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Perhaps
some purists won't understand this, but there are people who
really do want a pickup truck that handles with the finesse
of a car. The unusual construction and design of Honda's Ridgeline,
paired with creature comforts, means a ride as close to a
car as a pickup's likely to have. That unique combination
of identity Yin and Yang put the Ridgeline in the spotlight
as winner of ICOTY's Class of 2006's Pickup Truck - Most Athletic
category. In the face of more traditionally designed competitors,
it was an award well earned.
Ridgeline's styling doesn't give it an average pickup profile. The side panel of the pickup bed flows forward and up, echoing a profile more akin to a sedan. That's not
a surprise since Honda has broken the mold on some vehicle shapes in the past. Crease lines indented around the wheel wells give a rounder, less trucky feel, despite its underlying tow-worthy strength. Most trucks, expecting some workhorse duty, ride on rigid, ladder-shaped frames. Not so the 247-HP, V-6 powered Ridgeline, built with auto-type unitized construction.
While others have had side panel or fender lock boxes, Ridgeline claims a first with its locking, under-truck bed trunk. No need to add an aftermarket bin. (Imagine driving with three golf bags secured beneath a load of weekend project paneling.) A tailgate drops or opens sideways depending on need. Maybe Ridgeline reinvented the pickup as a new, more flexible category.
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Dodge
Ram SRT10
For
a ride on the wild side, try the Dodge Ram SRT10.
This half-ton of fun wins honors for brute authority
and enough raucous speed to blow the doors off any
pickup competitor. Rear spoiler and hood scoop ride
high above Viper's adapted monster 8.3-liter, 500-horsepower
V-10 engine thundering under the hood. Dodge's trademark
"semi" face glares down any lesser vehicle
in front. With visions of drag strip launch lights
flashing between convoys to tracks, we get it, we
get it. Countdown anyone?
Mitsubishi
Raider
Webster's
calls "raider" something that makes an unexpected
attack. We call "Raider" a sneaky way of
grabbing one's attention when it comes in the form
of Mitsubishi's new, mid-size pickup truck. This self-described
most power-packed import brand claims a muscle-bound
V-6 or V-8 presence with lots of near-lux stuff for
a lesser price, and variations for a truck load of
tastes. In stick, automatic, multi-door dimensions
and long and short bodied versions, we call it a raider
for all reasons.
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