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Comments
Keep in mind I was very stoked to go buy my 05 Taco Sport.This was a big decision. I can only think of a better choice if I needed to tow 10,000 lbs. For me it came down to the 05 Taco and the Ridgeline. This is my first Honda purchase. #1 in consideration was brand reputation, reliability, and resale value, and for me that was Toyota and Honda. I've owned a Toyota truck and car for fourteen years with not one problem between them, so Toyota really had brand loyalty from me, but the more in depth research I did about how Honda engineers approached this vehicle. It convinced me this was very different than a chopped up pilot that I initially thought it was. Honda truly brought some new ideas and improvements to the pickup table and they needed too with their first entry into this market. I was impressed with their Unibody integration with a ladder truck frame giving it 20 times more torisional stability and 2.5 time more bending rigidity. combine this with a beefy 4 wheel independent suspension, and you've got truck toughness with a ride of a nice car. This really does give the vehicle a more overall solid feel. This is also the best automatic transmission I've driven. Acceleration is excellent.
Other features that pushed it over the top:
- The 2006 Honda Ridgeline has earned a 5-Star safety rating for both frontal and side impact crash test performance from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), American Honda Motor Co., announced today. The Ridgeline, Honda's first truck, is the first ever 4-door pickup to earn the government's highest crash test safety rating.
-really like the VTM-4 AWD system instead of part time 4x4. It also has VSC that can be turned off and VTM-4 lock that locks the rear and front diffs
-I can haul 4x8 building material, and it will lay flat in the bed of this mid size truck. There's no wheel wells taking up valuable space. No other midsize can do this. (I really don't want to be driving some huge full size truck just to do this.)
-Biggest cab in class. It's pretty roomy inside. Love the flip up backseat allowing for alot of storage in back of the cab. lots of storage space through out. The center console is the best laid out storage space I've seen in a center console.
-Inbed trunk and 2 way opening tailgate (genius) lights in bed light the cargo area when you open the gate. (not available on Taco-NAOT)
-dual climate control (saved my marriage )
-leather interior, I really feel like I'm in a nice sedan (very classy, and not available on Taco)
-moon roof (NAOT)
-power rear window (NAOT)
-heated mirrors (NAOT)
-power driver's seat (NAOT)
We love this truck. It does everything well for us. It's a nice luxury touring car. It hauls cargo when I need to, and I love it off road. The most amazing thing: The styling has grown on me. I love the way this truck looks or maybe it's function and utility is driving the beauty.
One other thing: The Ridgeline is the only mid-size truck wide enough to lay plywood flat on the bed floor, if that matters to you.
Bob
The Frontier can also be purchased very well equipped.
The Frontier is my darling.
Can you ever have to much ground clearance? Yes, more ground clearance would be good. I think the Taco has just a little more clearance than the RL. In the snow and winter driving, the RL rules for sure. The only time I've felt I've come close to the limits of the Ridgeline is in deep sand terrain. This wasn't even a road or close to anything that could be called a road. If your going any where other vehicles have gone like on a trail, the RL will handle anything its ground clearance, departure and approach angles will allow. Even those limits are probably too much for my own good.
Over the last year, I've found the traction system in the Ridgeline to be very adept at extracting me from any enviroment I've subjected it too.
Winter
We live here in the mountains located in the Southwest. I've encountered severe Winter storms on a mountain pass here called Black Ridge. If it is snowing bad in town, you can bet Black Ridge is almost impassable. Typically in those storms you can see many vehicles off the road, and more than a few flashing yellow lights visible from tow truck assisting stranded drivers.
Traveling in this storm, the Ridgeline felt absolutely stable. Usually, this is white knuckle driving. What a pleasent surprise it was to feel so secure on this road during this storm. Of course, visibility is still bad, and your still surrounded by bad drivers on this dangerous road so you can never let your guard down completely. Even so, we were able to turn on the XM radio and listen to the comedy channel and relax. What a nice change.
This last few days, we've been dumped on by over a foot of snow. My driveway is about 70 ft long. The ridgeline backs out like it's not even there traction wise. I spent the morning trying to get stuck, but no luck. Overall I'm very pleased with the winter performance of this vehicle.
Sand
We have relatives that live very close to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes here in the south west. To get to their residence it involves a fair amount of driving off road on deep sandy BLM trails. I've driven on these trails with a full size Chevy Silverado, and I've done it in the Ridgeline. Let me tell you, there is a significant difference in the ride of a unibody on frame truck like the Ridgeline, and BOF (body on frame) truck like the Silverado. The Ridgeline got us to our destination with out the typical grunts and groans from our passengers. No handholds required to prevent passengers from hitting their heads against the glass. The more Rigid body of the Honda is a tremendous improvement over BOF design. These trails were traversed in the Ridgeline's default traction mode: AWD, VSA on.
These same trails were torn up to make way for a conventional gravel road. During the construction process, it was nothing but a straight sand drag to their home for more than a mile. I did turn off the VSA in these conditions. I never had to engage VTM-4 Lock. This was nothing but raw sand terrain. The Ridgeline could have used more ground clearance for sure, but it still handled it very competantly, though I would never subject any vehicle to those conditions on a regular basis let alone a $30,000+ Ridgeline.
Mud
I've been in the mud with the Ridgeline, but not alot. I've been on a dirt road that was practically a river in spots, and the RL handled it fine.
This is a quite capable traction system, but if your doing serious hard core off roading, it will need more clearance of course.
Below are Honda's specs for the Ridgeline's capabilities.
Honda engineers concluded that a robust medium-duty off-road capability was most consistent with the needs of the customer and the philosophy behind a next generation of truck that offers a smarter balance of capabilities with a higher level of comfort, convenience and real-world versatility. Medium-duty capability readily supports trips to remote trailheads for motorcycle, ATV and mountain bike riding, and camping, as well as excellent all-weather capabilities. Also, anybody who has ever driven down a "washboard" dirt road in a body-on-frame truck can appreciate the refinement afforded by the Ridgeline's unibody structure, which more effectively minimizes the severe vibrations that can occur. To define exactly what constitutes medium-duty off-road capability, the Ridgeline engineering team selected 14 key performance criteria based on observations of typical off-road adventurers. They then utilized special test courses at their R&D facilities in North America to assure that the Ridgeline delivers all the intended capabilities with impeccable reliability and durability along with real world verification.
The list of test courses includes:
28-degree dirt hill
Sand hill
Water pit
Rock roads
Embedded log course
Step-up, step-down
Sand drag strip
Gully course
Ground contact course
Washboard road
Frame twister
Power hop hill (23-degree slope with rippled surface)
Gravel road
Startable grade
The results speak for themselves - the Ridgeline has 8.2 inches of ground clearance, a 25-degree approach angle, a 22-degree departure angle, and a 21-degree breakover angle for negotiating rough terrain.It can claw up a 28-degree (53-percent) dirt slope from a dead stop. It can tow a 5,000-pound boat up the steepest of boat ramps.
Sorry, I didn't seriously consider the Frontier. I just didn't consider it to be close enough to Toyota or Honda in quality or reliability. I'm sure it's a fine truck, and I've heard good things about it, but I like to keep my resale value as high as possible.
You may want to consider the REDESIGNED 07 Ford Explorer Sport Trac (not the old 05).
Ford offers all the same features as Honda, including memory on the leather
The Ford offers a full time 4WD like the Honda, but with 2 Low low gear like the Toyota (the best of both worlds)
It as an 8 cylinder option, providing more HP and Torque then any other mid-size
It has all the same safety features as the Ford Explorer, which just received five stars for both frontal and side impact, the trac should be no different.
It has a fully boxed frame, allowing it to tow (w/ 8 cylinder) >6,600 lbs.
You can price them out on New Vehicles at Edmonds.com, 07 Ford Explorer Sport Trac.
I'm betting on no changes for the RL in 07. Enjoy your ride.
I'm betting on no changes for the RL in 07. Enjoy your ride.
If there are any they will likely be minor...examples:
The 2006 Odyssey added DRLs over the new-for-2005. The 2004 Accord added XM radio to its Leather models over the new-for-2003.
Not major stuff, but worth looking into if you aren't in a hurry to buy.
Recognize, however, that Honda did not design the Ridgeline to handle situations that the small percentage of hard-core off-roaders like me tackle. Once I realized my off-road needs were beyond what the Ridgeline was designed for, I got my deposit back and bought on 05 Frontier crew-cab NISMO 4x4. The off-road capability of this truck, especially since adding a 2.5" lift from prerunners.com, is amazing. The lift brings the ground clearance from the stock 10.5" to 13". I scraped bottom a lot before the lift without damaging anything, as the lowest point is the frame rails that can handle the abuse. Since the lift, I've hit bottom very little.
I chose the Frontier over Tacoma for several reasons. Tacoma recommends premium fuel, the back seat takes a lot of gymnastics to fold compared to Frontier and has less real-world leg room, all four 05 Tacomas I test drove had mechanical / quality problems (like difficulty engaging 4wd as others have reported), and most significantly the low point on the bottom was the exhaust, which someone like me would damage off-road. A stock Tacoma looks higher than a stock Frontier, but when you crawl underneath you discover the undercarriage of the Frontier is better designed for serious off-roading.
14 months and 25,000 miles later, I am still thoroughly impressed with the Frontier. I have since had the opportunity to do an extensive (all-day) test drive in a Ridgeline, including off-road, and was very impressed. If you respect the limits the Ridgeline was designed for, i.e., don't scrape the undercarriage, its loose traction capability is actually quite good, as others have reported. When the going gets pretty tough, locking the VTM-4 lock makes a significant improvement. With VTM-4 lock off (normal mode), I scared myself pretty good trying to climb a 40-degree grade. With VTM-4 lock on and a running start, the Ridgeline actually made this hill. By comparison, my Frontier NISMO with Hill Start Assist, 4-lo, and locking rear can actually stop half-way up this hill and then continue up with no problem. Going back down this hill with Hill Descent Control in the Frontier is no problem either.
Thus the Frontier will do everything the Ridgeline will do, but not vice-versa. However, with the exception of hard-core off-roading or towing, the Ridgeline will do everything the Frontier does better. When driving the two back-to-back you can't help but be more impressed with how car-like the Ridgeline drives. It makes the Frontier feel like a truck for lack of a better description.
While recognizing that Honda did not design the Ridgeline for serious off-roading or towing over 5000 pounds, and thus forgiving its shortcomings in that area, there is one area where Nissan did a better job than Honda: the stability system. For my taste, Nissan's stability system intervenes at just the right time and allows me to really push the limits when traveling on loose traction dirt roads, like forest trails. When rounding a corner too fast, Nissan's system steps in and keeps the vehicle perfectly aligned as it brings the speed under control. On these same roads in the Ridgeline, the stability system intervenes a little too late, allowing the truck to get sideways in the corner. By the time things are back under control, you lose a lot of speed in the Ridgeline, whereas the Frontier is still motoring on. If it were a race, the Frontier would easily be able to maintain a greater speed than the Ridgeline.
When all is said and done, unless you need more off-road or towing capability than the Ridgeline is designed for, I would recommend the Ridgeline over ANY other truck, either full-size or mid-size. The Ridgeline has the interior room and bed-width of a full size (try loading a 4x8 in the bed of a Tacoma or Frontier), but is only a little bigger than a mid-size on the outside, and delivers gas mileage comparable to a mid-size. The biggest difference, however, is the driving feel. The Ridgeline drives like a car; everything else drives like a truck. I still love my Frontier and its off-road capability. If it weren’t for my off-road needs, however, I would be in a Ridgeline.
NHTSA now tested the Crew Cab Tacoma, and it was rated 5 stars all around just like the ridgeline... Since theres no direct links to the specs(nhta.dot.gov changes the URL each visit) I posted the front crash pics... You be the judge..
The 4DR Frontier was rated 4 star frontal and 5 Side.
Click to see Video
If you look at the fine print, there is a variation within those ratings. For example, even though Ridgeline and Tacoma both get 5-stars, the Ridgeline has a lower Head Injury Criteria (244/272 vs. 316/413 for Tacoma), but the Tacoma has lower femur loads.
Another good site with crash test results is iihs.org, although they don't have any numbers for the Ridgeline yet.
While surviving a crash is important, avoiding it might be even more important. Having gone from a truck without a stability system (Silverado) to one that has one (Frontier), I will never have a truck without a stability system again. It's very easy to get sideways with an empty pickup bed, and a good stability system can make all the difference in the world. Honda is the leader here making their system standard on the Ridgeline.
COOL! I've never done a run like that on my new car (and don't plan too), but I did that on my 130 hp Accord LX a couple years ago, and I KNOW it took longer than your Tacoma. Congrats on your quick ride.
Bob
That said, these three look to be quite crash-worthy.
But, hats off to Honda's Ridgeline!
Wow, a little untimely on the reply, but whatever!
I had to go look up what you referred to...most just post what they were replying to within their own post.
Good thing that ugly is only sheet metal deep as the Ridgeline is the most enjoyable to drive on pavement.
Set...
Match... to obyone.
the epitome of ugly is the early slab side Pontiac Aztec. Now that is UGLY.
OkieScot
I thought that I could throw my two cents into this discussion! I bought a Frontier Nismo Crew Cab last October. We had looked at the Taco Crew Cab Version and the Jeep Rubicon. But not the Ridgeline or the others that are mentions here. We bought the truck to serve two purposes being off road fun and light commuting around town. Off roading tears up trucks so for those who want to do it pays to start with a good truck. We have 7600 miles on this truck and 600 miles of that on the dirt and we have turned heads with this truck with how well it performs off road in its stock version.
One of our runs was over 500 miles in Death Valley and low and behold along with us was a new stock Tacoma TRD crew cab. Through the run consistently the Taco and My Nismo were in front of the group. Both trucks performed very well through sand, mountains, and rocks, going up stream beds, washboards, and snow. No kidding I was behind the Taco and was very impressed by how well the suspension articulated over very difficult rocks, but the Nismo did the same. The power and torque on the Nismo is awesome the Jeepers couldn’t believe how a “NISSAN” mastered the hills.
But this truck like the Taco have long beds which make tight turns a challenge unlike the Jeeps. Going very fast over very rough rutted sand we bottomed out more than a couple of times, but no big deal the truck can take it. In the end the Taco and Nismo did very well the only problem vehicles were a few Jeeps, and some blown tires and cross members, and drive shafts note this is not for the light of heart!
So it really comes down to what you like or don’t like for off-road both the Nismo and TRD Taco do very well in their stock versions. I’m not sure about the Ridgeline but one bad thing is that its frame is a uni-body the Nissan and Toyota frames are better.
Hey are there any Taco or Nismo owners that can tell me the best way to remove scratches? Ok; I know that I did say you couldn’t be light of heart, but it is a new truck!
:shades:
As far as looks and comparisons on trucks, here's my two cents on that:
I considered and test drove the Titan, Frontier, Tacoma, and Ridgeline when I looked for a truck to buy. My favorite looking trucks on the exterior were the Nissans, they did a real good job in giving the trucks an aggressive large truck look. The problem however with them was the interior, it looked as cheap as it could possibly be and I couldn't see myself enjoying it for too long. They also both had plenty of power, but both had the normal poor handling associated with trucks.
The Taco was on the middle ground in terms of exterior looks and above average on interior looks. The inside was just too small for me, it felt like driving a Celica jacked up on a truck frame. It also fell short in the handling category because every sharp turn I took I felt like I had to drive 5 mph to feel safe.
Now the Ridgeline was my least favorite in terms of exterior looks at first, but that was the only thing that made me slightly balk at the decision to buy it. It handled so much better than any of the competitors that it felt like I was driving a car, not a truck (go ahead, say "that's because it's not a truck"). The interior was very well put together and felt like it was more Acura than Honda. One of the best features however was the extra room that was gained on the interior by transverse mounting the engine. I felt like I had as much room as I had in a full size truck on the inside.
So my argument here is don't bash the Ridgeline until you drive it, exterior looks are for marketing purposes only and don't make a car/truck perform well.
Still, I wish the Frontier drove on-road as well as the Ridgeline, but I need the true off-road ability the Frontier provides. The last SEMA show had a couple Ridgelines modified for off-road use, primarily through lifting the suspension. I don't know how likely it is they will make it to production.
I think that for the majority the Ridgeline might make more sense. It is pricey though, and not exactly compact, but for some it'll fit like a glove.
I agree with your "argument" regarding bashing and looks, but, there are many aspects to performance. No vehicle can have it all.
Enjoy your truck.
Good response!
Yes, good point! Subjectivity is the name of the game. What seems like a compromise to one may be a plus for another.
Price is also subjective. For the person that wants a rugged little truck to scoot around town and into the really rugged back country, the Taco or Fronty are excellent choices. Sure there are bells and whistles that can be added for more creature comforts, but they may begin to deteriorate the ruggedness of the truck. Such as adding two more doors will remove some of the rock climbing, gully jumping abilities due to the longer wheel base, more weight, etc...
No matter what options you add they will not do the same job the Ridgeline was designed to do, and visa versa.
The RL comes pretty much loaded up with stuff. They don't have striped models to get the price down. They should!
However if you load up the Tacoma or Frontier to be the same equipment as the Ridgeline, the Prices will be very close.!
Kip
Ken
and I am very impressed with it.
For what she needs it would be perfect, in fact for my needs it would have worked well.
I still would buy my Frontier again if I had it to do over, but based purely on price and my personal preferences.
I could say the same for the Tacoma as I looked at it before the Frontier. Again the price and the personal preference would still
put me in the Frontier.
Either of the other two would have made me a nice truck that would do anything I asked of it
and I could have been happy with either I am sure.
I just don't understand all of the bashing on three very nice trucks. I do see where the
true off roaders would be hesitant to pick the Ridgeline, but it would suffice for the majority of us.
This thread helps me to help my sister with her decision of what vehicle to buy.
OkieScot
This discussion Can be found in their respective brand's threads, also.
If you want to (its easy), just create a discussion of what you want. If it is popular enough (as this one has proven to be, to a decent amount), it will last and attract other posters.
I enjoy this thread because it includes a lot of models.
It is interesting that the Ridgeline is commonly compared to midsize trucks, but in reality it is closer to a full size. IIRC it's within one inch of the overall width of a Silverado, and its payload is greater than most if not all of the full-size half-ton trucks on the market, and significantly greater than the traditional mid-size trucks. For bigger payloads or towing capacity, there are HD or 3/4 ton models that dwarf the Ridgeline and every other truck in this thread.
Besides ground clearance and 4wd systems, width is an important consideration when purchasing an off-road truck. In that respect, the size of the Ridgeline is a disadvantage. Frontier and Tacoma both got bigger for 05. Part of the reason I chose Frontier was I would be less likely to scratch the sides off-road because it's a little narrower than Tacoma. I don't notice the missing width on the inside, but do notice the extra legroom in back.
I think things should balance out a bit when the new Sport Trac is released. That'll give us something newer to talk about.
As for the Ridgeline being compared with mid-sizers, I think it is something of a tweener. The Dakota was in the same position a few years back. (Then full-sizers got even bigger.)
The Honda's payload capacity and passenger space is something that is competitive with full-size trucks. But the length, height, and towing capacity are all more like a mid-size. Also, even the Ridgeline isn't cheap, when you add up the costs of a similarly equipped truck, it is priced more like a mid-size.
Bob
First of all, I believe Ford did a good job positioning it between the off-road trucks of Toyota and Nissan and the on-road Ridgeline. I say that because
1. It has an IRS and full time 4WD, which should give it better handling/road manners then the off-road crowd.
2. It has a fully boxed frame and a true low gear, giving it more off road and towing capabilities than the Ridgeline.
Strengths over all:
Most HP and Torque
The strongest frame in the group, fully boxed with cross members welded through the outside of the frame
Strength Over Tacoma/Nissan:
Cargo carrying:
I like the bed extender, tonneau cover option with the trac. To me it works similarly to the Ridgelines trunk. I can carry three people and their gear/ kids and groceries secure and relatively dry. The Tacoma doesn't offer this option, the Nissan has a Tonneau cover, but I can't use it in conjunction with the bed extender, therefor no cargo isolation. Also, I've been told I can not easily remove the cover. With the Ford I can easily go from a closed to open bed. This provides me with much greater utility.
I also like having full time 4WD. It would come in handy when roads are wet, gravel and snow. I wouldn't have to worry about someone putting it in 4WD when they shouldn't. Its a much more useful system to me then part time 4WD.
Options:
I can get most anything I want on either level of Sport Trac. I can not get a Sun-roof on the Tacoma and have to go to outside sources to get a power rear slider.
To get a sunroof on the Ridge, I have to order leather, something I am not real interested in.
Strengths over Ridgeline:
More towing capability
Low Gear
Sirius satellite ( I prefer over XM, which I can't get on Honda)
Outside looks (main reason I won't get a Ridge, my wife hates its look and will not let me buy it)
So there is my synopsis. To prove I am not a Ford salesman, I will say I think the interior look and design is about the worse of all. I also have reliability concerns with the vehicle.