2006 Honda Ridgeline Preview

Weird yet Wonderful New Pickup Truck

No one doubts Honda's capabilities in engineering, right? The brand sits 4th overall in J. D. Power and Associate's 2004

Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda, unveils the 2006 Honda Ridgeline at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 10, 2005. (Photo: Honda Canada)

Initial Quality Study (IQS), the highest among entry level brands, well ahead of 7th place Hyundai and 9th place Toyota.

It beats archrival Toyota by two positions in the same third party analytical firm's 2004 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) too, this time in 6th place out of 37 automaker nameplates, ahead of its own Acura brand by one ranking and once again the top rated entry level brand.

Of course, such a high rating by North America's most respected independent

Once the design leader among Japanese brands, Honda's production vehicles have become a quagmire of derivative design ideas. (Photo: Honda Canada)

survey company is a phenomenal feat, something the Japanese automaker and all who buy its cars and SUVs are no doubt proud of.

But it takes more than just reliability to win over North America's masses, of course, one being driving dynamics and the other styling. I don't think there will be too many who will complain harshly if I say that most Honda's deliver agile performance from better than average suspension design and tuning, plus energetic 4- and 6-cylinder engine/transmission combinations. While rarely the most powerful in their respective classes, Honda's engines are often among the cleanest and most fuel efficient, plus they're wonderfully refined.