So I went to our Honda Dealer today.......

[SubVet]

Lol...Japanese El Camino BTW I had an El Camino back in the late 80's. Most useless vehicle I've ever owned!

If you're only hauling light stuff once in a while buy a car and just rent a truck from Home Depot or Uhaul. This way you'll have something more comfortable and better gas mileage.

The Ridgeline is way more comfortable than the Ranger. Smooth and quiet. No fake engine noise.
. My wife is a musician and carries a lot of gear. I can't have a car(unless I bought a sports car) as she needs the truck when the Honda is out of commission (which has not happened yet)) That's pretty much why I bought the Vettes and Miata......So I would still have a backup vehicle for her. I could not have one as an only second vehicle.

Plus I don't like having a sedan. Not for me. . I prefer to ride higher. Most people seem to pass on the Ridgeline because f the way it looks. I get that. I like a good looking vehicle but looks are subjective and I don't like making changes based on subjective reasoning, IIMO Tacoma is a better-looking truck than the Ranger ...But the ranger had better options and equipment. Whereas the ridgeline had a much better ride. And it's a whole lot quieter inside.

If they would have asked for 5k and my Ranger, I would have done the deal.

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[DMK45]

and didn't buy anything. I was seriously hunting for a Ridgeline. IT just seems to tick all the boxes. Especially since I don't use the truck as a truck.
I thought if there was a good enough deal I would give it a go.......I went on a LONG 30-minute test ride by myself. I got looking at all the tech. The " truck" is as smooth as glass and very quiet. almost felt like a "luxury" vehicle. Fit and finish are outstanding. The 9 speed is nice and it hauls enough ass.
I love the bed accessories. 110 V outlet where it belongs, A very deep lockable trunk in a bed. 2 Set of Golf clubs would fit easily. Then there is the option to open the tailgate sideways as well as the conventional way..The Tailgate must weigh 40 pounds. Tried the speaker in the box...It would be great for tailgating or camping. Neither of which I do lol

I would say if one wants an SUV with a bed, Nothing else comes close AWD is just that Not meant for crock climbing. Those days ended for me 25 years ago
MSRP $42K Given the upscale interior and all the options I can imagine It's a really nice TRV

Knowing I was not going to make a deal, I had them run the numbers...(nobody was there......)

So let's talk Ranger first because I want to know what they would stroke a check right now for my Ranger (That's called ACTUAL CASH VALUE No funny money deals Two Separate deals) for my truck . (I've used this tactic when car shopping)

They offered $27K real money on a $42,000 truck that is barely discounted. OH well, It was fun playing anyway.
I love my Ranger but I am not one who is faithful to one brand. I buy the best truck at the time One thing I would not do to the Honda is lift kits . In fact, All I would do is cover the bed, and attach my forever love AVS II Bug. It's not a hobby truck. So they wanted to stroke a check out for my truck for $19K So I give them $8000 and lease for 36 months at $400....MMM AND 6.5% INTEREST!! Maybe in two years,, OR NEVER...,LOL Like That will ever happen......

Practical with a great reputation But I will pass for now..... Nothing wrong with kicking a few tires and see where you stand. I've done that a lot of times most of the time not buying but I usually find a diamond in the rough if I do it long enough

So you guys are going to have to deal with my whims for a while longer

Are you sure you dont work @a Honda dealer on the "down low". Lol If you appreciate anything about a well made & class leading mid size truck you wouldnt be looking at crossovers. Its NOT a truck by any measure. Not as durable or practical. Your welcome on this site but I venture to say will confidence we are 95% truck guys an Ford truck lovers at that. Pls no extensive Honda talk.

 

[DMK45]

I was on my way to get a new Ridgeline when I took notice of the Ranger via my GF who is FORD crazy. I use mine as grocery getter vehicle with an open area for little tasks in the bed like carrying what otherwise would have to be delivered as a retired guy. The Ranger has MORE AND BETTER prevailing safety features than the Honda even the RTL - E highest end - believe it or not and the price was much better less the leather seating I really wanted and the OUTSTANDING rear seating storage but in the end the looks, SAFETY features, performance and price I paid for the Ranger made the cut and I pay cash and keep vehicles for 10-15 years. I dislike the tiny rear storage where i could stand up my bicycle behind the seats in the Honda I barely carry anything in the Ranger. That is my biggest gripe with the Ranger. Paid essentially $35K +T+L for the fully loaded XLT (nearly a Lariat) with everything but leather + smal led's here and a lifetime powertrain warranty and oil changes.

Smart move it will serve you well! Switch to SN+ rated full synthetic oil at 1st change (before 5k mis).

 

[SemperVee]

Thanks. Just had my first o&F change @ 2000 mi and the dealer put in Synthetic oil.

 

[SubVet]

After reading through this thread I'm realizing most people did not buy the ridgeline because of the way it looked. Maybe i'm old but I'm a little different in that I'm not concerned with looks because it's really nothing special. I'm inside. So it looks like an SUV to oncoming traffic why would I care what others see?

. I had fun cars that drew a lot of comments including a couple of corvettes Miata, Benz SL sports car. I just never viewed trucks from an aesthetic standpoint. I think the Tacoma is the best looking truck on the road and I got rid of mine. Looks are too subjective. One man's trash is another man's treasure. A majority of owners in the Tacoma forum believe down deep that the ranger is butt ugly. it is what it is. We can't be beautiful to everybody.

 

[SubVet]

Are you sure you dont work @a Honda dealer on the "down low". Lol If you appreciate anything about a well made & class leading mid size truck you wouldnt be looking at crossovers. Its NOT a truck by any measure. Not as durable or practical. Your welcome on this site but I venture to say will confidence we are 95% truck guys an Ford truck lovers at that. Pls no extensive Honda talk.

Seriously?? Not as durable or practical?? Well that's one opinion lol I would think it's common knowledge Hondas are built better than any domestic. Fit and finish is waaaay better..Save the angst for TacomaWorld.

I wouldn't buy a Ridgeline for off-roading. but on the street its a better ride and economical. LOL I would think opinions on other trucks would not be a threat. If an ordinary person saw the ridgeline, they would call it a truck. Simply because it has a truck bed. There is no other name..crossover...Nope

Few would not consider the ridgeline a real truck except dyed in the wool 4x4 off-road body on frame guys. If one goes off road the body on frame is necessary...Around town body on frame will be harsher than the unibody

no I don't work for honda. But we do own Hondas and have for the past 10 years. I do consider the Ridgeline a truck and I respect the brand. We are on our third crv lease never even had a hiccup.

At my age,. I don't really care if I'm driving a "real truck" Again subjective. Its a truck to me because it has a truck bed period.. Everything else is subjective as I get older I stop caring what others think of my choices. That's for young people to worry about whether it's "cool" or not.

I would use it like a truck (as well as enjoying the benefits and manners of an SUV). It will load up with mulch and crushed brick as well as the ranger. I don't tow anything so that metric is lost on me. I'm a big Honda fan I think that they are built better than domestic brands. Hands down. and have for a while. One of the features I like is One can put standard-sized plywood 4' wide flat rather than tilted like I had to do with the Ranger. It does have its good points. I'd give five grand and my truck for one. Without blinking

 

[SubVet]

Ford killed the resale of the Ranger when they discounted XLT's around presidents day $10,000. I hoped it would only affect XLT's but looks like it killed the Lariat too!

Yeah that kind of pissed me off. If I knew that going in I would be paying more for the ranger then I would have now. Domestics just don't have the resale value, especially in the first three years. Anyone who bought a lariat at $6,000 off is doing very well

 

[Tracy Bowman]

I, for one, like the looks of the current Ridgeline. Everyone should get what best suits them. On the other hand, I totally disagree with anyone who says the Ranger is less than beautiful! Them there is fightin' words! Put up your dukes!

 

[BDoc]

After reading through this thread I'm realizing most people did not buy the ridgeline because of the way it looked. Maybe i'm old but I'm a little different in that I'm not concerned with looks because it's really nothing special. I'm inside. So it looks like an SUV to oncoming traffic why would I care what others see?

. I had fun cars that drew a lot of comments including a couple of corvettes Miata, Benz SL sports car. I just never viewed trucks from an aesthetic standpoint. I think the Tacoma is the best looking truck on the road and I got rid of mine. Looks are too subjective. One man's trash is another man's treasure. A majority of owners in the Tacoma forum believe down deep that the ranger is butt ugly. it is what it is. We can't be beautiful to everybody.

I looked at the Ridgeline too before buying my Ranger. I don't mind the way they look and you're right, Tom, the ride is a lot nicer than the Ranger. The RL had enough 'gitty-up' and was most definitely quiet. I also could have gotten the AWD - coming from Subarus for 10+ years, that was a plus. And, like you, I really liked the dual-action tailgate. The 'trunk' is a little weird though.

The MPG and the bed depth were the two negatives for me.

I drive 60ish miles a day back and forth to work (well, when I'm not forced into "stay home and telework" mode), so I was looking for a truck with decent MPGs that wasn't under-powered. And I just couldn't get over the shallow bed. Yes, it would be great for most anything "most" people will use it for, but once you put a bed cover on it, you lose almost half the cargo space. Not a big deal most days, but there are those times when a full-depth bed are better if you don't want to take the bed cover off or weather is a factor (it rains on occasion here).

All that stated, after I drove the Ranger, which was immediately after I finished my RL test drive, I was sold on the Ranger just a little more than the Honda.

Now, if Subaru ever decides to get into the truck market like has been rumored for the past two years, with something based on the Ascent...I may get rid of my Ranger...maybe.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

I used to have a 2005 Subaru Baja Turbo.

It was a fantastic truck/car/ute/whatever.

The only reason I sold it was because it was about to cross 200k miles and was still worth a lot.

 

[MannyS]

The Honda Ridgeline is a crossover with a pick up bed. Unibody (Crossover) Towing Capacity (Crossover) Ride Height (Crossover) FWD (Crossover). Its Literally a Crossover with a pick up bed.

 

[Ranger8729]

The Honda Ridgeline is a crossover with a pick up bed. Unibody (Crossover) Towing Capacity (Crossover) Ride Height (Crossover) FWD (Crossover). Its Literally a Crossover with a pick up bed.

Not quite true.
A truck can be a truck and still have a unibody. Example of the Jeep Comanche truck. The bed was removable, but it was a unibody set up with integrated frame rails. And with the metric ton package, could out haul and out perform full size trucks for decades to come.
Several trucks have lower towing capacity. Even the Ranger drops to 5000lbs without the towing package. That is still plenty. My Jeep was rated for 5000lbs and i never went over that even with a camper and boat.
Ride height is a moot point. I actually would like a lower truck for my wife and older dog to enter/exit easier. My 1987 is lower than the Ridgline and still runs rings around newer trucks with 30 year old springs without sagging.
Yeah, FWD in a truck is just a bad time all around. ?

 

[MannyS]

Not quite true.
A truck can be a truck and still have a unibody. Example of the Jeep Comanche truck. The bed was removable, but it was a unibody set up with integrated frame rails. And with the metric ton package, could out haul and out perform full size trucks for decades to come.
Several trucks have lower towing capacity. Even the Ranger drops to 5000lbs without the towing package. That is still plenty. My Jeep was rated for 5000lbs and i never went over that even with a camper and boat.
Ride height is a moot point. I actually would like a lower truck for my wife and older dog to enter/exit easier. My 1987 is lower than the Ridgline and still runs rings around newer trucks with 30 year old springs without sagging.
Yeah, FWD in a truck is just a bad time all around. ?

The Honda Ridgeline does none of the things mentioned above, thus crossover with an outdoor trunk.

 

[Ranger8729]

uh huh...

 

[SubVet]

The Honda Ridgeline is a crossover with a pick up bed. Unibody (Crossover) Towing Capacity (Crossover) Ride Height (Crossover) FWD (Crossover). Its Literally a Crossover with a pick up bed.

And that's what I like most about it. It's basically an SUV with a truck bed. Win Win..

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