Topic: Test Drive: 2018 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition

[Ex-airbalancer]

Did anyone comment yet that you can get a full size truck for less?   

But what if you don't want a full-sized truck?   

Why wouldn't you want a full size truck   
Beside I am paying taxes , so I want to take up as much room as possible on the road

[OliverD]

I just realized that for the price of my Clubman I could have had a much larger Taurus. Stupid me.

[EV-Light]

I just realized that for the price of my Clubman I could have had a much larger Taurus. Stupid me.

Huh? Why would you want that? Different categories of vehicles all together lol


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[OliverD]

I just realized that for the price of my Clubman I could have had a much larger Taurus. Stupid me.

Huh? Why would you want that? Different categories of vehicles all together lol

Exactly. Just like the Ridgeline has a very different purpose than a full-size truck.

[quadzilla]

I just realized that for the price of my Clubman I could have had a much larger Taurus. Stupid me.

Huh? Why would you want that? Different categories of vehicles all together lol

Exactly. Just like the Ridgeline has a very different purpose than a full-size truck.

But aren't they both pick-up trucks and all pick-up trucks are the same....right? 

[dkaz]

The Honda has a lot of features for $42k. Tri-zone automatic climate control, 7" display with Carplay/Android Auto, 7 speaker 225W audio system, remote engine starter, 10 way power driver seat, standard 4WD (not 4x4 but meh). The cheapest 4x4 Ram 1500 crew cab I can price out is $42k for an ST with no features. Ford F150 is reasonably priced at $39k for a 4x4 Crew XL, again base. Silverado 1500 4x4 Crew WT even better, $37k. But again, work grade truck.

The Tacoma, Colorado, and upcoming Ranger have tiny cabs while the Ridgeline has a full size crew cab like interior.

[OliverD]

The Honda has a lot of features for $42k. Tri-zone automatic climate control, 7" display with Carplay/Android Auto, 7 speaker 225W audio system, remote engine starter, 10 way power driver seat, standard 4WD (not 4x4 but meh). The cheapest 4x4 Ram 1500 crew cab I can price out is $42k for an ST with no features. Ford F150 is reasonably priced at $39k for a 4x4 Crew XL, again base. Silverado 1500 4x4 Crew WT even better, $37k. But again, work grade truck.

The Tacoma, Colorado, and upcoming Ranger have tiny cabs while the Ridgeline has a full size crew cab like interior.

Right, there isn't really a "base" Ridgeline so to speak, and if there was there wouldn't be much interest in it.

A comparable Silverado has an MSRP of just north of $50k, though obviously has incentives available.

[greengs]

I've had a 2014 Tundra, 2017 Ridgeline and now 2017 Tacoma.

The price difference between a 2017 Tundra and 2017 Tacoma (same trim) was exactly $10,000.  Yes, you can get into a full size domestic truck for similar money or even less money than this top of the line Ridgeline trim, but you will pay more for a trim that has all the features this has.  I priced out an F-150 recently in Lariat spec with 2.7T and pretty much all the options and with a $13,000 discount it was still in the mid 50k range.  There are still 4 trim levels above Lariat by the way...

[Hannibalsmith]

I've had a 2014 Tundra, 2017 Ridgeline and now 2017 Tacoma.

The price difference between a 2017 Tundra and 2017 Tacoma (same trim) was exactly $10,000.  Yes, you can get into a full size domestic truck for similar money or even less money than this top of the line Ridgeline trim, but you will pay more for a trim that has all the features this has.  I priced out an F-150 recently in Lariat spec with 2.7T and pretty much all the options and with a $13,000 discount it was still in the mid 50k range.  There are still 4 trim levels above Lariat by the way...

Curious about your impressions of the three and why you moved from the Ridgeline to the Tacoma.

[greengs]

I've had a 2014 Tundra, 2017 Ridgeline and now 2017 Tacoma.

The price difference between a 2017 Tundra and 2017 Tacoma (same trim) was exactly $10,000.  Yes, you can get into a full size domestic truck for similar money or even less money than this top of the line Ridgeline trim, but you will pay more for a trim that has all the features this has.  I priced out an F-150 recently in Lariat spec with 2.7T and pretty much all the options and with a $13,000 discount it was still in the mid 50k range.  There are still 4 trim levels above Lariat by the way...

Curious about your impressions of the three and why you moved from the Ridgeline to the Tacoma.

Tundra was my first truck and I had it for about 2.5 years.  I enjoyed how rugged it was and how simple it was to operate.  Eventually I wanted to try a smaller truck since I work downtown and we have a minivan for the 3 kids so I drove the Tundra mostly alone.

I drove a Ridgeline and loved how it felt on a test drive.  Leased it and had it for about 4 months.  Mine had a couple quality control issues and I didn't feel like dealing with.  It also had way too many features I didn't use. I had the Touring model.  The rear door didn't open wide enough either.  Really a strange miss by Honda on that.  So I just posted it for lease takeover and went back to Toyota and leased a Tacoma.  I prefer the looks of the Tacoma, RL has a nicer interior, space is slightly better in the RL, but not as much as I thought.  Fuel econ is roughly the same.  Tacoma's biggest flaw is the seating position and the automatic transmission programming in my opinion. 

[Hannibalsmith]

I've had a 2014 Tundra, 2017 Ridgeline and now 2017 Tacoma.

The price difference between a 2017 Tundra and 2017 Tacoma (same trim) was exactly $10,000.  Yes, you can get into a full size domestic truck for similar money or even less money than this top of the line Ridgeline trim, but you will pay more for a trim that has all the features this has.  I priced out an F-150 recently in Lariat spec with 2.7T and pretty much all the options and with a $13,000 discount it was still in the mid 50k range.  There are still 4 trim levels above Lariat by the way...

Curious about your impressions of the three and why you moved from the Ridgeline to the Tacoma.

Tundra was my first truck and I had it for about 2.5 years.  I enjoyed how rugged it was and how simple it was to operate.  Eventually I wanted to try a smaller truck since I work downtown and we have a minivan for the 3 kids so I drove the Tundra mostly alone.

I drove a Ridgeline and loved how it felt on a test drive.  Leased it and had it for about 4 months.  Mine had a couple quality control issues and I didn't feel like dealing with.  It also had way too many features I didn't use. I had the Touring model.  The rear door didn't open wide enough either.  Really a strange miss by Honda on that.  So I just posted it for lease takeover and went back to Toyota and leased a Tacoma.  I prefer the looks of the Tacoma, RL has a nicer interior, space is slightly better in the RL, but not as much as I thought.  Fuel econ is roughly the same.  Tacoma's biggest flaw is the seating position and the automatic transmission programming in my opinion.

Thanks! Kind of in the same boat (3 kids as well). I've been eyeing a summer / winter set up and the Tacoma looks interesting. Plus the Sport and Pro can be had with manual, which is what I would prefer and also force on the kids

[EV-Light]

I just realized that for the price of my Clubman I could have had a much larger Taurus. Stupid me.

Huh? Why would you want that? Different categories of vehicles all together lol

Exactly. Just like the Ridgeline has a very different purpose than a full-size truck.

Hmmm nope - they all do exactly the same thing, they are trucks - albeit of different sizes - but they are not in a different category all together.




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[ktm525]

If one lives in the city and parks in a congested downtown environment then the Ridgeline/Tacoma size truck becomes very appealing. There is simply places where a crew cab 1/2 ton will not fit ( height/width and length). If I lived in a rural setting it would full size all the way, but I don't...

Looking forward to the Scrambler, Ranger and Hyundai whatchamacallit to put pressure on the usual suspects (Tacoma, Ridgeline, Frontier).

[dkaz]

People still buy Frontiers?

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Forget the fullsize truck argument.  The compact/midsize truck segment has been competing with the fullsizers in price for a decade and a half now.  Midsize trucks are no longer a cheaper option.  Some people just want a smaller truck than a fullsize.

What I want to know is how the price of the Ridgeline compare to its main competitors, the quad-cab Tacoma and the Colorado?  Other than off-road prowess, the Ridgeline has similar capabilities, mainly when it comes to towing and hauling. 

So, I built a Ridgeline EX-L, and compared it to a Chevy Colorado LT 4x4 Quad Cab with Luxury Package (to get leather) and the 3.6L.  The Ridgeline comes to $45 205, while the Colorado comes to $40 297. 

So yeah, I guess the Ridgeline IS quite expensive. 

Heck, even a Colorado V6 Z71 with leather only comes to $40 367, and that's got some extra off-road goodies built in.

[dkaz]

The back row of the Colorado is a total penalty box though. Does it have heated steering wheel like the EX-L?

[tpl]

In the next to impossible event that I would buy a truck I would probably buy a Ridgeline.   Honda, not too big but big enough.    I would never buy a full size truck.   I see all these arguments about more for less with a D3 truck but not for me.


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[Great_Big_Abyss]

The back row of the Colorado is a total penalty box though. Does it have heated steering wheel like the EX-L?

Seriously?  heated steering wheel?  Who cares?  The Ridgeline may have a heated steering wheel, but the Colorado has a real transfer case with low-range. 

Also, don't forget, the EX-L is the MIDRANGE Ridgeline, and it's STILL $5k more expensive than a Colorado.

[dkaz]

I care! Different strokes, different folks.

[KD]

I've had a 2014 Tundra, 2017 Ridgeline and now 2017 Tacoma.

The price difference between a 2017 Tundra and 2017 Tacoma (same trim) was exactly $10,000.  Yes, you can get into a full size domestic truck for similar money or even less money than this top of the line Ridgeline trim, but you will pay more for a trim that has all the features this has.  I priced out an F-150 recently in Lariat spec with 2.7T and pretty much all the options and with a $13,000 discount it was still in the mid 50k range.  There are still 4 trim levels above Lariat by the way...

Curious about your impressions of the three and why you moved from the Ridgeline to the Tacoma.

Tundra was my first truck and I had it for about 2.5 years.  I enjoyed how rugged it was and how simple it was to operate.  Eventually I wanted to try a smaller truck since I work downtown and we have a minivan for the 3 kids so I drove the Tundra mostly alone.

I drove a Ridgeline and loved how it felt on a test drive.  Leased it and had it for about 4 months.  Mine had a couple quality control issues and I didn't feel like dealing with.  It also had way too many features I didn't use. I had the Touring model.  The rear door didn't open wide enough either.  Really a strange miss by Honda on that.  So I just posted it for lease takeover and went back to Toyota and leased a Tacoma.  I prefer the looks of the Tacoma, RL has a nicer interior, space is slightly better in the RL, but not as much as I thought.  Fuel econ is roughly the same.  Tacoma's biggest flaw is the seating position and the automatic transmission programming in my opinion.

That would likely be the only reason I would choose a RL over a Tacoma.  I'm 6'2" and just can't get comfortable in a Tacoma.  I borrowed a friend's 2014 Taco last year to pick up a trailer a couple of hundred KMs from home and couldn't wait to get outta that thing.  He's only 5'8" and he doesn't find it that comfortable either.  The new gen Taco doesnt seem to be any better in this regard either. 

Oth, I would likely choose a Colorado over a RL.  I have a few friends that have Colorados now and they seem like a really nice vehicle.  The 3.6L V6 is a nice unit and seems to be mated well with its drive train.  It's comfortable enough in the front as well, not sure about the back. 

Curious whether one of the problems with your RL was with the gas filler cap freezing?  I stopped to talk with a friend in a parking lot a few weeks ago when I noticed him getting into his RL.  He bought his late last fall and said the that was the only problem he had, but a really frustrating one.  Both times it happened when his wife was driving and she got stranded both times and had to call caa because she couldn't get the gas cap off to fill it up.  Honda eventually fitted a shroud, that he showed me, to route the water away from the cap but it was a rickety half-assed looking thing that look like a really temporary solution.