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Also, Honda is not marketing the Ridgeline as a full-size truck. Most of the trucks they compare it with are considered compact or mid-size.
Other than that, I agree. The donus is pure cost-cutting. Buyers can get a full-size spare as a "dealer-installed" option. It will fit in the space where the donus is stored. But it adds to the already high price tag. Funny that they give you every possible option inside the truck as standard equipment, but you have to pay extra for a real tire.
Good that the diameter matches (that was my implication before that all the computers would be thrown off otherwise), but there is still no excuse for anything less than a matching spare in a large truck. My 93 F150 had optional 265s (over the base 235s), and the spare was also upsized to 265. I drive duallies these days and there's no way to put anything but a matching tire as a spare.
kcram - Pickups Host
Today, it felt really good parking the Ridge with temporary Virginia tags at 3 MD dealers who are still refusing to sell the Ridge closer to invoice.I was their to inquire about their out of the door price for the running boards, upper bumper brush and sensor for backing.Shopping around indeed payoff, some charge more for backing sensors but charge cheaper on the running boards. I ended up setting an appointment with two delearships, for the rest of the stuff I wanted to put in the Ridge.
My Frontier lease was taken over by my younger brother.The tradeoff, I pay $100/month towards the lease, with unlimited priveledges to use the Frontier if I decide to go on a serious rockclimbing spree.He loves hardcore offroading and believe the Ridge is not apt to the task.The Frontier gets 17mpg on the average mix city and highway.My first tank on the Ridge courtesy of the dealer, is 20.48 mpg. I kind of babied it though because its still in the brakein stage. I maintained 60-65 mph with very gentle acceleration.It rides a tad better than the Pilot, but with less body roll andway better side mirrors, better tires but the rims are freakin ugly.Pilots rims who I thought are ok look gorgeous next to the Ridge rims.From a full stop, the Frontier has more ompph, after that the Ridge rules.
Today at Costco, a policeman chatted with me, when he saw me opening the trunk. We separated ways after he got my salesman and delearships no.At the stoplight, a guy signaled me to roll down the windows and ask me about the Ridge driving dynamics, apparently he wanted to test drive one.
Am going back to my delear on Thursday to have the hood protector, foglights, and hitch installed,AND TO HAVE MY BACK DOOR RIGHTHAND SIDE REPAIRED BECAUSE IT TAKES ME THREE ATTEMPTS TO CLOSE IT.IT'S VERY UNHONDALIKE TO HAVE ISSUES LIKE THIS. It may be minor but shelling $32,000 on this truck makes this a major quirk for me.So guys, when buying one, make sure all your doors should close effortlesly.
I would also like to see Honda offer, or make standard, a larger 265/65x17 tire. That size is available on the Tacoma, Frontier, Tundra and Titan (I think?). I think the larger tire would go a long way to stifle those testosterone-charged critics out there.
Bob
Bob
I agree with you concerning the spare and the tire size. I've always wondered why Honda continues to put smallish tires on all of their vehicles. Toyota does it too on their cars, but they realize that the trucks require a little more rubber to at least make the trucks appear tough. I think that Honda probably does it for cost savings, function-ability and safety. If the RL had a slightly taller/wider tire perhaps the rollover ratings would be compromised but the vehicle would have a tougher look, see the SEMA Ridgeline. The tire issue/styling sounds poserish but obviously from reading the truck message boards, truck buyers demand their trucks look robust. They harp on function, but usually the last statement goes something like this: "I don't care how the RL is rated, it's still f****** ugly." A more-burly tire would definitely help it look a little more “truck-ish.” By the way, I just purchased a black RTS last Saturday ($28,190). It's a really nice vehicle. And because a close friend owns a truck accessory shop, I can get a shiny 18" alloy wheel set-up with a little beefier tire (what size to get?) for his cost plus a few bucks. I wonder if the VSA system will be compromised?
So I applaude them, although I agree with you that they lose sales because of it and all their vehicles have a slghtly dumpy look because of the smaller wheels.
Styles change and wheels sizes are so ridiculously big now, this may come back around to Honda at some point, as is already happening now to some extent - the Ridgeline is selling reasonably well compared to other vehicles and part of the reason is the slightly better fuel mileage, which is due, at least in part, to the smaller wheels. And even styling preferences change - when I see a prev-generation BMW 5-Series now with 16-inch, 60-series tires, I think it looks a lot better (and less ghetto) than the current 17-inch 40-seires rubber bands then put on the new cars.
- Mark
FWIW, the '06 CRV has larger wheels and tires than last year's model.
Bob
Bob
John
I believe the TPMS lights continually, and VSA is engaged all the time.
I'm not sure about what the fuss is about the spare. It's only supposed to be used until you get the flat fixed which for me would be no longer than a day. I think It's fine. It bugs me when I see people using temp spare to the point they're wearing the tread off it. I've only had a blow out once in 19 years. All other tire problems were able to be remedied just by putting more air in the punctured tire until I could get to the shop. I keep an electric air pump in the vehicle just for that purpose. If you want a full size spare, get one. They made the compartment big enough. It's easily fixed. I think I prefer the lighter smaller spare. It seems like unnecassary wieght to haul around all the time getting the full size spare for as much as you'll need it which is likely never. I've had a Toyota truck for 14 years with a full size spare, and never used it. Hell, it's probably not even inflated anymore. It's very difficult to get to to maintain. Also with the temp spare you don't have to worry about the 5 tire rotation sequence. It's easier to rotate just four.
No way do I want to use a temp spare tire with a 1100 pounds in the bed, or while towing a 5K trailer, or be somewhere miles off a paved road. That's what the fuss is about. The ground rules for trucks and SUVs is much different than for cars, at least I think they are, when it comes to spare tires.
The only pickups that come with donut spares are the small or very light-duty models. The rest have full-size as standard. Now for some really strange reason some 3/4-1-ton models used have the full-size spare as an option(!), in that they came with no spare tire whatsoever. That may have been for chassis-cab models? I don't know if that's still true.
Bob
For that reason, I prefer to classify vehicles based on several criteria.
The Ridgeline is bigger in some dimensions than others, but it is also smaller by other measures. It is certainly far heavier than the other mid-size trucks. It's also wider. But the Ridgeline is shorter than most (considerably shorter than the Dakota, IIRC). It has a shorter wheelbase than most, and is no taller than the others.
Of equal importance is the fact that it tows and hauls loads similar to what the other mid-size trucks will haul. No matter how big the exterior, the vehicle functions like a mix-size.
I appreciate that Honda created a space big enough for a real tire and offers one as an option. At least the design doesn't prohibit a real tire. But it should be standard equipment. Perhaps they'll add it later in the trucks model cycle.
chrome wheels. It also had modified lights and tinted windows with rap music
emanating from it. What a nightmare.
Bob
http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=102318
Note: That is a photo illustration (aka, Photochop).
Bob
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap/cars/3423.html
Too bad they don't mention their new TDI 6 cylinder. I hear that is one of the best engines they have made.
John
I just read that both BMW (their SUV) and Honda are bringing in diesels in 2007. Hope the Ridge gets one.
Here is one link to this cool engine.
http://www.parsintl.com/pdf/8352-PS-Diesel.pdf
John
You assume that the European entries will be heavier duty than the Ridgeline. The VW Touareg, even with the V6, is rated to tow 7715 lbs, so you can assume the Touareg-based pickup will match that if not exceed it; same with the Benz and Bimmer. Also the Touareg has a 6-speed automatic and a 2-speed transfer case with full-time 4WD, all of which you can expect on the pickup.
The Benz-up is based on the next-generation G-Wagon, which will be an industrial-strength M-Class, from what I've read. No word on the Bimmer-up, other than it will next-generation X-5 based.
Honda's ace in the hole here would be cost and reliability. I would expect to see some pretty nifty features on these new European pickups, besides the higher payloads and towing.
Bob
Your car is 3 years old or more and the tread is worn down so that screw in the road can more easily make its hole. You drag that donut out of whereever it is. Under a large screw. Upside down. A spring across the jack handle. In a box in the Ridgeline bed. Under the carpet in the trunk. Or !horrors! hung under the rear.
It doesn't matter. After 3+years, that 60 psi spare will have about 12 psi in it. Not enough to actually drive on.
When's the last time you checked the pressure in that spare???????
(Ha! You don't even have a gauge that goes up that high.)
Gone are the days of the sub $30k pickup that has all of these features: IRS, AWD, crew cab.
That is where Subaru really had a chance (still does, in my opinion) to gain market share with a larger Baja. It will be interesting where the new SportTrac comes in. Maybe Ford will decide that they will not try to compete with the high end Euros and put out a value package at about $26-$28k.
Hard to say where the Ridgeline will end up pricewise in 3 years. It all depends on how much volume Honda wants. The Ody is a prime example of maximizing profit per vehicle for both dealer and manufacturer. Honda could play that kind of game with the Ridgeline also.
John
I live in Carlsbad (35 miles north of San Diego) and have yet to see even one Ridgeline on the road. Given the fact that Honda is making plenty of them and the fact that I have yet to see one leads me to believe that this truck is not exactly flying off the lot.
According to Edmunds the truck is selling at full MSRP in my area. My high-level discussion on pricing with the sales person led me to believe that the only wiggle room is with the accessories.
There could be 1,000 Ridges in So. Cal but with so many millions of cars down there the odds of running into one are still very small.
John
I think this truck is being priced as if it is huge demand, but I'm not seeing the fruits of that demand.
I don't think MSRP will last forever; I think it's about $1500-$2000 high for my area (trucks are big sellers here). But it looks like it will take a few months to come down, and it may even stay there. It's hard to say because the RL really doesn't have any apples-apples competition. Meanwhile, I still haven't seen one in my area besides mine, but the dealer sells every one he gets.
http://www.aiada.org/article.asp?id=36723
His the link to the C&D comparison test.
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=15&article_id=9470
I've been reading the posts here and it sure sounds like patience will be rewarded greatly once the prices come down to what a lot of the posters here feel that they should be...
Well, back in 1961 Chevy offered a rear-engined Corvair-based pickup called the "Rampside." Check out the link:
http://www.mindspring.com/~corvair/fc1.html#models
Like the Ridgeline's 2-way tailgate—an old idea first seen on domestic station wagons back in the '70s, maybe it's time to reinvestigate this idea too?
Also, check out the link "Styling Buck" on the Loadside pickup, in which an under the bed floor storage area is accessed from the side of the truck.
http://www.mindspring.com/~corvair/ProtoRamp.html
http://www.mindspring.com/~corvair/FCart/ProtoRamp2_orig.jpg
Some neat ideas here.
Bob
Bob