As you well know by now, the Prius is very popular in Eugene, especially in my neighborhood. But even Prius owners are not immune to the growing popularity of trucks. So when I saw this driveway tableau a couple of blocks from my house the other day, I had to peel off a shot.
The Ridgeline is the thoughtful, considerate and responsible choice in a pickup truck; the perfect counterpart to the Prius, even if it’s not available with a hybrid drive train. But given the tightening CAFE regulations, that’s probably just a matter of time.
The irony is that although the gen2 Ridgeline is every bit the sales dud its predecessor was, a substantial percentage of pickup buyers would be quite well served by it, given how many pickups are actually used. But what’s logic got to do with it, unless you’re a Prius driver to start with?
Our current automotive landscape in a nutshell – big trucks and hybrids, both in silver.
Here’s the thing. I NEVER see these things “working”. Never. Dodge, Ford, GM, even Nissan and Toyota, I’ve seen them at work getting gravel, lumber everything, never Hondas of 1st or 2nd gen. These are at the mall, or in a leafy driveway, only
Totally agree that these are never seen doing real work. They’re basically Honda Pilots with the back chopped off. However considering all of the full-size trucks I see that are only carrying a 115 pound woman in the driver’s seat, I agree with Paul that a lot of pickup owners would be better off with a Ridgeline.
Looking closely I see a cover on the bed. Confirming what it really is, a big four-door sedan with a large trunk.
Yes the Ridgeline is not bought as a work truck, but as Paul pointed out for how many who drive other trucks actually use them this would fit the bill. As Mike pointed out many are simply substitutes for a large sedan with a huge trunk.
Actually for every 10 Dodge, Chevy, GMC and Ford trucks on a job site, most likely there is 20 others that are used to simply drive around.
I have never seen a Tundra on a job site or in construction. Only on the road outside a Bob Evens or in a driveway
Where I live many of the tradesmen who work for residential contractors drive Tundras. There’s a remodel on my block and some days there are three 1st gen Tundras parked at the worksite, plus a few F250’s and GM 2500’s. But … no Ridgelines.
These are really geared towards families who do outdoor activities. They’ll pull a decent boat or camper while hauling all the crud you don’t want inside.
That said, these can haul gravel or rock or whatever just fine. The composite bed is very durable and the payload is comparable to other trucks…in fact it’s more than my F-150’s.
Yes, the payload is highest in the mid-size pickup class, and even matches some full-size trucks.
In January Ford announced “A hybrid version of the best-selling F-150 pickup available by 2020 and sold in North America and the Middle East. The F-150 Hybrid, built at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant, will offer powerful towing and payload capacity and operate as a mobile generator.”
Toyota’s RAV4 hybrid is selling well, so there’s serious talk of a hybrid Tacoma pickup. Autoblog observes the Lexus NX300h is about the same weight as a Tacoma.
The surprising thing is that they have certified upfitters to make Hybrid F150’s, both standard and plug in as well, though I bet that they will drop the F150 from the program once their own is ready. https://electrek.co/2017/03/20/ford-f-150-plug-in-hybrid-all-electric-commercial-trucks/ Of course the factory version will probably also sell for a lower price which means that the market for conversions will dry up anyway.
I’m surprised that Ford would hybridize the F150 before the Transit, given that the first two real work scenarios where I could see the cost-benefit of a hybrid working out are parcel delivery and shuttle-bus duty.
The same announcement said “A Transit Custom plug-in hybrid available in 2019 in Europe engineered to help reduce operating costs in even the most congested streets.”
Also a hybrid Mustang “that will deliver V8 power” in 2020, and a 300-mile small SUV EV by 2020.
The F150 sells in greater volumes than the Transit so it doesn’t surprise me that they are going there first in the US. I expect them to be pretty popular with govt and utility company fleets as well as the larger construction companies.
As Mike mentioned they are going to do the midsize Transit in Europe, the meat of that commercial market.
I suspect unless there are major problems that most of those F150 components will transfer over into at least the lower end of the Transits GVW range.
Hybrid conversions for most of Ford’s commercial fleet have been available for some time now. http://xlhybrids.com/content/vehicle-platforms/ F150, F250, Transit, E350-450, F59. I’m surprised they don’t offer a system for the F53 so someone could offer a Hybrid RV.
So I expect Ford to eventually provide a heavier duty system for the higher GVW pickups and vans too. The CAFE pressure might not be there but I can see fleets that are having good results with the F150 will want it on their heavier trucks too.
The Fusion the Hybrid it gets 43 city 41 hwy compared to the base engines 21/32 and you get a 105% increase in city mpg and a 28% increase in hwy. The combined numbers are 42 and 25 giving the Hybrid a 68% improvement overall. Apply that to the base 2018 F150’s 19/25/22 and you’d get 39/32/37. Now I do think the current F150’s base power train is more advanced than the Fusion’s but even at significantly lower improvement I can see a 30 as the lowest number you’ll see on the sticker.
Give me a F150 SuperCrew short bed 4×4 that will pull down ~30mpg combined and that will be my next full size sedan.
…you just have to have a mortgage lien against said vehicle to be able to drive one…oh and don’t forget the truck insurance!
This generation is soooooo much more attractive than the last one. A relative bought a used version of the older one recently to replace a Tahoe and likes it a lot. For me, I am not sure it brings enough to the table to replace my minivan.
A Ridgline isn’t, obviously, a work truck. It is, however, the perfect truck for the logical man buying a pickup as a family vehicle. Which is the problem with it: the logical man would never buy a pickup for either family use or half the work uses people buy them for.
A van is usually a more sensible option.
I own both a half ton crew cab pickup and a half ton van. Want to guess which one this logical man uses four times more than the other? ?
Wouldn’t that depend on what you do with it?
I see people using pick ups for a lot of different sorts of work (INCLUDING RETAIL STOCKING!) where a van is the better choice.
What one does with it is indeed the determining factor (and I agree, a pickup for retail stocking is a bit odd). I’m also speculating about this, but I’m suspecting you may live in a more urban area than mine.
Being in a rural to suburban area, pickups are a crucial tool. The other day I passed by a line of crew-cab pickups of all stripes. Each had only one or two people on board. However, each was pulling a gooseneck trailer, hauling cattle to an auction. No doubt these pickups doubled as people movers.
I started an article recently on the virtues of pickups vs. vans but discarded it as I could come up with about three uses for vans (people moving, hauling stuff below a certain size and its ability to stay dry, and pulling some trailers) and a large multiple of that for pickups (people moving; pulling any type of trailer; hauling larger stuff; hauling stinkier stuff; hauling rock, sand, dirt, mulch; it’s better for hauling game after hunting due to easier cleanup; ability to go more places due to availability of four-wheel drive while doing all of the above, etc). In my mind, it boils down to the task at hand and pickups, for many general private uses, are simply superior to vans.
But, like all of this, it’s my opinion based upon my experience, observations, and needs. The newer full-size vans such as the Transit and ProMaster intrigue me and are very well packaged but I have no desire for another after whatever point I sell mine due to the lack of versatility they offer for my uses.
No doubt you could likely provide a terrific counterpoint to all of this as I’m also speculating your uses may differ from mine.
Am a well-known van partisan here, but must admit that pickups have it all over vans when it comes to maintenance and repair. Every van I have ever owned is much harder to service due to the way the mechanical stuff is packaged.
Hi Jason, to my thought, the problem with pickups and vans is that they were always intended for commercial use, and for somewhat different purposes. A van was to carry cargo in a way that enclosed and protected it from the elements and theft, more urban in use, while pickups were made for hauling cargo with ease of access the main point. Since that lent itself to more rural uses, the van is now less practical for anything other than its original uses, while the pickup is seen as the rural “go-to” vehicle.
My take is that neither is “needed” for non-commercial uses. A large sedan or wagon had all the towing needs one required before the popularity of Pickups and SUVs for the masses. People had a truck for work, and a car for everything else. That changed, and probably more due to marketing, profitability, and CAFE requirements more than anything drove that change. If Ford was not making the profit off a F150 that they do, they would stop building so many of them and shut off marketing for them.
I apologize if I come off as anti-pickup, as I am not, and did drive a Ranger as a daily for many years. It comes down to the fact that you can drive whatever you like, but a pickup, or van, or anything, really is a lifestyle choice rather than a utility statement when being used for anything other than commercial use.
JFrank, I think what drove that change is 2-income families and an increase in activities that require transport. Having a vehicle that can’t haul the whole family just isn’t practical for most people these days. Or, at least, a much larger hindrance than the smaller bed of a crew cab.
Another thing that made pickups so common is that they are so much nicer to drive than they used to be. In, say, 1963, only a masochist would drive a pickup for everyday use if he did not have some overriding need for the utility it offered. Today, a pickup drives just as nicely as a large sedan. Both are comfortable but the pickup offers a level of spaciousness unavailable almost anywhere else. Today they are truly a legitimate choice for daily use where that was not always the case.
It certainly does depend on what you use it for. For over 20 years I’ve always had a pickup and a van.
When I was remodeling properties almost full time the van was the machine that got most of the miles. With 10′ behind the seats you can get a lot of tools in and a big stack of lumber or drywall. With the space between the seats you can get 12′ boards in and close the door. 14′ if you want to rest it on the dash. You can load a pallet in through the side and rear doors.
The open bed of the pickup was usually reserved for dump runs, bulk materials, the occasional load of lumber and a refer or two. Meanwhile the van did most of the lumber, drywall, flooring, cabinets, other appliances, and many tools just lived in there full time.
However now that I’m not doing such major make overs the pickup has been doing similar miles as the van. The fact that it is a crew cab also means it has been pressed into service solely as a passenger vehicle because 6 people fit in it with lots of room to spare.
“the logical man buying a pickup as a family vehicle”
To me that’s illogical in the first place. Midsize SUVs are far better family vehicles. You can throw just as many travel cases in the back of a five seater SUV as on a covered truck bed. If you reinstall the third row it fits more people than a truck ever will. If you fold or remove the second row it fits more dry cargo than a truck ever will. And for dirty cargo once or twice a year you can just buy a small trailer or rent a small trailer by the day instead of chauffeuring a truck bed around all the time.
I’ve had both. An Explorer, 4Runner, and now an F-150. I won’t be going back to SUVs. My crew cab F150 seats 6 easier and more comfortably than most SUVs/CUVs with 3rd rows while also maintaining plenty of cargo space, which by the way is much more usable cargo space with a tonneau cover (55 cubic feet) than SUVs/CUVs using 2 rows of seats. A Suburban comes in at 39 cubic feet behind the third row, and that’s including the often unusable space above the seat back. An Explorer, which I would consider the average midsizer, has 44 cubic feet of space with the 3rd row folded down and just 21 with it up, and again much less for normal use below the seatback. I figured out the volume of this Ridgeline once and came up with 41 cubic feet below the bedrails including the trunk. The bed means the oddball stuff like snowblowers, mowers, washing machines, etc are no problem. Add a topper and dry cargo space just about doubles, drop the tailgate and 8′ sheet lumber is no problem (I quite literally hauled my finished basement home in my truck over the course of a year). And don’t overlook the fact that I have no concerns about damaging the interior when hauling, as I have done while hauling stuff in my SUVs and minvans over the years.
It gets about the same real world mileage as I did in my 4Runner and Explorer. It tows way more and tows everything better than SUVs. The only downsides for me are the sheer physical size and the cargo space not being climate controlled or completely weathertight, but neither have been hardships here in the midwest.
Crew cab pickups are genuinely useful vehicles by any logic. They won’t fit everyone’s needs perfectly, but for most active and/or DIY families it’s really hard to beat the versatility.
No the Midsize SUV is not a far better family vehicle. Even the 5.5′ bed trucks have more cargo room even with a cover, let alone with a canopy, and no midsize SUV will carry 8′ materials in the back with the tailgate closed. Personally I take the crew cab pickup instead of our midsize SUV if there will be a total of 6 people because everyone is much more comfortable than they are with 5 or 6 people in the SUV.
One thing I distinctly noticed when visiting Québec and southern California back-to-back a few years ago was that the share of large pickup trucks was as big, if not bigger, in urban Greater LA than in rural Québec.
Different priorities for the local “logical men” I suppose.
The separate rear fender on the gen2 Ridgeline is hilarious. It’s like the faux tire inflator on Hummer wheel centers.
A magazine article I read when the gen 2 Ridgeline was introduced explained the reasoning behind that faux rear fender break…though I was not really convinced.
Basically, Honda HAD no choice but to include that break due to the length of the panel that it is made from. The machine that produces that panel is also used with ( quick/not too subtle) modifications to produce the side panel for the Honda van. It can currently produce panels up to a certain length. To make the necessary panel for the Ridgeline and the van (which my “smart” phone can’t spell) would require a whole new press and/or a separate presses for the Ridgeline and the van…with all the logistical backup for materials handling that would entail. Honda didn’t feel the numbers of Ridgelines it sells warranted a large investment in a large separate panel press.
At least that is the story.
Thanks.
It just occurred to me- I have NEVER seen a gen2 Ridgeline in person.
I like this generation of Ridgeline and have thought about buying one to replace my Chevy Colorado. For me this would be perfect. It is a small truck like Colorado and has enough bed space for my needs. Plus ARE and other cap companies offer a bed cap for it.
It is also nice that the spare is in a tray under the bed and that I don’t have to worry about the thing dry rotting or the spare tire carriage rusting or breaking (like I do with my under the bed spare on my colorado.
Here is a pic of the cap offered for the ridgeline
You don’t get a full-size spare tire in the Ridgeline, only a temporary donut tire – much easier to carry in the bed but useless when you get a flat while using this as a real truck.
Yeah personally I’d rather have a standard spare underneath and deeper bed and skip the trunk. But a lot of people love the trunk and I can understand why.
You can actually get a fullsize spare as an option. It mounts in the bed (against the part of the bed under the back window)
Here is a youtube vid explaining it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g09xradFq0
In a way it reminds me of an old truck that has the spare mounted on the side of the bed.
To be fair to Honda, on my 2011 Colorado, it only came with a compact spare . The fullsize one will not fit in the tire carrier under the bed
So I keep it in the bed (I have a cap)
I really wanted to like these. It’s about the right size and capability to meet my needs and I’d much prefer the front-biased AWD to 4WD here in Minnesota. But the bed is shallow, the economy isn’t that great, it looks like a soccer-mom-mobile inside and out, it’s expensive, and the option list is typical “if you want this you need to upgrade to all this other crap” Honda. It’s somewhat larger inside than the other compact trucks, but it’s also nowhere near as roomy as a full size. I found driver legroom rather tight.
Honda has the right idea IMO, they just got a lot of important details wrong. It’s nice and fills a niche but it’s not “the truck most truck buyers should be buying” that some people make it out to be.
The missing feature that would have made the difference (to me, anyway) would have been a Chevy Avalanche-style midgate. I loved the Avalanche, but didn’t much like the size or the full-size truck fuel economy. I’m still hopeful that someone will come out with some sort of midgate small truck.
Have you been in an older Avalanche? You may not find a creaky leaky midgate so attractive. And those sail panels necessary to add stiffness really make it kind of cramped when you’re standing back there loading and unloading. On top of that there may be safety issues if you have stuff back there in an accident, even when closed it’s not nearly as strong as two layers of steel. I think those are all reasons you don’t see anybody else doing one and probably never will again.
But yeah, I like the idea of one too.
Strange, my 2002 (1st year) Avalanche midgate leaks not a drop. It’s been a rolling Swiss Army Knife to me.
I’ve seen several with visible gaps at that seal and it’s a pretty common complaint in the Avalanche forums I was perusing when I was looking to buy one. There will be exceptions I’m sure.
I suspect that these may all be valid demerits. But, the Avalanche (like the Ridgeline) doesn’t really qualify as a ‘real’ truck (it was, after all, based on the Tahoe SUV), and in that regard, the midgate (together with the required sail panels, which the first gen Ridgeline also had) seems okay. On top of that, a midgate, quasi-small truck that’s been Japanese-engineered could conceivably be a whole lot tighter.
I think the midgate on the Avalanche only worked because they literally cut the roof of a Suburban. It’s a different story when the bed is detached from the cab which is what Honda went for with the second gen Ridgeline.
No the bed isn’t detached on the current Ridgeline, that is just a groove to make it look like the bed is separate from the cab.
Yep. It’s a unibody Pilot with a bed and that groove was a styling element. Which is also why there is only the single body style, it would be too expensive to modify it into different bed and cab versions.
I’ve heard it said the Ridgeline is the “white collar” pickup — which makes sense if you think about it. I feel the new design that appears to look more traditional might stray a bit from that idea. Either way, I have always liked the Ridgeline. Just seems a little more civilized. Not sure if that’s a bad stigma or not.
In my neighborhood that would be a Fusion and an F250, but I’m far from Eugene Oregon.
If I decided that I needed a pickup to do my favorite outdoor activities, it would be a Ridgeline. Good for volume, maybe not weight and very good driving experience and fuel consumption vs the true truck alternatives. So for the fly fishing, bird hunting, golf, skiing and hiking that I often do, anything more is excessive. Currently, to go deep into the woods to shorten my walk to fishing or hunting, I use our 4Runner, but this is rarely necessary.
Agree, the Ridgeline is not a serious TRUCK as in a working truck, but does serve the purpose as a handy vehicle for hauling those occasional bulky items from Costco or Home Depot or weekend camping trips that you can’t fit in a sedan trunk or small SUV.
That 5′ bed may be too short for some needs, like that occasional 4×8 plywood board or post; I like the Avalanche’s fold down mid gate and flat folding rear seat to extend the bed length when needed, but acknowledge the issues Phil L mentioned. I’m sure the Japanese engineers could come up with a better design and execution that would address those shortcomings.
A couple of interesting and convenient features that I wish were offered on other light duty pickups: the underbed lockable storage compartment, and the two-way tailgate.
But at $30K plus, the Ridgeline is too rich for me.
Front-wheel-drive vehicles can never be real trucks.
No, but they can be very good pickups. If we ever want compact pickups again, they’ll have to be FWD unibody to meet MPG requirements.
“The Ridgeline is the thoughtful, considerate and responsible choice in a pickup truck”
Sorry, Paul, but the EPA rating for the Ridgeline is identical to the F-150 – “up to” 19 City, 26 highway.
That’s really one of two things I can’t “get over” with the Ridgeline–You’d think with unibody FWD construction, it’d be able to get significantly better MPG than full-size models, and slightly better MPG than mid-size models. And yet we now have diesel Ram 1500s that can hit 30 on the highway.
The other thing I can’t fathom is why it and the Pilot are full-width (78″) despite being midsize vehicles.
I’m not sure on the Ridgeline. I own a 2017 Honda Pilot, which as many have mentioned is similar. Just got it this past summer. I am getting as high as 28mpg on the highway. A little over 22mpg pulling a 2700lb popup camping trailer, 2 people and gear. This is according to the computer and the readout on the instrument cluster. I am very happy with it.
Bob
What’s the MPG according to odometer divided by gallons pumped?
How accurate are computers in vehicles today? If I did it according to your method would I be more accurate? I would think from one pump to another plus human error it could be inaccurate too.
Bob
Bob G, it’s pretty common for them to vary a MPG or two optimistic. Not that far off, but there are so many variables across the country in terrain, elevation, fuel blend, speed limits, wind, etc, that MPG observations aren’t that useful. Fuelly.com can give a bit better idea via averages. According to that the 17 Ridgeline averages 20.7, and an F-150 crew with the 2.7 averages 18.3, while a Colorado crew with the 3.6 averages 20.2.
Pickups are really difficult to get good info on because they vary so much in trim and how they are used. But as close as they all are I don’t really see it as worth comparing. In a full size you get a lot more capability for a relatively small penalty in economy. The Ridgeline’s main drawing point, IMO, is its driving manners, which are in a class of their own. You really don’t give up much capability, and often none at all, compared to other midsize trucks to get that.
You’re still falling for my sarcasm? 🙂
A Ridgeline would be perfect for what I now use a truck for, but when I was shopping I ended up with a GMC Canyon. The Honda dealer wouldn’t even discuss a price less than sticker, which was quite a bit more than my Canyon SLE crew to start with.
Just too expensive, and it’s too bad. They are very nice vehicles.
I wonder if Harold and Maude would had used to use a Ridgeline instead of an El Camino if that movie was made today? 😉
http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_854-Chevrolet-El-Camino-1968.html
It seems more likely that Harold would hack the rear off a Jaguar XJ or XF and then modify it with the necessary metal to enclose the rear for casket carrying duties.
The outrageous part of Harold’s car post “modifications” was that a very sports oriented vehicle was pressed into duty to take passengers on their final ride. It wasn’t that he needed something close to looking like a hearse when he was finished…he was obsessed by death, while Maude thought life should be lived every minute you were awake.
Death to practicalities…and practical vehicles like ANY Honda.
Great post. Just to put thing in perspective, Ford’s delivered over 807,000 F-series pickups through November. Honda’s delivered almost 32,000 Ridgelines in the same timeframe. Honda should actually be grateful for the GMC Canyon, which kept them off of the bottom rung of the sales ladder. At this time, Ford’s pushing an unprecedented 30% market share in the pickup market. Whatever it is they’re offering, it’s what American truck buyers are looking for. And paying for- average transaction price of over $47,000 a copy. Wow!
I don’t think they really care if they don’t sell that many and have zero interest in making them cheaper just to chase volume. If I am not mistaken they produce Ridgeline on the same line as Pilot and Odyssey so can swing towards producing whatever happens to be selling at greater profit at any time. Can’t do that with the Canyon or the full size competition’s lines, hence it’s always Truck Month at one brand or another and you usually see at least 10k on the hood without half trying (on full sizers anyway).
Around here you hear the towing argument all the time but when you look anyone who really tows a lot or does so often usually decides they have to step up to either a 3/4 ton or 1ton or the trailer is so small a minivan could already easily tow it. The F150/1500’s generally don’t get worked any harder than a Ridgeline would.
But whatever, some people like their trucks, so have at it. I see the appeal just not really the overwhelming need for myself at the current time. But if I were in the market for one I’d certainly look at the Ridgeline if for nothing else than to at least to check it out. Then again, I’m the one weirdo who actually admits to liking the regular Nissan Titan.
“Can’t do that with the Canyon or the full size competition’s lines, hence it’s always Truck Month at one brand or another and you usually see at least 10k on the hood without half trying (on full sizers anyway)”
That used to be true. Friends have been aghast lately when pricing new trucks. Those huge discounts are a thing of the past. I’d agree that the purchase of a $50-70K 1/2T pickup isn’t a need item. My own suspicion is the luxury car is morphing into the luxury pickup. Mercedes would kill for numbers like that. Don’t laugh- look at the selling prices. A typical pickup falls right into their C/E-Class, and a fully loaded Diesel could easily run past the MSRP of an S-Class.
Seems very simlar to the Ford Explorer Sport Trac.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Explorer_Sport_Trac
Both generations of the Sport Trac were BOF, RWD/4WD trucks. The first gen was built on the compact Ranger platform shared with the first- and second-gen Explorer and 2001-03 Explorer Sport. It had the same 126″ WB, SRA, and other mechanicals as the SuperCab Ranger–it was basically the crew cab Ranger we never got in the States, only with more cab and less bed.
The second-gen Sport Trac was a mid-size, built on the BOF, IRS platform that the Explorer had been using since 2002. From the B-pillar forward, it was indistinguishable from the 2006 Explorer, and shared its powertrain.
Yeah the main practical differences are the Ridgeline has a significantly larger and more usable bed. It has a roomier interior too.
After much deliberation, I bought a Gen 2 Ridgeline this summer, and I love it so far. We’ve had great luck with 5 Honda vehicles in the past (we typically keep them between 150K – 200K miles) and so far have had zero problems with the new Ridgeline.
It drives beautifully, and I’ve averaged 25 miles per gallon in a mix of city/highway/commuting driving over 7000 miles. The Honda V6 engine has plenty of power, and is smooth and quiet. It has some great features, such as the 2-way tailgate, and lockable storage compartment. The only disappointment I have with the Ridgeline so far is the weak horn, which I’ll take care of myself in the spring when the weather gets warmer.
I considered buying a Ford or GM crew-cab pickup, but — lets face it — they’re huge, and would barely have fit in my garage.
Sure, if you’re going to regularly pull a 7000 pound trailer, haul a ton of gravel every day, or plan on carrying 4 giant guys wearing their Carhartt gear, the Ridgeline probably isn’t a good choice. But it’s great for use as a suburban/family truck.
I agree with some of the earlier posts….the Ridgeline is basically a sedan with a small pickup bed added for Honda fanciers who want a vehicle for first hauling people and secondly, occasionally hauling objects in the bed. The traditional pickup buyers have no interest in these vehicles-I base my conclusion on the fact I have never seen a Ridgeline with Calvin decals, Confederate license plates, truck nutz or any of the Redneck paraphenaiia you typically see on “merican pickups.
I view the Ridgeline as this era’s El Camino. Not really a truck but a truck-like vehicle for those who need/want them. As others have pointed out the Ridgeline is no more economical than a Ford F150 and certainly costs more to buy. People are not very rational when it comes to buying vehicles, but then we knew that already.
This is also a test to see if I can figure out how to resume receiving notifications in my email. Apparently after Windows latest update a setting has been changed and I’m still trying to figure out which one.
“But given the tightening CAFE regulations, [a hybrid] is probably just a matter of time”.
If I were Honda (or Ford), I wouldn’t bother. The EPA began the process of winding back those regulations began on 17 August under the wondrous Mr Pruitt.
Of course, the rest of the world will end up banning petrol vehicles, but without the critical mass of sales in the enormous US market, that evolution will doubtless be slowed.
Your comments were perhaps even more sarcastic than you intended, PN.
Even if I only use my pickup to do “real” work 5% of the time, it CAN do real work. Why limit my possibilities with a pickup that can only do 95% of what I want when I can get one that will do 100% of what I want?
Due to the side-opening tailgate, it’s the only truck that allows my wife to easily grab things out of the bed on our camping trips. It pulls pop-up campers confidently, is great in snow, yada yada. I’ve put loads of dirt and mulch in it. Yes, I’m a white-collar urban non-real truck guy. Haters gonna hate the Ridgeline, but Ridgeline owners do not care. My Gen I gets pretty poor mileage, though, which inspires me to ride my bike or take transit more.
That dual action tailgate is another thing on there that is a great idea but poorly executed IMO. It does not remove easily and Honda does not offer a lock. Two more pieces of the market they gave up for no apparent reason. Minor, sure, but it all adds up.
I do get a kick out of the “haters gonna hate” comment, as if the world is against Honda and nobody is making valid points here.
In my observation, Ridgeline is a “poser” truck. It’s a good truck for the person who wants a little utility, but doesn’t need much. I did see one with a very nice ladder rack, once. Owner had it custom built out of 2″ steel tubing. It could carry anything you could strap down on it.
My current daily driver is a 2012 Grand Cherokee, that I sincerely regret buying. My previous daily driver was a ’08 Impala, which in my opinion was roomier, handled better, and had more cargo and equal utility capabilities. The only thing the Jeep excels at is ingress/egress ergonomics. Otherwise, I’ve daily driven a pickup for the last thirty plus years. The qualities that I haven’t seen mentioned in the comments regarding pickups and their V8 powered full–size SUV siblings are the safety of their size and weight, and their durability. A decently maintained mid-size SUV or car with a V6 can be expected to reach 150k to 200k miles before they fold, whereas a pickup, a Suburban, and especially a 3/4 ton pickup can hit 300k and northwards if you take care of them. Oh, you may need to reupholster the driver’s seat and replace a door handle or two, but they last and last. One poster said they never see a Tundra on commercial job sites; I see plenty. In fact, one of my friends has a ’03 Tundra in his truck tire service fleet (granted, the other five trucks are 1/2 and 3/4 ton Chevys); last I heard it had nearly 450k of the damned miles you can put on a truck, and it still works everyday. I understand Toyota has discontinued the standard cab and long bed on the Tundra, so I guess fleet sales wasn’t working out for them. But I see Nissan has jumped into the fleet market with a standard cab/long bed Titan; I’ve seen a few of those around.
Unless gasoline hits $5 gallon, people who can afford the acquisition costs of larger trucks and true truck-based SUVs will continue to buy them, and drive them a quarter million miles before they even consider a new one. It seems to me, even with the ridiculous upfront costs of larger gas guzzlers, the overall life-cycle costs are about the same as compared to the smaller SUVs, which don’t get particularly great fuel economy, anyways.
A friend owns a 1st gen Ridgeline and is very useful for his applications. He frequently hauls dirt bikes (tailgate down) or 5 or 6 mountain bikes, and it has plenty of versatile cargo room for his small business. And the AWD is fine for tricky traction spots or snow. Is it a 3/4 ton hauler? No. Is it an offroad vehicle like a Chevy ZR2 or Tacoma TRD Pro? No, but it’s great at what it does. I seriously considered the new gen before buying my Tacoma. But in the end the TRD image win out.
Just wondering,…….. how in the hell is a 2018 Honda a curbside classic?