Went by dealer today and like the Ridgeline, lloovvee the tailgate, but have a question - What gives with the odd door handles up front (forgot to look at the back). Appears the mechanism to open the door is small but the handle around it is huge! What is the rational behind it or is it just styling?
I was playing with the Lease calculator on the Honda website and found something interesting. When I calculated the lease payments of a 2005 Honda Pilot w/leather with an MSRP of $32,835 for 36 months and 12K miles per year, the calculated monthly lease payment is $501.39
However, when I calculated it for a Ridgeline RTL w/moonroof with an MSRP of $33,155 for the same terms, the monthly payment jumped to $562.18
That's a 12% increase in payment cost for less than $300 in MSRP. That leads me to understand that Honda has determined that the potential resale value of a Ridgeline is less than a Pilot.
Considering that trucks typically have significantly high resale values, this has me concerned about paying full MSRP for a vehicle that Honda has perceived to not hold it's value as well as their other truck/suv counterparts.
Another thing about my test drive this weekend. Like someone else posted on this board, my Honda dealer received 4 Ridgelines on Tuesday of last week, but as of Sunday, they had only sold one, an RTL without the sunroof. Dealer had a secondary sticker on the windshield with $1,500 adjusted market value and $1K in added accessories (pinstriping, mud flaps, wheel locks, etc.). Dealer was very quick to eliminate the $1,500 markup without much pressure on my part, and almost as quickly wrote down the $1K in add-ons to only $300. Don't suspect we'll be seeing AMV on the Ridgelines for very long. May even be able to get one below MSRP in the not so distant future.
I am very interested in knowing where you were able to get a Ridgeline below MSRP. The closest I could get to MSRP is $250 over...trust me, it was hard to get to that point. According to the dealer I visited willing to sell at $250 over MSRP, they already sold 2 and are confident they will sell the one I was looking at within a week. I told them I was not interested in their offer and they did not hesitate to say "sorry" and off I went. I will let another month go by and try again. The dealer I spoke with said that many have looked but a lot of potential Honda owners can't justify the cost. Price is going to be a big issue with this car. Time will tell.
I bought the first Ridgeline at Anderson Honda in Palo Alto, CA. at MSRP from Robert Sahadi of the internet department . Other dealers are charging 2 to 5k over MSRP.
Today, I drove 100 miles from San Jose to San Francisco to break the car in. My first impression is that the ridgeline feels more solidly built compared to Tacoma. Although this is probably the most SUV-like truck and the smoothest truck ride on the market, my wife still got slightly truck-sick after a 2 hour ride. She usually drives the Acura TL.
I must say that I am very satisfied with this truck in terms of functionality and quality. Paying MSRP now is a fair deal to me. My experience in buying the TL is that price stayed at MSRP for about a year.
This truck is ideal for tailgating and Home Depot runs. It is borderline luxurious and comfortable for everyday use. Yet, sturdy enough for light truck loads.
I am a business person also. So setting prices is something I have to do on a daily basis. When it comes to markups on a car, I feel it should be MSRP with a hot car. The reason I say this is you get more good will and return of customers. Its easy to see. My grandfather pointed out that after WWII he came back and immediatley tried to get a car. There were dealers marking cars up 300 percent because they knew you had to pay it. Funny thing was every dealer that had the huge markups were out of business within just a few years after the factories got back to making cars. It just makes better business sense to think about the long term instead of the instant sale. I know I have bought a new car every 3 years for my wife of myself. Those who treat me right get my business. Jeff Dallas, Tx
I have the Ford Sports-Trac. One of the things that really bothers me with the ST is the handles for closing the doors. They sit right where my leg rubs them. After 3 years the silver has come off on all the handles. They look ugly. I think Honda wanted to make them big to grab but placed them in such a great spot that they will not tarnish from over wear. Good job Honda! JEff Dallas, TX
Are you sure it has anything to do with residual value? Did it give you the residual percentages? The price difference may be attributed to lease deals being offered on Pilots (i.e., low money factor and/or lease money) and not on the new Ridgeline.
If it is due to residual, I can buy that, too, because they might be basing the residual on something other than the Pilot's history (like maybe industry standard?) and will increase the residual percentages once the sales numbers play out over the next year or so.
'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
Honda doesn't come out and state the residual percentages, nor the rate factors. However, I still suspect it's residual value.
I ran the numbers on a Pilot EX without leather with a 36mo. term, 12K per year mileage allowance, and $1,999 capital cost reduction. The calculator came out to $392.39. However, Honda is currently advertising the same Pilot EX with the same terms for $279/mo. with their national promotion.
On a side note, the current Pilot lease rate is extraordinary. $279 for 36 months + $1,999 cap cost reduction only comes out to $12,043 in out of pocket payments for a vehicle with an MSRP of $30,635. Even if you assume that it's an interest free lease, that would mean that residual value of the Pilot is almost 61% after 3 years. Anyone in the market for leasing an SUV should take note. An interest free lease with a 61% residual value is awesome!
If Honda would come out with a similar lease promotion for the Ridgeline RTL for around the same lease rate, I'd probably be all over it. I realize that it's too soon for them to be doing this, but for those worried about how expensive this truck is (myself included), this would be a great way to get into this truck without breaking the bank.
My wife and I recently rolled (me driving) our Ford Ranger. This was her truck. She said she wanted something lower to the ground, so she bought a 2005 Mustang (Great car BTW). But now I need something to haul stuff. We have one of those great spec homes with the tiny garage, so my choices are limited. I looked at the Subaru Baja (poor resale) and the Honda Element (not bad but my wife thinks it is ugly). Guess I'll keep my Civic and call my Brother-in-law when I need to haul something.
But I drove the Ridgeline a couple of days ago and I was impressed. Honda made this truck for me. I wanted something different than all those grocery-gitters out there, and Honda made it. The Ridgeline won't be everything for everybody but its fits my every need. I was impressed with all the features. The storage under the bed and under the rear seat was great, but what about the AWD system? None of the pickups out there have a system this advanced.
I could go on, but I have gone on long enough. Buy it for what it is, not for what it ain't.
Hey ronaldp: If I'm not mistaken, the $1999 cap cost reduction includes the first payment. So, the total out-of-pocket payments are $11,764. I agree with your assessment that this IS extraordinary.
finally got to see a ridgeline. it turns out i like the front of the vehicle and the grill is actually nice( to me). it's not too chromy more like brushed aluminum. with everyone saying how large it was, i was actually surprised that it was smaller than what i expected. the trunk was nice and I did check out one ridgeline that had been hosed down to see if there was any leakage into the trunk. i didn't see any but as i lifted the trunk, water did drip down into it(still leary of that dusty spare from the video). there were small multiple drain holes near the lip of the trunk. it would probably be enough to prevent ice from expanding in the small space between the cover and the trunk. Interior wise- i'm not into leather but all of them were RTLs and i didn't think the leather was particularly nice(this comes from somebody who's never had leather interiors). the placement of the VSA and cruise controls was quite far down and explains why Gary Flint mistakenly hit the cruise button instead. the weird handles are something you can learn to love or tolerate(i'm the latter). back seats were not too comfortable but i haven't cross shopped pickups. the middle seat is hard on your back. i wish they just made it a regular seat instead of a combo seatback/console. test drove an rtl and listened for wind noise. it was a snowy blustery day and i did hear some but since the fastest i went was 60 mph it didn't seem too intrusive. i later test drove a pilot(same route) and it seemed to have the same amount of noise and later went the same route with my 00 ody and again similar levels. engine seemed peppy enough and seemed more nimble than the pilot. not being a car/truck guy i still found myself enjoying the throaty exhaust. went through some typical MI roads and the ridgeline had a softer ride over our potholes than the pilot, likely secondary to the bigger tires. the wipers seemed to have no problem sweeping cleanly right away. unfortunately, i don't think there was ice build up before we started the vehicle which is what i was more interested in as i think it may be difficult to scrape the windshield. i'd like to know how fast that heating element works. went to an empty snow covered parking lot and accelerated fast. good acceleration on the snow and stopped quickly too. I hit the brakes on the thickest snow cover to activate the abs. also felt the vsa kick in as we made a turn while accelerating on the snow. it was fun to drive and seemed smoother than my 00 ody. i'm sure that's saying a lot for a pickup. i really like it. i wish the back seats were more comfortable though. now i sit back for a few months to see what problems come up. the dealer was asking msrp but all of the cars had options thrown in. $772 was the towing package, the others i didn't pay attention to. too bad i didn't get to see the fabric on the rts. that would be the trim level of my choice.
Just took home a white RTL with sunroof. Price was msrp but they gave me an above average price on my trade in and they gave me 300 off of the 545 they were asking for the towing package.
Considering that Honda says that all the coolers and wiring that you need for towing is standard and all you need is a hitch, $500 to $700 sounds expensive to me. No doubt, this is another source of dealer profit during this initial high demand roll-out period.
The hitch, harness, pin, and ball retails for $545 per HandA - they sell it all for $426.00. There are 9 pages of instructions for installation including taking the dash apart and lowering part of the exhaust. I could see a trained tech taking a couple of hours to do it so IMHO $700 isn't out of line.
Intrigued by the news that Honda had jumped into the pickup market, I (traditionally a non-truck person) just test-drove the Ridgeline. As soon as I sat down in it I thought, "Zowie - an Accord on steroids!" The build quality and innovation I have come to expect in the seventeen years I've owned Hondas was present. This is one quiet truck, folks, and even the RT base model should satisfy many consumers. (Alas, the RT doesn't come with alloy wheels.) Reviewers have said the Ridgeline's designed for people like me, who've never owned a pickup before. I think they're right.
Does that include a electric trailer brake controller? If not Ouch!
Even if it does include a brake controller, most trucks/SUVs are pre-wired for brake controllers and they just snap in. Trailer lights are also just a snap-in plug. On a saturday morning "Truck" show they showed how to install one. It took like 10 minutes.
Hitch: $160 Ball, reciever and pin: $50 Brake controller: $80 to $120
Sorry to ask this question again, but I sense that my question was probably missed, due to my longish post. My dealer was unsure if aftermarket wheels/tires would cause problems for the tire pressure management system (TPMS) standard on every Ridgeline model. Anyone know?
It might not even have been 10 minutes. Position controller where you like, mark it, use two self tapping screws, connect the controller to the wiring harness. Done.
Really simple. I expected much more.
$700 is expensive since it doesn't include the brake controller or wiring which is pretty much a necessity. Wasn't the towing limit of the Ridgeline 1000 lbs if you didn't have trailer brakes?
It might not even have been 10 minutes. Position controller where you like, mark it, use two self tapping screws, connect the controller to the wiring harness. Done.
Oh - 10 minutes for the controller. I thought you meant the entire job.
From the instructions, I believe you are installing the wiring for the controller in the dash. The base wiring from the dash to the rear is factory installed.
All I was alluding to is that if the OEM hardware ran $500 than paying someone $200 to put it in seemed fine to me. I'm sure there will be aftermarket stuff available soon that will be less expensive.
Yes 10 minutes for the controller and to hook it up. But I've done other hitches and they take about 30 minutes total.
Chevy's Tow package for a Silverado is $300 MSRP factory installed. Includes everything except brake controller, ball and receiver. Or you can just use the standard bumper hitch for $0.
So $700 from Honda is expensive. Its better than the one for the Pilot. I was quoted Like $1200 for that towing package since it included coolers.
tankbro - the TPM systems only respond to variances between the wheel's RPM's, and wouldn't be affected by a tire swap. Now, the speedo accuracy is a different story.
It will be interesting to see the different market segments that purchase the Ridgeline. My guess is that there will be a pretty wide range of demographics. For young family guys, including guys who own Ford Sport Tracs and the like, the Ridgeline will be great but pricey -- and a bunch will buy in spite of the price. In a totally different demographic, I know a guy who looked at Caddy Truck (the EXT) last year, and didn't buy because it wouldn't fit in his garage. He is buying a Ridgeline, and getting it fixed up with the chrome wheels, fog lights and the rest. So the Ridgeline will be an item in common for a wide range of people.
You are right. We(my 17 year old son and I) are buying for tailgate party at Oakland A,s games. Wife thinks I am using for heavy duty hauling to make the family more income.
OK, so it looks like that Honda has two screw ups. A pickup should be ready to tow. It is silly that for a pickup you would need to take the dash apart and move the exhaust to do the required wiring and add the hitch. This is poor planning on Honda's part.
Also, I can't believe that foglights are not offered from the factory, and adding foglights requires some installation kit. My old Isuzu Rodeo came with foglights, and my cheap Mazda Pickup came with foglights and ready to tow, with all the wiring and hitch in place. My Subaru Forester comes with fog lights, and I paid the dealer $250 to add a hitch and the necessary wiring.
It would really aggravate me to spend over $1,000 for these two items on an already not cheap and otherwise fully loaded Ridgeline.
A hitch mfg will eventially come out with an aftermarket hitch for a fraction of the dealer's price. When I purchased my '01 Nissan Pathfinder, it was ready to tow 5000lbs, but a hitch wasn't included. The dealer wanted $500+ to install a hitch and the wiring. I went aftermarket and got a Hidden Hitch installed w/ the required wiring for around $200 and have been towing my 4500lb boat ever since. I did just buy a Suburban for a replacement since the Pathfinder would really strain once 4 people and a weeks worth of luggage is added.
As others have mentioned, the additional weight of people and gear will effect the tow capacity, this is why I purchased a Suburban to tow my boat so I can have my family and gear along and still be under the GVWR.
i think you are only looking at it from your angle. Honda has been about simplicity of models for quite some time. That's why it only offers a few set models and everything on them is standard, period. Anything else is added by the dealer. For these particular items, you are saying they should be included because you want them. But what about all those who don't want them? Then you would have them here complaining how Honda should have made them optional so that they wouldn't have to pay for them in the price. You can't make everyone happy (well, ok, you CAN by offering every little thing as an option, but then you slow production time and increase costs, and, as a result, increase prices).
'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
I was trying to avoid the tons of reading about TPMS, but your link was sufficient temptation to get me started. So now I'm off to do more research, dang it. Without checking into the details of TPMSs, I had gathered, especially from the concerns of the dealer (who were probably just more interested in convincing me to buy an RT-S they had stocked, and content with the alloys Honda offered) that the system probably used some internal device, part of the rim to do its job. Another post indicated that the system is based off individual wheel rotation contradictions. The Honda website says, "Standard on the Ridgeline, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with location indicators tells the driver when a tire is not properly inflated. Air-pressure sensors inside special valve stems in each of the four tires send signals to a monitoring unit mounted in the rear of the vehicle that relays the current air pressure to the display. If the air pressure of any tire falls more than 25% below optimum, the system will automatically alert the driver via the display. If the TPMS detects insufficient pressure, it automatically engages the VSA®.
Seems like the valves could be fitted to aftermarket rims, maybe not. Either way, when the concept was shown at SEMA it was fitted with different, more-dynamic looking wheels and tires. If the Ridgeline cannot be fitted with similar type (SEMA) tires/wheels (something I don't believe is likely), then Honda may have a liability issue brewing, with the bling-bling shown on the SEMA SUT. Also, thanks for the link. Hopefully U-haul will provide an aftermarket hitch, like they did for the Element, that will be just as affordable and easy to install.
For towing, yeah. My Astro was ordered with tow package which included hitch but no ball or slide in piece. Was prewired and set to go but then again I ordered it that way.
Fog lights - Who needs them. Came on my Impala and I can't hardly tell when they are on or off. No help in fog.
Don't get me wrong, I like the Ridgeline and want to buy one. But it still makes no sense to me to me to design a pickup that requires the dash to be taken apart and the exhaust system to be moved to add a hitch and wiring, especially when Honda prominently features the towing capability of this vehicle in all of their marketing. As I said, if a towing kit is $250 on a Subaru, there is no excuse for it to be so expensive and complicated on a pick-up.
And foglights should be an easy add-on, or should come on the high line version, especially when they come on so many cheaper vehicles like my crappy Mazda pickup. I pointed this out as these are the first real criticisms I could think of. You can like something and still objectively consider its shortcomings. I thought that is what these boards were about - to discuss positive and negative aspects of vehicles.
I agree, even as a 2 vehicle Honda owner, this stuff bothers me. Fog lights, tow packages, exterior temperature, auto dimming mirrors are rarely standard on models. They also are expensive and more difficult to install than they should be.
I recently had a chance to spend some time in a Ridgeline. These are my initial impressions:
First the bad: Hard plastics everywhere on the dash and door panels. I think this will be a rattle/sqeak trap in 4 years. The top end model with leather and rubber floors .....come on , give me a break! Fake Aluminum (plastic) on the door pulls will chip and flake or scratch off very quickly. Steering wheel position is akward. Dash is plain jane. Much smaller in person than the pictures indicate. Front end looks like a transformer. $1000 for a tow package....hahahahaha! I feel like the truck should be priced in the $23-28k range. 30k+ for this truck is asking alot.
Now the Good: The locking trunk is a winner. Nice concept and execution. Ditto for the 2-way tailgate. Good size vehicle. Lots of room in the back for 2 adults. Plenty of leg room. Nice driver's seat. Tires are sized well with the wheel wells. Nice drive and noise levels are low.
Conclusion: Honda should sell 50,000 of these easy.
Does anyone have specs on the bed size of the Ridgeline? It doesn't look like a 4'x 8' sheet of plywood would fit? Does Honda have an option for carrying standard sizes in a small bed?
49.5" between the wheelwells. It's the only midsize pickup that can claim that. So yes, 4x8 plywood can lay flat on the bed floor. With the tailgate down, it will stick out about 18," so make sure the paneling is tied down tight.
Response to Initial Impressions: As to leather with rubber floors: under the rubber mats is carpet. Steering adjusts in angle but does not telescope in and out. I would be curious as to whether others agree that it smaller in person than pictures indicate. To me, it felt larger. The width and the angled side give it a nice sense of mass. I also agree that Honda will easily sell 50,000. I think the weakest design element is the grill with the large H. The rest looks pretty good.
felt smaller after having seen videos in Temple of VTEC with the ride along and features presentation. it must be the wide angle of the lens. also with everyone saying how large it was i thought it would significantly be larger. still like it though
I thought that is what these boards were about - to discuss positive and negative aspects of vehicles.
whoa whoa whoa! Slow down there. I NEVER said you couldn't express your opinion. And, as a matter of fact, I'm doing exactly as you state and expressing how I feel in response to your post. So that's what we're doing ... discussing it.
NOW, back to the matter at hand. I think you have a point that maybe it shouldn't be so tough to install. BUT, I have to ask, is the Subaru kit less expensive maybe due to towing capacity? Is the Pilot's kit more complex in order to tow more? I really have no clue, that's why I'm asking.
Are the fog lights tough to install? Tougher than the Pilot? Because I installed them on my wife's Pilot and it really wasn't that tough.
'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
The subaru hitch does have less capacity and is a class 1 or 2 hitch (can't remember). Cost shouldn't be much more that $30 to $50 dollars difference for the hitches.
Why $500 to $1000 for a towing pakage? Poor design or Dealer markup are two possibilites.
well, let's stick to the price we know. the poster who started this said the dealer was asking $545.
What I was inferring by bringing up the capacity has to do with more than just the heft of the unit itself. For intance (again, I know nothing about this, so these are questions), does the Ridgeline setup require the hookups so that the trailer can have its own brakes? Whereas the Sube setup does not?
But, I do think your 2 points are probably accurate. Given the fact that the exhaust has to be dropped = poor forethought in design. And given the fact that the purchaser's dealer was able to knock $300 off the towing package price probably means it is marked up quite a bit. But that last one is no surprise. Heck, I've seen people pay $100+ to get a set of $35 mudguards on their Pilot.
'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
My point is this. I understand that some equipment is optional or can be added by the dealer. However, as clever as Honda is with many features, it seems that they could have designed the vehicle to add accessories more easily and with less expense. Such an upfront design cost would be minimal, and would benefit the consumer who wants the additional accessories.
My point bringing up my Subaru was that a Forester is not what I would consider a tow vehicle, yet they have made it easy to add this equipment at a low cost. Yes, it is only a Class II receiver, but having a larger sturdier hitch to go from II to III should not be that much money. To tell the truth, the main reason I added the hitch to the Forester was to use my hitch mounted bike rack (which adapts to a 1.25" or 2.0" receiver) and avoid loading the bikes on a roof mounted rack. That and occasional towing is the main reason I want a receiver on the Ridgeline, which I hope to be buying this Fall.
A little lesson in brand management for those of you who don't work for a consumer products company. Things like fog lights don't have to come standard the first year, because Honda knows early adopters (all the people seriously talking) are going to go out and get what they want right now. Case in point, I'm in with my wife looking at the Ridgeline, and I notice they have a CR-V like my wifes, except it has leather and fog lights. Typical Honda. Continue to tweak the product thru it's life cycle to manage the brand.
As far as fog lights go, though, I've never seen a big difference with them. Now a light bar, that's a differnt story....
foglights are dual purpose--both the driver, and oncoming drivers, benefit.
I had an Isuzu Trooper with add-on fogs and they really didn't do much. However, the fogs on my Subaru Forester are designed and installed for good performance and I greatly appreciate them.
Comments
However, when I calculated it for a Ridgeline RTL w/moonroof with an MSRP of $33,155 for the same terms, the monthly payment jumped to $562.18
That's a 12% increase in payment cost for less than $300 in MSRP. That leads me to understand that Honda has determined that the potential resale value of a Ridgeline is less than a Pilot.
Considering that trucks typically have significantly high resale values, this has me concerned about paying full MSRP for a vehicle that Honda has perceived to not hold it's value as well as their other truck/suv counterparts.
Another thing about my test drive this weekend. Like someone else posted on this board, my Honda dealer received 4 Ridgelines on Tuesday of last week, but as of Sunday, they had only sold one, an RTL without the sunroof. Dealer had a secondary sticker on the windshield with $1,500 adjusted market value and $1K in added accessories (pinstriping, mud flaps, wheel locks, etc.). Dealer was very quick to eliminate the $1,500 markup without much pressure on my part, and almost as quickly wrote down the $1K in add-ons to only $300. Don't suspect we'll be seeing AMV on the Ridgelines for very long. May even be able to get one below MSRP in the not so distant future.
Today, I drove 100 miles from San Jose to San Francisco to break the car in. My first impression is that the ridgeline feels more solidly built compared to Tacoma. Although this is probably the most SUV-like truck and the smoothest truck ride on the market, my wife still got slightly truck-sick after a 2 hour ride. She usually drives the Acura TL.
I must say that I am very satisfied with this truck in terms of functionality and quality. Paying MSRP now is a fair deal to me. My experience in buying the TL is that price stayed at MSRP for about a year.
This truck is ideal for tailgating and Home Depot runs. It is borderline luxurious and comfortable for everyday use. Yet, sturdy enough for light truck loads.
Its easy to see. My grandfather pointed out that after WWII he came back and immediatley tried to get a car. There were dealers marking cars up 300 percent because they knew you had to pay it. Funny thing was every dealer that had the huge markups were out of business within just a few years after the factories got back to making cars.
It just makes better business sense to think about the long term instead of the instant sale. I know I have bought a new car every 3 years for my wife of myself. Those who treat me right get my business.
Jeff
Dallas, Tx
I think Honda wanted to make them big to grab but placed them in such a great spot that they will not tarnish from over wear.
Good job Honda!
JEff
Dallas, TX
If it is due to residual, I can buy that, too, because they might be basing the residual on something other than the Pilot's history (like maybe industry standard?) and will increase the residual percentages once the sales numbers play out over the next year or so.
'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
I ran the numbers on a Pilot EX without leather with a 36mo. term, 12K per year mileage allowance, and $1,999 capital cost reduction. The calculator came out to $392.39. However, Honda is currently advertising the same Pilot EX with the same terms for $279/mo. with their national promotion.
On a side note, the current Pilot lease rate is extraordinary. $279 for 36 months + $1,999 cap cost reduction only comes out to $12,043 in out of pocket payments for a vehicle with an MSRP of $30,635. Even if you assume that it's an interest free lease, that would mean that residual value of the Pilot is almost 61% after 3 years. Anyone in the market for leasing an SUV should take note. An interest free lease with a 61% residual value is awesome!
If Honda would come out with a similar lease promotion for the Ridgeline RTL for around the same lease rate, I'd probably be all over it. I realize that it's too soon for them to be doing this, but for those worried about how expensive this truck is (myself included), this would be a great way to get into this truck without breaking the bank.
But I drove the Ridgeline a couple of days ago and I was impressed. Honda made this truck for me. I wanted something different than all those grocery-gitters out there, and Honda made it. The Ridgeline won't be everything for everybody but its fits my every need. I was impressed with all the features. The storage under the bed and under the rear seat was great, but what about the AWD system? None of the pickups out there have a system this advanced.
I could go on, but I have gone on long enough. Buy it for what it is, not for what it ain't.
'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
The hitch, harness, pin, and ball retails for $545 per HandA - they sell it all for $426.00. There are 9 pages of instructions for installation including taking the dash apart and lowering part of the exhaust. I could see a trained tech taking a couple of hours to do it so IMHO $700 isn't out of line.
Even if it does include a brake controller, most trucks/SUVs are pre-wired for brake controllers and they just snap in. Trailer lights are also just a snap-in plug. On a saturday morning "Truck" show they showed how to install one. It took like 10 minutes.
Hitch: $160
Ball, reciever and pin: $50
Brake controller: $80 to $120
See the instructions:
http://www.handa-accessories.com/ridgeline/hitch.pdf
As for the "Truck" show, I presume they were not using OEM parts. Did it really take only 10 minutes??
Really simple. I expected much more.
$700 is expensive since it doesn't include the brake controller or wiring which is pretty much a necessity. Wasn't the towing limit of the Ridgeline 1000 lbs if you didn't have trailer brakes?
--jay
Oh - 10 minutes for the controller. I thought you meant the entire job.
From the instructions, I believe you are installing the wiring for the controller in the dash. The base wiring from the dash to the rear is factory installed.
All I was alluding to is that if the OEM hardware ran $500 than paying someone $200 to put it in seemed fine to me. I'm sure there will be aftermarket stuff available soon that will be less expensive.
Chevy's Tow package for a Silverado is $300 MSRP factory installed. Includes everything except brake controller, ball and receiver. Or you can just use the standard bumper hitch for $0.
So $700 from Honda is expensive. Its better than the one for the Pilot. I was quoted Like $1200 for that towing package since it included coolers.
--jay
http://www.tireindustry.org/government/tpms_comments.asp
Also, I can't believe that foglights are not offered from the factory, and adding foglights requires some installation kit. My old Isuzu Rodeo came with foglights, and my cheap Mazda Pickup came with foglights and ready to tow, with all the wiring and hitch in place. My Subaru Forester comes with fog lights, and I paid the dealer $250 to add a hitch and the necessary wiring.
It would really aggravate me to spend over $1,000 for these two items on an already not cheap and otherwise fully loaded Ridgeline.
As others have mentioned, the additional weight of people and gear will effect the tow capacity, this is why I purchased a Suburban to tow my boat so I can have my family and gear along and still be under the GVWR.
'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
Seems like the valves could be fitted to aftermarket rims, maybe not. Either way, when the concept was shown at SEMA it was fitted with different, more-dynamic looking wheels and tires. If the Ridgeline cannot be fitted with similar type (SEMA) tires/wheels (something I don't believe is likely), then Honda may have a liability issue brewing, with the bling-bling shown on the SEMA SUT. Also, thanks for the link.
Hopefully U-haul will provide an aftermarket hitch, like they did for the Element, that will be just as affordable and easy to install.
Fog lights - Who needs them. Came on my Impala and I can't hardly tell when they are on or off. No help in fog.
And foglights should be an easy add-on, or should come on the high line version, especially when they come on so many cheaper vehicles like my crappy Mazda pickup. I pointed this out as these are the first real criticisms I could think of. You can like something and still objectively consider its shortcomings. I thought that is what these boards were about - to discuss positive and negative aspects of vehicles.
First the bad:
Hard plastics everywhere on the dash and door panels. I think this will be a rattle/sqeak trap in 4 years.
The top end model with leather and rubber floors .....come on , give me a break!
Fake Aluminum (plastic) on the door pulls will chip and flake or scratch off very quickly.
Steering wheel position is akward.
Dash is plain jane.
Much smaller in person than the pictures indicate.
Front end looks like a transformer.
$1000 for a tow package....hahahahaha!
I feel like the truck should be priced in the $23-28k range. 30k+ for this truck is asking alot.
Now the Good:
The locking trunk is a winner. Nice concept and execution. Ditto for the 2-way tailgate.
Good size vehicle. Lots of room in the back for 2 adults. Plenty of leg room.
Nice driver's seat.
Tires are sized well with the wheel wells.
Nice drive and noise levels are low.
Conclusion:
Honda should sell 50,000 of these easy.
Honda has never done a very good job of making accessories easily installed. It seems like those things are engineered after the car is designed.
Bob
http://www.tirebusiness.com/subscriber/opinion2.phtml?cat=3&id=1102349125
As to leather with rubber floors: under the rubber mats is carpet.
Steering adjusts in angle but does not telescope in and out.
I would be curious as to whether others agree that it smaller in person than pictures indicate. To me, it felt larger. The width and the angled side give it a nice sense of mass.
I also agree that Honda will easily sell 50,000.
I think the weakest design element is the grill with the large H. The rest looks pretty good.
whoa whoa whoa! Slow down there. I NEVER said you couldn't express your opinion. And, as a matter of fact, I'm doing exactly as you state and expressing how I feel in response to your post. So that's what we're doing ... discussing it.
NOW, back to the matter at hand. I think you have a point that maybe it shouldn't be so tough to install. BUT, I have to ask, is the Subaru kit less expensive maybe due to towing capacity? Is the Pilot's kit more complex in order to tow more? I really have no clue, that's why I'm asking.
Are the fog lights tough to install? Tougher than the Pilot? Because I installed them on my wife's Pilot and it really wasn't that tough.
'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
Why $500 to $1000 for a towing pakage? Poor design or Dealer markup are two possibilites.
--jay
What I was inferring by bringing up the capacity has to do with more than just the heft of the unit itself. For intance (again, I know nothing about this, so these are questions), does the Ridgeline setup require the hookups so that the trailer can have its own brakes? Whereas the Sube setup does not?
But, I do think your 2 points are probably accurate. Given the fact that the exhaust has to be dropped = poor forethought in design. And given the fact that the purchaser's dealer was able to knock $300 off the towing package price probably means it is marked up quite a bit. But that last one is no surprise. Heck, I've seen people pay $100+ to get a set of $35 mudguards on their Pilot.
'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
My point bringing up my Subaru was that a Forester is not what I would consider a tow vehicle, yet they have made it easy to add this equipment at a low cost. Yes, it is only a Class II receiver, but having a larger sturdier hitch to go from II to III should not be that much money. To tell the truth, the main reason I added the hitch to the Forester was to use my hitch mounted bike rack (which adapts to a 1.25" or 2.0" receiver) and avoid loading the bikes on a roof mounted rack. That and occasional towing is the main reason I want a receiver on the Ridgeline, which I hope to be buying this Fall.
As far as fog lights go, though, I've never seen a big difference with them. Now a light bar, that's a differnt story....
I had an Isuzu Trooper with add-on fogs and they really didn't do much. However, the fogs on my Subaru Forester are designed and installed for good performance and I greatly appreciate them.
John