Honda Ridgeline Pickup anyone?

[ddbackhoe]

This is what a real truck looks like.

Uhhuh, the ones they let girls drive :laughing:

 

[Garandman]

When the Army had CUCV’s - heaviest-Duty pickups and Blazers - they were referred to as “Light Duty.”

But there’s mud, then there’s Army mud. Tracked vehicles will easily cross terrain almost impossible to walk on or drive a wheeled vehicle.

 

[Milo]

I've had my 2018 Ridgeline AWD RTL-T now for almost one year and 16,000 miles. It replaced a 2004 Tundra Access Cab, 4wd, 6-cylinder 5-speed manual which I bought slightly used in 2004 with 600 miles. The reasons I considered a Ridgeline was:

Whatever I bought had to be no larger than my old Tundra (so smaller than a full size pick up) just because of all the small unlined paved, and dirt roads I travel, and ease of parking.

Seldom tow and when I do it's generally a small box trailer or two rail motorcycle trailer.

I often haul stuff in the bed but it generally consists of things like firewood, bags of trash, motorcycle, stuff from Lowes or Southern States, brush, etc.

Comfort, ride quality, and handling were important because I appreciate all three every minute I'm in the vehicle.

Off road ability through mud bogs or rock climbing is not important (I have a dual sport motorcycle and Polaris Ranger if I want to do that) but I do need more ground clearance than a car and AWD or 4WD.

MPG; for my Tundra real world driving in traffic, Interstate up and down hills, I was averaging 15. I wanted better.

I loved my old Tundra, the logical replacement would be a new Tacoma which was about the same size but the seats and riding position was so uncomfortable, and the new 3.5 motor/trans had issues.

I looked at the GM twins........ meh. Nice size, power, and mpg, but dated looking interior. Frontier was SO dated and poor mpg.



Ridgeline..... OMG such comfortable seats even better than the MDX! Rides and handles like an SUV yet can tow 5,000 pounds and carry almost as much in the bed as a full size pick up. Good ground clearance. No low range but for real world driving Honda's SH-AWD is so much better than 4wd... unless really off roading. Rear seats fold up completely out of the way, and the under bed storage is really useful.
20.5 mpg is 33% up.

 

[ultrarunner]

It's great when a vehicle checks all the boxes...

Great write up from experience.

I don't see myself buying a new car but I like to keep up with what is out there...

Never know... if I ever make the move to Washington... a Ridgeline sounds ideal for everything except towing my Deere 110 and enclose 7k car trailer.

 

[Jstpssng]

Actually, it's the average of all four tires, as ABS doesn't work "down" to the lowest tire, but merely keeps all four rolling, so it can have four different "programs" going at once. You can check this out by driving with two wheels on ice and two on dry pavement.

I'm all too familiar with that scenario. NOT conducive to stopping.

 

[WhiteRam]

The Domestic 3 need to tour a Honda plant, then buy one and dissasemble it. When a vehicle can go 400,000km with only replacing one unit bearing and two sets of brakes - that tells you something.


Quality is top notch.

 

[Garandman]

The Domestic 3 need to tour a Honda plant, then buy one and dissasemble it. When a vehicle can go 400,000km with only replacing one unit bearing and two sets of brakes - that tells you something.

Most manufacturers do this. There are also independent firm that purchase new cars, disassemble them down to the nut and bolt level, and report on the costs and details.

In our company fleet, Honda did not do any better than Chevrolet or Ford. Just about any car you can buy will go over 100,000 miles without major repairs.

 

[ultrarunner]

Additional Information...

With so many comments regarding the Ridgeline lack of towing capacity, "Only 5,000 lbs."... I decided to look up the truck I gave my nephew...

Ford F-150 Extended Cab, 4wd, 4.9, 5 spd manual with 3.55 gears...

Drum roll please... 3,500 lbs. towing capacity...

Kind of put things in prospective...

When I started towing I was using mostly station wagons... Oldsmobile 455 Vista Cruiser towing two horse trailer up and down the Sierra Nevada range... also towed the same rig with a 1971 Dodge Challenger...

 

[ddbackhoe]

Additional Information.. Oldsmobile 455 Vista Cruiser towing two horse trailer up and down the Sierra Nevada range...

With one of the chain-on bumper hitches? What was that combo rated for? :laughing:

 

[ultrarunner]

With one of the chain-on bumper hitches? What was that combo rated for? :laughing:

Nope... just a regular flat bar hitch... no square tube receiver.

As a kid... the only time I saw a square tube receiver on a truck or passenger car was with a load equalizing hitch for a travel trailer...

We towed the horses with passenger cars for years until we got a 1974 3/4 Chevrolet with 350 auto and air... living large... most of the horse people did the same... still remember one of the top riders went everywhere with a 500 ci Eldorado... maybe 1970 vintage?

Had a 1970 1/2 Chevrolet with a 350 and auto... plenty of power but the coil rear springs were horrendous for towing... even the Chrysler Town and Country did better but most of the time it was the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser with 455...