Toyota Tacoma vs Honda Ridgeline

captjohn · March 2005

I went back and drove another Ridgeline Sunday, and then drove the Tacoma the same day, and like you, I bought the Tacoma Double Cab with SR5 package #8. The interior quality and finish was so much nicer. The back seat in the Ridgeline felt like I was sitting on a park bench with a stadium cushion. The Tacoma's seats are much more comfortable. I just felt more comfortable in both back seat and driver's seat with the Tacoma. Granted, the Ridgeline interior is a little wider. How I will feel in the drivers seat for 100,000 miles is more important to me than the additional functionality of the Ridgeline. Plus I bought what I wanted in the Tacoma for about $4000 less than the equivalent Ridgeline, so that will go a long way in letting me live with "less functions". Did you do much research on the Extang Tonneau cover? I need to buy a cover also, and would be interrested in your choice. Were they the only ones with a new Tacoma version available?

chuck999 · March 2005

Spent some time looking over / driving Ridgeline this Sat. Then went to Toyota dealer to look at Tacoma / Tundra. While Ridgeline safety features and ride quality are very impressive - I think that Honda not really getting the idea of a TRUCK ..

Why?
1. Ridgeline model levels make it obvious that Honda thinks of Ridgeline more as an Accord or maybe even an MDX than a TRUCK. There is only ONE base model (RT) and you can NOT even add a sunroof. The RT-S adds a nicer stereo, alloy wheels and auto-climate control - but again NO sunroof possible. THEN you get to the meat of the Ridgeline range - The RTL - to which you can add Sunroof or Navigation. So - there are 2 cloth models and at least 3 leather versions ... Show me another TRUCK that has MORE leather versions than CLOTH. None of the competitors do this - and Toyota and Nissan and the big three have been selling TRUCKS a lot longer than Honda ....

2. No FACTORY Tow Hitches - about 1/3 of Tacos and Tundras (maybe more) COME from the FACTORY with a tow hitch and wiring. None of this on Ridgeline. Having a hitch as a dealer installed option gives the dealer a chance to dicker with labor and installation charges - and makes the PRICE of a functional RIDGELINE even higher..

3. No FACTORY fog lights - again at least 1/2 Toyotas and Nissans COME from the FACTORY with fog lights. To add fogs to RIDGELINE cost at least $500. And with the Ridgeline you've got to cut holes in the plastic for the install! It's like the engineers thought of fog lights at the very last minute ....

4. Real towing - sadly, Honda has disingenuously inflated the Ridgeline towing figures substantially. In the OWNERS manual - towing with 5 passengers is NOWHERE NEAR 5000 pounds. More like 2000. So, if you've got a 5000 lb boat - looks like you better leave your family at home! ...

5. Price - seeing as the Ridgeline needs a tow hitch and harness to tow and probably should have fogs, even the 27,700 base model shoots up to the 28-29k price point - as much as a top of the line Taco. With rebates and discounts you can get a loaded Doublecab V8 Tundra, with SAB, Tow package and Sunroof for about the same price .... (Check Carmax, Darcars or Fitzgerald auto mall ....)

Look - the Ridgeline is a nice vehicle, rides great, has outstanding safety features, and IS probably more than most TRUCK owners really need. But if Honda wants to sell TRUCKS, they should start MARKETING it and outfitting it as a TRUCK. Let's see a Rigdgeline hauling sheet rock, feed bags or outfitted with a ladder rack. Ship 'em with FACTORY tow hitches and fogs. Build more RT's...

The ability to haul motorcycles or tow a boat is NOT UNIQUE to the Ridgeline TRUCK.... The ability to haul WIDE working loads IS ...

swann · March 2005

Proven to tow, and how well it performs on the highway with a load is a different animal. I drove the ridgeline and have plenty of experience towing boats. I have a 3000lb 22ft skiff, and a 26ft 8000lb h/s vector. The ridgeline could handle the 3000lbs, but it would have to work real hard at getting even that load up to highway speeds within a respectable time frame. Plus the radiator sure looks tiny. You stated "the regular truck buyer doesn't understand that hp is more important than torque". You may need to explain this to the folks that have been manufacturing trucks for decades-Tacoma h.p. 245 TORQUE-282
Frontier h.p. 265 TORQUE-284
F-150 5.4 h.p. 300 TORQUE-365
Just for kicks, lets throw a chevy duramax in the mix to further prove how far off all the other truck producers have been in understanding torque-Duramax h.p 310 TORQUE-590!

I personally think the ridgeline is a well thought out vehicle. The design team needs to wrap their concept in a more appealing body exterior, and add more TORQUE!

rsholland · March 2005

The Ridgeline is a midsize truck, and is marketed towards homeowners, not construction crews.

It's got 49.5" width between the rear wheelwells, which no other midsize truck can match. So yes, it can carry 1,100 lbs of sheetrock flat on the bed floor if need be. So what it extends off the rear of the lowered tailgate 18 inches? Just make sure it's properly tied down.

I agree with you regarding the towing.

Bob

dadoftay · March 2005

Does the Ridgeline really expect to upset the truck world this much?? Man, reading these posts is making me think I can put my Grandmother in a RTS Ridgeline and her broken hip will be cured! Sign me up for one today!!
What do I read is this: The Ridgeline IS going to turn the truck world on its ear, simply for the fact that Honda makes it(read engineering). No, it won't pull a stump out of the ground, and no it won't haul a Bobcat tractor, but it will go to HomeDepot and maybe haul some pine bark bags in the bed and three friends to spread the bark. As far as someone posting it's easier to access the bed than Toyota, better try reaching the helmet that slides up behind the cab over those high raking body panels, or the guy who doesn't like the fact Toyota doesn't equip certain safety features as standard and you have to pay for them. Have you seen the stickers on these trucks, Honda is making you pay for them and you DON'T have an OPTION of ordering them. I'm not biased to the Toyota, I settled on a GMC crew cab for towing, hauling and stump pulling reasons. I promise I will use 4-lo to go down hills too!I know my truck doesn't have a trunk in the bed, but I have too many things in the bed to get to a trunk. I'll honk and help you guys out when you get a flat and those sheets of drywall prevent you getting your spare as long as you Ridgeline guys will help me when my GMC breaks down after a few months and GM leaves me on the side of the road!!

bruvyman · March 2005

BEST (Ridgeline) POST EVER .

hammaa · March 2005

Hey Vern...what ARE you talking about?

dieselone · March 2005

Hit the nail on the head. I agree the ridgeline will fit the needs of many people who don't need/require/ or want a "real" truck. This is not a knock on Honda. I think they may be on to something with this vehicle. Traditional truck buyers may laugh at the thought of a ridgeline, but I don't think that is HOnda's intended market.

I don't think to many people will be buying the Ridgeline for towing, atleast they shouldn't. Realistically 3000lbs is probably more in line with what this vehicle is safely capable of by the time you factor the weight of people and gear.

As for 4low, I've used it on my Pathfinder to pull out shrubs and it was needed.

dadoftay · March 2005

And my wife laughed at me for pulling trees and shrubs with our old S-Blazer!! But seriously, I think Honda will, if nothing else, make the other guys sit up and take notice. Truthfully speaking, how many people are going to buy a Ridgeline just because it's got a big "H" on the grill? Not that I'm saying it's a bad thing, I bought an Accord one time sight unseen, just because it was a Honda Accord. I thought "never wrecked, got some service papers- yeah I'll buy". I know I wouldn't do that with too many other makes. Turned out to be a great car until my wife got the SUV bug. I just got a hoot over all these torque and payload and off-road posts that were flying around like this was some kind of mid-size Super-truck that could carry anything but Kryptonite and traverse anything but the Atlantic. Keep it in its element and it will, no doubt, shine.

6spdtl · March 2005

What is surprising is that people just don't get it. For the press release honda put the ridgeline head to head with a ford F150 5.6 liter with a 5000lb trailer. The ridgeline matched in straight line performance and simply creamed it in the handling portion of the test. Fellas that is not the plain vanilla f150 this is the optional big block v8. This nonsense about the truck credentials is stupid since the entire press test/presentation is on the internet for all to see. The ridgeline has all the truck credentials of any truck in its category (if not more)plus it has driving manners that no truck even can dream of matching. In addition the toal weight capacity of the truck is over 1500lbs therefore it can carry 1000lbs of cargo plus 4 people in the cab, what is so diffucult to understand about that???? Or are people just plain st-pid? Furthermore carrying that load does not affect handling at all! Try that with any other truck mid or full size. I wish people would read and study before they speak these forums and just sound ignorant.

dieselone · March 2005

6spdtl,

First off, I don't want to sound like I'm bashing the Ridgeline, it looks like a winner.

Since I'm just plain stupid, you do the math.
The Ridgeline has a Gross Combined Weight Rating of 10,085lbs. Now subtract the base curb weight of 4,494 from GCWR which = 5,591 lbs. If your towing a 5000lb trailer, subtracting 5,000 from 5,591 leaves you with 591 lbs not including fluids or PEOPLE. Now if your family is very thin, maybe you can put 4 people in the Ridgeline and still be under the GCWR.

Oh, if you don't understand GCWR. It means the max a vehicle and trailer can weigh together.

For comparison, you can equip an f150 to have a GCWR of 15,000lbs. I don't doubt the Ridgeline can pull a 5000lb trailer as quickly as the F150, the F150 is significantly heavier, but if I were to be towing 5000lbs on a regular occasion (which I do) I know which one I'd rather have to tow.

dadoftay · March 2005

My man, you say you wish people would read and study, yet the battle you just described with the F-150 didn't exactly go that way. The reviewers felt the F-150 had a little more snap off the line and there was no mention of the handling vs the Ford F-150. The only mention was of the Toyota and the review said the Toyota felt stiff, almost sporty. You are confused with the SportTrac that was tested which to me makes Honda look ridiculous. An Accord would handle that thing.
By the way, the F-150 would have creamed the Ridgeline if they had taken the F-150 out of 4-lo.

dieselone · March 2005

Where can I find this comparison? Sounds interesting..

nwlily36 · March 2005

We bought one last sunday.. first one North of Everett WA.. Woo Hoo! paid 1000.00 over MSRP.. it was worth every penny.. all the dealers in Washington are asking 2500-4000 over MSRP.. its crazy!!
The tail gate is soo cool the way it opens two ways.. and when you swing the gate open.. the lights in the bed light up!! VERY COOL~!
and the trunk is really roomy for whatever you want to use it for.. We got a Black one !! wow is it a beauty.. Totally cool
We bought a Odyssey last yr.. and the Ridgeline this yr.. Honda is the Bomb!!! :-)

55535432 · March 2005

I am a Honda fanboy, albeit a reasonable one.I already placed an order for a Ridgeline but came across the towing issues. I have a 4000 lbs boat which can be towed by the Ridgeline easily as long as it is only me and my wife riding it. However I will have three more family members riding at the back. With 5 people plus a bed full of stuff whats the safest load I could tow now?

Do you know how much I can tow with the Frontier with 5 passengers and stuff. How about the Tacoma? Pls don't suggest any V8's. V6's only domestic or Japanese is OK.

Thanks in advance for your response.

dieselone · March 2005

In answering your question, it all depends on how much weight you'll be putting in the Ridgeline.
Since the GCWR is 10085 and the truck weighs probably somewhere around 4650 with a full tank. Deducting 4650 from 10085 gives you 5435lbs. From that, subtract the weight of your boat, 4000lbs. So you have 1435lbs left for people and gear. Now that is what the truck is rated for. If your not towing far or only on occasion have extra people then you'll probably be OK. If you'll be towing where it's hilly I wouldn't recommend being near or over the GCWR. Hopefully your boat has surge brakes and I would recommend changing the trans fluid after every summer. My boat is about 4500lbs and I've always changed the trans fluid in the Pathfinder every year and haven't had any trans trouble.

As for the Tacoma, it has a 11,100lb GCWR and a 4100lb curb weight, so you have an extra 1500lbs to play with, plus quite a bit more power w/ the 4.0 V6. The extra torque will pay dividends and I'll go out on a limb and say it would be the better tow vehicle. The Frontier will be similar to the Tacoma. But they probably aren't as nice of a daily driver.

As for a v6 tow vehicle, you can't beat any of these 3. The domestic offerings pale in comparison to the v6s offered by Honda, Nissan, & Toyota. (GMS inline 6s are OK, but you can't get it in a colorado)

The bottom line is the if you like the Ridgeline, I think it would do fine job as long as you don't overload it. Looking at your situation if all 5 people weigh 200lbs, which probably isn't the case you have 1000lbs of people and can still have another 450lbs of gear. I do alot of boating with friends and family and I don't think I've ever brought anywhere near that much stuff along.

One more thing. Have you every had your boat weighed at a public scale. If not, it might be a good idea to find out exactly what it weighs. They always seem to way more than what the salesmen and brochures claim. Hope this helps....

55535432 · March 2005

Thanks a million for your very fast response.I guess I have to go Nissan for my needs. Can't justify paying a whole lot of dough on Tacomas. The only safe Tacomas,with side and curtain airbags comes with a whole lot of unwanted price gouging bells and whistles. Wth Nisaan $250 dollars is all I need to get the optional protective sideairbags I need.

dieselone · March 2005

Here's a link to Trailer Boats Magazine's tow vehicle of the year article. The Ridgeline is not included, but the Tacoma, Frontier, Colorado, Dakota, and Ranger are.

http://www.trailerboats.com/site_page_1483/article_page_68.cfm

chuck999 · March 2005

I have the Ridgeline brochure but not the Owner's Manual. Throughout the BROCHURE there are lots of *** (Check manual for details) regarding towing.

Someone on this forum reported that the OWNER'S MANUAL had a table saying something like this:

Towing Capacity:
2 Passengers - 5000 lbs
3 Passengers - 3500 lbs
5 Passengers - 2000 lbs

I called Honda to see if this was TRUE, but the very polite person on the phone somehow did NOT have the owners' manual either ....

Would an actual OWNER with an OWNER's manual be so kind to look this up and verify ...

Thanks!

chuck999 · March 2005

SO - on the honda forum someone ANSWERED this question .. Apparently the OWNER'S Manual Reads:

"tk67triumph wrote:

I did check out the owner's manual for towing info, which is:

5000 w/2 passengers
3500 w/3 passengers
3000 w/4 passengers
2000 w/5 passengers "

First - this explains all the * (asterisks) in the BROCHURE ...

Second - I think that Honda is being a bit deceptive, with the 5000 lb tow claim. What good is towing a 5000 lb boat or trailer if you've got to leave your three kids and dog home? ....

6spdtl · March 2005

The average weight for a " normal human" is 70Kg that is exactly 152lbs since the Ridgeline payload capacity is 1558 lbs, that means you can carry 0.5 tons (1000 lbs)in the back plus exactly 3.67 adults in the cab. Your GCWR calculations are entirely correct but that was not what I was talking about. The standard towing capacity of a tacoma is 3500lbs, its payload capacity is 1500lbs (same). And that is with a solid rear axle sorry guys, were are talking you are trying to compare vehicles that are on almost different planets when comparing "truck credentials" between the tacoma and the ridgeline. The ridgline is a compact truck that blows everything in its category clearly out of the water and canplay with the big boys as far as passanger accomodations are concerned. The fact that you can compare the towing capacity of the ridgeline with that of a fullsize truck with an optional big engine while hauling the same amount of weight is not to say that the ridgline can outtow it (DUH)the ford can tow >9000 lbs. Its simply a testament that no midsize truck can even touch its truck credentials. All the while providing a driving expirience that no truck in the planet is even close to offering.

rsholland · March 2005

FWIW, that "someone" was me. Yes, that' what the owners manual states. Also the tongue weights drop with passengers too. Those numbers are also there, but I couldn't remember them.

Bob

55535432 · March 2005

did check out the owner's manual for towing info, which is:

5000 w/2 passengers
3500 w/3 passengers
3000 w/4 passengers
2000 w/5 passengers "

First - this explains all the * (asterisks) in the BROCHURE ...

Second - I think that Honda is being a bit deceptive, with the 5000 lb tow claim. What good is towing a 5000 lb boat or trailer if you've got to leave your three kids and dog home? ....

THANKS for the above post. i'ts good to know that I've been spared from a potential expensive mistake.I'm a Honda person for life but I'm gonna pass on the Ridgeline.The Ridgeline can't just handle my needs, 5 passengers plus tons of stuff and a 4000 lbs boat.

dieselone · March 2005

If you look at the tow ratings of most vehicles, the max tow rating doesn't leave much room for extra weight in the truck. Thats just the facts, they all do it. That's why it is important to understand how the tow ratings and GCWR relate to one another. The rule of thumb on tow capacities is to keep your towed load under 80% of the vehicles tow rating. That will give you a cushion when you have people and gear in the truck. Which means ANY vehicle with a 5000lb tow rating can in a more real world scenario tow 4000lbs.

For comparison, Toyota really cuts the Tacoma close with its max tow rating of 6500lbs. Look at these numbers and you'll see what I mean. The Tacoma has a GCWR of 11,100lbs. 11100 - 4100 curb weight - 6500lb tow rating = 500lbs left for people and gear. I could probably do this for any vehicle and come out with similar results.
What is sad is most sales people don't know, or at least tell this to customers and someone ends up buying a tow vehicle with a 5000lb tow rating to pull their 5,000lb boat, and the fully expect to bring along 5 people and their luggage for a weekend trip to the lake that is up in mountains and then they can't understand why they can only go 30mph up a hill.

dieselone · March 2005

Your severely misguided if you actually think the Ridgeline blows everything out of the water in regards to towing. It's payload capacity looks good and as with all Honda's it's on road performance is probably better than the other trucks. I guarantee a Tacoma will walk all over the ridgeline with a 5,000lb trailer on back. The Tacoma has a 500lb weight advantage and lots more torque, which is what's needed to get things moving. But I think we a beating a dead horse, since most who need a tow vehicle to tow much over 3000lbs will be (or atleast should be) looking at other vehicles, which won't hurt Honda one bit. If someone has a fairly light load to tow , the Honda will do fine.

IF the info in the manual actually shows different tow capacities down to 2000lbs for 5 people in the ridgeline, it shows towing is not one of its strengths.

dadoftay · March 2005

This is the reason I bought a full size truck. I don't want to be the guy who loads up the gear and the family/friends then breaks something. I guess the best way to settle the towing debate is ask Honda what they cover under warranty if you tow a 4,500lb trailer but one of your friends weighs more than 152lbs. I guess we all eat too much McDonalds.

atlgaxt · March 2005

I've got it - If you have a 4,000 lb boat to tow, just put your family in the boat! The Ridgeline should handle the 5,000 lbs just fine if you are riding solo.

atlgaxt · March 2005

Look at it this way. I do not have the exact numbers, but my guess is that 2 million plus pickups get sold every year. More SUVs than that get sold every year. I bring that up because I think the Ridgeline has good appeal as an SUV alternative.

Honda is selling a niche product. While it is not the vehicle for heavy duty towing, it is not a work truck, and it is not a rock crawler, most buyers of pickup trucks and SUVs do not regularly tow 4,000 lb trailers, do not regularly carry 1,500 lbs of rocks, and do not drive the Rubicon Trail on their way back and forth to the office. THE RIDGELINE HAS ALL THE CAPABILITY MOST PICKUP AND SUV BUYERS NEED.

Is it perfect? No. But along with offering enough truck capability to meet the needs of most folks, it promises to be a comfortable and safe ride, and it is a Honda. Is it more truck than the Tacoma, Frontier, or Dakota? No. But IMHOP, it is probably a better real world vehicle for most.

To sell 50,000 units, Honda needs less than 1% of the total pickup / SUV market. Don't count on finding rebates and special deals on these babies anytime soon.

55535432 · March 2005

Atlgaxt,

Hey that was brilliant, (seriously, no sarcasm intended). If push comes to shove and I insist on the Ridgeline even though it has towing limits, putting most cargo on the boat woud probably be the best solution. Any experienced boaters their care to react about the above solution?

gearhead1 · March 2005

Honda says it's a 5000 lb tow rating with 2 adults and 175 pounds of cargo. So 2 adults and 3 little kids is feasable. I'm sure you can fudge those numbers a little. So you would be just fine with your 4000 lb boat and a thousand lbs of gear in the boat.

xwesx · March 2005

I don't know about the rest of the trucks in the world, but mine much prefers the weight in the bed versus on a trailer as far as hill-climbing, acceleration, etc. If your boat trailer has brakes, not a safety issue to put the gear in the boat, but I would think that it could pull it better with more weight in the bed and less on the trailer. I can put 2500# in the bed of my truck and still pull a hill at 60, but if I pull that same (or less) amount of weight in the form of a trailer, I have to shift down (~35 mph) to get the torque I need to pull the same hill. The funny thing is that I can pull a 10000# trailer at the same speed (~35mph). Oy. It can haul anything, but it won't do it fast!

merrob · March 2005

can anyone post the recommended fuel for the tacoma and the frontier. i know it's regular for the ridgeline. with gas prices up this is a major issue for me.

nova · March 2005

05 Frontier V6 crew cab automatic regular fuel 3000 miles no problems 19/20 mpg every tank

bootyman · March 2005

Are you getting that kind of gas mileage on a 2WD or 4WD truck? TXS

centralcal · March 2005

Frontier CC LE V6 4x4. 17 mpg with 70/30 freeway/city 87 octane. I drive about 75 mph on freeway and punch it off the line a lot in town (too much fun with this much power).

On a different note, I can't believe people on this forum who are concerned about their families health and will get everything to pretect them (side airbags, vsc, etc) and then will try to push the limits of these midsized trucks. If you need to do heavy pulling, get a full sized truck. If you are trying to decide if the dog pushes your GTW over the limit and if you can put him in the cab or has to ride in the boat, get a bigger truck, that simple (IMHO).

nova · March 2005

2 WD . I live in south Florida. I understand that in cold weather you get less gas milage. In south Florida it never gets very cold, that it would impact the mpg's.

dieselone · March 2005

Yes you could move some things into the boat, but you need to pay attention to where you put the weight. Each axle on the tow vehilce has a specified weight capacity. You don't want to much weight in the back of the truck, then add 400lbs on tonque weight on top of that. You would be putting to much weight on the rear axle w/o a weight distributing hitch, which very few boats use. OTOH, boat trailers have max amount of weight they can carry as well. My boat trailer has a GVWR of 5000lbs. The trailer w/ a 4000lb load rating, meaning the trailer weighs 1000lbs itself. The boat weighs somewhere in the area of 3200lbs plus fuel etc. The last time I had it weighed, it was around 4200lbs w/o fuel. Add 35 gallons of fuel and water toys etc and it's around 4500lbs, so the I could put another 500lbs in the boat w/o overloading the trailer. You also need to be aware of where your putting the weight in the boat. To much in the front and you'll have to much tongue weight, which causes the front end of the tow vehicle to feel excessively light. To much weight in the back of the trailer will cause the opposite, to little tongue weight which causes trailer sway.

55535432 · March 2005

Thanks a million,

Thats it for me I don't want to do any math and get myself a headache distributing the weight all around just because I got a Ridgeline. Leasing a Frontier would be my best solution for now.I'll check the Ridgeline 2 years from now and see if the the towing has improved and gas hasn't reach the $3.50 forcasted price ceiling.

6spdtl · March 2005

Guys guys (and gals) the point were trying to make here is that the ridgeline matches or exceeds all midsize trucks in hauling of towing. It is not meant to say that it can out tow a full size truck, it can't. Nevertheless, the great majority of truck owners regardless of size never tow or haul even close to the maximum capacity that those vecles can do. The ridgeline offers outstanding towing and hauling(for its size) fantastic driving characteristics plus all the safety and comfort ammenities you can think about. As far a truck credentials, its the truck (and more) that 85% of buyers need plus it offers accomodations, safety and driving performance no other truck and many cars can only dream of providing. If you tow horses, yatchs and other things that require a full size truck, sorry Honda doesn't make one for your requirements yet:)

dadoftay · March 2005

I talked to a guy at a gas station Saturday about his Ridgeline. By the way, there are people who don't know about edmunds.com so this guy's face was priceless when I start blabbing on about our discussions here. His wife locked the doors. He traded in a Tahoe for the Ridgeline and loves it. He hauls a ski boat and takes the family to the lake (didn't mention what lake, maybe scared I'd show up) and says no problems and higly recommends the truck. He then quickly left. Those things are pretty fast, by the way! So, while I'm not advocating the stalking of gas station customers, chalk one up for Honda in the real world.

midnightsun · March 2005

Do you work for Honda or are you a novel writer?

You write a lot of fiction here. Look up the tow ratings for Tacoma, Dakota, and Frontier to find out for yourself. The battle is not full-size vs. midsize; it's right in the mid-size field.

Or maybe you compose music, because you change your tune slightly when people present facts rather than hyperbole.

Aside from the towing debate, Ridgeline ONLY comes with automatic transmission, and no low-range transfer case. For many truck buyers, those will be reasons to not even consider the Ridgeline. Especially since ALL Honda and Acura automatic transmissions are listed as banned from Mt. Washington Auto Rd.--too fragile for steep sustained grades (Jaguar and Sterling share this distinction). They were blacklisted there more than 20 years ago, and they STILL are.

I didn't come here to trash Honda products. But some things need to be pointed out, because they do matter to some buyers. The Ridgeline is a different offering from other vehicles, and that's good. What's not so good is your (Honda's?) squirrely presentation of "minor" things such as off-road ability or towing capacity.

reddrig · March 2005

This cracks me up. First off I don't own a Tacoma or a Ridgeline. You talk about real world. I work for a City in Orange County Ca near the ocean. Land of the SUV and now the ridgeline. 03-10-05 Obs a ridgeline towing a Trophy fishing boat up a grade to get to the launch area. Ridgeline did not make it. Gearbox let go on his new Ridgeline. I helped this person with tow services. Boat was around 5200 pounds with gas. He prob had another 500 pounds in gear. Yes it was overloaded a tad, but it was a new vehicle and did not handle this load at all. I'm still intrested in the Ridgeline, but not for it's towing capabilities. Trucks and these hybrids share a few things in common, but if I'm towing I'll lean toward the truck. This was as real world as it gets and the Honda failed in my eyes.

gearhead1 · March 2005

How did it fail? He exceeded Hondas specifications. He was a moron. Just curious, how much stuff did he have in the Ridgeline itself. Was he also carrying 5 adults, and a bunch of stuff in the bed?

reddrig · March 2005

I did not search the boat, but the gear he had was in his vehicle. Single male adult. After the problem vehicle made a grinding noise with a lurching movement upon acceleration. I'm not a certified mechanic, bit I believe it was a gearbox prob. I agree the guy was stupid, but I have overloaded a few trucks in my lifetime and never tore one up like this guy did. I'm a Ridgeline fan, but I'm not jumping on the bandwagon about the towing capabilities of this vrhicle. If I want to tow anything over 4000 pounds I'll stick to trucks that were designed for that purpose. Another reason I like the Ridgeline is it appeals to my wife more than a truck does. It's more SUV and fits the suburbite chick/mother image. I'm already seeing rich moms enroute to the local Grocery store inb the new Ridgeline. This helps me out when I have to sell it to the old lady.

rsholland · March 2005

This is another reason why 4x4 trucks have a low range in the transfer case. Low range can be very useful with boat ramps, which can be steep. As much as I like the Ridgeline, I really think Honda was remiss in not offering this feature.

I bet he also did not lock it in 4x4 mode. In order to do this, the vehicle must be in either "1" or "2.," not "Drive."

Also, besides being a bit overloaded, the truck was brand new and most likely not broken in.

Bob

bongus · March 2005

This might sound like a stupid question but how do you "break in" the car so that you avoid a problem like this?

dc_driver · March 2005

The Ridgeline is an interesting vehicle, but I am still not sure what Honda's target audience is. I think you will see more SUV owners make the switch than truck owners. The idea of a trunk in the truck sounds great, but my dad owns a construction company, and his bed is always full of things. That would mean that you would constantly be needing to move things around to get to tools, accessories, etc. Now if the bed of your truck is always clear, then this is great, but most truck owners buy a truck to put things in the bed..

Now I have not seen one in person, but from the commercials and other pics, I think this truck is rather weird looking.. It may look better in person, and beauty is always in the eye of the beholder (as my wife can attest), but I think the styling may turn more people off to the truck than on to it.

I have not driven the new Nissan Frontier, but on paper it looks awesome, and should be considerably cheaper than a Ridgeline (since Honda is not exactly known for negotiating on price). My other concern is Honda working out all the kinks on its first ever American sized truck. I would definitely wait a year or two. I would like to drive one, but still think I would end up with either a Ford, Nissan, or Toyota.

chuck999 · March 2005

Great story about the transmission failure, although as everyone already mentioned there could be lots of reasons for this ...

I'm not sure that I would agree with the poster who said "He exceeded Hondas specifications. He was a moron."

Most engineers tend to design in at least a 10-20% tolerance in specs - "just in case" ...

So at 5800 pounds - it was about 16% over spec - not really all that bad .....

Certainly not so overloaded as to justify a catastrophic transmission failure ...

Again - should remember that the Ridgeline is an EARLY production version of a NEW vehicle - there are bound to be bugs to work out. BUT - it's hard for me to see why a transmission that works fine with 5000 pounts should fail with just a 16% overload .....

rsholland · March 2005

The vehicle was probably less than 2 weeks old. As with any brand new vehicle, you don't put under heavy stress until it's been fully broken in.

I probably would have waited until the vehicle had at least 1000 miles on it before towing a heavy trailer.

Bob

explorerx4 · March 2005

bob,
anyone can post unsubstantiated stories about some vehicle nightmare. my guess is that it was just a bad unit. not only that, but anyone towing that big a boat with a 'ridge or other similar size vehicle is asking for trouble. think cross winds while towing. from my own personal experience, my friend was unable to pull his 19 foot boat out of a steep ramp with his astro van, even with 2 of us were standing on the trailer tongue. my wife's '91 explorer with an anemic 160 hp, but with low range and about 200 lbs of torque managed to both up the ramp. it was a manual tranny, so it really smelled doing it, but we drove with that clutch for at least another 5 years, before trading it in.

Toyota Tacoma vs Honda Ridgeline

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