2017 Honda Ridgeline Pickup Returns: 2016 Detroit Auto Show | Edmunds.com

Edmunds.com

2017 Honda Ridgeline Pickup Returns: 2016 Detroit Auto Show | Edmunds.com

Honda revealed the all-new Ridgeline, an unconventional midsize pickup truck, at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show.

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zoomzoomn

Wow, in a world of overstyled pickups in search of being the most bold this new Ridgeline fizzles into mediocrity. While I'm no fan of the overstyled approach, Honda really should have infused at least more than a dash of boldness into their styling. The side panels in particular are grossly lacking anything resembling a toughness in character. It's even more bland than the outgoing Ridgeline which, even in it's oddness, managed to at least stand out in a crowd. That all said, it's a Honda so build quality and reliability will likely be a major selling point.

metalmania

I have to agree. I don't like over the top truck styling that beats you over the head shouting "I'M A TRUCK AND I'M SUPER TOUGH!", but this new Ridgeline just looks too soft. It somehow manages to actually look like it's trying to be a truck, but really isn't. The interior is probably the nicest in the segment, definitely the most "car-like", but maybe too much so for a truck if that makes sense. I wish GM did the folding rear seats like this in the Colorado/Canyon instead of the clunky molded cubby thing on the floor - this is way better. The storage well in the bed is very cool too, as are the almost non-existent wheel wells. So overall quality and functionality will probably be good, and ride/handling will probably be better than the GM twins and Tacoma, but I still wonder how it will measure up to them in terms of "truck stuff" like towing and hauling loads. I would think Ridgeline still won't be able to match them being a unibody based vehicle, which admittedly probably won't matter for a large segment of buyers. Still, it's kinda bland. At first glance it's not pulling me away from my interest in Colorado or Tacoma.

sdpadsfan

We're starting to think about a replacement for my wife's 2006 Tacoma in a couple of years and this is a little intriguing, especially with the cabin space. Any idea on what the tow rating will be?

sonny28

I happen to like it. Not a fan of trucks, but if I absolutely had to, I'd opt for this one. I like this one's character because it's more sober and humble while retaining a sense of power. Other trucks involve too much aggression and flash. This is more down to earth. Being a Honda fanboi doesn't hurt either.

actualsize

Interesting.A bit more mainstream than the last one, but is it really more appealing as a truck? I can't wait to try it out. Tow rating wild guess is 5,000 for boats and 3,500 for box trailers like the last Ridgeline, but that's based on no new data.

But I find it odd that the spare is STILL wedged in the depths of the trunk under the bed. If you have a flat while towing a trailer, and you have a Honda motorcycle (or some other object) in the bed of the truck you must: 1) disconnect the trailer so you can; 2) unload the motorcycle and then; 3) remove any other items that may be loaded atop the under-bed trunk lid so you can 4) lift the lid and; 5) remove stored items from said trunk until you can; 6) see and remove the jack and spare tire, which are stored in a recess at the back of the under-bed trunk. There could be a lot of stuff between you and your spare tire.

Disconnecting a trailer requires some vehicle maneuvering that could be trouble with a flat tire. Stash the spare and jack in the bed before you go. Think this is a fake scenario? My brother owned a Ridgeline and towed a small camping trailer with a dirt bike and tons of other gear in the back -- regularly.

explorerx4

That trunk well work in a minivan, but not so much in something with a bed. What if you happened to have the bed filled with a pallet of pavers and had to access the spare?

fintail

This will be perfect for the typical Seattle area truck commuter who puts something over 50lbs in the bed once a year anyway. The non-butch looks aren't a bad thing either.

5vzfe

I agree with the spare under the bed thing - not a particularly elegant solution. If I was in the market for a truck, a new Tacoma would be the way I'd go - for it's off-roading ability. The GM twins are very lacking in that area in comparison. I always root for the underdog though, so I'm glad to see Honda bringing a new Ridgeline to the market. My only real issue is the styling, the front looks too soft compared to the abrupt right angle of the rear passenger compartment, but it's not too bad overall. If I weren't set on a 6 speed manual Tacoma, this would probably stack up fairly well against the GM trucks for me.

kuvnyiamtsheb

sdpadsfan said:

We're starting to think about a replacement for my wife's 2006 Tacoma in a couple of years and this is a little intriguing, especially with the cabin space. Any idea on what the tow rating will be?

sdpadsfan said:

We're starting to think about a replacement for my wife's 2006 Tacoma in a couple of years and this is a little intriguing, especially with the cabin space. Any idea on what the tow rating will be?

On the motor trend site, they mentioned that it can tow up to 1800lbs.

dougnuts

explorerx4 said:

That trunk well work in a minivan, but not so much in something with a bed. What if you happened to have the bed filled with a pallet of pavers and had to access the spare?

I think that is an unlikely scenario for most Ridgeline owners, let alone most suburban truck owners. Regardless, most Home Depot runs will be close enough to home (and during normal hours) that one could get a ride home to retrieve a jack and take the wheel/tire to be fixed, never requiring the use of the spare. That's a major inconvenience, but should be a rare occurrence.

dougnuts

5vzfe said:

I agree with the spare under the bed thing - not a particularly elegant solution. If I was in the market for a truck, a new Tacoma would be the way I'd go - for it's off-roading ability. The GM twins are very lacking in that area in comparison. I always root for the underdog though, so I'm glad to see Honda bringing a new Ridgeline to the market. My only real issue is the styling, the front looks too soft compared to the abrupt right angle of the rear passenger compartment, but it's not too bad overall. If I weren't set on a 6 speed manual Tacoma, this would probably stack up fairly well against the GM trucks for me.

You're probably not exactly the target market. They are aiming for someone like me; people who have uses for a truck bed (if available), but doesn't want to drive a real truck every day.

nspring

This truck is perfect for me. I had a Ridgeline before and the only reason I got rid of it was the lousy MPG when gas was $4/gal. I always liked the in-bed trunk and the two-way tail gate. It drove like a car and I loved it.

carboy21

It is a truck for those who do not want a truck but would like to drive a truck which does not drive like a truck .

explorerx4

I look at it this way, what if Ford came out with an Explorer based pickup truck, how well would that sell?
How about GM with a Suburban that has sliding rear doors?

stever

More SUV's should have sliding doors. And isn't an Explorer (aka, an SUV) just essentially a pickup with a fancier canopy?

explorerx4

@stever, You're about 5 years behind, actually more like 14. Even 2002 Explorer had rear IRS. Before many minivans.

stever

IRS - Independent Rear Sliders? How did I ever miss those on Explorers all these years?

Not sure what difference the suspension makes in determining whether to put a canopy on a pickup or rear doors and a "full" cab. Pickup + "fancy" canopy = SUV. Okay, the first one was a wagon body on a pickup frame, but I think the Broncos really let the way to the smaller SUVs, one size (or two) down from the Suburbans.

carboy21

4Runner is a Tacoma with a "fancy " canopy

explorerx4

I like the swing/drop tailgate, but the rest seems like a warmed over last generation.
Sales will tell the tale.

stever

Tailgate seems nice - I'm mostly in @sonny28's camp on this pickup overall.

Hard to tell from the pics but a lower liftover height would be a big plus too.

explorerx4

Maybe why that doesn't work for me

joespizza2go

The target market here are people who are tossing up between a truck and SUV not a truck and a truck. So someone who is actually outdoorsy and is carrying mountain bikes, surf, camping, fishing gear etc and would rather have it go into truck bed than the back of their car. Same for weekend gardeners, home improvement types. As for the spare, I cannot remember the last time i had a flat. Period. So the chances of having one with the back loaded seems super non issue.

metalmania

explorerx4 said:

I look at it this way, what if Ford came out with an Explorer based pickup truck, how well would that sell?
How about GM with a Suburban that has sliding rear doors?

Isn't that pretty much what the Explorer "Sport Trac" was? I saw a lot of them on the road.

huntm2000

Ridgeline needs a more aggressive grill, looks like a truck body with a Car front end . . . . . .

stever

Actually, that's another reason why I like the looks, just from the photo.

toledo73

I LOVE it!! Can't wait to lease it. To the objection of my wife, of course. Always wanted a truck. And this will fit the bill nicely. I'm 67, so nothing to extreme for me.

toledo73

stever said:

Actually, that's another reason why I like the looks, just from the photo.

exactly, looks great to me

toledo73

Any updates on the actual release of the ridgeline??? Sounds like Honda is going the way of the Pilot, build up the demand, deliver just a few and jack up the price. Not good.

workhard

Think Ridgeline targets right market. The DIYers that need truck occasionally for hauling garden/construction materials but also mainly as a daily driver. Think they badly missed on the design however when they made the bed only 5'-3"? Wish they made it longer, maybe 5.5-5.75'. 6' might be a stretch since appears only going to be crew cab and might be too long. Currently drive '05 Tacoma Crew Cab with 5' bed and cargo management is a nightmare with short bed. A few more inches would have made it very interesting. But at least they got the bed width right. Finally, a compact/mid-size truck with 4' between the tire wells will make hauling 4x8 sheets a breeze. Looking forward to seeing this truck in the showroom.

toledo73

me too, but when??

lloyd5947

It appears that we know more and more about less and less until we know everything about nothing!

toledo73

lloyd5947 said:

It appears that we know more and more about less and less until we know everything about nothing!

LOL, well said!

tom911

toledo73 said:

Any updates on the actual release of the ridgeline??? Sounds like Honda is going the way of the Pilot, build up the demand, deliver just a few and jack up the price. Not good.

Embargo ends next week - should see pricing and test reviews immediately after embargo ends.

toledo73

tom911 said:

toledo73 said:

Any updates on the actual release of the ridgeline??? Sounds like Honda is going the way of the Pilot, build up the demand, deliver just a few and jack up the price. Not good.

Embargo ends next week - should see pricing and test reviews immediately after embargo ends.

what embargo? Thanks

guitarzan

Pricing:

http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=1279754

The three thousand dollar premium of the fwd Ridgeline is the deciding factor for me. I'd prefer a Honda but will be getting a base model 4wd Tacoma instead.

toledo73

guitarzan said:

Pricing:

http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=1279754

The three thousand dollar premium of the fwd Ridgeline is the deciding factor for me. I'd prefer a Honda but will be getting a base model 4wd Tacoma instead.

The Tacoma prices out at 26K for v6, 4wd, extended? I get a higher price.

guitarzan

I am comparing base models which is I4 vs V6, (as well as 4wd vs. fwd) you are right. I need 4wd but I do not care what engine I get. So the Tacoma I4 4wd at $26,500 wins over the fwd Ridgeline V6 at about 3 grand more.

toledo73

guitarzan said:

I am comparing base models which is I4 vs V6, (as well as 4wd vs. fwd) you are right. I need 4wd but I do not care what engine I get. So the Tacoma I4 4wd at $26,500 wins over the fwd Ridgeline V6 at about 3 grand more.

OK, but man you may be happier with a 6. Good luck what ever you choose.

toledo73

Finally had a chance to check it out. Did not drive, but sat in it, played with tailgate action and rear seats. I was surprised how large this truck is. This is NOT a midsize truck. Only had 3 at 37K price, so no interest. Only need base. But there is no dealing. Like the pilot, no deals and wait for what you want to come in.

tom911

Drove one last night - Black Edition - top of the line. Drove very nice and it was quiet. However, the fact that Honda chose to only put the opening rear window and CarPlay on the two highest end models is a no go for me. $42K is too much for me to get those two options. I'll stick with my 2009 RTL and save $30K.

toledo73

tom911 said:

Drove one last night - Black Edition - top of the line. Drove very nice and it was quiet. However, the fact that Honda chose to only put the opening rear window and CarPlay on the two highest end models is a no go for me. $42K is too much for me to get those two options. I'll stick with my 2009 RTL and save $30K.

Did it handle well. Similar to an suv, pilot, etc? Thanks

tom911

toledo73 said:

tom911 said:

Drove one last night - Black Edition - top of the line. Drove very nice and it was quiet. However, the fact that Honda chose to only put the opening rear window and CarPlay on the two highest end models is a no go for me. $42K is too much for me to get those two options. I'll stick with my 2009 RTL and save $30K.

Did it handle well. Similar to an suv, pilot, etc? Thanks

Yes, very much like a Pilot or SUV - similar to my two previous MDX's (2003 and 2013).

scottc3

Thought I'd make an August post as things quiet down. I just starting to look for a truck to replace my great Prius - as we have moved from CA to CO. I do a bit of fishing and kayaking and something similar to the Ridgeline will be much better for me. Prices seem still too high and other Toyota products have incentives and lower prices as some have explained above. I have not driven one yet but I don't, for a second, look forward to the car buying experience... will hate it as always.. The good news, my Prius is in great condition and with only 100K on the car and the battery guaranteed for 150K (California product) I have time to sit tight and wait for better pricing.

stever

You just need a roof rack.

I've been avoiding speculating on when the prices might go down in your pricing discussion, since I don't have any good guesses either.

The good news for buyers is that car sales have plateaued and may even be falling a bit.

The "bad" news is that gas is cheap so demand for pickups and SUVs continues to be strong.

guitarzan

It has been a long time but I found this thread again. I hate when people leave me hanging and I do not want to do that to you.

I held on to the Celica for a couple more years and then purchased a 2019 Subaru Outback. The price for a very nice, luxurious vehicle (to me) was $32k, with tax and financing I think the total was $36k.

I wanted a pickup for certain uses of the bed but a couple things happened. One I did not make a lifestyle change that I was anticipating a few years back. Secondly, two trustworthy, high volume mechanics of mine shook their heads regarding Honda & Toyota. "Get a Subaru." They both had the exact same response, that the Toyota and Honda are not of the level that they used to be, and that Subaru is the one to get for longevity. All of this together influenced me to get the Outback.

PF_Flyer

@guitarzan Appreciate the effort!