One Week Drive: Honda Ridgeline

"Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom" (will-alib) 08/29/2017 at 08:36 • Filed to: Ridgeline, WillAlibrandi

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Honda redesigned their Ridgeline for 2017 after a year hiatus, not that many probably noticed. It’s a comfortable truck like the model it replaced, and strikes just the right balance between daily driver and utility. It’s ideal for folks who have the need to haul stuff often enough but don’t want to mess up the interior of their SUV. The test vehicle is the full-boogie Ridgeline AWD Black Edition with an MSRP of $43,770. Hey, all that black doesn’t come cheap.

Honda didn’t take chances with the new truck’s styling; picture a Pilot with the roof removed behind the 2nd row seats and you’re pretty much there. The unconventional look is universally blamed for subpar sales of the original Ridgeline, as good as it was. Honda took the Pilot platform and beefed up its structure and the end result is a payload just shy of 1,600lb and tow rating of 5,000lb (AWD). The 9-speed autobox from the Pilot was tossed in favor of a 6-speed to harness the 3.5 liter V6's 280hp and 262lb-ft torque. EPA rating is 18 city, 25 highway with 21 combined.

The Ridgeline’s interior is a comfy place to be, and long rides won’t be fatiguing. The rear seat flips up to provide almost 3 cubic feet of storage, and there’s no shortage of storage bins. The rear door openings are tad narrow, and require a bit of a squeeze for an above-average size passenger to climb in. Rear seat room is adequate for adults, but don’t plan on cross-country trips. Honda’s touch screen interface is a bit tricky at first, and not very intuitive. Probably best to read through the manual first before attempting any of its higher functions.

The Ridgeline’s dual-action tailgate does that cool swing open to the side or drop down trick, and there’s a locking cargo area under the bed. The bed itself is a composite material to prevent dents when you’re actually doing truck-y things. Honda incorporates an audio system in the bedliner using exciter speakers built into the floor, and it’s just the thing for tailgating. The sound quality is pretty good; better than what you might think for such a setup.

See those booster seats? Yes, it does baby. Quite well, actually.

It’s a truck that drives like an SUV, but with a 7-second 0-60 time it feels more lively. The four wheel independent suspension and unibody construction allows for a ride better than any body-on-frame truck and it’s quite stable when cornering with little body lean. Around town the V6 provides plenty of punch when coming off a red light or merging at highway speed.

Bottom line? The new Ridgeline picks up where the old truck left off. The unconventional styling is gone, replaced by a more familiar truck profile but the usability still ranks high and without the compromises that often comes with a truck. Honda researched this market to the nth degree, and came up with a solution for 90% of owners. Now that the polarizing exterior is gone, expect the Ridgeline to sell better in the midsize truck segment.

I just love the name Earth Dreams so I included this photo.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 08/29/2017 at 08:40

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“Honda didn’t take chances with the new truck’s styling”

That’s for sure, if you had told me, based on first glance at the first picture, that it was a 2008 MY, I would’ve believed you. 

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 08/29/2017 at 08:47

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Only in America... thankfully.

TDIGuy > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 08/29/2017 at 09:13

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I feel like the Ridgeline is a crossover pickup if there ever was such a thing. I actually think it makes a whole lot of sense for most people. When people compare it against heavier duty trucks like the F-150 it is like people trying to compare a Honda Pilot and the Toyota 4Runner. They just are not the same type of truck.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 08/29/2017 at 09:21

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Brace yourself, this is gonna be a ramble...

The old one looked better. The front of this one is hideous and that trim piece around the rear window makes it look like it’s sporting a combover.

I did find one I liked the look of the other day. In white, square side on. Then I drove past it and the nose ruined the moment, but still.

I was thinking about that fake crease between the bed and cab a bit lately... I know it gets flak for pretending to be conventional and becomes a criticism of truck guys for not being able to accept unibody, but I fee like there’s more to it than that. I think that crease provides an illusion of strength regardless of what conventional trucks look like:

#1 is the SUV it’s based on. Structurally sound design, OBVIOUSLY . Because big body all the way back.

#2 is like the original. Reduced structure, but still robust looking BECAUSE BUTTRESSES AND TRIANGLES

#3 is what the Ridgeline could have looked like. There’s nothing structurally wrong with it but it gives the impression of being an SUV with a piece missing. MISSING STRUCTURE=NO BUENO. No matter what extra stuff they put underneath.

#4 is what it looks like now. By adding the crease it makes it look like the cab and bed are separate units, indicating that both are strong enough to stand on their own even though you know that they’re stil one piece. Also, pickup beds flex a fair amount. Better to have that stress go into a crease that already exists than to mess up the bodywork. There’s a reason the Avalanche had buttresses even though it was BOF. Even if it’s tough enough to take the load the bed still moves around when you take that much meat (the roof) away.

Personally I’d rather have the buttresses. Whether that be the open bars like the Subaru Baja, partially open like the Avalanche or fully incorporated in the bodywork like the last generation.

The Ridgeline is not a truck. It’s a ute. It’s a car with a pickup bed. I’m not trying to rip on it, it’s a damn good machine when kept in context—I’m just saying it as I see it.

I still think Honda is directing this at the wrong people. It would make a great fleet truck. Strip it out, make it an extended cab instead of crew cab arrangement, offer 4-banger, you’ve got an awesome fleet vehicle. After all, people who buy trucks generally want conventional trucks. People who have fleets want reliability, economy and safety—and the people who drive them are not necessarily “truck guys” so they would appreciate the more car-like road manners.

SaigaShooter - He's got an Impreza > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 08/29/2017 at 09:34

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Out of curiosity I decided to go on Honda’s website and build one of these, in the electronics section there is an option for a CD Player, the cost $310. It doesn’t even offer additional or upgraded speakers, just a $5 cd drive with a frame around it. Also, your $310 does not include installation. Did somebody from Porsche’s accessories department move to Honda?

“$310 *

ADD TO YOUR BUILD

Drive to crisp, distortion-free digital sounds with our CD Player.

Three Beam Laser

8X Oversampling

Silicone Filled Dampers

Anti-Shock Circuitry

Prices shown are manufacturer suggested retail prices only. Installation cost for accessories is not included. Dealer costs may vary. Prices exclude applicable taxes.”

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > TDIGuy 08/29/2017 at 09:52

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It’s a crossover ute. It’s a car-based thing with a bed (ute) that happens to be taller and available with AWD (crossover).

I’ve said it here before and I’ll say it again—I still think Honda is directing this at the wrong people. It would make a great fleet truck. Strip it out, make it an extended cab instead of crew cab arrangement, offer 4-banger, you’ve got an awesome fleet vehicle. After all, people who buy trucks generally want conventional trucks. People who have fleets want reliability, economy and safety—and the people who drive them are not necessarily “truck guys” so they would appreciate the more car-like road manners. I’d never buy one for myself, but if I was a city fleet driver currently in a Taco, Frontier or old Colorado and it got replaced with one of these I’d be absolutely chuffed.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 08/29/2017 at 10:25

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... That... Has got to be one of the dumbest “questionable” suggestions I have seen... Ever.

Jason Spears > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 08/29/2017 at 10:48

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The Ridgeline is not a truck. It’s a ute.

This hadn’t occurred to me, but I think you’re right. Maybe Honda is trying to sneak them into the mainstream US consciousness so we can have a Prelude Ute by 2020!

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Jason Spears 08/29/2017 at 10:55

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Took me a bit, too... But imo that’s what it is. More specifically a North America-ified ute, in that it’s taller than normal utes and available with AWD.

It’s a crossover ute. The most accurate possible use of the acronym “CUV”.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 08/29/2017 at 11:15

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Rambles welcome! Agree with most of what you wrote, but I assume Honda’s research showed a preference for a crew cab vs extended cab so I’d guess that’s what they went that route. As far as your illustrations, it seems you’ve exposed the next generation of utes from Dartz.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 08/29/2017 at 11:24

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For private (non-commercial) users, yeah a crew cab is preferable. But for all of Honda’s careful planning the first one never lived up to expectations, which leads me to think that aiming it at the private market was a mistake all along. And if you aim it at commercial buyers instead, wouldn’t it make sense to have a longer bed at the expense of cab?

But hey, I’m just some random internet guy with an unsupported theory. So... yeah.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 08/29/2017 at 12:53

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But would the commercial users buy a unibody vs BoF truck? I think Honda got it right but the original truck’s look was a bit too polarizing. This to me is what they set out to change with the new truck.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 08/29/2017 at 13:05

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I see plenty smaller trucks running around here. Tacos and old Colorado’s mainly. No outfitting done other than (maybe) commercial style bed caps. Things like fire systems, pest control, NAPA mainly. I’d imagine it would be a hit with them.

You got me thinking though—iirc the Ridgeline has a ladder-style frame under the bed because there’s not really any other way to get the strength, it just happens to be a part of the bed and cab instead of a separate piece. I wonder if they could keep it a part of the cab and make the bed attach conventionally so it could be outfitted the way a BOF truck can? Or if that would make any sense at all to do? Probably not, but hmmmmmm...

AestheticsInMotion > SaigaShooter - He's got an Impreza 08/29/2017 at 20:11

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That’s no worse than the $200 all-weather mats or & $100 cargo nets that all manufacturers offer. They’re worth pennies. And technically, almost no accessory add-ons include “installation fees”. That’s not up to Honda, if you get charged more to put a CD Player/roof bars/fog lights in that’s on the dealer.

I like having a CD player, but there’s no reason for manufacturers to include them standard anymore when almost no one buys CDs and everyone has a device in their pocket with access to every song ever made, that can hook up via aux cord or Bluetooth

wafflesnfalafel > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 08/30/2017 at 19:09

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I used to work with a lady who bought one just last year, traded her several year old F150 in for it. She likes it so far. I agree it’s a bit of a limited market - basically a family that needs extra “dirty” outside bed space rather than interior space like a Pilot would give them. I could see myself choosing the Ridgeline over the Pilot if I was in the market for something like that.

Ridgeland > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 09/04/2017 at 10:56

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I bought a Ridgeline 6 months ago and I love it. Never owned a truck before. Also never go off road. It met all my requirements for what I need to haul and rides much better than the competition. I don’t think it will ever sell in huge numbers though. The truck buying market is far too image conscious.