Honda Ridgeline

[BobC]

Originally Posted by 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.

Ram 1500 ecodiesel??? Is yours one of the ones that are under recall for engine fires due the faulty exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers????

If so, RUN don't walk to the Ram dealer. One of my co-workers actually had his go up in flames waiting for a light.

[54ny77]

that is really friggin' cool. what a great idea.

would've loved having that on my truck. the headache of setting up ramps, hoisting a large portable generator up/down, etc. etc....got old. fast. esp in cold climate.

the new f150 redesign looks pretty good.

Originally Posted by 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 !!

[FriarQuade]

I was close to buying a new truck earlier this year. I really needed a full size though. I currently have a Tundra and it's a tool, just like every other truck. What I was impressed by is how well the Ford and Chevy trucks handled and drove, they were miles ahead of the current Tundra which was pretty awful. I wound up passing on the truck to buy a new cnc but when my Tundra really needs to replaced the F150 is where I'm headed.

[Mikej]

Originally Posted by 54ny77

that is really friggin' cool. what a great idea.

would've loved having that on my truck. the headache of setting up ramps, hoisting a large portable generator up/down, etc. etc....got old. fast. esp in cold climate.

the new f150 redesign looks pretty good.

Interesting, too bad it won’t fit in my garage.

[Ralph]

Don't own a Ridgeline, but have driven one. I thought it drove like the Honda vehicle it is. Very nice. Perfect for light duty truck use. It's really what most people who buy a pickup need a truck for.....and I don't mean for work.

FWD or AWD for bad weather use. However....I really don't think it was designed for serious off road use. And don't overlook just how good these new 8, 9, and 10 speed automatic transmissions are in various vehicles. Have also driven a new Ford Ranger with 10 speed auto. Way better than a manual for performance. Maybe some serious off roaders still prefer manuals for some traditional reason....but the new automatics perform better about any way you measure.

[David Kirk]

I own a 2006 Ridgeline that I predominately use to tow my autocross car to events. I bought it a bit over 2 years ago and it now has 150,000 miles on it. I can't imagine a better vehicle for my use. It tows the 2500# of car/trailer with ease even at high altitude up and down the mountains of Montana and it's quiet and smooth and dare I say 'sophisticated'. I love it.

Before the Honda I owned a Chevy Silvarado and it was a tough POS. I hated driving it and it felt like an old covered wagon in comparison to the Honda. What it lacked in ride quality and handling it more than made up for with crappy mileage and wind noise.

I get busted on by my 'real' truck driving friends about it not being a real truck and that all stops once they have a ride in it. I have two friends that have sold their 'real' trucks and bought a Honda.

If you don't need to load it up with 3000# of gravel it's hard to beat IMHO.

dave

[pbarry]

Originally Posted by 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/

Gen 1 Tundras are the best deal in used Toyota trucks. Similar mileage to a Tacoma, but better torque, payload, bed room. Used Tacos fetch stupid $$ in CO..

[rice rocket]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

regarding the ridgeline, i'm reasonably certain it's quite similar to my odyssey in most regards, a little more ground clearance and AWD. the engine is still in the bay the wrong way. it should tackle dirt roads fine, but it's a unibody independent suspension vehicle that prioritizes on-road manners.

The new Ridgeline AWD is decades more advanced than what Toyota is using. Call it "wrong way" if you want, but it'll do up to 70% to the rear, and can split 0-100% torque to the left or right.

That said, if you want to brodoze your mall lot, you'll want that extra suspension travel that's much cheaper to attain on the Taco.


Jokes aside, I have an '06 RTL and it's been a treat. Closing in on 200k miles and it hasn't missed a beat, although things are getting a bit rusty unfortunately. Probably should've replaced some of these bolts back in the 100k mile service. Living in the rust belt things, I guess.

[reuben]

Originally Posted by David Kirk

dave

Your image shows exactly why I couldn't buy one. The slope from the cab to the top of the bed, and the slope of the top of the bed as well. That makes it more difficult than necessary to load/unload stuff from the side. I could never figure out why they did that. My assumption has always been that it was their version of "style". Maybe someone here knows more about it.

[p nut]

Originally Posted by reuben

Your image shows exactly why I couldn't buy one. The slope from the cab to the top of the bed, and the slope of the top of the bed as well. That makes it more difficult than necessary to load/unload stuff from the side. I could never figure out why they did that. My assumption has always been that it was their version of "style". Maybe someone here knows more about it.

New gen is flat so no issues. I don’t load/unload from the side much anyway. All Ridgeline have that nifty dual action tailgate (that Ram has now adopted) which makes grabbing stuff easier.

[rice rocket]

Originally Posted by reuben

Your image shows exactly why I couldn't buy one. The slope from the cab to the top of the bed, and the slope of the top of the bed as well. That makes it more difficult than necessary to load/unload stuff from the side. I could never figure out why they did that. My assumption has always been that it was their version of "style". Maybe someone here knows more about it.

Two things, the bed on the Ridgeline is much higher than most midsized trucks by design, because one of the design requirements was to be able to fit a standard 4x8 plywood/drywall sheet flat so you didn't have to do weird bodges to haul flat goods. This means raising the bed above the wheel wells, which means it's above the height of most regular beds, which means also raising the sides of the bed as well.

Ridgeline:


Taco:


Second, the Rdigelines (despite all the internet BS) is not unibody, it is a unibody cabin welded to a fully boxed framerail, but it still does rely on the superstructure for rigidity. In the first generation, the buttress was added to meet their torsional stiffness design goals, it was removed in the second gen because they enhanced the substructure where it was not necessary.

[rice rocket]

Some reading.

http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/cha...e-untold-story

[thirdgenbird]

Originally Posted by rice rocket

Some reading.

http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/cha...e-untold-story

I know that water crossing. It’s outside San Antonio. I had the facility rented just prior to the Honda press event.

[David Kirk]

Originally Posted by reuben

Your image shows exactly why I couldn't buy one. The slope from the cab to the top of the bed, and the slope of the top of the bed as well. That makes it more difficult than necessary to load/unload stuff from the side. I could never figure out why they did that. My assumption has always been that it was their version of "style". Maybe someone here knows more about it.

The buttressed sides contain structural members that give the chassis huge torsional stiffness. There are large beams running from the cab back the base of the bed and you can feel the stiffness when you drive it compared to a flexi body-on-frame set up. It's day and night.

You're right - you can lift something big and heavy over the side near the front. If that is the most important thing to you you wouldn't like the Honda. I've not once found it to get in the way of my use of it but I have enjoyed the car light ride every time I've been in in.

Different strokes.....

dave

[dancinkozmo]

Originally Posted by rice rocket

Some reading.

http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/cha...e-untold-story

thanks for the link