Honda Ridgeline

[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?

[AngryScientist]

[ultraman6970]

No experience with that truck but if you liked it... buy it.

[cinema]

buy the tacoma. better yet tundra. the ridgeline is a unibody and will fatigue on mining roads sooner than a body on frame design

[AngryScientist]

Seriously though....

The current taco is a pretty awful choice in the truck market. I had romantic memories of some serious good times in an old taco, but then i drove the newest ones.......big meh.

manual trans aside, and overall long term reliability TBD - the Colorado is 10x the truck the taco is in every way. the nissan is a pretty darn un-inspiring truck too. i would not buy one of those either.

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.

you should clearly identify your real needs and priorities. if you need real off road chops, the ridgeline is not the right vehicle. if you're doing mostly highway miles and the occasional fire road or unimproved road, the ridgeline is probably a good choice.

again, i'm with you. i really, really wanted to like the taco, but did not.

if i was going to spend money buying a new truck now, i would get either a tundra or a Jeep pickup.

[Yoshi]

I have a Ridegeline I bought in 2016. It has been faultless. One set of tires in 52K.
Change the oil and put gas in it.
I have had 2 Tacomas and a Tundra. The Ridgeline is superior for comfort and driving. Waaay more comfortable. Lots more room for 4 inside. Seats in back flip up and I carry my bike inside for solo road trips.
Carries 4 people and all their crap for ski and bike trips no problem.
If they would make an electric one I would buy again no question.

[Yoshi]

Also, I live in Maine. I can tell you, without hesitation, that AWD and antilock brakes are superior to 4WD for winter driving.
FWIW.

[p nut]

Mining roads? As in, say, the Alpine Loop? Ridgeline will have a hard time. I took my old ‘18 Tacoma down Black Bear Pass, Imogene, Engineer, and around Alpine Loop. It was awesome. So places like that, go with the Tacoma, Colorado, Ranger or Gladiator. If you’re doing dirt roads, Ridgeline will be great. My old neighbor has the 1st gen and my new neighbor has the current. Both great trucks for daily driving and weekend projects. I wouldn’t hesitate to own one for those purposes.

Did better than the Taco on washboard roads.

https://youtu.be/CWYqEinNGUM

[nmrt]

Yes, the Alpine Loop.

Originally Posted by p nut

Mining roads? As in, say, the Alpine Loop? Ridgeline will have a hard time. I took my old ‘18 Tacoma down Black Bear Pass, Imogene, Engineer, and around Alpine Loop. It was awesome. So places like that, go with the Tacoma, Colorado, Ranger or Gladiator. If you’re doing dirt roads, Ridgeline will be great. My old neighbor has the 1st gen and my new neighbor has the current. Both great trucks for daily driving and weekend projects. I wouldn’t hesitate to own one for those purposes.

[Mike V]

The Ridgline is a Pilot with a truck backend. Tacoma is a truck.

If you are buying a vehicle to be a truck and do truck things like loads, sheet of plywood, transporting motorcycles then get the Tacoma. Riddling can do it but not well.

Off-road Tacoma hands down. Two wheel drive kills Ridglinge all wheel drive off-road easy.

One is a truck the other is a SUV with a truck backend.

[cinema]

Originally Posted by Mike V

The Ridgline is a Pilot with a truck backend. Tacoma is a truck.

If you are buying a vehicle to be a truck and do truck things like loads, sheet of plywood, transporting motorcycles then get the Tacoma. Riddling can do it but not well.

Off-road Tacoma hands down. Two wheel drive kills Ridglinge all wheel drive off-road easy.

One is a truck the other is a SUV with a truck backend.

yep. the end. for what u want... real truck w/ truck suspension/frame seems like no brainer

[Ken Robb]

April 1962 I drove a Jaguar XK-120 up Phantom Canyon Road.

[p nut]

Originally Posted by Mike V

If you are buying a vehicle to be a truck and do truck things like loads, sheet of plywood, transporting motorcycles then get the Tacoma. Riddling can do it but not well...

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.

[p nut]

Originally Posted by nmrt

Yes, the Alpine Loop.

If you can do auto, I like the Ranger. You can add a locker to any trim level. 2.3 turbo is pretty quick. With a slight lift and 32’s, you can tackle most of the Alpine Loop.

[jtakeda]

I’ve never driven a ridge line or a turd gen but I’ve driven my friends 2nd gen and I’ve owned 2 1st gens and I can’t complain at all about the taco.


I’m also fairly psychotic about maintenance so that might play a factor. FWIW I got helicoptered out of a remote wilderness area last winter because a snow storm and had to rough it up a completely unmaintained snowed over road and my taco was flawless.

There was a graveyard of other trucks that had come up for a snow day about 10 miles from where I was parked that all got stuck.