As I sit in the San Antonio airport, I am very excited. I have just spent two days with the all new 2017 Honda Ridgeline. All of the info is embargoed, so I can't tell you anything yet, but I will tell you that I am in the process of ordering mine.
And they are already teasing me around the office about my unnatural lust for this vehicle and how it isn't a real truck, so go ahead, yuck it up and pile on.
I think it looks good and would suit the needs of about 80% of truck owners who don't really need a half ton truck.
Question, did you order it from Hennessy Honda of Woodstock, and do all the pixels work?
I keed I keed...Looking forward to hearing about it. Was it mechanical, or creature comfort that pushed the right buttons for you?
SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I think it looks good and would suit the needs of about 80% of truck owners who don't really need a half ton truck.
It's a larger replacement for the Subaru Baja. A "truck" for people who have no reason at all to own a truck and will never use it as one.
SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I think it looks good and would suit the needs of about 80% of truck owners who don't really need a half ton truck.
Be quiet.
My profit sharing check needs those irrational buyers.
In deference to Honda, I will wait until Monday before I say much more. let's just say they totally nailed it and fixed every one of the few things I didn't like about it.
I've been hoping the news on this would be positive!
rslifkin wrote: It's a larger replacement for the Subaru Baja. A "truck" for people who have no reason at all to own a truck and will never use it as one.
What exactly do you think are the bare minimum acceptable reasons to own a truck and "use it as one"?
It's not a half ton, but bigger than a quarter ton.
5/8ths ton?
I want to want one. Eagerly awaiting the special info.
Tim Suddard wrote: In deference to Honda, I will wait until Monday before I say much more. let's just say they totally nailed it and fixed every one of the few things I didn't like about it.
It's a diesel? :)
rslifkin wrote:SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I think it looks good and would suit the needs of about 80% of truck owners who don't really need a half ton truck.It's a larger replacement for the Subaru Baja. A "truck" for people who have no reason at all to own a truck and will never use it as one.
Nothing worse than truck snobs. Trucks like this excell at a variety of things. It's not a competitor to a standard cab traditional pickup, nor does it pretend to.
When I had my Dodge Rampage, I certainly used it quite a bit as a truck by filling the bed with car parts, tools, home improvement supplies, appliances, race tires, etc.
Aside from towing a car on a trailer or more than two people, it did everything I ever needed, including autocrossing.
It also got 30+mpg on the freeway.
Kreb wrote:rslifkin wrote:Nothing worse than truck snobs. Trucks like this excell at a variety of things. It's not a competitor to a standard cab traditional pickup, nor does it pretend to.SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I think it looks good and would suit the needs of about 80% of truck owners who don't really need a half ton truck.It's a larger replacement for the Subaru Baja. A "truck" for people who have no reason at all to own a truck and will never use it as one.
Maybe engine swap snobs? Or perhaps brand snobs?
Eh, they're all pretty equal, depending on the situation.
I think the new Ridgeline is pretty cool. Not sure how it's really better than a similar Pilot in actual use, but the under bed trunk and external speaker are neat gizmos.
I see they increased MPG's about 20%. The new bed look's a little too shallow for me. I've been looking into these for awhile including the old one's. Would make a great vehicle for what I need. Look forward to a review from GRM.
Stefan (Not Bruce) wrote: When I had my Dodge Rampage, I certainly used it quite a bit as a truck by filling the bed with car parts, tools, home improvement supplies, appliances, race tires, etc. Aside from towing a car on a trailer or more than two people, it did everything I ever needed, including autocrossing. It also got 30+mpg on the freeway.
Same way for my 64 el camino. Same uses. It's what I need a truck to do, same as 50% of other truck owners.
Tim Suddard wrote: In deference to Honda, I will wait until Monday before I say much more. let's just say they totally nailed it and fixed every one of the few things I didn't like about it.
On Monday, can you tell me if I can put a Fisher Homesteader plow on a 2017 Ridgeline? Because if I can, I would like to buy one.
It's a neat truck. If I needed or wanted a truck, I'd probably get a Ridgeline. I don't, so I won't.
Did they finally stop hiding the spare and jack under the cargo hold? That, the solid unibody sides and the terrible FWD/AWD setup annoyed me. But having to unload the bed just to get your jack and a mini spare were unforgivable IMO. that and the mediocre fuel economy for what it was.
Woody, not sure about that, but I can tell you my old Ridgeline will be for sale in a few weeks. Normally I don't like to sell vehicles to friends, but this one has been so good to me and I have taken good care of it and I want it to stay in the extended family. I also just spent about $3000 rebuilding the trans, putting in new motor mounts and everything else it could possibly need, including its second timing belt.
My big complaints with the old Ridgeline were: FWD based AWD (bad for towing, as you're adding weight to the rear and possibly removing some from the front), it was underpowered and not a ton of bed space. It was good for people who wanted an SUV with a separate outside area to put dirty things. But if you actually need a truck to tow or move any significant amount of weight, you'd be better served by just about anything else, short of a 4cyl S10 / Ranger.
Kreb wrote:rslifkin wrote:Nothing worse than truck snobs. Trucks like this excell at a variety of things. It's not a competitor to a standard cab traditional pickup, nor does it pretend to.SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I think it looks good and would suit the needs of about 80% of truck owners who don't really need a half ton truck.It's a larger replacement for the Subaru Baja. A "truck" for people who have no reason at all to own a truck and will never use it as one.
I can't tell whether you're agreeing with me or what.
BoostedBrandon wrote: It's not a half ton, but bigger than a quarter ton. 5/8ths ton?
That would be 3/8 ton 
So your undisclosed information was your tipping point in buying one?
In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid:
Well technically the Honda IS a half-ton truck. If you mean that it's a better choice for all the people who are using their body-on-frame trucks like station wagons, yes, we agree.
I get a little red around the collar at all the truck dudes who go on about how it's not a "real" truck. Like somehow their manhood is threatened, or that Honda was trying to position it against a Cummings-powered truck.
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