# The New Honda Av



## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

Click Here...Looks Like a Honda Avalanche to me

Tow Ready
The Ridgeline takes towing seriously. To start with, it has a heavy-duty 5-speed automatic transmission that's specially geared for this purpose. There's also a standard high capacity radiator with dual 160-watt fans, a heavy-duty power steering cooler, a high-capacity ATF cooler, and it's pre-wired for a trailer connection (4-/7-Pin). Large brake rotors at all four wheels and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) ensure quick and deliberate stops when it matters most.


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## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Hmmmm, 5,000 lb towing capacity? That's 2,200 lbs LESS than my Toyota Tundra. I think they'll need a V-8 option to get more of the towing crowd to buy this.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

I am a big Honda/Acura fan, however I believe this is a unit body vehicle (based on the Odessey/MDX platform (which are in turn based on the Accord platform)), which will also limit it's ability to handle heavy loads.

Happy Trails,


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## Paul_in_Ohio (Sep 29, 2004)

Should handle a pop-up or small hybrid though. Four doors and a short bed will work for packing up the family.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Hmmmm, calling that thing a pickup would be kind of like calling a Subaru Outback an SUV -- just not quite there IMHO. I like my F-250.


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

Well thats enough to make me sick







. I could push that yuppie mobile and tow my Outback at the time







or maybe put it in the bed as a toy for the kids.
John


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

As a former Av owner I would even say that truck has been hit with the ugly stick. Sorry Honda owners and loyalists... that truck came from the same people that brought us this fine styled vehicle. I am glad somebody likes them.


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## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

Watching an auto show on television a few weeks ago and the people who were at the show were claiming that the Japanese auto makers are feeling so confident in their ability to sell cars in American markets that they are "doing their own thing with styling".

I think they are going to be surprised. A sense of asthetic isn't dropped that quickly just cause it came from Honda. (Maybe this is thier version of a retro car - remember the first Honda car?







)


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

And naming, too. Remember the name of the Datsun 240Z? It was the "Fairlady". I don't think it would have sold quite as well in the American market with a name of Fairlady. That's the first mod made to the Z. The minute they unloaded them from the boats, the dealers were ripping off Fairlady and putting on 240Z.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Alright...I'll bite in this FEEDING FRENZY!

I think the "so called foreign" car makers are coming out with some very innovative ideas. It's making the "Big 3" take notice. Not all of us truck users are farmers looking to haul some dirt or bales.

Styling? Yea...the two in these posts are surely different, and they are trying to catch a different market. I think some people are just tired of the NORM. I rode in the shoebox looking vehicle (pic above) and it is quite different. (not for me, however)

When Chevy put out the Avalanche, it looked like a cheap plastic version of the El Camino...with an extra set of doors! Now, before all you AV guys go nuts on me, I have grown to like 'em. (at least all the ones with less plastic) GM did the same thing here, tried to capture a different market...and it seems to be working.

Good ideas come from many places, and the GOOD ideas eventually get copied by most brands. When vehicles aren't selling good...change can be a good thing.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Jolly, just to be honest, I am an Avalanche owner who still really hasn't adjusted to the look. I've had mine for over 2 years, and had the WBH option (Without Body Hardware) been available on the 2002 models, I would have gone with that.

I wonder if the Honda truck is based on the Pilot frame? My wife has a CR-V, and while I don't like it, and actually prefer not to drive or ride in it if I don't have to, it is a reliable car that gets better mileage then our old Chrysler van got. That comes in handy with my wife commuting 90 miles a day round trip. I'm starting to ramble......

I'll have to look at the whole vehicle before I can say it's ugly.

Tim


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Pete I'll admit when I first saw the Av I nearly lost my lunch. However Chevy was going for a more aggressive look, be it good or bad. Franky these honda and scion shoebox short bus looking things are just plain ugly in my eyes. They make the old Volvo box wagons look like sports cars. The words Pacer and Gremlin ugly come to mind. They may be innovative, like your truck, but for others their sense of style leaves something to be desired. I think Nissan did the truck market right, Honda though seems to have stepped in a pile of Pinto remains. And why on earth would they shove two dirt bikes in there and prove the bed is to short... Oh well I don't care what others drive, just what I drive... and I know what I won't be driving.


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

I am on my second Honda Accord, I wouldn't even think of buying the Honda Avalanche look-alike. I would consider the CRV but in my opinion Honda is a car maker, not truck maker.

But like was said, there is a car for everyone, here at Cornell I am sure I will see several of these things driving around. The students seem to always have the latest and greatest cars. Wish I had a Prowler, Audi, BMW, or Mercedes in college instead of that 79 Ford Mustang.

A friend of ours has the Honda Element, she was told the vinyl floor was a special feature because you can clean it easily, just hose it out. I remember when vinyl floors were on the stripped down models, it was not a special thing, it is cheap!

I guess to each his own. I'll stick with my Ford truck and Honda car.

I need a laugh again, time to watch the car pulling the trailer uphill movie again, or maybe it is the trailer pulling the car downhill?

KS


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I think the Big 3 have taken notice, Jolly. Well, either taken notice or merged with the foreign car makers to such a point that it is difficult to tell the difference between American or foreign. Each of the Big 3 have some sort of alliance with a foreign manufacturer and often parts are almost interchangable. Believe my Explorer radiator is stamped Mazda somewhere. At least, that's what someone once told me.

I have had real good luck with my American cars. My old Saturn is great for running around town! It's an old '92 SC that I paid $1,000 for a couple years ago. It had 124k miles on it then. It now has 177k and it's still going strong. My parents have an Explorer with over 200k and no problems. On the flip side my neighbor has a one-owner (him) Honda Accord with 170k. It is parked with the hood up. Engine quit and had to be towed home. He still hasn't figured out what is wrong and it's been about 3 months since it quit. My brother had a similar experience with his Honda Accord. It simply quit one day. He towed it to a mechanic where they worked on it for several weeks. The mechanic finally began working on it only in his spare time. After a year of no solution, my brother gave him the pink slip for the car and walked away.

The foreign cars do seem to be able to fetch a higher new price than a comparable American car. And, they do hold their value longer. But I believe that is due to a misconception on the consumer's part based on information gathered in the 80's and early 90's when the foreign cars really were better. I'm sure you can find stories of both good and bad for either the American or foreign rigs, but IMHO, I don't think the foreign-made cars are necessarily better any more. I think the American cars can compete head on when it comes to reliability and quality of the product. And, for the most part, the American cars are less expensive. (note I did not say cheaper)


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

The Gremlin! Yikes! My friend had one in high school. He just beat on it and it wouldn't die. Tough car, but ugly!

Remember THE THING? I think HUMMER stole that design!


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I loved the THE THING! I always wanted to buy one and put a .50 cal mount on it, paint OD, etc. But the darned things are collector's items now and hard to find at a reasonable price. Big bummer.


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

Vdub,

I agree that the US cars are just as good nowadays. My first 89 Honda was based on their great reputation for quality, longlasting and fuel economy, it lasted till 189000 miles. My 99 Honda is a far cry from the 89 one. This one is less quality, a lot less fuel economy and cost a lot more. I think Honda is relying too much on their reputation from the 80's and now they have jacked the price up so high.

Jolly,

My Uncle has a VW Thing, he found it in the woods and has it all fixed up. He also has a mint Beetle and a awesome Fordson tractor that I helped work on when I was young. But the Thing is definitely the ugliest of them all.

I spent many moments doing parking lot donuts in a classic Ford Pinto, with a custom exhaust held up by speaker wire after it fell off. That car was indestructible and a lot of fun.

Ahh the good ol days

Kevin


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## Reverie (Aug 9, 2004)

A couple of years ago Mrs. Reverie decided it was time for her to get a new car. Since her other car was over 10 years old and had 140K on the ticker, and she had used it as a battering ram shoving an assortment of cars, trucks and some supposedly inanimate objects aside, I felt it was time. She looked and looked and decided she wanted the Acura MDX. Not the Honda Pilot because she didn't like the nets on the back of the seats. Not a Minivan because it looked like...well, it looks like a Minivan. We searched and searched and found exactly what she wanted, right down to the options.

IMHO our MDX is gutless. I guess it has plenty of power but it just doesn't do anything for me. It is slick but far removed from the driving experience. Give me a "body-on-frame" pickup with a nice V-8. I'll put up with the occasional wheel-hop. It feels like you are actually driving it. I can't imagine actually towing anything of substance with the MDX. It would be like a mouse pulling on an elephant.

Well, enough of that rant. I'm dreaming of a nice F-250 4x4 FX1 w/4 Doors and a Powerstroke. That should handle my 28BHS quite nicely, thank you...

Reverie


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## Ymryl (Mar 2, 2004)

I think the idea with these hybrid SUV/Trucks is to give the yuppie crowd the small SUV feel while also giving them a short bed to haul things in. Mr. Joe Average Explorer owner doesn't have the ability to load a refrigerator in the back of his truck, the proud yuppie owner of this vehicle can (if he doesn't mind getting his hands dirty). Personally, I like the big SUV with the trailer behind it. It's a hell of a lot easier to load stuff into and I still have my 3rd row seat for extra bodies.

PS - My apologies to any yuppies that may read this. In fact, my boss refers to my Armada as a yuppie vehicle (I keep challenging him to go out into the field, hook up a tow chain to the back of my 'Mada and his Ram and see who wins...).


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

hurricaneplumber said:


> 79 Ford Mustang.


I feel for you, I had a 78 Chevy Monza Fastback!



vdub said:


> Believe my Explorer radiator is stamped Mazda somewhere.


Been there done that, Ford Probe aka Mazda 6 or something like that. Guys at Jiffy lube couldn't tell what it was from the bottom, and if I took the Ford tag off the engine it said Mazda. No complains though, logged 120,000 miles on it with out any problems, and sold it and they got another 80,000 on it with only a new transmission.



NDJollyMon said:


> Remember THE THING? I think HUMMER stole that design!


LMAO! No kidding. I wanted one of those big time, but couldnt' find one and my dad nearly had a cow when I looked at a Green VW Bus. Every kid in Eugene wanted a Bug or a Bus... glad I moved! LOL


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

VW Bugs used to be so cool. Today, guys get teased around here for driving them. It's considered a "chicks car". Go figure.

My brother had a VW Bug when I was growing up. He took out the back seats, and we used to drive it out in the back 40 to get wood. We'd fill up the entire back seat area with wood (right to the ceiling) and haul it back to the house. That car took a licking...and kept on ticking. (sorry Timex)

When we needed a truck...we never had one! My dad was a CAR MAN for many years.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

> I spent many moments doing parking lot donuts in a classic Ford Pinto, with a custom exhaust held up by speaker wire after it fell off. That car was indestructible and a lot of fun.


Indestructible,







unless struck at just the right velocity from behind, at just the right angle, then they had the propensity to explode didn't they







,...


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## chetlenox (Feb 3, 2004)

Remember guys, the styling for these newer "lifestyle" type vehicles aren't exactly targetted to our demographic, you know? I mean, let's face it, we generally are middle-aged males with families (hence, the connection to Outbacks). I'm sure 16-25ish folks think the Honda Element, Scion, and such are great...

I also agree with anyone who says that ALL the makes of cars are getting better and more reliable (foreign and domestic) these days. I've got 140k miles on my Toyota pickup, and it hasn't had a lick of trouble. My buddy at work has over 300k on his S10 Jimmy Blazer, no trouble...

Chet.


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## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

hurricaneplumber said:


> I spent many moments doing parking lot donuts in a classic Ford Pinto, with a custom exhaust held up by speaker wire after it fell off. That car was indestructible and a lot of fun.
> 
> Ahh the good ol days
> 
> ...


Of all the crazy things! I saw a Ford Pinto on the way into work this morning! I had to do a double-take! I have not even seen one, for what, 15-20 years?


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

AND, let's not forget the AMC Pacer.....


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## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

The Pacer fishbowl. Who could forget? Recreated (kind of) in the Chevroler Citation.

I had a Pinto. That's all I got to say about that.

The Honda truck in the picture looks a lot like the Avalanche without all the crappy plastic panels on the sides. I kinda like it. The bed looks like it would carry a full sheet of 4x4 plywood, though.

Now, if Honda would've built an Apache or Cameo truck look-alike, they would sell millions!

When will the designers figure it out?


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

My Uncle's Thing, the license plate reads "A MAJIG".

Tim, 
The Pinto's ugly twin, the Mercury Bobcat, was more prone to the rear collision gas tank explosion. It would of been hard to hit us in the rear, the car never went straight. Gives new meaning to the 0-60 and stop theory. Lots of brakes, multiple clutchs, several sets of tires, but lots of fun. By the way no seatbelts were ever used either, imagine that, living life on the edge.

AMC Pacer......







How about a Willy's, I wouldn't mind one of those today.

Lots of snow this morning..









KS


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## Jose Fernandez (Jun 22, 2004)

Sorry to kidnap the thread...

I guess I too, have the new truck fever and am looking for someone to talk me out of it...

I presently pull a 2004 21rs with 2003 F150 4x2 5.4L 3:55 rear end-reese dual cam WD hitch. I'm happy with it, but it seems a bit sluggish climbing. Presently looking at purchasing a 2005 F250 4x4 Turbo Diesel. I've asked my wife for advise, but I continue to get that deer in the headlight look... I've been scouring through many threads in the "Towing Issues & Vehicles" forum to see what TV are been used. I see many folks pull heavier trailers with less powerful engines. Is the diesel overkill for the 21rs? Can anyone lend some advise on towing with the F150? Please save me!

Jose


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

Jose,

I would look at it like this, do you ever plan to upgrade to a larger or heavier camper in the next 5 or so years? The F-250 diesel will allow you a lot more flexibility to do so in the future. If you never plan to go larger or heavier then I would probably stick to a gasser but get different gears that are better at towing. My 2003 F-150 5.4, 4x4, 3.73 LS would probably be a great one for the 21RS. It pulls my 28BHS fine, it takes off from a start with lots of power and torque.

I will be upgrading to a diesel in the future but we plan on travelling a lot more and maybe going the 5-ver route.

If you're loaded then spend it and get the truck that you want. If not, well, my Uncle's Thing is probably for sale.

Good luck

Do lots of studying

Kevin


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Regearing a 4x2 might be more feasible than doing it on a 4x4. Believe the cost would be about $1,200 and, of course, double if you had a 4x4. However, if you are within your weight limits for your existing rig and the only thing you want is better pulling power, then I'd stick with your F-150. But that's just my 2 cents -- I hate to spend money when I don't need to. I get really anal about even the smallest $50 purchase and spend hours of research trying to save a nickel. (I can't convince DW of that, tho)

But as far as regearing goes, you have to ask a 2nd question and that is "how do you mostly use your F-150"? If mostly used for driving back and forth to work and only ocassionally used to pull the TT, then I would keep the 3.55 gears in order to get the better gas mileage. I know the frustration of hills, tho. I have 3.55 in my F-250 and I have to drop to third on the 7% hills and go up them at 45/50 mph. Oh well, I have lots of time.... On the flip side, tho, I get 24mpg when running empty. And I really like that idea when I pull in to fill up the tanks with 38 gallons of $2 diesel.

However, I also have to agree with Kevin. If you have immediate future plans for a bigger TT or 5, then getting a diesel would give you a lot more flexability in picking your next rv.


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