Honda Ridgeline

[nmrt]

yep, that's true. if it is hauling you care about, ridgeline can haul 1500 lb and the taco 1100 lb. astonishing! the taco can tow more. but i aint towing anything.

Originally Posted by p nut

Funny thing is....Tacoma’s payload is downright poor. Worse than the Ridgeline. Mine was around 980lbs (SR5, hardly any options, 6MT).

I’d pick the Ridgeline for hauling.

[djg21]

Originally Posted by nmrt

Looking for a midsize pickup truck and am interested in the Tacoma. I only buy manual transmission cars. So for me Tacoma was the only one to get (Yes, the Frontier and the Gladiator have MT as well). Well, test drove the Taco 6-MT. Drove okay. Handled okay. But man...the pickup is slooooow....

Then on a whim test drove the Ridgeline and was blown away on how car-like it drove. So blown away by the Ridge's asphalt driving dynamics that I am considering buying it even if it has an automatic transmission.I understand it is because of the unibody and the independent suspension. And it pays for it in it's lack of off-road capability due to the absence of solid rear axle.

Anyways here's my question to Ridgeline owners:
1. How reliable have you found your Ridgeline to be?
2. How much off-road chops does it really have? I have watched videos where the Ridge has been taken off road and after some driving over some Colorado dirt roads, the "Transmission fluid too hot" warning come on.

Thanks guys/gals! I hope you can sway me back to the Taco. I do not plan to do serious off-roading but living in CO, I will be taking this on mining roads -- is that serious off roading?

I leased a Taco Baja DCSB for 4 years. I never had leased before, and figured that the residual on Tacos is so good, I’d quickly sell it if I chose not to buy it off my lease. That was overly optimistic. By year 4 I couldn’t wait to get rid of the thing, and the only buyers interested wanted me to give it away. I ended up trading it in and walking from it.

The Taco just was not great to drive, and only got about 15 mpg on the highway if I drove 55mph downhill with a stiff tailwind. It accelerated like crap, and barely could get to 80mph. The short bed was too short to accommodate bikes without taking the wheels off, and loading MTBs was a PIA. I put a mid-rise cap on, and could strap road bikes sans wheels against the sides of the bed, but carrying more than 2 bikes securely was difficult. The Bluetooth Audio/phone never worked, and all Toyota could say was that it was a known problem. The interior was crap. And this was the top of the line Taco.

If you are going to get a pickup that gets crappy gas mileage, you might as well get a real one like an F150 ecoboost that actually drives decently, has a more powerful engine, and gets substantially better gas mileage. I was ready to pick up an F150 Platinum coming off lease, but my wife vetoed the purchase and we settled on a more luxurious SUV.

[cetuximab]

I love my Ram 1500 ecodiesel. I get 25 mpg. It rated for 27 (not sure how they calculated that).
Eight speed auto keeps the turbo diesel in the perfect rpms. If I need to, it will pass at freeway speeds going over mountain passes with ease.

The new automatic transmissions will get better mileage than manual transmissions.

Ford makes a half ton diesel as well.
10 sp auto.

[superbowlpats]

A friend had a 2019 Ridgeline with the 6spd auto transmission. he loved it, we took it to race in VT - 3 plus hour ride and I was impressed how car like it was. all good until his transmission bit the dust at 26K miles. seems to be a common problem. he started having other problems and just traded it in on a Dodge Ram.

[pcxmbfj]

I've have a 2007 Ridgeline purchased around 2008.
Now has 80,000 mi. and has been rock solid, just do maintenance.
Swiss Army knife but wouldn't do a lot of off-road.

[Mikej]

Check out the Ridgeline owners club (ROC) forum got all kinds of Ridge stuff.

[Hilltopperny]

I had a last gen Tacoma 4x4 quad cab with the 4.0 and it was a good truck. Test drove a previous generation Ridgeline and liked how it drove better on the road, but not on the dirt/seasonal roads.

I also had a Chevy 1500 z71 and liked the way that drove better than any truck I had previously driven or owned. It was more fuel efficient than the Tacoma and could haul just about anything, but at right around 60,000 miles would just stop starting randomly. I brought it to every Chevy dealership within 3 counties and got no help from them, so traded it in on a new Tundra.

The Tundra drives like a truck. It has more power with the 5.7 liter than the Tacoma while still getting close to the same MPG. More room and can haul more stuff. It is a much larger truck, but you won’t get stranded anywhere that you take it. Right now in the Summer I am averaging a little over 17 mpg and my Tacoma was around the same if not a little worse with the 4.0.


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[oldpotatoe]

I looked at trucks for a while but was put off by the YUGE $..no doubt because it's the major part of the vehicle market today in the US..but maybe look at the Ford Ranger?

As for the Ridgeline..isn't that a truck version of the pilot?

As for the Tundra(or F150 or Silverado or Nissan Titan)..yee gads those things are GIGANTIC...

Or wait till 2022 model year?

[reuben]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

I looked at trucks for a while but was put off by the YUGE $..no doubt because it's the major part of the vehicle market today in the US..but maybe look at the Ford Ranger?

As for the Ridgeline..isn't that a truck version of the pilot?

As for the Tundra(or F150 or Silverado or Nissan Titan)..yee gads those things are GIGANTIC...

I tend to buy used, both cars and trucks. Saves $$.

Size - yeah, I had a 2001 or 2002 F150. It was puny compared to the F150 and similar trucks made now. No reason that I can tell. Same basic towing capacity, hauling capacity, etc. Is it a macho thing? I dunno.

Now I have a used 2013 Tacoma. It's a TRD, so it definitely feels like a truck, with a fairly harsh ride due to the suspension. But then, it's a TRUCK, not a luxury car, or even a normal 4 door sedan. I don't know why people expect trucks to ride like luxury cars - that's not what they're made for. It's nice if the ride is smooth, but they're made for work, not touring.

FWIW I put two extra leaf springs in a previous 1990s F150. Adds to the hauling capacity in the bed. Don't go too far though or you'll have to spend mo' money to level it out.

[dancinkozmo]

ford is putting an onboard generator on some f150 for 2021..

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...power-onboard/

perfect for charging up your ebike !!

[Mikej]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

I looked at trucks for a while but was put off by the YUGE $..no doubt because it's the major part of the vehicle market today in the US..but maybe look at the Ford Ranger?

As for the Ridgeline..isn't that a truck version of the pilot?

As for the Tundra(or F150 or Silverado or Nissan Titan)..yee gads those things are GIGANTIC...

Or wait till 2022 model year?

HA is that a tuck version of a Passat? If anyone is worried about the mechanicals in a Ridge, just get the Honda Care warranty.

[Tickdoc]

All the truck you'll ever need is such a hard argument to beat when it comes to the ridgeline.

Many great online reviews prove that point.

Here where I live, the ridgeline is a sissy truck. Tacos are too. Tundras are just barely acceptable. Trucks outnumber cars two to one easily and the small penis quotient is high. The majority of the lifted f250 platinum or King ranch trucks around here that have 3/4 ton capacity are purely daily drivers and don't seem to haul anything heavier than old mattresses and maybe a washer/dryer from one front porch to another. They are constantly blocking parking spaces because they don't fit and you are always waiting on them to make a four point correction parking attempt. Anytime a truck doesn't use a blinker, pulls out in front of you, crosses the line from texting, etc, my wife will affectionately call them "dicks in trucks", but we had to rename them "f*cks in trucks" because there as many women drivers as men here. I love it when I see an old farmer in an old ford ranger or an old s10 cruising by. Those old little trucks were still more than most ever needed. My truck duties are for light hauling, and messy hauling. It would pain me to put the limbs, molded clippings, dirt, trash, and occasional furniture I haul into the back of a nice Ridgeline or even a Taco.

My truck needs are for something beatup that runs. It doesn't even have to run well. I don't care about gas mileage as I rarely drive it far.

Confession: I've never actually owned a truck myself, because I've always had access to one. Growing up raising cattle we always had to have a truck around. To this day I still borrow my mom's old truck when I need one....a 2001 ford with like 80k miles on it. It looks like most old generic beat up trucks do. makes funny noises from the undercarriage, sits outside under a tree for it's whole life. Paint is getting rough, bed is starting to rust a bit, but it starts every time and has an ac.

My next vehicle will be a truck and If I were buying one today it would probably be a ridgeline. It is way more than I'd ever need and it has the most amenities and comfort combined with usefulness on the market today, imo. You get the reliability of a Honda and the comfort of a sedan. That is hard to beat. I don't think you could go wrong there and the fact that it will see some washout will not upset it anymore than any suv would. YMMV.

[p nut]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

I looked at trucks for a while but was put off by the YUGE $....but maybe look at the Ford Ranger?

When I was shopping last year, I found the price difference between mid and full-size wasn’t that much. Less than 10%. ie Ranger was around $28-29k for an XL and few options. Crew cab 4wd. Equivalent F150 was $30-31k.

[paredown]

I'm driving an almost real truck--2003 Gen 1 Tundra--that has been reliable. It's a stripper V6 and has made a great work truck.

If I do it again, I will consider the Ridgeline--not least because the Taco is now the size of my Tundra and the Tundra is a behemoth--both are bloated beyond recognition. If I wanted a passenger vehicle, I would get one--but you can't even get the stripper full-size box 2 door Tundra any more--it has been dropped!

This is the article that I read that made me think the Ridgeline might work for what I'm doing now--that, and it made the C&D 10 Best in 2017:

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...ce-update-20k/

[Michael Maddox]

I own a 2019 Ridgeline Black Edition, which I moved into from a 2015.5 Volvo V60 T6. I LOVE it. Truly.

As a bike carrier, it's the shiz. The bed is a bit short for fork-mounted MTBs, but fine for road bikes. I typically use a tailgate pad or a Kuat two-bike hitch rack just because of this. The back seat is far larger than my Volvo's was, comfortable and spacious (for a modern vehicle...I'm not comparing it to a Roadmaster).

Off road chops? None whatsoever. It's a car. It drives like a car, it feels like a car. It's GREAT on the road. Truly. Nearly as comfortable and well-appointed as my Volvo. Well-built, smooth, and good mileage. But there's nothing that would entice me to put on anything rougher than a dirt road.

It's the best bike vehicle I've ever owned. Plenty of space to carry stuff (the bed trunk is AWESOME), plenty of room for people. But don't go thinking it's a truck. It isn't. It's a truck-shaped bike carrier.