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Test drove the new Honda Ridgeline

21K views 63 replies 28 participants last post by  Last Train 
#1 ·
Took the New 2017 Ridgeline for a quick spin last week. Beautiful rig. Super quiet, great ride and extremely comfortable. Feels like a large luxury car, but with the ability to haul stuff.

For the record, I owned a first generation Ridgeline. Fairly poor fuel mileage (for a small rig), and terrible when towing. But that side-swinging tailgate and trunk were/are the best thing since sliced bread. I miss those two features sooooooooooo much! And I actually preferred the front wheel drive (AWD, but primarily front, until they slipped). Great rig in snow, by truck standards.

And let the bashing via people with small weenies begin!! lol I'm married, with nothing to prove. I think the Ridgeline is a great addition to our truck choices/selection.
 
#5 ·
The trunk is sealed REALLY well. There are capped drain holes in the bottom if one wants to use it as a cooler. The spare is inside the trunk, under the bed floor.
 
#3 ·
Dont think youre going to get anyone to bite. Im sure its a great vehicle, but the comparison should be more to the Tacoma or Colorado. I used to own a long bed Taco for 4 years and it was a great truck for what my needs were at the time, but now my needs are for a larger more capable vehicle.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I too looked hard at the 2017 Ridgeline. We loved the way it drive & handled & the lane keep assist was the best of any vehicle I've driven - period. We averaged a solid 24 mpg in our combined test drive. I think that is excellent. However, the deal killer for me was the lack of any kind of tailgate lock. You can't even buy an aftermarket one yet. The other issues was the lack of cooled seats - not even available on the top of the line black edition. The Ridgeline is based on the Pilot, which has cooled seats available. These are huge oversights in a truck priced in the mid forties.

My fav so far is the 2016 Lexus RX 350. It's a nicely updated & reliable SUV that can tow up to 3500 lbs.

Aside from the lack of any tailgate locks & seat cooling, I would highly recommend the 2017 Ridgeline to anyone looking for a small pickup that can double as a car. I would also put the Ridgeline ahead of the Tacoma just in comfort & versatility & it's light years better than the Canyon/Colorado.
 
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#6 ·
You must have gotten in a model without it Hershey, as the model I drove had cooled seats! The one I was in was loaded right to the gills.

As for the trunk, it's large enough to put a full grown body in and is completely sealed and always dry! The spare tire is also located in the trunk, however, it's not a full size tire.

This is a hard truck to class. It's pretty much on its own. It's a far far better ride and riding position than a Tacoma. But, not as off road worthy. It's a great pavement most of the time truck. But to each their own. I loved it. My wife was not happy when I traded for the ecodiesel. Although e love the ecodiesel, there are definitely some things we miss with the Ridgeline.
 
#7 ·
Nope, I drove the black edition - heated seats, but not cooled/ventilated available. I asked the salesman & the manager & they can't get ventilated seats in the USA. I read on the Ridgeline forum the Canada does have ventilated seats. I called American Honda & inquired - no cooled/ventilated seats available.
 
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#12 ·
Took the New 2017 Ridgeline for a quick spin last week. Beautiful rig. Super quiet, great ride and extremely comfortable. Feels like a large luxury car,...

And let the bashing via people with small weenies begin!! lol I'm married, with nothing to prove. I think the Ridgeline is a great addition to our truck choices/selection.
I am perplexed as to why you are trolling?
And a bit embarrassed that it is another Canadian.

And you can have Honda, as I always state, I had nothing but a HORRIBLE time with them.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Trolling. Hehe. Anyone that knows me here knows I'm definitely not a troll. I'm a pain in the butt, but I'm no troll.

I love my ecodiesel. It's been great. I'm at 50,000km, scratching the heck out of it building a house �� and am extremely happy with it. I just miss that trunk and tailgate. Well, I miss a few things. However, I wouldn't trade over to it. Not yet anyways. But it will always be on my list of potential upgrades when the heavy lifting/pulling days come to an end and/or when I need a new vehicle.
 
#16 ·
1550lb payload (more than our ram) and 5000lb towing. Soccer mom vehicle, call it that if you will. Weekend warrior. Great for picking up a refrigerator or a load of topsoil on occasion. Yet still feels like you're driving a luxury car/SUV and fits in every parking space.

I'm not saying it's for everyone. I'm just saying it's a damn nice rig for people that just want the ability to pull, carry and haul things on occasion without having to make big truck sacrifices like harsher ride, park at the back on the parking lot, no dry storage (trunk) etc.

And yes, it's unibody. They made it look this time like it isn't as too many people turned their noses up at it. I hauled very heavy loads with mine. She drank the fuel, but she always held the speed limit and road good.

Play nice folks!
 
#18 ·
I could not use it as I actually need a truck but I like the looks of it. My first thought was if you miss your ElCamino..
 
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#20 ·
I worked for 4 years in a Honda service department in various positions. The first Ridgelines were incredibly durable and trouble free, and owners loved them. The mileage sucked though, and as far as truck capability - see El Camino. I bought my eco diesel for less money than a run-of-the-mill Ridgeline would cost you, and knowing what I know about both vehicles, there is absolutely no way I could justify buying the Ridgeline IF I was even considering it. Ridgelines are "trucks" for people that don't need truck capabilities - unless the heaviest thing they need to haul is one dirtbike... However, the typical new Honda buyer knows far more than I do about most things....so there must be something better about it. ;)

Also, my previous vehicle was a 2008 Suzuki XL7 with a towing capacity of 3500 pounds. It absolutely sucked for towing more than 1000. I towed my side by side with it two times and it was awful. It felt like I was absolutely abusing it to go 55 mph up any kind of hill and the mileage was 9 - 11 MPG.
 
#22 ·
Everyone needs something different in a truck. I tow a trailer that tops out at 5-6k lbs frequently and haul a little in the bed and commute to/fro work. I feel like the Honda wouldn't fit my needs and the ecoD does well.

The Honda probably makes a better vehicle for a lot of people... cant tell you how many people I know who own a HD diesel that don't own a trailer and don't haul anything...

Ive had alright luck with Honda vehicles, if my wife said she wanted one it would make a good second vehicle for us. I see a lot of minivans doing more work than a lot of trucks on a day to day basis.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Exactly, it's a modern version of El Camino. It's not targeted to compete with a "real" truck, it's targeted for more "urban" folks that drive few times a year to best buy to get a stove or to home depot to get few 2x4s, or that go camping or in vacation and not hauling a 6k+ camper. Everything else is driving to/from work, take the wife to dinner, etc. It's Hondas version of vw Amarok, or maybe the other way around, since Ridgeline was first in the market. Tfl truck I believe has a video about the new Ridgeline and will have a test-drive soon also. I don't see myself buying one but I definitely appreciate the practicality of the Ridgeline. Seems a bit expensive also for my taste. So far the biggest incentives belong to the half ton market, more value for the money.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I think studies were done across truck owners a couple years ago and many interesting things came to light. The larger percentage of 4x4 owners never drove them in 4x4 mode and similarly, the largest percentage claimed never to have driven offroad. Truck sales overall are the largest segment of the industry and these studies pointed out that there is a huge segment of the market that are driving their 1/2 tons as if they were Honda Ridgelines. Sometimes it takes Honda a very long time to get into a market but when they do, they hit it right and make very few mistakes (relatively speaking). I got to drive one of the Ridgelines before they went on sale here in the US and it was impressive. I owned one of the first Pilots at the time and unfortunately had to pull a boat with it .... traded it for a Dakota ;)

Here's a picture of a Pre-Production Ridgeline pulling my Zodiac out of the water .... November 2004

Land vehicle Pickup truck Vehicle Car Truck
 
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#29 ·
I think studies were done across truck owners a couple years ago and many interesting things came to light. The larger percentage of 4x4 owners never drove them in 4x4 mode and similarly, the largest percentage claimed never to have driven offroad. Truck sales overall are the largest segment of the industry and these studies pointed out that there is a huge segment of the market that are driving their 1/2 tons as if they were Honda Ridgelines. Sometimes it takes Honda a very long time to get into a market but when they do, they hit it right and make very few mistakes (relatively speaking). I got to drive one of the Ridgelines before they went on sale here in the US and it was impressive. I owned one of the first Pilots at the time and unfortunately had to pull a boat with it .... traded it for a Dakota ;)

Here's a picture of a Pre-Production Ridgeline pulling my Zodiac out of the water .... November 2004

View attachment 24258
Exactly. You hit the nail on the head!!! This is all most people need. There is a market for this, a big one, and I think it's all mindset how many of us don't navigate to a truck more like the Ridgeline. It's far more than a car. It's far less than a HD. But it's more than enough for most, and if people would just give it a chance, I think they'd like it.
 
#26 ·
7.9" of ground clearance, not an El Camino, 24mpg, semi four wheel drive, a Honda, not a discussion about 1/2 ton diesels.

My wife has a BMW X1, 7" ground clearance, 32 mpg, all wheel drive, no bed in back, but open the rear hatch and lots of storage, drives like a BMW, puts a smile on her face.
 
#28 ·
#31 · (Edited)
To clear up the issue of the Ridgeline with cooled seats. In Canada it is available in the Touring or Black Edition. Also heated rear seats. In the US, on both the RTL-E and BE (the two highest tirms) there are simply heated front seats ONLY. No cooled fronts or heated rears at ANY price. Part of this is to justify at $50K CAD price for the BE in Canada...but an oversight in my opinion. Canada has 5 trim levels and the US has 7 but the Canadian trims are better thought out and make much more sense (for both sides of the border). Honda continues to do dumb things (like the previously mentioned no locking tailgate). I'm a first gen Ridgeline owner for many years, who switched to a 2014 RAM 1500 Hemi and then a 2015 EcoD. I have experience with all and I also have driven a gen 2 Ridgeline Black Edition.

I love my EcoD and have put nearly 25k miles on it in year one. I do think many here underestimate the cargo and towing capabilities of the Ridgeline, however. I can speak to over 1,000 lbs in the bed of my gen 1 without issue and towing a 5,000 lb boat with it for several thousand miles over 4+ years. I think it tows well, even at its limit and can truly be used for real truck duty. I used it as truck. The gen 2 is definitely less trucky on the surface with a little less ground clearance but the cargo and towing specs are the same/similar to the gen 1.

For me, it has enough capability and I may be going this direction for my next truck. The RAM EcoD is great but overkill in many ways and if I can get close to the same mileage as the EcoD on regular gas without the complexity of the EcoD's emissions systems and Honda reliability, I may go the gen 2 Ridgeline route in the near future.
 
#32 ·
That's what I was hoping to accomplish, but I won't own a new truck that doesn't come with a tailgate lock...period.
 
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#34 ·
Honda's base "big" vehicle is the minivan. It just comes in SUV form-Pilot and truck-shaped SUV-Ridgeline. In typical Honda fashion, they will make ventilated seats available in the mid-cycle refresh in about 2.5 years (just in time for the 36 month lease renewals). Truth is, the ventilated seats are mediocre in our '16 Pilot Elite. They may be better than not having them at all, but just barely!

If I was in the market to replace my truck, I'd certainly give the Ridgeline a close look. I have to give to Honda and their new safety systems (Honda Sense), it works great! Haven't tried the emergency automatic braking and hope I don't have to! Occasionally, it will sense an oncoming vehicle in the other lane while in a sharp curve and give the "BRAKE NOW!!!" message, but has not actually triggered a false automatic emergency braking event.
 
#35 ·
I will add to this Mitch. I firmly believe that the Ridgeline rides BETTER than the Ram. When I say better, I mean it is much more firmly planted, doesn't wallow & doesn't lean like crazy in a tight turn. The ride is slightly stiffer, but far from rough. It goes exactly where it is pointed, where the coil spring Ram wiggles, dips & jiggles on its way to where you point it. I'm not saying the Ram rides bad, because it does ride really good, but the Ridgeline is much more controlled & therefore better, especially in an emergency maneuver.
 
#38 ·
How dare you say anything is in any way better than our beloved ram, Hershey! You've deinitely crossed the line there. I suggest you join the Ridgeline Owners Club site if you will continue to spew posituve recognition of our competition. Shame on you and your open mind!

All joking aside, I agree whole heartedly. It definitely does ride better. No vehicle is magic. What it lacks in one regard, it often makes up in another. And what the Ridgeline apparently (to some people anyways) lacks in ruggedness and sheer ability to haul 5th wheels, it makes up for in ease of everyday, almost any situation, usefulness.
 
#36 ·
Looks like a very versatile vehicle for sure. Just hits me as a tad strange looking as the front is very sleek and rounded while the bed and back end is very square. Almost like 2 different vehicles mated together.
 
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