Honda Ridgeline: Once again, Honda shows the world how it's done

I know this is the Cars site, but the Ridgeline is a lesson in how cars and trucks should be designed. Clearly, Honda did their homework -- instead of asking what buyers want a pickup to have, they asked what they wanted a pickup to do. Using that info, they designed this truck Honda-style. In terms of pickup attributes, Ridgeline is a mix of the familiar (sliding back window, crew cab, 5,000 lb towing capacity), the novel (in-bed lockable trunk, back seat with flat floor, dual-action tailgate), and the unheard of (lightweight composite bed, transverse-mounted V6, combination unibody/ladder frame construction). Will pickup buyers be able to accept the Ridgeline for what it does, and not get hung up on how it does it? I hope so. Even if they don't, I predict the Ridgeline will be a runaway success. My review is still in the works; in the meantime you can check out photos and specs on About Trucks.-- Aaron Gold