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Car Forum / Honda Cars / May 2006

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Ridgeline

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Stan Dupp - 02 Apr 2006 12:32 GMT
Thinking about buying a Ridgeline.  Any Ridgeline Owners in this group
care to share the pros & cons on this truck.
eastwardbound2003@yahoo.com - 03 Apr 2006 02:22 GMT
I wouldn't recommend the Ridgeline.

Compare the truck to all the other trucks.  Price, Horsepower, weight,
towing capacity, interior room, etc.  You will then see that one is
really not getting their moneys worth on the Ridgeline.

Ford still makes the best trucks on the North American Market.

If you want a car though, get the Honda.
SoCalMike - 04 Apr 2006 01:24 GMT
> I wouldn't recommend the Ridgeline.
>
> Compare the truck to all the other trucks.  Price, Horsepower, weight,
> towing capacity, interior room, etc.  You will then see that one is
> really not getting their moneys worth on the Ridgeline.

its all about the 4-door tacoma. not even necessarily the newer ones,
either. im not too fond of the plastic cladding.
dimndsonmywndshld@yahoo.com - 03 Apr 2006 18:00 GMT
> Thinking about buying a Ridgeline.  Any Ridgeline Owners in this group
> care to share the pros & cons on this truck.

A co-worker owns one. He never uses it like truck but he likes the
look. Doesn't like the mpg.

To each, their own.
daleboyd - 03 Apr 2006 23:34 GMT
I have owned 3 trucks, a Chevy Silverado, a Ford F-150 Lariat, and now the
Ridgeline. The first two were fine trucks, no real complaints but the
Ridgeline is the best of the lot. The hidden trunk is fantastic, the ride
and handling are great.

Just my experience and opinion.
jwlbal - 05 Apr 2006 03:07 GMT
Check out this forum:
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/

> Thinking about buying a Ridgeline.  Any Ridgeline Owners in this group
> care to share the pros & cons on this truck.
Dana Rohleder - 07 Apr 2006 13:54 GMT
I bought one in mid-February, and I am still developing my opinion. Here is
what I would recommend at this point - if you are only going to own one
vehicle, I would recommend the Ridgeline over any truck. If you are going to
own a car and are looking for a workhorse, you may want to consider a
traditional truck. The Ridgeline in its current configuration probably won't
be a hot seller with farmers and construction workers - partly because of
the small bed and partly because of its towing capacity. However, as far as
how it is constructed and its design, it seems very tough and capable.

I like the trunk in the bed, the handling and ride, and the spacious
interior, including the well thought out rear seats. The interior is a nice
compromise between truck and car. I would like to see them lower the vehicle
a little, or possibly put in an air-adjustable ride-height option. The ride
is quiet and firm. The FWD priority AWD is very nice in bad weather. The
trim body makes parking lots a little more welcoming than with a full-size
truck.

Most of my complaints are about poor instrument and control layout.
Unfortunately, Honda continues with the Japanese tradition of every control
having an On/Off switch in addition to controls for the item. The HVAC
system is about as convoluted as can be and takes up nearly a square foot of
dash space. The cruise control On/Off is conveniently placed out-of-sight by
your left knee, while the remainder of the cruise system is on the steering
wheel. The light switch, is placed where my left knee bangs into it every
time I get into the vehicle. The tilt steering wheel, keeping in Japanese
tradition, doesn't have enough adjustment, and when it is adjusted as good
as I can get it (its lowest position is still too high), almost completely
blocks my view of the speedo, tach, and some of the idiot lights (I'm 5'7").
Other complaints include ambient type lighting of the instruments which
makes it tough to remember to turn on your headlights when you are in an
illuminated parking lot. The headlights are not automatic, but the
instrument lights are, leading you to believe your headlights are on when
they aren't. Other gripes are the lack of DRL's, small sunroof, lack of low
range in transfer case, and wimpy heated seats.

My biggest complaint, and the complaint of most owners so far is lack of
fuel efficiency. I drive almost entirely on the highway between 55-65 mph
and have yet to break the 16 mpg barrier. Since it is listed as 16 City/21
Hwy, I am not too impressed. It will likely increase slightly as it breaks
in, but I think claims of AVERAGE 21 mpg Hwy was a little optomistic, if not
downright fraudulent.

Dana
2006 Ridgeline RTL

> Thinking about buying a Ridgeline.  Any Ridgeline Owners in this group
> care to share the pros & cons on this truck.
SoCalMike - 07 Apr 2006 17:12 GMT
> I bought one in mid-February, and I am still developing my opinion. Here is
> what I would recommend at this point - if you are only going to own one
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> dash space. The cruise control On/Off is conveniently placed out-of-sight by
> your left knee, while the remainder of the cruise system is on the steering

most people i know leave it "on". you still need the steering wheel
controls to activate it.

> wheel. The light switch, is placed where my left knee bangs into it every
> time I get into the vehicle. The tilt steering wheel, keeping in Japanese
> tradition, doesn't have enough adjustment, and when it is adjusted as good
> as I can get it (its lowest position is still too high), almost completely
> blocks my view of the speedo, tach, and some of the idiot lights (I'm 5'7").

are there ANY cars out there that offer the full range of tilt, like the
1973 fleetwood brougham my grandparents used to have?

i was under the impression that due to the mandatory airbag, theres only
a small range of adjustment. airbags dont work well when they fire off
into your knees or the headliner.

> Other complaints include ambient type lighting of the instruments which
> makes it tough to remember to turn on your headlights when you are in an
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> in, but I think claims of AVERAGE 21 mpg Hwy was a little optomistic, if not
> downright fraudulent.

you live in an area that uses reformulated gas? if so, blame the EPA.

> Dana
> 2006 Ridgeline RTL
>
>> Thinking about buying a Ridgeline.  Any Ridgeline Owners in this group
>> care to share the pros & cons on this truck.
Dana Rohleder - 08 Apr 2006 02:47 GMT
> are there ANY cars out there that offer the full range of tilt, like the
> 1973 fleetwood brougham my grandparents used to have?
>
> i was under the impression that due to the mandatory airbag, theres only a
> small range of adjustment. airbags dont work well when they fire off into
> your knees or the headliner.

My 2002 Saturn LW300 has a full range, easy to use tilt wheel. Spring
oaded  -  touch the lever and it jumps to full up position to allow easy
entry/exit. Plus, when adjusted properly (airbag aimed at chest, not face)
it doesn't block the gauges.
Gordon McGrew - 08 Apr 2006 15:42 GMT
>> My biggest complaint, and the complaint of most owners so far is lack of
>> fuel efficiency. I drive almost entirely on the highway between 55-65 mph
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
>you live in an area that uses reformulated gas? if so, blame the EPA.

Also, driving 55-65 means you are driving faster than the EPA mandated
speed for the test.  That makes a big difference in a vehicle like
this.  Add in the fact that the EPA numbers are optimistic anyway and
you can count on some breathtaking numbers at the pump.

Out of curiosity, for what and how often do you use the bed?  (In your
truck, I mean ;-)
Dana Rohleder - 19 Apr 2006 14:15 GMT
zzzzzzzzzzzz Sorry - fell asleep for a couple weeks while I added a Mazda
Miata to the fleet. Anyway....

So far I haven't used the bed other than hauling air. I added a ReTrax cover
for it to help keep out the snow (so's I can git to the trunk in the winter)
and improve the mileage. Didn't do much for the mileage, but does keep the
snow out.

BTW, I do not live in an area that has reformulated gas - that is Metro NYC,
not all of NY state. Lately, the mileage has crept up to 17 mpg with nostly
highway driving. now we are over $3.00/GAL up here.

Boreal

>>> My biggest complaint, and the complaint of most owners so far is lack of
>>> fuel efficiency. I drive almost entirely on the highway between 55-65
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> Out of curiosity, for what and how often do you use the bed?  (In your
> truck, I mean ;-)
Gordon McGrew - 20 Apr 2006 05:58 GMT
>zzzzzzzzzzzz Sorry - fell asleep for a couple weeks while I added a Mazda
>Miata to the fleet. Anyway....
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
>Boreal

Thanks, glad you are getting better milage.  Warmer weather may be
helping too.

>>>> My biggest complaint, and the complaint of most owners so far is lack of
>>>> fuel efficiency. I drive almost entirely on the highway between 55-65
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>> Out of curiosity, for what and how often do you use the bed?  (In your
>> truck, I mean ;-)

Signature

satyr  #1953
Chairman, EAC Church Taxation Subcommittee
Director, Gideon Bible Alternative Fuel Project
Supervisor, EAC Fossil Casting Lab

Dana Rohleder - 20 Apr 2006 13:24 GMT
BTW, I forgot to mention that I purchased a Scan Guage on Amazon.com and it
is a pretty nice piece of equipment. < http://www.scangauge.com/ > It has a
trip computer as well as the normal code-reader functions. Interestingly,
there doesn't seem to be a big difference in fuel consumption with the
Ridgeline between driving at 55 or 70 mph. Above 70 it starts to drop some,
though. I think this is pretty normal with newer cars, contrary to some
other people's opinions. It wasn't true in large vehicles built more than 10
years ago, but most of them now should do pretty well at 65 mph. BTW, $3.09
for 87 octane yesterday in Plattsburgh, NY.

Boreal

>>zzzzzzzzzzzz Sorry - fell asleep for a couple weeks while I added a Mazda
>>Miata to the fleet. Anyway....
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
>>> Out of curiosity, for what and how often do you use the bed?  (In your
>>> truck, I mean ;-)
damn - 21 Apr 2006 07:11 GMT
>BTW, I forgot to mention that I purchased a Scan Guage on Amazon.com and it
>is a pretty nice piece of equipment. < http://www.scangauge.com/ > It has a
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
>Boreal

Their web site says they are out of stock for now and does not show
the price. How much did you pay for yours.
Thanks,.
Dana Rohleder - 21 Apr 2006 13:07 GMT
I bought mine on Amazon.com for $130. See link below:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AAMY86/ref=wl_it_dp/102-5601027-8892964?%5F
encoding=UTF8&colid=1NJBDF4FZYOHF&coliid=I1MCOU5S4ONH0I&v=glance&n=172282


>>BTW, I forgot to mention that I purchased a Scan Guage on Amazon.com and
>>it
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> the price. How much did you pay for yours.
> Thanks,.
damn - 28 Apr 2006 04:54 GMT
Thanks. i placed myself on the waiting list as they state there is a
newer version coming out.

>I bought mine on Amazon.com for $130. See link below:
>
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>> the price. How much did you pay for yours.
>> Thanks,.
'Curly Q. Links' - 09 Apr 2006 00:44 GMT
<SNIP>

> My biggest complaint, and the complaint of most owners so far is lack of
> fuel efficiency. I drive almost entirely on the highway between 55-65 mph
> and have yet to break the 16 mpg barrier.

---------------------------

Should have bought a VW Toureg first.

You'd be dancing a jig to own a Ridgeline after a Toureg . . :-)

'Curly'
Art - 01 May 2006 00:48 GMT
I was looking at one in the dealership.  I was surprised they only used one
cable to hold the rear bed door in the down position.

> Thinking about buying a Ridgeline.  Any Ridgeline Owners in this group
> care to share the pros & cons on this truck.
Dana Rohleder - 01 May 2006 02:29 GMT
That can certainly be a con, but the pro is that it can open like a door,
making it easier to load stuff into the bed. I believe the tailgate is rated
at ~350 #. When you think about it, the only time a tailgate needs to supprt
a lot of weight is loading/unloading. If the tailgate opens to the side, you
don't even need to slide the item onto the tailgate to unload it.

2006 Ridgeline RTL S/R

>I was looking at one in the dealership.  I was surprised they only used one
>cable to hold the rear bed door in the down position.
>
>> Thinking about buying a Ridgeline.  Any Ridgeline Owners in this group
>> care to share the pros & cons on this truck.
 
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