2006 Honda Ridgeline LX (Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123)

And, two great ideas by Honda that I'm sure will be plagiarized in the next few years: the In-Bed Trunk and the Dual-Action Tailgate. The trunk is a compartment underneath the cargo box floor that holds 240 litres of volume. You can store a cooler in there. You can put dirty objects that you can't just leave in the box, but are too muddy to store inside the cabin. You can almost fill it up with water and take a bath in there. And there's a plug at the bottom of the trunk like a tub, in case it needs some hosin' down. You will also find the spare tire

2006 Honda Ridgeline LX (Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123)

underneath the lockable trunk. As for the tailgate, its clever design allows it to open downwards like the gate on any other pickup and it also has hinges so you can open it sideways like a normal door. Now that's brilliant. The built-in trunk does make for a shallow box floor, however, but you might not notice, depending on what you haul back there.

Overall, I'm impressed. Very impressed. But what's oestrogen got to do with this truck? Well, think of the Ridgeline as a bully that's getting more in touch with its

2006 Honda Ridgeline LX (Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123)

feminine side, and you get the idea. It's strong but not clumsy. It's got manners, but can still burp at the kitchen table once in a while. And this may surprisingly be its biggest problem. You see, many people buy a pickup for its macho factor, for its toughness, and they'll scratch the Ridgeline off their shopping list for being too soft-core. Who wants to be seen in a sissy wannabe truck?

Hey, just because you're a mama's boy doesn't mean you're a sissy. If people rule out the Ridgeline for that sole reason, it's too bad, because they'll be missing out on one of the best pickup trucks currently on the market.

What I like:
Smooth and powerful powertrain
Car-like ride and handling
Useful and ingenuous features

What I don't like:
I'm still trying to get used to the styling
Hard plastic on the door panels
Stupid automatic locks

CLICK HERE to view the 2006 Honda Ridgeline LX's specifications.