Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Honda Ridgeline SUT

145791054

Comments

  • atlgaxtatlgaxt Member Posts: 501
    Yes, liftover will be tougher because of the tall sides. Buy you got to give it to Honda, it seems like they always think of everything.

     

    I'll bet the high liftover is why they have the tailgate that folds down or swings to the side. With a 5' bed, it seems that it should be easy enough to load from the back with the tailgate swung to the side.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I think the main reason for the 2-way rear gate, is for easy access to the under the floor trunk. It's also easier to access the bed in general too I would think.

     

    Bob
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    would be a Ridgeline HD, in addition to the current model. This would have the following standard:

     

    • 2000 – 2300 lb. payload.

     

    • 6-speed automatic.

     

    • A HD version of Honda's SH-AWD, with a permanent rearward power bias, and include a 2-speed transfer case.

     

    • 6000 towing. The above mentioned 6-speed tranny would allow for that, with a low 1st gear.

     

    • Larger 265 tires, possibly LT-rated.

     

    • Standard front and rear tow hooks. They're optional now.

     

    • Full-size spare.

     

    • A larger engine would be nice, but I'm not sure if it would be needed, if the 6-speed auto tranny I suggested comes with it.

     

    • One or two 120v outlets in the bed, like the new Tacoma.

     

    Bob
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    I think I'd rather see an extended cab with a smaller back bench and a bed over 6' long. It would require more extensive modifications to the unibody section of the chassis, but I think Honda would get more sales with the extra configuration.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Has anyone here stood next to an F-150 4WD? You're not going to be lifting anything over the side of that bed anywhere along it's length unless you're the height of Yao Ming!!
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,762
    Bingo! That's why I love my '69 stepside. It was a stepside with real steps.

     

    I agree with the HD. I wouldn't mind seeing one with Bob's config except an extended bed in addition. I mean, 2300# payload is great, but give me some space in there to fit that much! Other than the added length of wheelbase, I enjoy an 8' bed because of the flexibility it provides. With gate open, I hauled a load of 20' culverts in the back of my p/u. Any shorter bed would have required a trailer. A 6' - 6.5' bed is a good compromise on a rig that is worked as much (or nearly as much) as it is used for commuting/recreation.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    I know quite a few P/U owners who have put wheel-to-wheel step rails under the sides of their trucks. it gives them a place to step up when loading from the side. However, like many other full cabs, the Ridgeline has the bulk of its bed behind the rear wheel. That solution isn't going to work.

     

    Hey Honda! Build a retractable step into the underside of the rear fender.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Even step rails don't work all that well IMHO. Ever try lifting something bulky or heavy and then try to step on a 4" wide tube that may be mounted inside the body curve? Not very graceful.
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    LOL. I've lifted plenty of "relatively" heavy stuff onto the roof of my CR-V using step rails. I agree it's a bit precarious, but it's better than pressing the load over my head!
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    the Ford we need to be looking at is the new Sportrac on the IRS Explorer chassis.

     

    Anyone have specs on it, I bet it goes head to head with the Ridgeline.

     

    John
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    Tim, it is easy to make a "soft" vehicle that rides like a boat. The beauty of all wheel independent suspension is that it can be both soft and very responsive.

     

    I had a 66'Mustang that was very soft, but everytime I hit a bump on a curve under acceleration the whole rear end would pick up and shift a couple inches. The Ridgeline greatly reduces this problem--but the Avalanche still suffers from it, no matter how much engineering is put into it.

     

    John
  • ergoergo Member Posts: 56
    Honda's Ridgeline states use of the VTM-4 ("Variable Torque Management 4WD") which is currently available on the Pilot.

     

    To quote Car and Driver's Honda Pilot test:

     

    "The Pilot's standard VTM-4 system has a dashboard switch that locks both rear half-shafts (there's no center or rear differential), but it operates in just the 1st 2 gears and unlocks at 18mph. Otherwise, the system runs primarily in front drive and sends torque to the rear wheels when wheelspin is sensed up front."

     

    That is incredible. I can see the pissed off rednecks now wondering WTH!

     

    This would be a deal breaker for many IMHO.
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    we can't compare the Pilot VTM-4 with the Ridgeline. Look at some of the other posts above, the Ridgleline VTM-4 is configured differently than both the Pilot and the MDX. We don't have all the news yet on its specs.

     

    Why do you see a deal breaker? Pilot owners have rave reviews over its AWD ability.

     

    John
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,256
    this thread is funny. honda owners who never had a pickup. pickup owners who never had a honda. :)
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • akasurfakasurf Member Posts: 3
    All I can say is when you have to change a tranny in that FixOrRepairDaily I bet you had bought the Honda! Of course when it comes to [non-permissible content removed] cars as far as I am concerned the best one is the Subaru. Audi and Volvo use the drivetrain design developed by Subaru! It doesn't get any better than that! But a Ford...not on a bet! I now own a Dodge 1 ton, but we have had Honda products, Nissan, Toyota, Mitsu, Subaru, Mazda, and we have also had Fords. But never again! Spent more time in the shop than at my house!
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Audi and Volvo use the drivetrain design developed by Subaru!

     

    Not even being close to being true... Each of these brands developed their own AWD drivetrains, and owe nothing to Subaru, in any way shape or form.

     

    That's not meant as slap against Subaru. Being the owner of two, as well as being a Subaru Crew co-leader here at Edmunds, I truly love the brand. Just trying to set the facts straight, nothing more...

     

    Bob
  • ecotrklvrecotrklvr Member Posts: 519
    explorerx4 -

     

    I knew there was something weird about this forum. You've hit it right on the head. But this is perfect, in its own way - I've owned two pickups and three SUV's (one a Honda); and the Ridgeline uniqueness does appeal to me. It's got some things that made the pickups undesirable (secure storage under-bed) - and the true 4-passenger seating with real off-road and towing capability has it all over my current SUV (well, Highlander). Neat little package. No wonder so many new-to-the-market folks are here. Can't wait to test drive one.
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    yep, I have had them all---an F-150 2wd extended cab, and Isuzu Trooper 4wd, and a Subaru Forester AWD. Best car by far is the Subaru. Most utilitarian for my needs--the pickup. Since I drive offroad on farm roads, I need the AWD. This vehicle should combine everything I have needed. Can't wait to look at one, but I can be patient to buy one. I would like better mpg (at least 24 highway) before I buy.

     

    John
  • ergoergo Member Posts: 56
    It's a deal breaker even to my buddy who was going to buy one (and trade his Tundra). Now he won't be doing it. FWD is killing this truck platform. Remember the VW rabbit truck?

     

    Honda is calling it "RUGGED" as the 1st word in their advertisement. I think this will likely do them a disservice in the long run.

     

    If you have driven a Pilot (I have) and raved about its off-road ability, you must have little to compare it to. I tried to get my parents to look at one. They test drove it and said it was by far the worst test drive in their opinion. I agreed after driving one and comparing it to the competition.

     

    I wish Honda luck, but they are shooting themselves in the foot by marketing this truck as something it is not.
  • ergoergo Member Posts: 56
    I've owned 3 Hondas...our family 5. Good vehicles for what they are. Not a pick-up though!
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    "Look at some of the other posts above, the Ridgleline VTM-4 is configured differently than both the Pilot and the MDX."

     

    We don't know that. It is possible that the Ridgeline uses a new design. It has not been confirmed.

     

    Ergo - Just out of curiousity... what does the Pilot have to do with the capabilities of the Ridgeline?
  • ecotrklvrecotrklvr Member Posts: 519
    Well, I for one am going to wait and see just how this VTM-4 tests out. I own a little CR-V with it's RT4WD. It ain't rugged, but it does a good job doing what it's designed to do. You can really go thru some snow and mud with them - more than you might think. I'm not going to pull any stumps with it, but Honda doesn't say the CR-V will do that, and I live in a condo anyway.

     

    There's no reason that such a front-wheel-drive-until-slip-is-detected system couldn't be made to be rugged. With fast-acting electronics, this could work just fine for many people's needs. It just depends how much they designed into the strength of the driveline. I'm sure there's plenty of folks that want a solid rear axle w/ an LSD. I would have preferred this for myself, and would have bought a 2005 Tacoma weeks ago but for the teething problems it has had. I do trust Honda to have designed something that won't break their bank with warrantee claims on broken drivelines.
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    well, what do we know--up to 70% of the power can be transmitted to the rear wheels. That is different than both Pilot and MDX.

     

    High rear wheel power per centages are critical for this vehicle's success, I agree. It is designed to do some towing, and FWD only just won't cut it.

     

    John
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    Hmmm... to the best of my knowledge the VTM-4 system in the MDX was upgraded for the 2004 MY with the ability to transfer up to 70% of the engine's torque to the rear axles.
  • robertsmxrobertsmx Member Posts: 5,525
    It isn't the driver but the truck and its mechanicals that will do the job. As long as it works well, who cares what the torque split is like?
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    it does make a difference in hard driving situations (eg towing, accelerating, curves, etc.). But you are right, in normal everyday situations the torque split is invisible.

     

    Subie enthusiasts report that the manual transmission, with its 50/50 split, takes the curves better than the auto which has a 90/10 up to 70/30 front rear. In theory, the manual tranny should tow better too (kind of a moot question for a Subie though, since few owners utilize this feature much).

     

    John
  • robertsmxrobertsmx Member Posts: 5,525
    It better be invisible. Thats all that should matter to you and me. And with a smart system that VTM-4 is, split is based on need rather than fixed (disregarding optimal conditions).
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=8069

     

    The only error I saw was that they mentioned a 1100 pound payload. That's incorrect, or at least misleading. The payload is over 1500 pounds, of which 1100 can be in the bed.

     

    Bob
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    Technically, he did get it right.

     

    "And with a full payload of 1100 lb in addition to occupants on board, it is every bit the “half-ton” pickup that represents the benchmark for American imaginations."

     

    :-)

     

    But thanks for the link. That was an entertaining review.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Oops! You're right! :)

     

    Bob
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    this test drive info adds to the AWD and IRS discussions above. This vehicle is like no other pickup out there, all GOOD modifications too.

     

    "Thanks to impressive stiffness, moreover, the Ridgeline sets benchmarks of its own. In slalom runs with and without maximum payload, the Ridgeline’s handling was razor sharp and scarcely different in either condition. Meantime, rivals like Ford’s Explorer Sport Trac and Toyota’s Tacoma impersonated wallowing whales toting identical loads through identical twists and turns on the slalom course."

     

    "Four-wheel independent suspension and anti-lock disc brakes ensure sports-car manners unlike any traditional pickup’s. The Ridgeline marries this handling precision to a full-time “VTM-4” all-wheel-drive powertrain with locking rear differential and computerized “VSM” stability control. In foothills northeast of Southern California’s Torrey Pines National Forest , the Ridgeline scaled 23-degree ridgeline slopes, crossed calf-deep streams and negotiated obstructive rocks and berms. For all of the infelicities of the trail, however, nary a squeak nor groan emanated from the Ridgeline’s innovative unibody cockpit."

     

    John
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    Stop Bob I don't want to read anymore!

     

    (John falling off the fence and not as appreciative of Forester today as yesterday).
  • granite_statergranite_stater Member Posts: 26
    Not really much in the way of real "test drive" information... wish that was more in-depth.

     

    Good point about Honda's approach to the pickup truck market as somewhat shattering the stereotypical approach.

     

    I love the responses here from "truck guys" that complain about the Ridgeline not being a "real truck" (Heck, Edmunds disses it in it's little blurb, calling it "not much of a real truck") and go on to bag on it's appearance as their chief concern.

     

    Well, isn't that a bit prissy? Sheesh.

     

    I guess that's the only thing they have to hang their hat on given that when compared to other crew cab mid-sizes, the Ridgeline is very much a "real truck". In fact, it has class leading attributes in many areas, and as the article points out... it's body on frame construction may well be a superior way to build a truck.

     

    Each day I'm more convinced that this is the RIGHT truck for me... can't wait to test drive it!

     

    Granite

     

    p.s. The looks are starting to grow on me.. it's not "Aztek Fugly" and it certainly wouldn't cause me to not buy it.
  • granite_statergranite_stater Member Posts: 26
    I thought on the video that the 1500 lb. payload rating was independant of the # of occupants in the vehicle... I believe he called it "a true 1500 lb. payload) or something like that.

     

    ?????

     

    Granite
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    Honda has been billing it as an "Honest 1/2 ton." Meaning that it can haul a half ton in the bed as well as passengers with bags.

     

    I guess other trucks were rated half ton, but only if the driver was riding solo. I don't think that's true of recent designs (Taco, Frontier, etc). It's probably a claim Honda came up with when they began designing the Ridgeline a few years ago.
  • granite_statergranite_stater Member Posts: 26
    Just re-watched the video... it's 1100 lbs. plus 450 of passenger.

     

    Plenty enough for my needs 99% of the time.

     

    Granite
  • atlgaxtatlgaxt Member Posts: 501
    Man Oh Man I am drooling in anticipation. Honda's "clean sheet" approach looks like it will result in one awesome vehicle, which should meet the needs of most truck buyers, while dramatically reducing the inherent short comings associated with trucks.

     

    The only reservation I have is regarding the off road capability, including the lack of a low range. But I noticed that Honda says the first gear has been made fairly low, so maybe that compensates some.

     

    Also, my experience has been with part time 4wd trucks with locked center differentials, where in certain situations I have had difficulty, probably due to binding, so I have had to use low in certain situations such as making tight turns. It may be with Honda's system and no binding, it may not be as big a deal.

     

    I am also not clear as to if the traction control works side to side. It said that the system can brake a front wheel, transferring torque and acting like an lsd. The back is not a typical differential, so it is unclear to me if one of the back tires could spin freely in a low traction situation.

     

    Otherwise, thank you Bob for the very informative links.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    My pleasure. :)

     

    Bob
  • robertsmxrobertsmx Member Posts: 5,525
    Ridgeline has stability control w/traction control which works independently on all four wheels. And with VTM-4, power is sent to rear wheel (up to 70% of the total) when gas pedal is depressed.
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    Edmunds has their "First Drive" published, as well. Honda gave the press the opportunity to compare the Ridgeline with some interesting test scenarios.

     

    Atlgaxt - The two rear wheels may be locked together (via clutch packs in the rear diff). This results in something more or less like the lockers you may have used on older trucks. It only works on the rear wheels and effectively locks them together. This is only to be used on slippery surfaces.

     

    The front wheels are powered by an open differential. Normally, if one wheel slips, all power is send out to the side with the least resistance. So, the "loose" wheel will spin freely. Traction Control is used by the Ridgeline (and many, many other vehicles) to keep that kind of loose spin under control. TC brakes the spinning wheel, so that power is routed back to the other front wheel.

     

    It ain't perfect, but it's a simple solution that doesn't require a great deal of cost.
  • atlgaxtatlgaxt Member Posts: 501
    Thanks. When I read about the locking, I was not sure if that meant the two rear wheels were locked together (side to side) or if it just meant that the system was acting like a locked center differential, evenly splitting power between the front and back.

     

    In my driving I have actually put my truck through a couple of good sized streams, with depths of 18" to 24". Honda said that stream fording was one of the capabilities they included, with the air intake placed just below the hood. I wonder how deep the Ridgeline is rated for?
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,256
    are designed for towing, not payload. if you want more payload, you buy the next model up (150-250, 1500-2500).
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • granite_statergranite_stater Member Posts: 26
    ... why did she insist on comparing it to an F-150?

     

    Duh?

     

    And her cost comparisons are another form of intellectualy dishonesty. If you're going to compare the Ridgeline to the F-150, at least quote the MSRP of the least expensive Crew Cab model... not the cheapest regular cab model!

     

    More apt comparisons are the mid size pick-ups, the Chevy Avalanche, and the Explorer Sport Trac.

     

    Granite

     

    p.s. Keep posting those reviews!
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    It was written by Anita Leinhart - juice loves her work! :)
  • granite_statergranite_stater Member Posts: 26
    has my juices flowing!

     

    I just called the local Honda dealer to see when they would get thier first one... they're looking into it.

     

    It's going to be agonizing to wait to buy one if it turns out to be as good a vehicle in real life as it sounds like on paper/in reviews... and I absolutely refuse to pay full ticket.

     

    Maybe in the fall when the model year is changing?

     

    Sigh.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Doubt it - it's coming out as a 2006 model. Since projections are about 40-50K, I'll bet it'll be at least a year before you'll see discounts off of MSRP.
Sign In or Register to comment.