2021 mid-cycle refresh Ridgeline

[supton]

Honda has never broken the 40,000 units A YEAR NUMBER since the Ridgeline came out.

Ford or GM sells more pickups in a month than Honda sells in a year.

So yea-the market place has spoken in regards to needs/or wants in regards to a pickup truck.

That's foolish. I could compare Corvette sales to Camry sales and say the same thing.

The price of admission is the negative...

Yep, although I'm not crazy about the TB. I get it, compared to some of the timing chains out there, it's a good thing, but it just feels like it ought to be a chain. In the end, for what this costs, I can have a cheap commuter car and a bigger truck--but it can be tempting to combine the two and have just one vehicle.

A minivan as opposed to a car based truck would do what I want, but even that's not perfect--you can hang stuff off the bed of a truck but hanging out the back of a tailgate is a bit... hackneyed. Plus after moving junk you need to clean (as opposed to ignoring a "dirty" bed).

A trailer would work too (with a sedan) but having to pull out a trailer just to make a dump run... meh. A trailer with a minivan is probably best bet, but I already spent my money.

No perfect vehicle. That's why I wound up with two. But then this vehicle seems too... between.

*

I will say, I'm surprised with myself, I kinda like the look. I've been against the recent bro-dozer look going on with trucks, but for some reason I like it here. It's not that I disliked the look of the current iteration but this does have a better look. Probably means that I need to have my head checked.

 

[buster]

I liked everything about the Ridgeline except that it’s FWD/FWD based AWD. That immediately got it thrown off the list for me.

It's not entirely FWD based. It also has true torque vectoring and can send 100% power to either side. In Sand mode the torque split is much more evenly distributed. It's a very capable system for bad weather, mud and sand. It's not a rock crawler.

 

[supton]

Not sure why it matters that it is FWD based. Is this meant to be a canyon corner cutter? Heavy duty, day in and day out, tow pig? Something that people are going to empty a loader bucket full of rock into? or toss heavy tools and whatnot into the back?

In some ways it'd be nice if they had a dedicated FWD version, then it could have a yet lower bed height. The only good thing about the bed height of my "real" pickup is that the tailgate is at a good height for cutting wood on--the rest of the time it's too dang high.

 

[ryster]

Honda has never broken the 40,000 units A YEAR NUMBER since the Ridgeline came out.

Ford or GM sells more pickups in a month than Honda sells in a year.

So yea-the market place has spoken in regards to needs/or wants in regards to a pickup truck.

Actually they sold 42,593 in 2005, 50,193 in 2006, and 42,795 in 2007. After that sales started falling off the cliff until 2016 when things started picking up again. However after selling 34,749 in 2017, sales are falling again.

I have friends that would love to buy one, and could easily afford to buy one, but are simply unwilling to pay the price (both new and used.)

 

[slo town]

Actually they sold 42,593 in 2005, 50,193 in 2006, and 42,795 in 2007. After that sales started falling off the cliff until 2016 when things started picking up again. However after selling 34,749 in 2017, sales are falling again.

I have friends that would love to buy one, and could easily afford to buy one, but are simply unwilling to pay the price (both new and used.)

Those are horrible numbers.

Scott

 

[2EHA]

same problem as always, too expensive and it’s literally a honda

 

[Trav]

GM was innovating these types of vehicles before Honda even made a scooter and VW was still building only Beetles and buses.

 

[RTexasF]

I like the Ridgeline and the new front end approves the appearance to me. My only real negative is the timing belt on the V-6.

 

[Coffeehound]

Actually FWD is a positive where it snows. Better traction than a RWD when the box is empty. I like it.

 

[CKN]

Actually they sold 42,593 in 2005, 50,193 in 2006, and 42,795 in 2007. After that sales started falling off the cliff until 2016 when things started picking up again. However after selling 34,749 in 2017, sales are falling again.

I have friends that would love to buy one, and could easily afford to buy one, but are simply unwilling to pay the price (both new and used.)

You have numbers that must include other than U.S.
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/honda-ridgeline-sales-figures/

 

[CKN]

That's foolish. I could compare Corvette sales to Camry sales and say the same thing.


Yep, although I'm not crazy about the TB. I get it, compared to some of the timing chains out there, it's a good thing, but it just feels like it ought to be a chain. In the end, for what this costs, I can have a cheap commuter car and a bigger truck--but it can be tempting to combine the two and have just one vehicle.

A minivan as opposed to a car based truck would do what I want, but even that's not perfect--you can hang stuff off the bed of a truck but hanging out the back of a tailgate is a bit... hackneyed. Plus after moving junk you need to clean (as opposed to ignoring a "dirty" bed).

A trailer would work too (with a sedan) but having to pull out a trailer just to make a dump run... meh. A trailer with a minivan is probably best bet, but I already spent my money.

No perfect vehicle. That's why I wound up with two. But then this vehicle seems too... between.

*

I will say, I'm surprised with myself, I kinda like the look. I've been against the recent bro-dozer look going on with trucks, but for some reason I like it here. It's not that I disliked the look of the current iteration but this does have a better look. Probably means that I need to have my head checked.

Supton-
Those who own Ridgelines insist they are a REAL TRUCK. It's a fair comparison.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I wonder if Honda has a Bro-Dozer model?

 

[CKN]

Actually they sold 42,593 in 2005, 50,193 in 2006, and 42,795 in 2007. After that sales started falling off the cliff until 2016 when things started picking up again. However after selling 34,749 in 2017, sales are falling again.

I have friends that would love to buy one, and could easily afford to buy one, but are simply unwilling to pay the price (both new and used.)

What are they driving then?

 

[Trav]

Supton-
Those who own Ridgelines insist they are a REAL TRUCK. It's a fair comparison.

The flat earthers insist the earth is flat but that doesn't make it so. LOL

 

[supton]

Supton-
Those who own Ridgelines insist they are a REAL TRUCK. It's a fair comparison.

I fail to see your point. Corvette's don't sell like Camry's, so the market has spoken, right? Both are used mostly to go from point A to point B, but one vastly outsells the other.

 

[ryster]

You have numbers that must include other than U.S.
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/honda-ridgeline-sales-figures/

The numbers are from that link you provided

Honda Ridgeline – US – By Year

Year	sold
2005	42,593
2006	50,193
2007	42,795
2008	33,417
2009	16,464
2010	16,142
2011	9,759
2012	15,438
2013	17,723
2014	13,389
2015	520
2016	23,668
2017	34,749
2018	30,592
2019	33,334
2020	23,112

 

[Nick1994]

Thank god. The last one looked like an Odyssey that someone took a sawzall to.

 

[supton]

I should probably clarify my stance: I get the point, some don't like the Ridgeline. They don't think it's a real truck. 'tis ok. Many don't think I own a real car either. Opinions are subjective and all.

But sales numbers aren't always the be-all end-all metric for success or not. If the goal was sales, then yes. But there are plenty of niche markets. I don't think Honda set out to take over the half-ton market (if anything, Toyota failed in their goal, maybe they hit their sales targets and are fine with what they have accomplished, but arguably the Tundra has not made a dent in the big 3 sales).

 

[CKN]

The numbers are from that link you provided

Honda Ridgeline – US – By Year

Year	sold
2005	42,593
2006	50,193
2007	42,795
2008	33,417
2009	16,464
2010	16,142
2011	9,759
2012	15,438
2013	17,723
2014	13,389
2015	520
2016	23,668
2017	34,749
2018	30,592
2019	33,334
2020	23,112

OK-three years are above 40,000 units. The average is much lower. They sales point to basically a niche vehicle....really.

 

[Trav]

I think this may be a last ditch effort, if sales don't increase it gets the heave ho.