Hail the mighty El-Camino! ... Or Ranchero!

"Grindintosecond" (Grindintosecond) 09/10/2016 at 15:54 • Filed to: None

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I’m searching for the next truck because Mrs. Grind says I need to search for the next truck. For anyone to do the same they would find what I found; an internet full of assholes telling everyone else what a truck is and is not. Without stating the obvious, what else did I expect from the Internet? It became clear that Honda has built exactly what every person wants in a truck, but will not buy because it’s not what they think they want.

(Note: you may not like my rant, but I’m factually correct, even if Billy Bob doesn’t like it. But, deep down inside, where he keeps his secret love of kittens, he knows I’m right. Sniff.)

Despite the amazing features that it brings to the table, some mouth breather will state the first asshole comment. “How’s it do in a mud hole with a load in the bed? No thanks! My f-150 can blahblahBLAH blah....all day loooong giggity....whoo!”

Well, great. Obviously our schools are in dire need of funding. 90% of all 4wd optioned on trucks and suv’s has never been turned on. The most requested option on the Ford Explorers of the past is the skid plate. I know the fantasy exists of the mean and amazing off roader Baja trophy truck or rock crawler from the cover of magazines. Shoot, it explains the monster drink stickers and flat hats everywhere, not to mention the street racer wannabes filling craigslist with failed experiments. But what folks should look at the Ridgeline and think for once, is that this truck is for what they really need. I’m hauling branches and leaves to the dump, outsized furniture to wherever it goes next, moving my daughters into college, moving my daughters out of college, moving them back home after college... And not once am I having to do that up a 30% grade of logging roads with 3 tones of cinder block in the bed. Who the fuck really does that anyway? F-150 and RAM owners of full size rigs. I’m never off road. Why would I be? My whole family has non construction jobs.

Oh yeah. It’s got FWD. Thats another big thing to point and spit dip at in the truck world. I don’t know about you but my old s-10 with that great 4.3 v6 was a nightmare in rain or snow with an empty bed. Any other truck is as well and they even load them up today with traction control to fix it. Gee, I guess Honda thought of something else to fix that but holy shit that made it communist and un-truckerican.

The el-Camino. An Awesome car based truck that was called a Coupe’ Utility segment. Just like a Chevelle or Impala or any other muscle car of the day that served as that foundation, the Ridgeline is exactly that vehicle of modern times today. How? The Impala or any family car that served as the base of the old truck cars, today, are v6 comfort rides of utility. Enter the Ridgeline Coupe’ Utility. It hauls boats and snow mobiles and all the shit that you actually haul.

This is the best truck for all of us. Too bad that 99% won’t buy it because of some mentally challenged fantasy world they live in.

Or were too broke.

dcconundrum > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 16:01

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If someone “solves” the transmission ECU to make it an oversteering drift monster like an El-Camino, the want will be strong for me when they hit the used market at around $10K.

dcconundrum > dcconundrum 09/10/2016 at 16:02

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Hah, my phone is on my old account, whoops...

Steve in Manhattan > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 16:05

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A used Ridgeline is an excellent choice. And doing whatever your wife tells you to do is an even better one.

Probenja > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 16:09

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If it had a more efficient engine and a prettier face it would be perfect. I think I like the old Ridgeline more.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 16:11

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Part of its problem is that it looks like a minivan with it’s roof cut off. That alone would scare me off.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 16:14

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i like it but fall into the too broke category

DarkCreamyBeer > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 16:18

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Actual recent conversation I had with Mrs. DarkCreamyBeer:

Me: I think we should trade the MDX for a Ridgeline. It’s basically the same car, but I think we’d get more use out of the bed than the third row in the MDX.

Mrs. DCB: If I were to get a truck, it would be a real truck, like an F-whatever, not a wanna be truck from Honda.

Me: But it’s pretty much the same car as your last two cars, which you liked.

Mrs. DCB: *arm-crossed glare*

It’s a tough hill for Honda to climb...

ranwhenparked > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 16:27

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Honda did a great job with the new Ridgeline - giving it virtually all the utility most people will ever need in a truck, with a more comfortable ride. They also went out of their way to make it look more truck-like than the last generation, adding a seam between the truck and the bed and deleting the structural plastic-clad buttresses.

Unfortunately, they screwed up on the front. Trucks today need to have menacing, big rig looking front ends with emblems the size of belt buckles (and just as shiny). I suspect it would be getting taken more seriously if they had gone that route.

LongbowMkII > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 09/10/2016 at 16:48

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Every truck since the GMT800 pre facelift has looked absolutely ridiculous.

“Durrrrr I’m a big rig”

...While ignoring the 18wheelers attempt to minimize frontal area as much as possible for better aerodynamic efficiency.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > LongbowMkII 09/10/2016 at 16:52

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Compared to the Colorado and Tacoma, it looks bad though.

Tristan > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 16:59

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Nuh uh! You NEED a $79,000 Duracumstrokemax diesel King Laranali Texas Edition dually megacab 4x4! It’s the ONLY truck that can do truck things and tow stuff like houses and mountains!

Me:

It handles it just fine and dandy, thank you. The only thing it lacks is a bed.

Alfalfa > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 17:03

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PREACH! A crossover with a bed. That’s what it is. And that’s really what people want. If I were shopping for a new crossover, I would most definitely consider a Ridgeline.

FunkyHatch > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 17:13

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I want one. It’s the perfect combination for me. Comfort, ride quality, mpgs, and the ability to fill the back with mulch twice a year. Plus I like how it looks.

wafflesnfalafel > Steve in Manhattan 09/10/2016 at 17:27

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unless it involves some sort of criminal activity, then consider running away to Canada

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 18:09

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I saw one in a lot and checked it out, looks nice. I have a CRV but I wouldn’t mind this.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 09/10/2016 at 18:11

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The Colorado looks like America gave up and copied Toyota.

CodyVella > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 09/10/2016 at 18:56

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I’m one of the 16 people in existence who like the way the new Ridgeline looks. Then again, I’d also drop $40k on a new Frontier, even if you can’t tell weather it’s a 2005 or a 2017.

shop-teacher > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 19:41

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The Ridgeline is definitely all the truck your average suburban homeowner would ever need. I’d consider one, but the tow rating is too low for me. Solid truck though, with a nice ride.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 20:36

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I think the ridgeline fits the need of 75% of pick-up truck buyers.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 21:42

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Just a couple points. Not going to disagree with you, because if you like it and it does what you want, then go for it. I hear they ride really well, and I’m already really happy with how my 15 Colorado rides.

You can’t knock trucks for having traction control or stability control. It’s federally mandated that every vehicle has it now. Even a 150hp awd Subaru will have it. And on a similar tangent, backup cameras will be federally mandated within a couple years, so you can’t knock any new cars for having that to bandaid blind spots.

My second point is maybe more of a curiosity. I asked on here before, but I don’t think I really got much response. The Ridgeline has a V6 as its sole engine option. If you really wanted ‘all you need’ and the lowest running costs... why wouldn’t they offer a 4cyl in it? My guess is to preemptively stop the “hahaha” that the bros would throw at it in the ‘not a real truck’ category. But I thought the point was already to say screw what they think? The new Ridgeline doesn’t save weight, or gain fuel economy by being fwd. Maybe the 4cyl option would actually change that.

aquila121 > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 09/10/2016 at 21:53

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I say the Colorado looks fantastic because of this very reason—I like the look better than the Taco.

aquila121 > Grindintosecond 09/10/2016 at 22:04

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I cannot disagree with your argument, and if I had the funding to purchase a (new) vehicle, I’d love this thing as a tow vehicle/comfortable errand-runner. Also, I’d love to slam a Ridgeline on the ground in lieu of (the next best thing) Chevy bringing back the El Camino.
When these get on the used market, God willing that I have means to get a trailer and a pickup—I hope that my girlfriend would enjoy it as much as I think I would. She’s more about cargo capacity, utility, and all the like. I just want something that’s nice to drive while it hauls 5,000 lbs. of track car/trailer behind it and is otherwise indestructible.
I do believe the minivan appearance is a valid criticism, but whatever. I’d say that Honda’s reasoning is sound; they based it off the Pilot’s platform, and the front-end looks similar to their SUV offerings.

Grindintosecond > DarkCreamyBeer 09/11/2016 at 02:09

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Why does she desire that truck instead of this truck? Image? Other?

Back in the dizzay when attending college, every pontiac grand prix was red and bought by middle age moms cause they “wanted a sports car” not saying thats this case, just pointing to Hondas challenges.

bhtooefr > jdrgoat - Ponticrack? 09/11/2016 at 03:42

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The only reason I can see for the Ridgeline to be worse as far as driveline efficiency (at least automatic vs. automatic) is in the AWD versions, power to the rear will go through two bevel gears, instead of the one bevel gear per axle for 4WD RWD-based pickups. However, there’s a FWD variant, which should be more efficient than a RWD pickup as far as drivetrain loss.

The rest of the truck may well not be much more efficient, though.

Average MPG on Fuelly for 2017 Ridgelines is 21.09, though, or 4.742 gallons per 100 miles. Compare to 2016 Tacoma 3.5s at 18.98 MPG (5.269 gal/100 mi), 2016 Colorado 3.6s at 19.58 MPG (5.107 gal/100 mi), and 2016 Canyon 3.6s at 19.54 MPG (5.118 gal/100 mi). Upshot is, there’s a notable fuel savings with the Ridgeline in the real world, it seems.

DarkCreamyBeer > Grindintosecond 09/11/2016 at 09:05

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I think to her Hondas are “mom cars”.

boxrocket > Grindintosecond 09/12/2016 at 00:15

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Wait a couple years while Ford brings back the Ranger, Nissan finally updates the Frontier, and the current other trucks get a refresh.

...and probably end up with an F-150 anyway. They’re pretty damn great.

Grindintosecond > boxrocket 09/12/2016 at 13:37

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They are, just too damn big now. I would love a modern 1999 era f-150. I guess that wasn’t big enough to buy a hose clamp with and look good doing so, and they had to make it too big to park. They are damn good but toooo big. I’m very interested in the ranger, whenever they decide to bring it back. I remember asking ford years ago if they had a hatchback cause I was dying for one...nope. So I got a Mazda 3. Half ford but it always takes them a bit to do the right thing. They left the small truck market and Toyota cleaned the hell up! I'll have to drive the Colorado but like every single Chevy, resale is a worry as well as 10 years down the road...will it shit the electrics like my s-10 and about any other Silverado like it? So right now, the Ridgeline has me targeted correctly. Colorado if it actually will last.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > bhtooefr 09/15/2016 at 11:09

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But comparing the average 2016 2.5L vs 3.6L Colorados, it goes from 19.58mpg (5.107 gal/100mi) to 20.68mpg (4.836 gal/100mi). That’s a 5.3% improvement in fuel economy.

And, frankly, I’m not impressed with the average I see for those 2016 Colorado 2.5L examples on Fuelly. My truck (2015 Colorado 2.5L) has an average of 24.5mpg (4.082 gal/100mi). That’s a considerable improvement over the average mid-size V6 truck.