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Comments
Thought about towing my Suzuki GS1000 to Utah, but now decided against it for weather reasons since we're staying at a ski resort 10,000 ft up. But worth having the hitch just in case.
-Frontier LE Crew 4WD
-Traction control
-Side Airbag pkg
-Rockford Audio system w/stearing wheel controls
-Tow hitch receiver
-Active Brake limited slip (not locking diff.)
-Microfilter
TMVP over $29,500 ($1000 less the RTS Ridge but you'll be living without the:
-trunk
-swinging gate
-4W independent suspension
-Front WD and auto 4WD
-locking rear diff.
-unibody
-3 inches add'l rear leg room (big diff when seated in the back with knees up against the seat)
-composite bed (or even bedliner)
-probably less actual MPG
-less overall room inside
-smaller bed width
-worse reliability ratings than Honda
-lower resale value than Honda
-probably not as comfortable and quiet as the Ridge
-not sure if the Nissan comes with add'l radiator fan/transmission cooler, dual climate controls, huge center storage compartment, etc.
If you're merely comparing stickers, and are willing to live with less, buy the Nissan. You're a current Nissan owner, so I can see your loyalty issue. If you're happy with it, continue. (I asked my mechanic to rank cars he would buy and he said Toyota, Honda, then Nissan. He specializes in Japanese cars and works on our Camry.)
Hope this helps.
That being said I still stick buy my statement that at MSRP the Ridgeline is the most expensive midsize (at least for me). I priced the Frontier with all the options I could possibly want and the invoice price is $28,472. That includes the leather, Rockford Fosgate, Traction and Side Air Bag packages as well as floor mats. With these packages comes steering wheel mounted controls, heated seats, heated mirrors, 8-way power adjustable driver seats, vehicle dynamic control, hill start assist, hill descent control, Homelink, and sunroof (which I could really do without).
I know it sounds silly but this will probably be my last vehicle for a long, long time and I really want the little creature comforts like heated seats and mirrors, Homelink and steering wheel mounted controls. To get that in the Ridge means spending well over $30,000. I really think that come November the dealer won't think twice about selling me a Frontier at invoice.
The things that I can't get in the Frontier at any price (and would love) are the trunk, tailgate, power rear window, dual climate controls, and more cubby space than I would know what to do with.
So, I hope the a Ridge sells like the trend setter it appears to be. This way Nissan will have to lower their prices even more to compete (or possibly add the tailgate and power rear window in their '06 models). If the Ridge doesn't sell then, come November, I may be able to get the RTL for invoice . . . or less!
If youve waited that long to get into this truck, a few more months wouldn't hurt unless you have no means to get around.Getting the Ridgeline at Invoice would be one sweet experience.
John
RTL! That sounds great if you want those luxuries...and I think that's a real luxury vehicle. Good thing you can wait...looks like you will probably be able to get a good deal. And, if you can wait longer, perhaps another year, you might find those other features on the Frontier, except probably the room.
About the wife...my wife had a big part in my decision to buy the Honda truck. She's used to bigger trucks, since her dad has always had the Silverado, and she also said if you're going to have a truck it might as well be 4WD. I've come to learn that my wife, in all her intuition and pet peaves, is pretty insightful...luckily for me! (After all, the kicker was when she said to me "Are you going to die without ever having the vehicle you really want?") At first, a few months ago, I was not looking to spend more than $20K or so on a truck, and really liked the look (and reliability) of the 05 Toyota Tacoma (was considering just an extended cab). However, with my wife in mind (as always!) started considering more, as in bigger and 4WD.
To make a long story short...there are a lot of fringe benefits to pleasing the wife...!!! And now I'm glad I did, because she loves everything about the Ridgeline, also. We will be using it on our long trips for vacations, taking the load off the '98 Camry that has 160K miles on it. (That car is really comfortable and has been all over the western "hemisphere".) I'm sure that wouldn't have been an option with a smaller truck.
And now we have the 4WD for the trips to the mountains and the outings with the in-laws (her dad again)!
Her dad, BTW, a life-long Chevy 4WD man, also loves our new truck. He calls it "a city truck." So I respect his opinion as well. Thankfully, he's not the close-minded stereotype I've been reading about on these boards!
Anyway, my (additional) advice would be not to get hung up on any specific feature or two, but to consider the whole package and all the "fringe" benefits of ownership, as I am also planning to own this vehicle a long, long time!
Good luck with your decision! (Don't beat yourself to death over it!)
But man I love this Truck! I still don't know if I feel like it's a truck though. It drive like a sports car. I feel I can fling it into corners with no problems. I drove it home in the pouring rain and it was very road stable (I know that's tires too). No windsheild hiss or noise. Back seat people love the room and say it's comfy.
One small problem, dash has "spots" on it that look like they were there before final assembly. Dealer said we'll fix it and give you a loaner until it's right.
I've had many thumbs up driving, even had a guy start opening the doors while I was leaving from my morning coffee stop, "Wow man, that is cool, can I see...."
I've been in a family with 3/4 ton trucks my whole life, and this don't drive like one. I think the term SUT fits it perfect.
Glad I got it. It's really starting to grow on me.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/how_tested.shtml
that's sounds awful high. I do 90 miles a day 78 miles highway/ 12 miles city. Avg 80 mph on the highway with top speed around 90mph. I'm getting between 15.5 and 17 mpg. I doubt I'll ever see 20 unless the wind is at my back. Oh and I have 2200 miles on the truck now
The Ridgeline doesn't use the advanced variable cylinder management (VCM) cylinder deactivation technology found in the Ody due to it's 'poorer' aerodynamics. Chief Engineer for the Ridge, Gary Flint, said in a interview that it wouldn't deactivate cylinders long enough to have any real benefit.
Along those same lines, I can't imagine that its shape is good enough to get 20mpg while doing 90mph. Just my 2¢
http://corporate.honda.com/press/article.aspx?id=2005040151858
Ridgeline = 4,000 units through 3/31. On pace for their first year 50k and not bad for the first month, especially since the comments I still hear are "When did Honda start making a truck?"
So to make the numbers for April, production has been raised: "...they just bumped production from 240 units per day to 300 or 330 per day as of april 1st...", this from an Honda insider. This suggest that Honda is going to sell more units at a lower price at a faster pace.
There are reports of Ridgelines selling $2,000 below MSRP. I would wait till the last weekend of April and make an offer of $2,500 - $3,000 below MSRP for a ridge.
link title
Thanks for putting everything in perspective.Honda is doing good but March sales are gonna be difficult to match unless Ridge pricing becomes competetive.Pls post where you got your Ridge if ever you got it $2500-3,000 msrp.Dont mind a 1500 mile road trip to get one at that discounted price . Besides the later model months may benefit from whatever bugs are found on the first few batches that came out.;)
This thing gets 16-20 mpg! Gas is approaching 2.5 dollars /gallon, when are the car manufactures going to get it?
We need more fuel efficient car options and we need them NOW! The rest of the world has had the Honda Jazz for 3 years, and we don’t get it in the U.S. because consumers just keep on buying gas guzzlers every time we go to the dealer.
I will not buy another car that doesn’t get at least 40 mpg. If only 25% of my fellow Americans would make the same patriotic commitment, gas prices would fall, and we would stop funding the coffers of people in the Middle East who would like to do bad things to America. Bring the Honda Jazz/FIT to the US NOW. Don’t wait for a new model. This is indeed a matter of our country's economy and national security!
Taken from some forum:
It might be interesting for you to know which oil companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle Eastern Oil.
Shell..........................205,742,000 barrels
Chevron/Texaco.......144,332,000 "
Exxon/Mobil...............130,082,000 "
Marathon/Speedway.117,740,000 "
Amoco........................62,231,000 "
If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18 billion! (and the current price is over $50/barrel)
Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern Oil:
Citgo.........................0 barrels
Sunoco.....................0
Conoco.....................0
Sinclair......................0
BP/Phillips..................0
Hess.........................0
ARCO.......................0
All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing.
Now back to the Ridgeline now that you know what gas to put in it.
I agree with others, the Ridge should be at 24 mpg highway. The engine is simply too juiced up right now in order to make a statement with the competition.
John
If we punish companies for importing Middle east oil they'll find it other places, and the Saudis will suffer. This planet over flows with oil, now back to the Ridgeline.
Bob
I would love to see Honda bring in a turbo diesel on the Ridge. That should get us at least 24 mpg highway.
John
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
#1 Ridgeline has not had much exposure. I think their first televised commercial was during the Superbowl Feb. 6, and there was one spot. Advertising seemed to be sparse until March. People still don't know Honda has a truck out unless they really follow the industry, have been to their Honda dealer, or have seen these web sites.
#2 Most people on these boards say they're waiting to buy for several reasons, such as first-year vehicle jitters and expectation of lower prices, not to mention fuel price uncertainty.
So I do think it was a good initial month for the Ridgeline, and I think Honda believes that, too. (However, it could be a tough year if fuel continues to rise, but more and more experts seem to think it will stabilize, like Greenspan for one. And a report out yesterday said that truck sales haven't been effected by the high gas prices like SUV's have.)
John
March sales of @ 4,000 units are decent, but they would have been higher if this truck were a blockbuster. Pent-up demand typically makes for a big push in the first 4-6 months following initial release. I see two possible reasons for the merely average sales.
1. Production numbers were low as the plant ramped up.
2. The MSRP demands from the dealers are driving customers away.
I'm not a gambling man, but I think #2 has finally caught the dealers in the chin. The Ridgeline is a good truck. But there are plenty of other good trucks on the market, each with an established name, and incentives out the wazoo. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The Ridgeline won't be an MSRP seller for more than a few months.
Know that the priciest gas from a franchise station on your short list is the only politically correct gas to put in your tank. Now back to the Ridgeline.
Second, with new car incentives so cheap, I think a lot of people bought in the last 3 years. Myself included, with an '02 and an '03.
John
kcram - Pickups Host
Has anyone seen an RT yet?
John
My only issue was with the programming of the automatic door locks, which, after trying a million times by the book, Honda said is a misprint in the manual. Only the driver's door lock can be programmed, not the passengers' doors. But they can be turned off so they won't automatically lock, which is what I finally did. (Personally, I think it was a programming error in production, rather than a misprint in the manual. That guy's probably long gone by now!) Maybe if enough people complain, Honda might provide a fix, if possible.
Anyway, has anyone had any problems at all with the mechanical functions of this truck? (Engine, brakes, transmission, etc.) I know it's only been a month or so, but still curious.
John
I don't want to be the guy that keeps saying "I love the truck, bla, bla, yada, yada", but I've got 1,200 miles and no problems so far. Hate to jinx it it by saying something like that. It seemed that people were posting problems with the 05 Taco almost immediatly after release. So, it appears the initial release phase has been smooth with the only issues I'm aware of being some wind noise from a few people and a creeky steering wheel fixed by replacing it with a new one. I think Honda was probably more paranoid about making sure the release of the Ridgeline went smoother than any vehicle they've ever made, just because of what this truck represents in a market that is hyper critical of what a real truck is. American truck owners on other forums hate this truck with a passion and are quite livid that any one would attempt to call this a truck. It's quite amusing. They hate it and don't even know the first thing about it, and when all their questions are answered their final responce is "Hondas suck" or my favorite "Hondas are gay". If your looking for a good time I urge the rest of you to try it.
Me too, but I'm not that worried about it. On their first drive review they took it up a steep rutted hill or maybey it was another review (I can't keep them all straight) and they tried in the VTM-4 mode with VSC on and couldn't make it which is understandable, so they backed down and put it in VTM-4 lock and everything went fine. If it's the same boat ramp story I'm thinking of, It was like just a few days after this truck's release. It's very doubtful that truck was even broken in. DON'T TOW WITH ANY VEHICLE UNTIL IT'S BROKEN IN.
My towing philosophy (if you have to have a towing philosophy) is if you want to tow 5,000 lbs, I wouldn't use a vehicle that is rated at 5,000 lbs. I'd rather use a vehicle with a 8 or 10,000 lb rating. I think over kill is better in those situations. I'm not planniing to tow anything with the RL. If I have any tranny issue with this truck, I'm going to point to my rear bumper that has no hitch at the dealer and say " you've got to be kidding this tranny hasn't even had a load on it." This tranny is way over built for day to day usage and includes a tranny cooler on top of that build quality. Combine that with the experience Honda had with the pilot tranny.............I'll just say, I'll be surprised if this tranny has any issues.
Is this just a beat up used and abused test vehicle that reviewers were thrashing for the last month?? My impression is that off road this vehicle is capable of the action most reasonable sane people would apply to it. (I've had it in deep sand, and didn't even need VTM-4 lock or take it out of VSC mode.)
Edmunds:
After our road drive, we also had the chance to play in the dirt. Here, we put the Ridgeline's automatic all-wheel-drive system (dubbed VTM-4 for Variable Torque Management 4-wheel drive) to the test, where it proved its worth during some fairly steep, rutted ascents. Although this system is similar to the one used in the Acura MDX, it has been beefed up considerably for "heavy-duty truck" usage.
This exercise also showed how well the Ridgeline's independent rear suspension (a first in a pickup truck), 8.2 inches of ground clearance and short approach and departure angles (24.5 and 22 degrees, respectively) worked. During one particularly entertaining portion, we drove over a series of laterally opposed bumps and ruts, which had one tire rolling down into a well of sorts while the other went over a bump on the other side. This "frame twister" also showed how robust the Ridgeline's structure was — no squeaks, creaks, rattles or shakes invaded the cabin.
"The Ridgeline had a hard time. It made it through the trails, but bottomed out repeatedly (it has 8.2 inches of ground clearance, the Tacoma has 9.5). We also had to keep the VTM locked and vehicle speed below 8 mph to prevent the truck from losing traction in the mud.
We should note that the Ridgeline's 17-inch alloy wheels and all-season tires are not conducive to off-road driving. When we tried climbing the hill, the undercarriage started groaning, so we abandoned the run and returned to dry pavement."
I have never heard of an undercarriage groan. Isn't the undercarriage the chassis that everything is hooked on to? I didn't think it had a moving part. So Edmunds has me confused..
John
Really the only way to stop oil funded terrorism is to cut off their funding. If we would increase our average gas mileage by just 25% as a country we wouldn’t have to buy ANY Middle Eastern oil. I wonder when you say "doesn't make one bit of difference to me."
Do you really understand what our crack-like addiction to oil from large vehicles like the Ridgeline is doing to this country's economy and our national security? President Bush tells us that we are at war (on terrorism). Our self sacrificing grandparents of the World War 2 generation would be ashamed of the destructive self indulgence of our generation.
Now back to the 16-20 mpg Ridgeline.
........I'm not sure if we're connecting.
What made America great is the automobile. Letting American's make their own choices. Whether that is where we live and work or the vehicle we drive. It does not matter.
Forcing someone to drive an econo box is as bad as telling someone to go to church on Sunday. I think we can all choose how we live and pray. And I damn sure can choose the TRUCK I want to drive!
Amen
Jeff
Dallas, Tx
IMO the Ridge should be one of the better off-road vehicles. The IRS alone helps a bunch. Add VTM and rear wheel lock, combined with a decent low end torque output and low 1st gear, and this baby should rock. On paper anyway.
John
$2500 off MSRP at Jacobs Twin Honda.
$2500 off MSRP at Jacobs Twin Honda"
Sounds good - where are these dealers? .....