the letters section in the latest C&D? The editors got ABSOLUTELY BLASTED for rating the Ridgeline so highly, by all sorts of "truck folks" from all over. I can't remember the last time I saw such a strong response to an article.
"Why is it that whenever C&D compares trucks the most carlike one wins?...you even cited the Tacoma's being too much like a truck as a low point...the Ridgeline was the worst at off-road driving in your comparison...God forbid a TRUCK would win a comparison of TRUCKS!"
"I work for a Honda dealership and basically, what you have with the Ridgeline is a Pilot with a little box. It has unibody construction with an engine more suited to a car...trucks aren't supposed to be carlike to be proper trucks. Trucks are workhorses, plain and simple. Every truck (in the comparo) but the Honda is a workhorse."
"The Ridgeline is in another league alright, the minor league....is that a temporary spare? No truck has a temporary spare."
"If you did a comparison with no Honda in it, a Honda would still win. Come on"
I would tend to agree, seeing as I like offroading. The Ridge seems more like another version of the minivan, only weighing even more and having a box instead of a third row. But I sure would like to see what Honda could do if it chose to make a real truck. They could start small - a true compact BOF truck from Honda would probably outsell Ranger in its very first year.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
It's Car & Driver, not Truck & Towing, what do they expect?
You gotta put it in context, these guys like to drive and live in the 'burbs of Detroit. They get a little snow, sure, but they go to Home Depot to pick up a dozen bags of mulch, not gravel dumped straight in the bed.
Magazines can get blasted all they want, but in the end the Ridgeline is a fine truck... for what it is. For someone like myself, I don't work for/as a contractor but I would like to be able to bring the dirty stuff home in something other than the wifes MDX. I'd like to NOT worry about having appliances delivered (for a charge $$$) but rather put them in the back of the Ridge instead.
But, as others have pointed out, it is NOT a valid competitor to a Tacoma or Frontier. It's a modern day El Camino, plain and simple. C&D (and other mags) have managed to "Blur" the lines a bit with these comparos. In reality, the Ridge should be profiled as its own segment.
Must do a comparo? put it up against an Explorer ST or Baja.
I get a bit ticked reading the comments in the mags and on message boards trashing the Ridgeline for not having an 8 liter diesel and the abiltity to tow 20 thousand lbs. Go back to your farms, enjoy your 1 ton F350 or Cummins 3500. The Ridgeline is obviously not for you...
BTW, this is not directed at anyone on this board, purely a subjective comment.
just what WOULD be a fair vehicle to compare the Ridge to for a magazine comparo. The Explorer ST leaps to mind, as just about the closest thing out there, but of course the current Explorer platform it will use beginning next year is a truck platform too. The Baja is way smaller and is about to be discontinued. People also mention the Avalanche, but again while similar in concept, it too is truck-based.
I do remember the C&D article people were referencing, and remember thinking that the Tacoma came close to a win but lost out because of slow slalom speeds and trucky steering. Well, yeah, it's a truck!
Now, if C&D is not Truck & Towing and is just going to rate every truck on how "car-ish" it is, well then they should stop rating trucks, seems to me. They could stick to the ever-burgeoning group of car-based SUVs and still have plenty to write about.
It seems that Toyota has chosen not to update the Corolla for MY '06, and Cobalt is poised to overtake it in compact car sales. I bet the '06 Civic will turn all that on its head and take the compact sales prize next year. :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Funny thing is they are stopping production and there will actually be a pretty big gap until the new one arrives. The new one will share a front-end with the Explorer.
It's a volume seller so Ford will sacrifice some sales for the changeover. I guess the Explorer is even more important so that gets priority treatment.
I don't know why some people would say the Ridgeline is not "truckish" enough.
Just because it handles and feels more like a car than a truck can't be a bad thing. Unless you like a jittery and ill handling ride found on all of the body on frame pickups.
It's still as capable as the other trucks in the C&D comparo, but it looks different and feels different. Does that make the Ridgeline any less of a truck? No. It still hauls as much as the competition, makes similar amount of horsepower, and tows similar loads.
People tend to resist change, maybe because they're afraid to be different. Same thing (bashing) went on when the first Civic came out and was about 1/2 the size of your average "compact" in the 70's, everyone dismissed it as a passing fad, nobody wanted to drive a "tin box". Same thing happened when seatbelts and airbags were mandated, etc....
I find the people that bash the Ridgeline the most are the ones who are upside down in their lease or 72 month finance payments on a Dakota, S10, or Sport Trac, pay arm and a leg for the gas to fill up their V8, and never use their truck to its full potential, but want to feel better about the situation they're in so they just gang up on the new and different kid on the block.
I have never had anyone who drives a Toyota or Nissan PU bash the Ridgeline as much as the domestic guys do.
anythngbutgm: It's a modern day El Camino, plain and simple.
But El Caminos were very handsome machines, particularly from 1966-72. Ridgelines aren't.
I looked at one tonight at the Honda dealer. I like Hondas, but that Ridgeline has a face that only a Honda stylist could love. At least the all-new Civic and restyled Accord have me interested...unlike, say, GM, where, until very recently, the only vehicles worth looking at were the trucks and SUVs (except for the Corvette - out of my price range). Which isn't good if you don't want a truck or an SUV.
Let me preface this by saying that I am not a RL basher - I actually kind of like it.
I am assuming the spare tire is kept in the storage compartment in the bed instead of under the bed like a traditional truck??? The reason I say this is because I saw a guy with a RL pulled over on the side of the road with a flat rear tire. He had about 20 sheets of 4x8 plywood in the bed, and he was unloading them right there on the shoulder (I am assuming so he could get to the spare). I guess when it comes to some things, you don't really need a better mousetrap.
but if I need a truck I would probably narrow it down to the Ridgeline and the Titan. Would probably end up with the Ridgeline because it's less of a truck but can still do the truck things we would need it to do. OTOH, Titans are CHEEEEAAAP right now.
I don't mind the look of the Ridgeline myself. In person it looks "right". I can see the controversy and I understand its not for everyone. But I think as Honda products usually do, it should age well. While I would never buy a black car, the Ridge looks awesome in Black IMO.
Side note: I was NOT a fan of the current accord (exterior) but it's gowing on me... still not my favorite like the gen 6 but not as horrible as I once thought.
As much as i like the Ridgeline, I will admit that that is a problem. Not only is the spare hard to access, but it's donut. Both are bad decisions by Honda.
But are run flats even a good idea on a truck? I used to own a truck when my wife and I first bought our house. We are pretty typical homeowners, and used our truck for pretty typical chores. It never failed that when I would get a flat, the bed would be loaded down with something. Even with rock / dirt / mulch in bagged form (even if it isn't dumped directly into the bed) will add up weight wise in a hurry. I wouldn't feel comfortable hauling several hundred pounds in the back of a truck with a run flat or a donut.
Sure, a lot of owners of RLs may never haul anything in them, but if you are engineering a truck, you need to always assume that it will be used for hauling.
Not to mention towing. If I am pulling a 25' ski boat behind a RL, and I get a flat tire, I know I wouldn't continue to tow it with a run flat or a spare.
People can try to spin the sales figures however they want, fact is the TL is kicking asphalt.
Funny thing is I don't think Acura is BMW's biggest threat. BMW is its own worst enemy, beginning with the styling, and perhaps extending to the issue of losing enthusiast appeal by continuing to add frivilous content.
Acura is capitalizing on an expanding segment, giving new-to-the-segment customers what they want when they move up from their Accords.
Sample the NAV system on both. My 6 year old can operate the Acura's touch screen. My older brother (PhD) could not figure out iDrive.
On the issue of pickups, I think I'd pick a Tacoma if only because you can get a 6 speed manual tranny.
18,xxx people considered a Honda pickup to meet their needs. That's 18,xxx more than last year...
How's that Return of GM's might doin? The giveaway has been extended to those willing to settle on a mediocre product for big $$$ back huh... not good.
I think Honda was shooting for 50K this year. That comes out to 4,167 per month. Honda sold 3,911 in July. So yes, they are a bit behind on their monthly average. Does that spell failure? Hardly.
Tha age old problem...where do you put the stupid spare tire?
If you've ever laid on your back in the mud (as I have) UNDER the back of an old Chevy pickup, in the dark, struggling with the rusted bracket that held the spare tire, you might think the Ridgeline's spare location isn't so bad!
You put it where it's readily accessable when you have load in the bed—and you don't give a pickup a donut!
I've had 3 flats this past year; one in each vehicle we own. I'd also wager that trucks get more flats than cars do, simply because trucks are abused more, often carry more weight, and drive more often on poor (or no) roads than do cars.
The truck I used to have had the spare under the bed. To access it, you just inserted part of the jack handle extension into a slot in the rear bumper and rotated it. The spare would drop to the ground - attached to a cable with a bracket on the end of it - and then you wouldslide the tire from underneath the truck and unhook the clamp that attached the cable to the tire. All in all, pretty simple - although the tire did get pretty dirty under the truck. That truck was a 2000 model with Michelin tires (all pretty new technology). I think over the 5 years that I had it I got 4 flats, 2 of which while carrying typical homeowner, yard care type products in the bed. Sure glad I didn't have to unload my truck to change my tire.
Again, I am not bashing the RL - I would consider one if I were in the truck market. I just think this particular aspect of it is a poor design - And I'm sure the poor guy I saw unloading the 20 sheets of plywood on the shoulder of that busy road the other week would agree with me!!!
It's all a compromise. Sure, Honda could have put a full sized spare under the rear but they would have lost most of that nifty trunk that people love so much.
Since you get so many flats I guess I can see why this is such a big deal to you.
I can't remember having a flat in more than 20 years so I don't care and I think most people would feel the way I do except maybe you and the guy who had to unload all of that plywood!
I agree, and fell sorry for that guy with all the plywood...
What Honda should have done is put a fullsize spare in a fully enclosed, weather-proof tub, under the rear of the vehicle like other pickups, and have it lowered via a crank just below the tailgate. The only disadvantage would be that the rear bed trunk would have to be shallower, as there would need to be room for the spare. You could still have a bed trunk, just one that's not as deep.
Either that or design it with a bit more rear overhang that would allow a fullsize spare to be stored vertically inside the rear fender. That way you could keep the deep bed trink.
was glancing through the sales charts, and for all that has been made of the fact that Accord sales are significantly down, they are still 1/3 higher than those of the Altima, and 1/3 higher than those of the G6 and Malibu COMBINED. Toss in the LaCrosse if you like and it matches the sales pace of all three combined, using little or no fleet sales. It is still comfortably in the number two place among sedan sales. Not to mention, if they stay on the pace they have right now, they will only end the year down some 30K, which is less than a 10% drop I believe. And a single digit decline, I think, COULD be explained by the fierce cash incentives being put on by the other car companies.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I can't remember having a flat in more than 20 years so I don't care and I think most people would feel the way I do except maybe you and the guy who had to unload all of that plywood!
Don't get me wrong, I love the Ridgeline, but this is one area Honda blew it. Most compact trucks come with fullsize spares and all 1/2-ton fullsize trucks come with fullsize spares. Truckmakers do this for a reason—trucks need fullsize spares. I think Honda is going to live to regret this decision.
I haven't looked closely at the belly of the RL, but I had originally wondered if there was room to stick a plastic enclosure for the spare between the front of the trunk compartment and the back of the cab (under the truck). Then the pulley setup could be implemented to lower the spare (inside the enclosure), and then it could be pulled out from under the truck from one of the sides. Again, this was the first thing that came to mind for me - not having ever looked under a RL.
Obviously this would have to be engineered around the driveshaft and exhaust components.
Oh, I don't think so but I do understand where you are coming from.
Most people don't care about the size of the spare tire and these same people would MUCH rather have a nice deep trunk than a full sized spare they know they will probably never use.
Honda tries to please the masses and in doing so will always make a few people unhappy in the process. I've shown a lot of Ridgelines and I have yet to hear one person complain.
Funny...the age of the customer has a lot to do with their dislike of a compact spare. The old guys are the ones who say..." I hope it doesn't have one of those damm DONUTS"
It has to be remembered that modern compact spares can be driven much furthur and at higher speeds than the ones 30 years ago could. These "old" guys remember those days and they remember inner tubes and the days when flat tires were a monthly occasion.
Isell - Would it really matter if the trunk were made smaller in order to have the spare somewhere other than in the trunk? What I am getting at, is if you can't use part of the trunk anyway because the spare is taking up room in there - would it really be a big deal to make the trunk a little smaller in order ot bypass sticking the spare inside it?
You can't be serious, either that or you're not selling to truck people.
Yeah, I'm one of those old guys (60). One thing that comes with age, and that is wisdom. If the (young) idiots want donuts, all I can say is I hope their Ridgeline gets a flat while pulling their 5K boat trailer, and they have to use that donut to drive 50 miles to get it replaced.
Well that's the problem. Until Honda understands that pickups are not cars, and that there are some "compromises" that you don't make, and the spare tire is one of them.
If you've been following any of my posts here on the Ridgeline, you know I am a huge fan of the vehicle. This issue, however, they screwed up up BIG TIME.
You're in Towson right. I'm in Ellicott City. I should stop by your dealer to argue with you so that you can say you've had at least one customer who disagrees with American Honda on this issue. :P
The only disadvantage would be that the rear bed trunk would have to be shallower
Then you'd lose the swiming pool for the kids! LOL
Bob - we gotta switch you to de-caf.
I agree, by the way, I don't want a donut, but I also acknowledge that most Ridgeline shoppers will never notice, and most of the ones that would are loyal domestic buyers.
i don't feel sorry for that guy who had the flat and had take all the plywood out to get to the spare. if he had read the edmunds 'ridge threads he would have seen my 'observation' about that, months ago. i guess honda's don't come with roadside assistance? they probably would have taken one look and kept on driving by (nope, can't find him).
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Yes and no. The primary target audience is current Honda car owners, who who would like (or need) a truck; but yeah, Honda would certainly like to add some traditional light truck owners to the mix too. Those are the folks Honda could have some problems reaching.
Ah... you're not the only one who has pointed that along the way. I screamed about it back in January when I saw it at the Detroit show, and many times since. It's just become "topical" again.
I also saw a test on one of the TV motorhead magazines where they "tested" a run flat on a sports car at speed over 100 mph and on the skidpad. The tire performed just like any other tire. While i would rather have a full sized spare, since I would prefer not to use it at all, and would only have it on the truck for less that a day, I don't see it as much of a problem. Those "donuts" perform just fine. Considering the size of the bed, they won't be carrying that much in the RL and if you are towiing....There are 3 other tires to pull the load. I'm sure the AWD system can deal with the difference in traction. If you can afford the RL you should be able to afford the annual $69-$99 road service.
"Perfectly sorted vehicle dynamics" is impossible with FWD."
True. I only posted the sales figures because they illustrate how little a good chunk of the market cares about perfectly sorted vehicle dynamics. I willingly concede that RWD is ultimately better for performance. I just don't think people care about performance enough to make it worth Honda's while. Not when they can get 90% of the way there with FWD and even closer with AWD for far less money.
Would it [the TL] sell worse if it were RWD or AWD like the G35 and 3 series?"
If the switch were free, sales would be the same. But that's impossible. Honda would need a whole new factory line to accomplish the switch. One of the major reasons why the TL is so affordable is because it's Accord-based.
Comments
"Why is it that whenever C&D compares trucks the most carlike one wins?...you even cited the Tacoma's being too much like a truck as a low point...the Ridgeline was the worst at off-road driving in your comparison...God forbid a TRUCK would win a comparison of TRUCKS!"
"I work for a Honda dealership and basically, what you have with the Ridgeline is a Pilot with a little box. It has unibody construction with an engine more suited to a car...trucks aren't supposed to be carlike to be proper trucks. Trucks are workhorses, plain and simple. Every truck (in the comparo) but the Honda is a workhorse."
"The Ridgeline is in another league alright, the minor league....is that a temporary spare? No truck has a temporary spare."
"If you did a comparison with no Honda in it, a Honda would still win. Come on"
I would tend to agree, seeing as I like offroading. The Ridge seems more like another version of the minivan, only weighing even more and having a box instead of a third row. But I sure would like to see what Honda could do if it chose to make a real truck. They could start small - a true compact BOF truck from Honda would probably outsell Ranger in its very first year.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
You gotta put it in context, these guys like to drive and live in the 'burbs of Detroit. They get a little snow, sure, but they go to Home Depot to pick up a dozen bags of mulch, not gravel dumped straight in the bed.
-juice
But, as others have pointed out, it is NOT a valid competitor to a Tacoma or Frontier. It's a modern day El Camino, plain and simple. C&D (and other mags) have managed to "Blur" the lines a bit with these comparos. In reality, the Ridge should be profiled as its own segment.
Must do a comparo? put it up against an Explorer ST or Baja.
I get a bit ticked reading the comments in the mags and on message boards trashing the Ridgeline for not having an 8 liter diesel and the abiltity to tow 20 thousand lbs. Go back to your farms, enjoy your 1 ton F350 or Cummins 3500. The Ridgeline is obviously not for you...
BTW, this is not directed at anyone on this board, purely a subjective comment.
I do remember the C&D article people were referencing, and remember thinking that the Tacoma came close to a win but lost out because of slow slalom speeds and trucky steering. Well, yeah, it's a truck!
Now, if C&D is not Truck & Towing and is just going to rate every truck on how "car-ish" it is, well then they should stop rating trucks, seems to me. They could stick to the ever-burgeoning group of car-based SUVs and still have plenty to write about.
It seems that Toyota has chosen not to update the Corolla for MY '06, and Cobalt is poised to overtake it in compact car sales. I bet the '06 Civic will turn all that on its head and take the compact sales prize next year. :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
It's a volume seller so Ford will sacrifice some sales for the changeover. I guess the Explorer is even more important so that gets priority treatment.
-juice
gearhead1, "Honda Ridgeline SUT" #1439, 9 Aug 2005 6:12 pm
Bob
Just because it handles and feels more like a car than a truck can't be a bad thing. Unless you like a jittery and ill handling ride found on all of the body on frame pickups.
It's still as capable as the other trucks in the C&D comparo, but it looks different and feels different. Does that make the Ridgeline any less of a truck? No. It still hauls as much as the competition, makes similar amount of horsepower, and tows similar loads.
People tend to resist change, maybe because they're afraid to be different. Same thing (bashing) went on when the first Civic came out and was about 1/2 the size of your average "compact" in the 70's, everyone dismissed it as a passing fad, nobody wanted to drive a "tin box". Same thing happened when seatbelts and airbags were mandated, etc....
I find the people that bash the Ridgeline the most are the ones who are upside down in their lease or 72 month finance payments on a Dakota, S10, or Sport Trac, pay arm and a leg for the gas to fill up their V8, and never use their truck to its full potential, but want to feel better about the situation they're in so they just gang up on the new and different kid on the block.
I have never had anyone who drives a Toyota or Nissan PU bash the Ridgeline as much as the domestic guys do.
Just my observation from work.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Bob
But El Caminos were very handsome machines, particularly from 1966-72. Ridgelines aren't.
I looked at one tonight at the Honda dealer. I like Hondas, but that Ridgeline has a face that only a Honda stylist could love. At least the all-new Civic and restyled Accord have me interested...unlike, say, GM, where, until very recently, the only vehicles worth looking at were the trucks and SUVs (except for the Corvette - out of my price range). Which isn't good if you don't want a truck or an SUV.
I am assuming the spare tire is kept in the storage compartment in the bed instead of under the bed like a traditional truck??? The reason I say this is because I saw a guy with a RL pulled over on the side of the road with a flat rear tire. He had about 20 sheets of 4x8 plywood in the bed, and he was unloading them right there on the shoulder (I am assuming so he could get to the spare). I guess when it comes to some things, you don't really need a better mousetrap.
Side note: I was NOT a fan of the current accord (exterior) but it's gowing on me... still not my favorite like the gen 6 but not as horrible as I once thought.
Bob
Bob
Sure, a lot of owners of RLs may never haul anything in them, but if you are engineering a truck, you need to always assume that it will be used for hauling.
Funny thing is I don't think Acura is BMW's biggest threat. BMW is its own worst enemy, beginning with the styling, and perhaps extending to the issue of losing enthusiast appeal by continuing to add frivilous content.
Acura is capitalizing on an expanding segment, giving new-to-the-segment customers what they want when they move up from their Accords.
Sample the NAV system on both. My 6 year old can operate the Acura's touch screen. My older brother (PhD) could not figure out iDrive.
On the issue of pickups, I think I'd pick a Tacoma if only because you can get a 6 speed manual tranny.
-juice
How's that Return of GM's might doin? The giveaway has been extended to those willing to settle on a mediocre product for big $$$ back huh... not good.
Seems a few UNHAPPY ridgeline owners are posting some serious
problems on a supposed "superior" product...............
HAH......can't be true.........................
To think those sheep paid FULL price too...........................
I'd say they are well ahead of forecasts, then. Wasn't it supposed to do about 40k/year in volume?
I'm shocked that it's sold that many already. I'm sure they'll have to increase production to meet demand.
Rome was not built in a day, but if that number is right it's been quite successful.
-juice
http://www.aicautosite.com/editoria/asmr/svtruck.asp
Bob
Tha age old problem...where do you put the stupid spare tire?
If you've ever laid on your back in the mud (as I have) UNDER the back of an old Chevy pickup, in the dark, struggling with the rusted bracket that held the spare tire, you might think the Ridgeline's spare location isn't so bad!
I've had 3 flats this past year; one in each vehicle we own. I'd also wager that trucks get more flats than cars do, simply because trucks are abused more, often carry more weight, and drive more often on poor (or no) roads than do cars.
Bob
Again, I am not bashing the RL - I would consider one if I were in the truck market. I just think this particular aspect of it is a poor design - And I'm sure the poor guy I saw unloading the 20 sheets of plywood on the shoulder of that busy road the other week would agree with me!!!
-juice
It's all a compromise. Sure, Honda could have put a full sized spare under the rear but they would have lost most of that nifty trunk that people love so much.
Since you get so many flats I guess I can see why this is such a big deal to you.
I can't remember having a flat in more than 20 years so I don't care and I think most people would feel the way I do except maybe you and the guy who had to unload all of that plywood!
What Honda should have done is put a fullsize spare in a fully enclosed, weather-proof tub, under the rear of the vehicle like other pickups, and have it lowered via a crank just below the tailgate. The only disadvantage would be that the rear bed trunk would have to be shallower, as there would need to be room for the spare. You could still have a bed trunk, just one that's not as deep.
Either that or design it with a bit more rear overhang that would allow a fullsize spare to be stored vertically inside the rear fender. That way you could keep the deep bed trink.
Bob
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Don't get me wrong, I love the Ridgeline, but this is one area Honda blew it. Most compact trucks come with fullsize spares and all 1/2-ton fullsize trucks come with fullsize spares. Truckmakers do this for a reason—trucks need fullsize spares. I think Honda is going to live to regret this decision.
Bob
Obviously this would have to be engineered around the driveshaft and exhaust components.
Most people don't care about the size of the spare tire and these same people would MUCH rather have a nice deep trunk than a full sized spare they know they will probably never use.
Honda tries to please the masses and in doing so will always make a few people unhappy in the process. I've shown a lot of Ridgelines and I have yet to hear one person complain.
Funny...the age of the customer has a lot to do with their dislike of a compact spare. The old guys are the ones who say..." I hope it doesn't have one of those damm DONUTS"
It has to be remembered that modern compact spares can be driven much furthur and at higher speeds than the ones 30 years ago could. These "old" guys remember those days and they remember inner tubes and the days when flat tires were a monthly occasion.
Heck I'm almost that old myself!
Yeah, I'm one of those old guys (60). One thing that comes with age, and that is wisdom. If the (young) idiots want donuts, all I can say is I hope their Ridgeline gets a flat while pulling their 5K boat trailer, and they have to use that donut to drive 50 miles to get it replaced.
Bob
Again...it's all a compromise. I have watched a lot of people buy a car or NOT buy a car over something that I consider very trivial.
Honda simply made the decision they thought was best. I guess time will tell if they were right?
If you've been following any of my posts here on the Ridgeline, you know I am a huge fan of the vehicle. This issue, however, they screwed up up BIG TIME.
You're in Towson right. I'm in Ellicott City. I should stop by your dealer to argue with you so that you can say you've had at least one customer who disagrees with American Honda on this issue. :P
Bob
Then you'd lose the swiming pool for the kids! LOL
Bob - we gotta switch you to de-caf.
I agree, by the way, I don't want a donut, but I also acknowledge that most Ridgeline shoppers will never notice, and most of the ones that would are loyal domestic buyers.
-juice
No idea where Towson is. I'm in the Seattle area.
Bob
Isn't that the point of the Ridgeline?
i guess honda's don't come with roadside assistance? they probably would have taken one look and kept on driving by (nope, can't find him).
So, lemme get this straight.
1. The spare tire is one of those tiny ones?
2. To get at the spare, you have to remove whatever might be in the truck bed?
Is this correct?
Bob
Bob
Bob
True. I only posted the sales figures because they illustrate how little a good chunk of the market cares about perfectly sorted vehicle dynamics. I willingly concede that RWD is ultimately better for performance. I just don't think people care about performance enough to make it worth Honda's while. Not when they can get 90% of the way there with FWD and even closer with AWD for far less money.
Would it [the TL] sell worse if it were RWD or AWD like the G35 and 3 series?"
If the switch were free, sales would be the same. But that's impossible. Honda would need a whole new factory line to accomplish the switch. One of the major reasons why the TL is so affordable is because it's Accord-based.