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I didn't even know they still make those things. If I wanted a small pickup, not whatever that Ridgeline car/cuv with a bed abortion is, I'd get a Tacoma.
I didn't even know they still make those things. If I wanted a small pickup, not whatever that Ridgeline car/cuv with a bed abortion is, I'd get a Tacoma.
The current Tacoma is terrible. The v6 has no power and the cabin is cramped. I'd probably look at a diesel Colorado, which is only a little better.
Regarding Ridgeline... If you're OK with it being basically a pilot with a bed vs a 3rd row, and can live with it not really being a truck, it's not a bad option. They drive like crossovers (because they are), and the engine and trans are pretty reliable. You just have to be on top of typical Honda v6 stuff, Trans fluid, timing belt, water pump, valve lash, etc. The engine hasn't cha ged all that much since the early 00s and it was a good design back then.
I guess It depends on what you need out of it, and what your priorities are. Personally, I don't have a use case for it. It's not truck enough to tow the stuff I'd need to, and it's not car enough to be sporty and fun. But other people just like the feeling of having an open bed and don't really need to do stuff with it.
Meh, they're all terrible. That's why I said "If", cuz I don't. None of them are significantly cheaper, smaller/maneuverable, economical enough to choose over a 1500.
Ask your husband.
Seriously though, if you want a truck than buy a truck, if you want a SUV than buy a SUV The Ridgeline is somewhere in the middle and full of compromises.
Everyone equates it to being a Pilot with a bed. The Pilot being one of the great successes of the Brand.
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That being said, if you don't need the heavy towing and need a more nimble everyday driver with better fuel economy with more interior room why not consider the Ridgeline?
Currently I have a 2016 Ram 1500 Crew 4x4, the wife a 2017 Mercedes GLC300 SUV, and we have owned many other vehicles. However, we always kept the old 2003 (first year), Pilot because it drove well, is very maneuverable, dependable, gets good mpg and exceeds at it's utilitarian role and every day driver duty.
My recommendation would be to go drive it thoroughly and compare it against your possible other choices.
I've had Taco, Silverado, 2 older Rangers, 2 Rams a Canyon and now a 2019 Ranger but looking at Accord for wife to replace her 2011 Malibu and I was sort smitten by the quality and practicality...Loved the bed and the trunk and the tail gate and the suspension...I'm probably going-back to drive one lol...It has a lot of nice features for the money...But yes it isn't really a truck truck....but who cares 99.9% of the time.
I guess at my age I want the truck sometimes but the drive of a nice car...The Honda has that and will tow more than I will ever need plus carry 1500 pounds.The Ranger is very nice and hauls *** and looks good but drives bouncy with fx4 package and brake pedal is like pushing pedal through a bucket mud lol but otherwise truck is fine and look good...
Of all the midsize truck the newer taco is only ahead of the Datsun imo..The Twins and Ranger are both better stem to stern...imo
The Honda truck is sort of on an island...not sure if even fits...hence the questions.
We did pick up an Accord EX for her Thursday...( I did shop the Malibu again but jeez its terrible compared to accord) Last Honda I bought was 2003....The 100k easy miles we put on her Malibu in ten years taught me GM really makes a shitty car....For instance...replacing head light bulb...Bumper cover grill assembly has to all the way come off the car...(Corvette at least gave us a access flap on my 12 anyhow )
I had a similar situation. Had a v8 Colorado, but needed to upgrade. Checked out the big trucks, they were nice but too big and ungainly for me, they didn't drive even slightly athletic. Midsizes weren't athletes either.
So I ended up thinking long and hard about my use case and realized, if I needed a bed, I could just rent or buy a trailer. That opened me up to sport SUVs, and I ended up in a TBSS and couldn't be happier.
Well I stopped by the Honda dealer and Looked a couple over....The RTL and the RTL-E which is number 3 and 4 in the 5 trim pecking order...Number 5 is called black edition which is color and trim differences being all black with red thread inside... The trucks really nice and fit and finish is good.. It drives out nice and is very smooth and turn in is nice and flat for a truck...Back seat is stadium seating and I've never seen that in a vehicle and was awesome...site lines are great everywhere too. You can fold rear seat bottoms up 60/40 with one hand and rear floor is flat and plenty of room under seat. The bed is the star with the duel action tail gate and the dry lockable trunk in the bed floor...And the bed also turns into a giant speaker for tail gating... Audio is 570 watts in the RTLE as well...
Its is not beautiful to look at but it is nice looking and optioned up a lot for the price...I'm stewing...They made a nice offer on the Ranger.The RTL is probably the better value with an MSRP just under 40 and can be had OTD for about 36 plus tax/tag so all in for about 36750...The RTLE sticker for a little over 43 so about 3500 more..For reference my Ranger sticker was for 42 and no leather no sun roof and a manual sliding rear window....Both Honda's have leather, sunroof, power rear slider and triple zone climate....AWD and 9 speed auto and the 3.5 V6...Lot of truck for 36k imo..The E gets you big audio and more safety nannies and nav.... I will say the lane keep assist is pretty amazing lol which both have...Ah hell its just money..
I had a similar situation. Had a v8 Colorado, but needed to upgrade. Checked out the big trucks, they were nice but too big and ungainly for me, they didn't drive even slightly athletic. Midsizes weren't athletes either.
So I ended up thinking long and hard about my use case and realized, if I needed a bed, I could just rent or buy a trailer. That opened me up to sport SUVs, and I ended up in a TBSS and couldn't be happier.
Well I stopped by the Honda dealer and Looked a couple over....The RTL and the RTL-E which is number 3 and 4 in the 5 trim pecking order...Number 5 is called black edition which is color and trim differences being all black with red thread inside... The trucks really nice and fit and finish is good.. It drives out nice and is very smooth and turn in is nice and flat for a truck...Back seat is stadium seating and I've never seen that in a vehicle and was awesome...site lines are great everywhere too. You can fold rear seat bottoms up 60/40 with one hand and rear floor is flat and plenty of room under seat. The bed is the star with the duel action tail gate and the dry lockable trunk in the bed floor...And the bed also turns into a giant speaker for tail gating... Audio is 570 watts in the RTLE as well...
Its is not beautiful to look at but it is nice looking and optioned up a lot for the price...I'm stewing...They made a nice offer on the Ranger.The RTL is probably the better value with an MSRP just under 40 and can be had OTD for about 36 plus tax/tag so all in for about 36750...The RTLE sticker for a little over 43 so about 3500 more..For reference my Ranger sticker was for 42 and no leather no sun roof and a manual sliding rear window....Both Honda's have leather, sunroof, power rear slider and triple zone climate....AWD and 9 speed auto and the 3.5 V6...Lot of truck for 36k imo..The E gets you big audio and more safety nannies and nav.... I will say the lane keep assist is pretty amazing lol which both have...Ah hell its just money..
A few things to put into perspective... Nobody pays sticker for Ford's, 10 to 15% under MSRP is the norm, so the ranger is likely the less expensive vehicle. Plus, ranger especially is over priced to protect f150 sales, but really all the midsizes have this issue. The full size trucks have amazing economies of scale so they have low price points the midsizes can't hope to compete with.
I have never heard a use case for the dual function tail gate that makes sense. Opening it like a car door take up way more space, puts it way out from a support perspective, and doesn't offer the extending of the bed that folding it doen does. It's truly 100% gimmick, with no practical application.
The lockable trunk in the bed is cool., and can be useful. But you can do a similar thing with a lockable bed cover... Or just have an suv, lol.
I've only had my tbss a week or so now but I totally love it. The power is great, the suspension is pretty good (will be better with a few mods), and it can tow 7000 pounds so I can tow my boat. The only thing I'd do differently is maybe buy an srt8 jeep, but those would have come with a payment, whereas my TBSS was a cash deal.
A few things to put into perspective... Nobody pays sticker for Ford's, 10 to 15% under MSRP is the norm, so the ranger is likely the less expensive vehicle. Plus, ranger especially is over priced to protect f150 sales, but really all the midsizes have this issue. The full size trucks have amazing economies of scale so they have low price points the midsizes can't hope to compete with.
I have never heard a use case for the dual function tail gate that makes sense. Opening it like a car door take up way more space, puts it way out from a support perspective, and doesn't offer the extending of the bed that folding it doen does. It's truly 100% gimmick, with no practical application.
The lockable trunk in the bed is cool., and can be useful. But you can do a similar thing with a lockable bed cover... Or just have an suv, lol.
I've only had my tbss a week or so now but I totally love it. The power is great, the suspension is pretty good (will be better with a few mods), and it can tow 7000 pounds so I can tow my boat. The only thing I'd do differently is maybe buy an srt8 jeep, but those would have come with a payment, whereas my TBSS was a cash deal.
Agree I didn't pay sticker for my Ranger in fact I've not paid sticker with any of the 48 or so I've purchased.......no where near sticker on the Ranger either just using that as a reference. The bed trunk is big and practical and you can fill it with drinks...it has a drain lol...or golf clubs will fit in it. Yes I have a cover on my ranger too... The genius of the tail gate is when you are unloading you don't have to reach, nor slide what you are getting over the tailgate or in you need something from the bed that is above the wheel wells you can reach it easily... tailgate is out of the way. I would say that owners who have it would swing it open the vast majority of time...its that much smarter..It should be required and easily done on every truck lol...Its also the only mid size that will carry a full sheet of plywood flat..
The problem is I can probably get a Laredo RAM for close to that price...
The real underlying issue isn't that tailgates are in the way its that trucks are all jacked up monsters now. I'm 6'2, pretty decent height, I should be able to reach the center of the bed. The issue is that these trucks are jacked up like 8 inches taller than they should be.
I owned a '12 RTL.
It was a great people hauler, but as far as towing anything..no way. I bought an 1800 vtx and used a uhall mc trailer, it felt like I was towing a building behind me, it was horrible,
Sold it a few months later, and the new ones are fugly IMHO.
Well I took the plunge today...picked up a 2021 that arrived at dealer yesterday...RTLE decked out pretty nice.We shall see. I put little over 16k on the ranger and was trouble free but the fx4 just too jouncy on regular pavement...If you're getting one just get the 4wd and regular suspension...
Only Pic I have...dealer never had a chance to upload any either...lol
01-08-2021, 01:35 PM
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