Topic: Test Drive: 2018 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition

[johngenx]

If I were truck shopping today, it would be for hauling stuff from Lowes, etc and maybe a dirt bike.  RAM?  No thanks.  "Bromobile" that's made out of recycled pop cans and scrap steel from old shipping containers.  F150?  Not as "Bromobile" as the RAM, but close, and the quality still isn't where I'd want it.  Silverado?  Getting very, very close.  A truck for adults, but priced like it too, and I don't need all that size.

That leaves the Tundra, the various mids and the Honda.  Tundra is way more than I'd need, so it's out.  Seems that for suburban regular-people that want a truck, the RL is a pretty appealing option.

[ArticSteve]

It's comfortable enough in the front as well, not sure about the back. 

It has no usable back seat for adult passengers, but it doesn't really matter because like travel trailers it's used as a "couples coach".  As long as it's got a normal rear door to hurl groceries into and a laptop on the floor behind the front seat all is well.

Yes, front seating in a TACO is still the sh*ts.  Suppose that is the cost of supreme resale value.

[KD]

If I were truck shopping today, it would be for hauling stuff from Lowes, etc and maybe a dirt bike.  RAM?  No thanks.  "Bromobile" that's made out of recycled pop cans and scrap steel from old shipping containers.  F150?  Not as "Bromobile" as the RAM, but close, and the quality still isn't where I'd want it.  Silverado?  Getting very, very close.  A truck for adults, but priced like it too, and I don't need all that size.

That leaves the Tundra, the various mids and the Honda.  Tundra is way more than I'd need, so it's out.  Seems that for suburban regular-people that want a truck, the RL is a pretty appealing option.

Something like that wouldn't even cross my mind if I was looking for a good truck.  I know lots of people who own Rams and they bought them because they were cheap and get the job done.  Besides I could care less what image it projects.   

[Fobroader]

If I were truck shopping today, it would be for hauling stuff from Lowes, etc and maybe a dirt bike.  RAM?  No thanks.  "Bromobile" that's made out of recycled pop cans and scrap steel from old shipping containers.  F150?  Not as "Bromobile" as the RAM, but close, and the quality still isn't where I'd want it.  Silverado?  Getting very, very close.  A truck for adults, but priced like it too, and I don't need all that size.

That leaves the Tundra, the various mids and the Honda.  Tundra is way more than I'd need, so it's out.  Seems that for suburban regular-people that want a truck, the RL is a pretty appealing option.

Something like that wouldn't even cross my mind if I was looking for a good truck.  I know lots of people who own Rams and they bought them because they were cheap and get the job done.  Besides I could care less what image it projects.   

I've just never liked the ram because of design and shoddy construction....not because some sort of image. John is right, the Ram does have lots of appeal to the douchey people though

[greengs]

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.

Ridgeline compared to the Canyon more than Colorado I think.  Still, the $5k of value is there.  The interior is much more luxurious, it has all the standard Honda Sensing included, it's better equipped like someone mentioned the heated wheel, there are other things like push start that's not even available on any trim in the GMs.  That's party the issue with the RL.  It's really well equipped even in the lowest trim much more so than any of its competitors and that's why it's more expensive.

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.

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.

I only had it for 4 months and it was in spring/summer time, so that wasn't one of the issues.  Mine had multiple rattles in the cabin. 

[PlanB]

People still buy Frontiers?

You'd be surprised, it's way more than you'd think......

https://www.tfltruck.com/2018/05/toyota-tacoma-midsize-truck-sales-april/

[dkaz]

Wow almost 3x Ridgeline sales.

[EV-Light]

Wow almost 3x Ridgeline sales.

Sure they do...the Ridgeline is overpriced - either Honda throw 5k on the hood or sales will diminish to hundreds...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[greengs]

Wow almost 3x Ridgeline sales.

Sure they do...the Ridgeline is overpriced - either Honda throw 5k on the hood or sales will diminish to hundreds...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Honda is priced appropriately for the equipment it has.  The issue is how loaded they are in all trims.  It's really different than anything it this class and almost like a standalone product.  Honda couldn't sell 3x the number of Ridgelines right now unless they wanted to cut back on Pilot/Odyssey/MDX numbers. 

[OliverD]

And they dumped the base model since no one buys those anyways.

[EV-Light]

Wow almost 3x Ridgeline sales.

Sure they do...the Ridgeline is overpriced - either Honda throw 5k on the hood or sales will diminish to hundreds...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Honda is priced appropriately for the equipment it has.  The issue is how loaded they are in all trims.  It's really different than anything it this class and almost like a standalone product.  Honda couldn't sell 3x the number of Ridgelines right now unless they wanted to cut back on Pilot/Odyssey/MDX numbers.

Nope...it’s not, I’ve done the pricing game and Honda always comes out as uncompetitive. The market is also confirming that - if sales are not a yellow warning light I don’t know what else would be.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[G.Bombay]

These things hold ridiculously high resale value. Part of the reason for that is Honda doesn't play fast and loose with the incentives game like some other automakers.

[johngenx]

One of my neighbours has an old Ridgeline and is thinking about getting the new one.  His has been impeccable, and is in amazing condition.  He just wants a new truck.  I told him before he trades the old one in, call me with their trade allowance and I will probably match or beat it.

He bought his grandson a Gen 1 Highlander from one of my climbing buddies that bought a used Taco from another friend of mine that bought a new Taco - so if he sells his old Ridgeline, it might as well go to someone "in the circle."

[dkaz]

I know a mechanical contractor who grabbed one of these Black Editions. He still has a big diesel at home but prefers his Ridgeline as a daily driver.

I am seeing a lot more Ridgelines on the road.

[johngenx]

I am seeing a lot more Ridgelines on the road.

Yeah, me too.  These seem to be selling like crazy!

[Ex-airbalancer]

I am seeing a lot more Ridgelines on the road.

Yeah, me too.  These seem to be selling like crazy!

Selling like crazy , maybe not

[johngenx]

Maybe it's because I live in Suburbia, but I've seen quite a bunch of the new ones lately.

[EV-Light]

I am seeing a lot more Ridgelines on the road.

Yeah, me too.  These seem to be selling like crazy!

Selling like crazy , maybe not

Yep the Ridgeline is a sales flop...this is purely perception based on bias.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ktm525]

Ridgeline production is a weird one. It is built on same line as Pilot and Odyssey and Honda only builds a certain number. You will know when the Ridgeline is not selling the amount Honda wants when they start piling cash on the hood. So far that is not the case. Supply is limited. Its not like the big 3 where you can get 15-20k off a year old model lol.

[ltruong]

Its the kind of truck my dad would like. Retired, fits golf clubs,  enough for work around the house or haul a little 4x8 trailer. Drive more like a car.