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Comments
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 ...
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!
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
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!!
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.
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.
By the way, the F-150 would have creamed the Ridgeline if they had taken the F-150 out of 4-lo.
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!!! :-)
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.
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....
http://www.trailerboats.com/site_page_1483/article_page_68.cfm
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!
"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? ....
Bob
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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).
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.
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.
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
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.
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 .....
I probably would have waited until the vehicle had at least 1000 miles on it before towing a heavy trailer.
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.