Used Car Face-Off: Practical SUV/Trucklet Things Edition

"Amoore100" (amoore100) 01/22/2016 at 20:35 • Filed to: Used Car Face-Off, Honda Ridgeline, Ford Explorer, GMC Envoy

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The American car market is a funny place. In recent years, the CUV, or car-based SUV has become wildly popular with buyers nationwide looking for a car that is both less economical than a hatchback and less roomy than a minivan. Obviously we are not a nation that makes decisions based on logic, which probably explains why our three vehicles today have always been the underdogs on the sales lists. The Honda Ridgeline, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, and GMC Envoy XUV all offered rugged, pickup truck beds combined with comfortable, SUV/minivan driving behaviors. Which of these practical sales failures is the most appealing?

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The Ridgeline has always received a lot of flak in the enthusiast and journalism circles as a ‘fake’ truck because of its unibody structure and minivan motor. Still, it’s obvious that the used car market has not heard of this downside because it is literally impossible to find a decent Ridgeline anywhere in the country for under $7K. This one was the lowest reasonable one I could find, although its $7.5K price may be a little high for its reported 226K miles...is it still a good buy with the Honda reputation for reliability?

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The Sport Trac was likely the original inspiration for the Ridgeline, although it’s surprising that given the low sales success and odd design that anyone would attempt to replicate it. Still, it is slightly more rugged than the Honda with its underpinnings on the BOF chassis of the contemporary Explorer. These truck-things also claim rather high prices on Craigslist, but is this relatively affordable one with an unknown mileage worth the price?

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The GMC Envoy XUV was one of those things that might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but looking back on it it was nothing more than a roomier crew cab Canyon with a very fancy bed topper and a high price tag. Nowadays though these things are cheap, with this example undercutting both the Ford and Honda with only 86K miles on the clock. Does the inexpensive price tag and relative youth of this truck appeal over the high mileage, high price tag philosophy of the Ridgeline and Sport Trac, or does the amount of mid 2000s GM in this scare you away?

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jkm7680 > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 20:38

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Ridgeline is the most modern out of the bunch. Sport Tracs have undercarriage rust issues IIRC and I strongly dislike the GMC.

dogisbadob > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 20:44

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No love for the Blackwood? :p

Berang > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 20:47

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The “I need a car but also a tiny, tiny, pickup truck” niche is pretty small.

not for canada - australian in disguise > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 20:48

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The XUV, simply because it’s so off the wall and wacky that I can’t help but love it.

The Snowman > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 20:50

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If the GMC has the 5.3l it wins.

Amoore100 > The Snowman 01/22/2016 at 20:51

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and if it doesn’t?

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > dogisbadob 01/22/2016 at 20:52

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Cheating, Blackwood is a full size pickup based on the f150. Also, annoyingly only available in rear wheel drive.

The Snowman > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 20:53

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4 door Colorado.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 20:55

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I pick gmc, then ford, then Honda. Yes I’m biased, I always am.

But the GMC is cool. nothing else has that cool factor. I like the rear wheel drive with 4x4 option better as well, I bet both Americans tow better than the Honda.

I pick the GMC over Ford only because I’ve driven a 4.0 Explorer and I’m pretty sure a snail beat me off the line.

Amoore100 > dogisbadob 01/22/2016 at 20:55

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Too big. That would go with the Avalanche and Caddy EXT under the “Huge and often ugly” category.

Amoore100 > Berang 01/22/2016 at 20:57

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Not really, I think a Ridgeline would suit us quite well: good for doing weekend landscaping for us and my grandma, and the underfloor storage could be useful to stash our scuba gear as well as wash it since it has a drain plug. Small furniture, Christmas trees, etc. The only reason we don’t have one is because we need the six-seven seater capacity of the Odyssey.

Amoore100 > not for canada - australian in disguise 01/22/2016 at 20:59

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Yeah, I pity the role of GMC’s marketing department when that one was greenlit...”How the hell do we market a truck that’s an SUV that’s a truck and then an SUV again?!”

Amoore100 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/22/2016 at 21:01

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Hahaha, well I don’t think any is too quick although the Honda might actually win because it’s lightest...and the Envoy definitely has a cool factor, all the upsides of a SUV and a truck at the same time, although several of the downsides as well I’m afraid. Life is just full of compromises...

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 21:02

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The XUV because of the goodness that is the Atlas. If anyone would rather have the V8, it’s because they haven’t driven the I6.

OPPOsaurus WRX > jkm7680 01/22/2016 at 21:07

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I had no rust on my sport trac

OPPOsaurus WRX > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 21:10

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I had a sport trac. It was a great truck until the timing chain ate a guide rail and self destructed. It could get thru anything and carry more than I ever thought. It was comfortable and looked nice. People thought it was a new truck but was actually 10 years old.

jkm7680 > OPPOsaurus WRX 01/22/2016 at 21:27

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None?

OPPOsaurus WRX > jkm7680 01/22/2016 at 21:28

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Not that I remember seeing. I did on my 95 but that thing was beat to hell

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 21:36

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Avalanche

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 21:38

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I would like to insert a bit of pedantry here, the Envoy is not related to the Canyon. The Canyon is a GMT355, a relative of the GMT345 the H3 is built on. The Envoy is a GMT360, a completely different Izuzu/GM joint venture.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > The Snowman 01/22/2016 at 21:39

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With 5.3 as well.

The Snowman > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 01/22/2016 at 21:44

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The 5.3 Colorado will be double the others in cost. Otherwise yes.

Birddog > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 22:00

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The Explorer. It may be the oldest chassis but the proportions are just right. The Envoy looks like a bloated Tick and the Ridgeline presents like an ugly Chinese knockoff of the Avalanche (which needed no help in the ugly department!)

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > The Snowman 01/22/2016 at 22:15

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Trust me, it’s worth it :):):)

Besides, despite all the bad things that have been said about them, Colorado’s are holding their value quite well. The V8's especially.

Amoore100 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 01/22/2016 at 22:33

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That’s too big to be included here, and it served a bit of a different position in the GM line up of that era...

Amoore100 > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 01/22/2016 at 22:36

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Thanks for the clarification! I like being corrected here since it lets me learn different things and overcome misconceptions. Thinking back on it, the Canyon seems a bit to truck-like even for the Envoy, so that platform sharing makes a bit more sense.

The Snowman > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 01/22/2016 at 22:39

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My regular cab z71 4x4 colorado will eventually have an aluminium 5.3

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 22:39

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I was quite surprised to find that out myself if I’m honest.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > The Snowman 01/22/2016 at 22:46

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As much as I love my 5.3 Colorado, I have to say that if you are doing a swap you’re not really getting the most out of you time and money with a 5.3 swap. Better to go straight to the 6.0 or 6.2 instead. Though I can’t remember if there was ever an aluminum 6.0, so that might not be the best plan.

BTW, are you on 355nation by any chance?

shop-teacher > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 22:49

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Oye, I really don’t want any of them :)

Ok, here goes. I ain’t paying $7500 for something with 226k miles on it. Yeah it’s a Honda, but it’s not solid freaking gold.

I’ve always hated the look of the Sport Trac, so no.

The XUV .... Wellllll .... At least it's unique, and it's in really nice shape.

Amoore100 > OPPOsaurus WRX 01/22/2016 at 22:56

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Timing belts/chains suck because there is no redundancy whatsoever and nothing in the world is perfect, manufacturing defects happen and the stresses in an engine bay are not always predictable. Anyways, I can see the Sport Trac being an excellent run about because it’s a truck, so a bit more capable than the Honda, and it definitely looks better.

Amoore100 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 01/22/2016 at 22:58

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I6s are awesome motors, well balanced and smooth enough to be as powerful as you want, and despite lacking that V8 rumble, the I6 noise can be just as nice.

Amoore100 > shop-teacher 01/22/2016 at 23:23

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Yeah, I was amazed that people were asking around 10K for ten year old, base Ridgelines with around 120K miles on them...why the heck are Ridgelines so pricey? The Sport Trac isn’t the sightliest but you could do far worse. That interior is quite dated, however, looking more 90's than 2000's. The Envoy is quite clean and new, although I feel like some of the fit and finish may not live as long as it already has in the Honda...

gawdzillla > Amoore100 01/22/2016 at 23:36

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For that muc money get an actual truck, either a Toyota tundra or SiSilverado

Find the newest one with the lowest miles and 4 door

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Amoore100 01/23/2016 at 00:23

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I always imagine them being owned by older ladies who like to go ‘antiquing’ on Saturday mornings, and need something that can carry a grandfather clock.

Amoore100 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/23/2016 at 00:39

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So you’re describing an American ute...

The Snowman > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 01/23/2016 at 00:44

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Just lurk there. With heads and a cam 400 hp is pretty easy out of the 5.3, that’s enough for me. There is an aluminium 6.0 it is the ls2 but way more money.

Amoore100 > gawdzillla 01/23/2016 at 01:05

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Stop being so logical! These things might be all the truck an average person ever needs, but they are simply too costly to actually buy and use for the average person.

Amoore100 > Birddog 01/23/2016 at 02:28

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It’s hard to say why that is because the Ford and Ridgeline are essentially the same idea of taking of the back of an SUV...perhaps Honda was just trying to hard when it came to styling...and yeah, the XUV can look a bit Ssanygyong from the wrong angle...

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Amoore100 01/23/2016 at 12:04

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Stock 5.3's sound terrible, so there isn’t much being missed.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Amoore100 01/23/2016 at 12:06

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If you could find a 2nd gen sport trac with a V8, you can at least MAKE it fast.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Amoore100 01/23/2016 at 12:07

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Not sure about with the added weight, but a regular Trailblazer will hit 60 in the 7's.