport Trac’s available with real 4wd doesn’t hurt, either. Base price: $24,940.

 

[Tony Tassillo]

and that ladies and gentelman is exactually why i bought it. i wanted a luxury sedan with a cargo bed. and thats what i got.

 

[Tim Turner]

Don’t be fooled by the fact that the newest Sport Trac looks remarkably like its predecessor

Is this a typo? :lol:

 

[Keith Lewis]

I ordered mine because I needed to tow my Cobra around, and still have comfortable room inside for the rugrats for them long trips. Guess they agreed with me

 

[Richard L]

Finally someone did a review of the Sport Trac and recongnized the versatility and uniqueness of this vehicle...Things we always knew !!



...Rich

 

[Gavin Allan]

CATEGORY

Functionality

Honda Ridgeline



Why the Honda Ridgeline wins the Functionality category: Leave it to those clever rascals at Honda to make common pickup truck beliefs obsolete. Despite what many truck traditionalists may think, the Ridgeline is a real pickup. It can haul the requisite half a ton of stuff--and the five guys needed to load and unload it. With its unibody construction and fully independent suspension, it rides so smoothly that the stuff and the guys are none the worse for wear at the end of the day. More than that, the Ridgeline also has unique, innovative and truly useful touches like a lockable tailgate that both drops and swings open, and a storage bin beneath the cargo bed floor that's deep and wide. The cargo bed itself is made of durable steel-reinforced composite. There's only one powertrain: a 255-hp V6, five-speed automatic and awd. Any quibbles? Okay, it's not a powerhouse. And the Ridgeline's looks are a matter of ... taste. But how many other pickups out there offer a nav system with voice commands? Like others on the market, the crew cab Ridgeline has a 5-ft.-long cargo box, a 1549-pound payload and a 5000-pound tow rating. Base price: $28,215.

Rewriting The Rules

Years ago, pickup truck design followed a simple formula: A small cab for two or three people and a long bed for hauling. It made the typical truck great for going to The Home Depot, but bad for taking along the family. Today, trucks have morphed to fulfill both missions. And Honda's new pickup, the Ridgeline, goes a few steps further. Instead of using a heavy ladder frame and a solid rear axle like other pickups, the Ridgeline employs a unitized frame and four-wheel independent suspension. No surprise, when you consider that the new chassis shares some components with the Honda Pilot and Acura MDX SUVs, braced and strengthened here for pickup duty.



The Ridgeline is large for a midsize pickup. It sits on a long 122-in. wheelbase and has a cab that accommodates five passengers. Under the hood is a 255-hp 3.5-liter V6 paired to a five-speed automatic and Honda's VTM-4 all-wheel-drive system. Standard features include stability control and four-wheel disc antilock brakes. It can tow 5000 pounds and haul 1100 pounds in the steel-reinforced composite 5-ft. bed.



After driving the Ridgeline in Southern California, we can tell you it doesn't handle like a pickup. It steers like a car and absorbs bumps as well as the best crossover SUVs. Honda has softened the typical pickup's rough edges.



Of course, the Ridgeline has some typically Honda innovations: The tailgate folds down like a normal pickup's and can also swing out like a door. The bed has numerous tiedown points and four courtesy lights. Underneath the bed there's a huge 8.5-cu.-ft. storage trunk--perfect for a large cooler, camping gear or a couple of golfbags. Inside, the Ridgeline is roomy and the dash is modern, rugged looking and has cavernous storage bins. And rear underseat storage (2.57 cu. ft.) is more than double that of the closest competitor. Ridgelines start around $27,000. B.S.

 

[MARVIN McINTYRE 2]

Thanks to those that gave the ST props......and to Gavin...we know about the ridgeline...BUT this is about the ST and that is what this posting is about, hey..ust kidding, Gavin... but thanks for a rundown of it anyway...I am not interested enough to BUY one of those....not as GOOD LOOKING as the Trac IMO! Good for those that like it though! Send that stuff to the Honda site for the R.... line! Just having some fun with ya! :lol:

 

[R 3]

Yes, RL has locking rear differential, standard side curtain airbags, the funky tailgate, and bigger bed...............BUT the ST has:



* 6-spd automatic overdrive transmission - mated to 4.6L 3-valve V8 for improved low-speed response. RL: 5-spd automatic overdrive

* more towing capacity: properly equipped 4x4 w/ V8 tows 1640# more than properly equipped RL

* more powerful engine - 4.6L 3-valve V8 optional delivers 45 more HP and 55#-ft more torque than the ONLY engine in RL

* TRUE off-road capability: ControlTrac 2-spd transfer case w/ a 4x4 LOW range in ST - RL comes w/ single speed AWD system with NO low range available.

* Bigger wheels/tires - 18" machined AL wheels and P235/65R18 all-season OWL. RL comes w/ 17" whls and tires w/ no option for 18" equipment

* More maneuverability - turning diameter 5' smaller than RL

* STD fog lamps - RL has dealer-only installed fogs

* STD roof side rails - RL has dealer-only installed rails

* Exterior mirrors - large highly aerodyn body-color skullcap exterior mirrors for excellent visibility, specifically designed for reduced windnoise. RL - mirrors smaller, no aerodyn. advantage.

* Rust-resistant cargo bed, made of sheet-molded compound (smc) which does NOT rust - RL has steel-reinforced bed, need i say more. Also, ST has 10 cargo tiedowns, 4 inside 6 outside - RL has only 6.

* Aluminum body parts (hood/front fenders) - RL hood/fenders are steel, period.

* Electrocoated frame, completely immersed in electrocoat primer - RL's is not

* Standard AdvanceTrac w/ Roll Stability Control - helps enhance vehicle control and provides improved stability for cornering, changing lanes or even emergency maneuvers. RL - vehicle stability assist (vsa) does not offer same level of control in vehicle roll situations

* Standard Intelligent Safety System - uses a # of sophisticated sensors thruout the passenger compartment to adjust performance of adaptive safety devices in order to help provide enhanced occupant protection in the event of certain vehicle impacts. ST is designed to meet ALL known US gov't frontal and side-impact crash test req's thru 2010MY.

* Standard floor console/floor-mounted shifter - RL has floor console, but all models have steering-column mounted shift mechanism

* Standard automatic headlamps, controls both ON and OFF functionality. RL - Auto-Off headlamps cannot turn the headlamps on in low ambient light conditions

* Standard MP3 capability on all audio systems - RL only offers it in radio on optional navigation system

* Optional keyless entry keypad. RL - nada

* Optional power-adustable accelerator/brake pedals. RL - nada

* Optional heated windshield. RL - nada

* Free roadside assistance. RL - extra-cost for assistance



NOW which truck would you GET IT UP for.

 

[Gavin Allan]

Damn! OK-- The '07 ST deserves another look. There are two dark cherry 4x4s loaded the way I would want them at two dealers less than 20 miles from here. I "might" go take a look tomorrow and see what I can do. However, even though I would pretty much buy one sight unseen, the thought of spending a whole saturday with such nice fall weather at a dealership with sales people who will probably jerk me around and lie to me just to get the honor of giving them $32,000+ of my hard-earned money.

 

[P M]

The RL is probably a fine vehicle. But, would you want to be seen in one? Man is that thing ugly!! The front end looks like the back of a dorm refrigerator. I gave it an honest consideration when looking for a replacement for my '02 ST that is now over 81k, but there is no way I was ever going to really like because of the looks. I do like the trunk in the bed of the Ridgeline, but after thinking about what I have used the bed for I have come to the conclusion that the overall design of the tonneau cover and bed on the ST works better for me. The ST Tonneau cover is stronger and essentially waterproof and it can be removed in about a minute by one person with no tools. What you have essentially is the entire bed of the ST is a locked waterproof trunk. If you put the T-cover on the RL there is not as much room top to bottom. It's a tradeoff for incorporating the trunk I suppose. However, I could not fit the stuff I like to carry in a locked compartment in the RL trunk. I know I've just barely fit quite a few boxes and other junk into my ST, and they would not have fit into the RL with the T-cover installed. That the tonneau cover on the Ridgeline cannot be easily removed is a serious shortfall in my opinion. Also, the sides of Ridgeline bed are very high making it very difficult to reach objects in the bed. All in all, the design of the ST bed works better for me. That and the one I checked out at the dealer had rust bubbling up under the paint (on a brand new vehicle). That can't be a good thing. Anyway, I'm sure there are many happy RL owners out there, but it's not for me.

 

[blksn8k]

One of my co-workers has a Ridgeline. It's ok for what he needs. But it wouldn't do for me. I need a truck with real off-road capability. Meaning a two-speed transfer case. I also want something that will tow my EB (as in Early Bronco, not Eddie Bauer ). I also have reservations about that under bed trunk. Why did they put the spare tire in there? That might be a good place to keep it out of the elements but it's a freaking tire, it won't melt. And heaven forbid you ever need that spare when the bed is loaded with something you just can't throw out on the side of the road. The bottom line for me is that I want something that can work like a real truck but still has style and is small enough to fit comfortably in my garage. That is not the RL.

 

[Mike Wilson]

The "Big Three", (Toyota, Honda, and Nissan) still have no clue what makes a "Truck"

truly, a "Truck", that the American "Truck-Lovers" want to buy!

The foriegn competition has basically made "trucks" that look like 'trucks" on the

outside, but cannot afford nor give the true performance/capability of the American-Made

Pick-Ups.

And wait till you see the new G.M. 3500-Plus Series, and the new Ford F-450 that are

coming out in the early part of next year!!!

They are basically Semi-Trucks, in their capabilities, that have the functionality and convenience of an every-day Pick-Up Truck!

Ford and G.M. are, no doubt, going head-to-head on this one, but the new Toyota cannot even compare!

I've seen and read all of the true specs, and , just because it's built in Texas, Toyota! ,that does not necessarily make it a "True Pick-Up"!!!

You may have noticed that Dodge is conspicuously absent from this post?

That is because it's parent company, Diahlmer/Chrysler, is no longer an American

car company, in my opinion, as they are owned by the Germans!

And when was the last time the Germans ever made a Pick-Up?

 

[R 3]

All of doz other guys always play catch-up to what's already been done (current models)...dats why Ford will ALWAYZ be ahead in trucks.......