A year ago I bought an 09 RL with just under 100k on it. I had some touch-up paint work and timing belt replaced. The previous owner maintained the truck to Honda specs. It's a beautiful trade-off for commuting and light duty truck needs. Yesterday Menards set an 1100 pound pallet of top soil in the back of mine and away I went. Had I not seen it in the mirror I wouldn't have known it was there. I love everything about it save for 18 MPG's. The newer ones do better due to more gears in the transmission. I would guess that there is very little to no difference in functionality between the generations but someone else whose had both can speak to that. And it's a quieter ride than my wife's SUV!
2017+ Honda Ridgeline owners?
- Thread starter Huie83
- Start date
Originally Posted by Aichiguy
A year ago I bought an 09 RL with just under 100k on it. I had some touch-up paint work and timing belt replaced. The previous owner maintained the truck to Honda specs. It's a beautiful trade-off for commuting and light duty truck needs. Yesterday Menards set an 1100 pound pallet of top soil in the back of mine and away I went. Had I not seen it in the mirror I wouldn't have known it was there. I love everything about it save for 18 MPG's. The newer ones do better due to more gears in the transmission. I would guess that there is very little to no difference in functionality between the generations but someone else whose had both can speak to that. And it's a quieter ride than my wife's SUV!
Hahaha my last truck got around 11mpg. It was a V8 but the 0-60 was about the same as my Ridgeline. If I get 18 in my Ridgeline I will be happy.
The 2020 one just got the 9 speed ZF trans that replaced the previous 6 speed. I am hoping they got the bugs out of it as there were a lot of complaints about it when it came out in older vehicles.
A year ago I bought an 09 RL with just under 100k on it. I had some touch-up paint work and timing belt replaced. The previous owner maintained the truck to Honda specs. It's a beautiful trade-off for commuting and light duty truck needs. Yesterday Menards set an 1100 pound pallet of top soil in the back of mine and away I went. Had I not seen it in the mirror I wouldn't have known it was there. I love everything about it save for 18 MPG's. The newer ones do better due to more gears in the transmission. I would guess that there is very little to no difference in functionality between the generations but someone else whose had both can speak to that. And it's a quieter ride than my wife's SUV!
Hahaha my last truck got around 11mpg. It was a V8 but the 0-60 was about the same as my Ridgeline. If I get 18 in my Ridgeline I will be happy.
The 2020 one just got the 9 speed ZF trans that replaced the previous 6 speed. I am hoping they got the bugs out of it as there were a lot of complaints about it when it came out in older vehicles.
I have 14,000 miles on my 2019 Ridgeline, I really like it. For the things you listed that you want a truck to do the Ridgeline would excel. If you need to tow more than 5,000 pounds look elsewhere. But to haul a bike, camp and take trips, go for it.
Listen to UncleDave, he has the experience with many different trucks and will tell you the plus and minus of them all. The people saying "it's not a truck" don't actually own one. It is a capable midsize truck.
Listen to UncleDave, he has the experience with many different trucks and will tell you the plus and minus of them all. The people saying "it's not a truck" don't actually own one. It is a capable midsize truck.
I just can't fathom getting a RL over a 1/2 ton especially my former ram with the split gate which to me was great. I actually like the split as the door(s) are less obtrusive then the full swingout of the ridgelines.
Originally Posted by terry274
I have 14,000 miles on my 2019 Ridgeline, I really like it. For the things you listed that you want a truck to do the Ridgeline would excel. If you need to tow more than 5,000 pounds look elsewhere. But to haul a bike, camp and take trips, go for it.
Listen to UncleDave, he has the experience with many different trucks and will tell you the plus and minus of them all. The people saying "it's not a truck" don't actually own one. It is a capable midsize mpv.
much better...
I have 14,000 miles on my 2019 Ridgeline, I really like it. For the things you listed that you want a truck to do the Ridgeline would excel. If you need to tow more than 5,000 pounds look elsewhere. But to haul a bike, camp and take trips, go for it.
Listen to UncleDave, he has the experience with many different trucks and will tell you the plus and minus of them all. The people saying "it's not a truck" don't actually own one. It is a capable midsize mpv.
much better...
Originally Posted by Aichiguy
A year ago I bought an 09 RL with just under 100k on it. I had some touch-up paint work and timing belt replaced. The previous owner maintained the truck to Honda specs. It's a beautiful trade-off for commuting and light duty truck needs. Yesterday Menards set an 1100 pound pallet of top soil in the back of mine and away I went. Had I not seen it in the mirror I wouldn't have known it was there. I love everything about it save for 18 MPG's. The newer ones do better due to more gears in the transmission. I would guess that there is very little to no difference in functionality between the generations but someone else whose had both can speak to that. And it's a quieter ride than my wife's SUV!
Its also quieter than my RX400H Hybrid which is known to be a very quiet SUV.
Functionally they very similar,I think the gen one bed trunk is a bit larger.
If I recall - Honda originally rated the gen one at 7500 for a boat or low profile trailer and 5K for a box trailer camper - where gen 2 is a flat 5K.
Gen 2 (6) speed is an amazing road trip vehicle. I would bet the 9 is even better.
This 1200 miles was done in one day @ between 70 and 80 the whole way.
I can get 30 if I drive conservatively and stay at 70 or under, but at this stage of my life arriving a bit sooner trumps the diff between 26 and 30.
Drive it like grandpa and 30+ is achievable, but thats for guys getting paid by the hour and grandpa - but it will reward conservative driving.
1/2 tons simply generate more NVH regardless of tire.
You cant punch a hole in the wind that large at 70 and up without noise, and large differentials, fans, V8 engines w dual exhaust are just noiser period - especially at higher RPM
That front end everyone hates on the ridgeline has a super low drag coefficient.
The belt driven J series 6 has had purposeful NVH work done on it and is like a sewing machine.
To really compare the 2 for NVH it would be fairer to put the half ton in 4wd -
With the second differential engaged the NVH goes up more and there is also a significant mileage penalty.
I live in the mountains and go from pavement to wet to snow to ice and back all the time someone all of these surfaces within a mile, the half ton doesnt handles this fast changeup remotely as well, your be locking and unlocking all the time, and the half ton locked on dry pavement will bind and shudder.
The way this thing handles is beyond any other 4x4 truck - especially on a twisty mountain road.
I dont buy a truck for that purpose, but its a pleasant surprise when the truck you did buy also actually handles fairly well.
In an 80/20 world where 80% of the time you are just driving with nothing but poeple and often 1 of them in the truck the Ridgeline is the king.
UD
A year ago I bought an 09 RL with just under 100k on it. I had some touch-up paint work and timing belt replaced. The previous owner maintained the truck to Honda specs. It's a beautiful trade-off for commuting and light duty truck needs. Yesterday Menards set an 1100 pound pallet of top soil in the back of mine and away I went. Had I not seen it in the mirror I wouldn't have known it was there. I love everything about it save for 18 MPG's. The newer ones do better due to more gears in the transmission. I would guess that there is very little to no difference in functionality between the generations but someone else whose had both can speak to that. And it's a quieter ride than my wife's SUV!
Its also quieter than my RX400H Hybrid which is known to be a very quiet SUV.
Functionally they very similar,I think the gen one bed trunk is a bit larger.
If I recall - Honda originally rated the gen one at 7500 for a boat or low profile trailer and 5K for a box trailer camper - where gen 2 is a flat 5K.
Gen 2 (6) speed is an amazing road trip vehicle. I would bet the 9 is even better.
This 1200 miles was done in one day @ between 70 and 80 the whole way.
I can get 30 if I drive conservatively and stay at 70 or under, but at this stage of my life arriving a bit sooner trumps the diff between 26 and 30.
Drive it like grandpa and 30+ is achievable, but thats for guys getting paid by the hour and grandpa - but it will reward conservative driving.
1/2 tons simply generate more NVH regardless of tire.
You cant punch a hole in the wind that large at 70 and up without noise, and large differentials, fans, V8 engines w dual exhaust are just noiser period - especially at higher RPM
That front end everyone hates on the ridgeline has a super low drag coefficient.
The belt driven J series 6 has had purposeful NVH work done on it and is like a sewing machine.
To really compare the 2 for NVH it would be fairer to put the half ton in 4wd -
With the second differential engaged the NVH goes up more and there is also a significant mileage penalty.
I live in the mountains and go from pavement to wet to snow to ice and back all the time someone all of these surfaces within a mile, the half ton doesnt handles this fast changeup remotely as well, your be locking and unlocking all the time, and the half ton locked on dry pavement will bind and shudder.
The way this thing handles is beyond any other 4x4 truck - especially on a twisty mountain road.
I dont buy a truck for that purpose, but its a pleasant surprise when the truck you did buy also actually handles fairly well.
In an 80/20 world where 80% of the time you are just driving with nothing but poeple and often 1 of them in the truck the Ridgeline is the king.
UD
Originally Posted by UncleDave
check it out on black ice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNds1cHbO2k
That is pretty amazing! Being it will be driven in MN winters, that's why i'm leaning towards AWD vs 4x4. Throw some snows on it in the winter and it would have traction to stop and go.
check it out on black ice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNds1cHbO2k
That is pretty amazing! Being it will be driven in MN winters, that's why i'm leaning towards AWD vs 4x4. Throw some snows on it in the winter and it would have traction to stop and go.
Originally Posted by UncleDave
Originally Posted by Aichiguy
A year ago I bought an 09 RL with just under 100k on it. I had some touch-up paint work and timing belt replaced. The previous owner maintained the truck to Honda specs. It's a beautiful trade-off for commuting and light duty truck needs. Yesterday Menards set an 1100 pound pallet of top soil in the back of mine and away I went. Had I not seen it in the mirror I wouldn't have known it was there. I love everything about it save for 18 MPG's. The newer ones do better due to more gears in the transmission. I would guess that there is very little to no difference in functionality between the generations but someone else whose had both can speak to that. And it's a quieter ride than my wife's SUV!
Its also quieter than my RX400H Hybrid which is known to be a very quiet SUV.
Functionally they very similar,I think the gen one bed trunk is a bit larger.
If I recall - Honda originally rated the gen one at 7500 for a boat or low profile trailer and 5K for a box trailer camper - where gen 2 is a flat 5K.
Gen 2 (6) speed is an amazing road trip vehicle. I would bet the 9 is even better.
This 1200 miles was done in one day @ between 70 and 80 the whole way.
I can get 30 if I drive conservatively and stay at 70 or under, but at this stage of my life arriving a bit sooner trumps the diff between 26 and 30.
Drive it like grandpa and 30+ is achievable, but thats for guys getting paid by the hour and grandpa - but it will reward conservative driving.
1/2 tons simply generate more NVH regardless of tire.
You cant punch a hole in the wind that large at 70 and up without noise, and large differentials, fans, V8 engines w dual exhaust are just noiser period - especially at higher RPM
That front end everyone hates on the ridgeline has a super low drag coefficient.
The belt driven J series 6 has had purposeful NVH work done on it and is like a sewing machine.
To really compare the 2 for NVH it would be fairer to put the half ton in 4wd -
With the second differential engaged the NVH goes up more and there is also a significant mileage penalty.
I live in the mountains and go from pavement to wet to snow to ice and back all the time someone all of these surfaces within a mile, the half ton doesnt handles this fast changeup remotely as well, your be locking and unlocking all the time, and the half ton locked on dry pavement will bind and shudder.
The way this thing handles is beyond any other 4x4 truck - especially on a twisty mountain road.
I dont buy a truck for that purpose, but its a pleasant surprise when the truck you did buy also actually handles fairly well.
In an 80/20 world where 80% of the time you are just driving with nothing but poeple and often 1 of them in the truck the Ridgeline is the king.
UD
Thank you for the info, very useful. That's the only apprehension I have on a 2020-2021, the 9 speed trans. I read lots of reports where the Pilot owners were VERY unhappy with them the past few years.Maybe they've work out the kinks... I think the AWD over 4x4 makes complete sense in my use case. I don't need a Tacoma TRD Pro etc with lockers and what not, I don't off road. This will be my daily driver and family activity vehicle.
Originally Posted by Aichiguy
A year ago I bought an 09 RL with just under 100k on it. I had some touch-up paint work and timing belt replaced. The previous owner maintained the truck to Honda specs. It's a beautiful trade-off for commuting and light duty truck needs. Yesterday Menards set an 1100 pound pallet of top soil in the back of mine and away I went. Had I not seen it in the mirror I wouldn't have known it was there. I love everything about it save for 18 MPG's. The newer ones do better due to more gears in the transmission. I would guess that there is very little to no difference in functionality between the generations but someone else whose had both can speak to that. And it's a quieter ride than my wife's SUV!
Its also quieter than my RX400H Hybrid which is known to be a very quiet SUV.
Functionally they very similar,I think the gen one bed trunk is a bit larger.
If I recall - Honda originally rated the gen one at 7500 for a boat or low profile trailer and 5K for a box trailer camper - where gen 2 is a flat 5K.
Gen 2 (6) speed is an amazing road trip vehicle. I would bet the 9 is even better.
This 1200 miles was done in one day @ between 70 and 80 the whole way.
I can get 30 if I drive conservatively and stay at 70 or under, but at this stage of my life arriving a bit sooner trumps the diff between 26 and 30.
Drive it like grandpa and 30+ is achievable, but thats for guys getting paid by the hour and grandpa - but it will reward conservative driving.
1/2 tons simply generate more NVH regardless of tire.
You cant punch a hole in the wind that large at 70 and up without noise, and large differentials, fans, V8 engines w dual exhaust are just noiser period - especially at higher RPM
That front end everyone hates on the ridgeline has a super low drag coefficient.
The belt driven J series 6 has had purposeful NVH work done on it and is like a sewing machine.
To really compare the 2 for NVH it would be fairer to put the half ton in 4wd -
With the second differential engaged the NVH goes up more and there is also a significant mileage penalty.
I live in the mountains and go from pavement to wet to snow to ice and back all the time someone all of these surfaces within a mile, the half ton doesnt handles this fast changeup remotely as well, your be locking and unlocking all the time, and the half ton locked on dry pavement will bind and shudder.
The way this thing handles is beyond any other 4x4 truck - especially on a twisty mountain road.
I dont buy a truck for that purpose, but its a pleasant surprise when the truck you did buy also actually handles fairly well.
In an 80/20 world where 80% of the time you are just driving with nothing but poeple and often 1 of them in the truck the Ridgeline is the king.
UD
Thank you for the info, very useful. That's the only apprehension I have on a 2020-2021, the 9 speed trans. I read lots of reports where the Pilot owners were VERY unhappy with them the past few years.Maybe they've work out the kinks... I think the AWD over 4x4 makes complete sense in my use case. I don't need a Tacoma TRD Pro etc with lockers and what not, I don't off road. This will be my daily driver and family activity vehicle.
The 9-speed has gotten better and shouldn't give any issues now...the earlier ones had software bugs and owners would complain about hard shifts. Fluid changes are difficult and the fluid is crazy expensive compared to the 6-speed, but that's a relatively minor concern.
Originally Posted by UncleDave
check it out on black ice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNds1cHbO2k
Hahaha. That's awesome. But, but, but, you ain't a real man if you drive a Ridgeline, dontchaknow. The Ridgeline driver can't hear the ignorance when he's sitting at home in the heat drinking his coffee as the ‘real truck' owners are waiting on a tow.
check it out on black ice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNds1cHbO2k
Hahaha. That's awesome. But, but, but, you ain't a real man if you drive a Ridgeline, dontchaknow. The Ridgeline driver can't hear the ignorance when he's sitting at home in the heat drinking his coffee as the ‘real truck' owners are waiting on a tow.
Originally Posted by PowerSurge
Originally Posted by UncleDave
check it out on black ice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNds1cHbO2k
Hahaha. That's awesome. But, but, but, you ain't a real man if you drive a Ridgeline, dontchaknow. The Ridgeline driver can't hear the ignorance when he's sitting at home in the heat drinking his coffee as the ‘real truck' owners are waiting on a tow.
LOL, I'm with you. Function over form. I don't care what people think about what I drive.
Originally Posted by UncleDave
check it out on black ice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNds1cHbO2k
Hahaha. That's awesome. But, but, but, you ain't a real man if you drive a Ridgeline, dontchaknow. The Ridgeline driver can't hear the ignorance when he's sitting at home in the heat drinking his coffee as the ‘real truck' owners are waiting on a tow.
LOL, I'm with you. Function over form. I don't care what people think about what I drive.
Originally Posted by UncleDave
My experiment...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiaY4JY_kAY&t=14s
That boat cost more than my house...
My experiment...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiaY4JY_kAY&t=14s
That boat cost more than my house...
Originally Posted by UncleDave
My experiment...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiaY4JY_kAY&t=14s
I appreciate the fact that you realize you don't need a full-size to tow that, or anything else that people think they need a full-size for.
My experiment...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiaY4JY_kAY&t=14s
I appreciate the fact that you realize you don't need a full-size to tow that, or anything else that people think they need a full-size for.
Originally Posted by tbm5690
Originally Posted by UncleDave
My experiment...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiaY4JY_kAY&t=14s
I appreciate the fact that you realize you don't need a full-size to tow that, or anything else that people think they need a full-size for.
There are guys that think you need a 3/4 ton dually to tow a Coleman pop-up.
The Ridgeline performed beautifully in a VERY tough environment while delivering superb towing MPG.
I've been in many 1/2 tons that didnt tow as well including an f150 with a 4.6 that was rated for 5K.
UD
Originally Posted by UncleDave
My experiment...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiaY4JY_kAY&t=14s
I appreciate the fact that you realize you don't need a full-size to tow that, or anything else that people think they need a full-size for.
There are guys that think you need a 3/4 ton dually to tow a Coleman pop-up.
The Ridgeline performed beautifully in a VERY tough environment while delivering superb towing MPG.
I've been in many 1/2 tons that didnt tow as well including an f150 with a 4.6 that was rated for 5K.
UD
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
Originally Posted by UncleDave
My experiment...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiaY4JY_kAY&t=14s
That boat cost more than my house...
Funny you say that.
That is the companies all time best selling model with over 100 built.
It has become too expensive to build costing as much as the 24ft version of the same boat.
A customer will only opt for it if today they have space limitations as they can get a bigger boat for the exact same price.
pretty sure it isnt as much as YOUR house but is as much as some in some places starting at 75K and easily hitting 100K with bigger power.
UD
Originally Posted by UncleDave
My experiment...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiaY4JY_kAY&t=14s
That boat cost more than my house...
Funny you say that.
That is the companies all time best selling model with over 100 built.
It has become too expensive to build costing as much as the 24ft version of the same boat.
A customer will only opt for it if today they have space limitations as they can get a bigger boat for the exact same price.
pretty sure it isnt as much as YOUR house but is as much as some in some places starting at 75K and easily hitting 100K with bigger power.
UD
I recently bought a 2019 Ridgeline Sport with 9k on the odometer and a bed and tow hitch that both look brand new. It was a one owner lease return and was leased one month before the planet shut down, and retuned 10 months later.
Anyway, it is absolutely the right tool for the job that I need it to do. I cross shopped the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma and Ford ranger and the Ridgeline destroyed them all in the things that are important to me.
I'm a 53yr old dude who needs it to haul my CRF 450, MTBs, as well as the occasional freezer, fridge, couch and Lowes stuff.... and for the other 97% of the time, I want it to drive like a luxury car.
^ Mission accomplished.
Anyway, it is absolutely the right tool for the job that I need it to do. I cross shopped the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma and Ford ranger and the Ridgeline destroyed them all in the things that are important to me.
I'm a 53yr old dude who needs it to haul my CRF 450, MTBs, as well as the occasional freezer, fridge, couch and Lowes stuff.... and for the other 97% of the time, I want it to drive like a luxury car.
^ Mission accomplished.
Thats a fact. RAM has the best ride ever.
Bravo uncle dave for real world feedback. I applaud Ridgeline owners for buying what they need and not worrying so much about “is it a real truck?” type of branding concerns, especially now that they are getting better mpg. I’d say that UD probably puts his RL through more trials than most, and it’s good to see what they can do out in the wild.
I never had one, but the Subaru Baja had my eye for a bit. If a granny gear (or 4L) had been available with a mild lift, I would have probably been all over it. Having a bed is super useful (Granted it was small in the ‘ru).
also, the comments about the smaller footprint being easier to live with are real. A full-size can be a lot depending on where you’re going. That honda layout is amazing efficient with packaging, leaving lots of room inside.
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