Everything the Silverado SS/Avalanche wants to be when it grows up!

For those who are thinking about purchasing an RL...Listen up.

The RL can corner better than any truck I've driven, including the Caddy's. Acceleration is effortless. The rig motors at 75 mph and gets over 24 mpg. This truck is close to the engineering perfection of the infamous Legend Cpe.

Now I posted the thread bashing two of my favorites.

SS Silverado-who would build a pick-up and put near racing slicks on it.
Avalanche-hope you can get a contract with Exxon.
Both-get the extend warranty, you will need it.

I owned plenty of cars and drove even more (including Acura/ Mitsu Monteros).
Bottom Line-HONDA has changed my idea of what a truck is supposed to be and do.

Honda built the truck I was looking for.

I think GM dropped the ball, but then why should they change, if people were really paying 40 k for a truck.

I love the ridgeline, but I would rather have a v-8 cruising at 75. My Ridgeline hunts way to much between 5th and 4th. I can't use cruise control because the slightest hill makes it go into 3rd.

As for 24mpg, I haven't broken 19mpg. Usually get 16mpg.

I would never buy a GM, but have had quite a few Toyotas and although there is no comparison between the ride. The RL kills our 4runner for ride quality, I can set my cruise in the 4runner at 80 without it hunting for gears.

Kevin

i always said that if honda ever built a truck i would buy one. this is everything i've wanted in a truck and more, from the trunk to the fullsize rear seat. at first my wife didn't like the way it looked, but after driving and riding in the RL she loves it. i tell everyone that will listen if you need a truck that will haul the family and tow most anything within reason seriously look at the RL. :D

I sold my '02 Tahoe to get my RL. The one thing the Tahoe has over the RL is turning radius. I could make u-turns in the most unbelieveable places with it. It would amaze people that I had in the Tahoe with me how tight I could pull off a u-turn.

My RL makes the same turns into y-turns, causing me to back up part way through.

NK, I also had a 2005 4 runner, V8 and it handled the hills and was about 1 mph better that the Ridge, BUT, as you said, the Ridge is so much more comfortable and easier to handle, and our wifes love it :p

I also had a 2005 4 runner but a V-6. The trans was a lot smoother at 60-80 mph. The Ridgeline hunts between 5th and 4th that it's almost impossible to keep at 2000 rpm for good gas milage. Also I was getting 24-27 mpg on the highway with the 4 runner But the trade off was no contest . With the back seats up in the 4 runner there was no room in the back for anything larger than a load of groceries. There is no comparison with back seat room or comfort. The ridgeline has much more comfort and holds the road much better in the corners. It drives like my old 2003 Accord with the versatility of a truck.

Here are the existing conditions and factors attributable to obtaining the 24mpg.

AC on
Night time
93 octane gasoline (pricey at 3.19 a gallon on 9/1/2005)
Original oil in the case
4300 miles on the rig
Retrax cover (if you buy one mention reggiewilliams/ridgelineowners.com for a discount)
Door bumpers
Tow hitch
Fender flares
Few abrupt maneuvers
All windows up!
Set it at 73 mph and forget it...let it hunt for gears, it's ok!

I think this truck has taller gears than the six speed Legend (i.e. the legend registered 2550
rpm at 80 mph, the RL registers 2400rpm at 80 mph).

I also had a 2005 4 runner but a V-6. The trans was a lot smoother at 60-80 mph. The Ridgeline hunts between 5th and 4th that it's almost impossible to keep at 2000 rpm for good gas milage. Also I was getting 24-27 mpg on the highway with the 4 runner But the trade off was no contest . With the back seats up in the 4 runner there was no room in the back for anything larger than a load of groceries. There is no comparison with back seat room or comfort. The ridgeline has much more comfort and holds the road much better in the corners. It drives like my old 2003 Accord with the versatility of a truck.

Forget highway speeds for a second. The thing that bothers me most about the RL's transmission is that it waits until about 47-48 MPH before shifting into 5th gear (normal acceleration from a stop light). On most secondary streets, you essentially have to exceed the posted speed limit just to get it out of 4th gear. It's no wonder many of us are struggling to realize even the minimum estimate of 16MPG. Heck, my last 3 fill-ups have all yielded between 14.5 and 14.8 MPG (almost all city driving).

denvrfan

How many miles do you have on your car?

updated sig.

denvrfan

How many miles do you have on your car?

4800 miles. It's almost 6 months old. One of the first 2000 off the line.

My second tank of fuel, less than 300 miles on the clock, netted 18.3 mpg. combined city/highway/rush hour highway traffic.

Forget highway speeds for a second. The thing that bothers me most about the RL's transmission is that it waits until about 47-48 MPH before shifting into 5th gear (normal acceleration from a stop light). On most secondary streets, you essentially have to exceed the posted speed limit just to get it out of 4th gear. It's no wonder many of us are struggling to realize even the minimum estimate of 16MPG. Heck, my last 3 fill-ups have all yielded between 14.5 and 14.8 MPG (almost all city driving).

Not my experience. It's very throttle position dependant. If you are aggressive on the throttle, it will wait, but for me, it always shifts into 5th pretty fast after the tranny warms up. I am still average 19.5 MPG in houston commuting traffic.

I'd take 19.5 to the bank. I haven't broke 17 yet for a full tank test. Mixed highway and rural local driving with very little stop and goes. Around 2000 miles so far.

I haven't had the hunting problem with my Ridgeline. I drove over 100 miles at 77MPH without it shifting hardly at all. The top end gear in the RL is very weak though so even a slight up grade seems to eventually catch up with you. I would bet with the AC off I could get 24 to 25 out of the Ridgeline, I got my best mileage during a day where the outside temp read over 100 and the AC was set to 69/73 (driver/pass), and that was 22mpg. My mileage around home tends to be rather a bit lower, like 17mpg but mostly because of a horrible commute, if I use the commuter only for the workday commute and then drive the truck around for errands and the like, I get about 19mpg. When I say horrible, we have a gas eating hill (sort of like the kite eating tree in Peanuts) that I have to go up twice a day (I work at home, I have to drop my wife off at the train).

For those getting bad mileage, maybe it should be on your list to visit a ROC gathering and let someone getting good mileage ride with you for a short distance, maybe they can notice something that you are doing that is affecting it or maybe they can feel something that just doesn't feel the same. If only I could have made the Hybrid gathering in Massachusetts this year I would have asked someone getting amazing mileage to give me hints. It was right where I was parked just 1 day prior but then I left for vacation and was probably about 500 miles south of it by the time it happen.

Here in the Ozark Mountains ( mostly hills ) I have trouble getting 19 mpg - usually 17. While I was on vacation in Florida ( flat as a pancake ) I had 3 tanks of gas in a row that gave me over 21 mpg ( mileage at start 4600) -the tanks with about 355 miles per fillup ( the gas gauge was at 1/4 tank left and the wife made me fill up by needed to use the restroom ) 21.8, 24.6, 22.1 then rush hour in Atlanta 19.8, then home again at 20.2 mileage at this point 6200. most of the interstate speed limit was 65 in florida and georgia. 70 in tennessee and alabama.
the 2 tanks since I've been home were 17.8 and 18.1 - hills make a big difference in mileage.

I don't have the problem of my Ridge searching for gears either. There's a length of road I drive frequently that the speed limit is 40 MPH. I speed up to about 46-47 and it drops into 5th, and I'm cruising at about 1,400 RPM's. I think the tranny is fine, and I'm yet to get under 18 MPG with over 75% of my driving in the city.

I can't wait till early Novemember when I'll be taking it on the highway for about 250-300 miles so I see what kind of mileage I get. And the fastest I plan on going is 65MPH.

I think a lot has to do with driving habits & road conditions. Also the manual says baby the truck (first 600 miles) and I did that for the first 750 miles, rarely (maybe twice) going over 3,000 RPM's. Then at about 750 I gave it some gas twice and got to about 5,500 RPM's. Maybe because I babied it so much during the break-in that I've been so lucky.

Not my experience. It's very throttle position dependant. If you are aggressive on the throttle, it will wait, but for me, it always shifts into 5th pretty fast after the tranny warms up. I am still average 19.5 MPG in houston commuting traffic.
At what speed does your tranny shift to 5th. Mine is also 47 with easy acceleration.

Not my experience. It's very throttle position dependant. If you are aggressive on the throttle, it will wait, but for me, it always shifts into 5th pretty fast after the tranny warms up. I am still average 19.5 MPG in houston commuting traffic.

Ok, after more careful testing... it does seem to stay in 4th till I am above 45mph.

So far what's effected MPG the most is my right foot.

So far what's effected MPG the most is my right foot.
Oh..sounds like you have the same disease I do. :D

I think what speed you cruise is not as important as how fast you get to that speed.

The last two tanks, I've been more aggressive with the throttle. The MPG has fallen some, into the upper 18's. Before that, I would take my time to get to the posted speed limit. When I do that I can always get 19.x.

I think what speed you cruise is not as important as how fast you get to that speed.

The last two tanks, I've been more aggressive with the throttle. The MPG has fallen some, into the upper 18's. Before that, I would take my time to get to the posted speed limit. When I do that I can always get 19.x.
Sometimes I have to jump on it at the line because of those other trucks that want to race me and rev thier engines while sitting next to me. What's a girl to do. I just gotta ablidge!! :rolleyes: :cool:

OK, here is my 2cents on mileage. Worst to date: 15.4 towing #2870 camper up to 10K elev.Also did cross country, total 3,762 mi from Oracle, Az to Milwaukee, Wi and back. Best mileage: 22.7 at night, AC on, cruise set on 80, about 70 degrees F. outside. Worst for trip: 18.4, AC on,cruise set on 75, big head wind, 102 degrees outside, and lots of road construction on I-44. Avg.= 20.7mpg.

Sometimes I have to jump on it at the line because of those other trucks that want to race me and rev thier engines while sitting next to me. What's a girl to do. I just gotta ablidge!! :rolleyes: :cool:

I think you should consider the supercharger if and when comptech decides to release it. :)

I think what speed you cruise is not as important as how fast you get to that speed.

The last two tanks, I've been more aggressive with the throttle. The MPG has fallen some, into the upper 18's. Before that, I would take my time to get to the posted speed limit. When I do that I can always get 19.x.
I think this also depends on how long you go that speed. Since the resistence rises as the square of your velocity (and the opposing wind velocity as well) how fast you go does have a significant impact, but you are correct that for most people the problem isn't the speed it is how fast they get to the speed that kills their gas mileage.

I have driven the Ridgeline Raider for 323.4 miles and topped off the gas tank at 19.5 when I finally went to the gas station. In Cali, I drive mostly freeway, very little surface streets. Also there isn't much difference in using the premium unleaded than using regular unleaded. I'm loving it! :D

It must have been during an earthquake! Have you ever been on the road during an earthquake? You can't tell that an earthquake is going on.

I think you should consider the supercharger if and when comptech decides to release it. :)
WHAT A FABULOUS IDEA shingles. Keep me posted if you see one. :D

:)
Hi! I'm new here, so go easy on me.

I bought a Ridgline for my wife, so she wouldn't drive my Avalanche any more. Yes, I own an Avalanche. Can I still be in your club?
You all keep bagging on the Avalanche, but it's obvious the Ridgline is an offshoot of the Avalanche market.
I have owned several Hondas in my life. They are a well built vehicle.
I have 75,000 miles on my 2003 Avalanche Z71. The miles include freeway driving at 100mph for a long time, off roading in some very difficult places, sand dunes, mud, you name it. I'm a firefighter, so it has been on fire breaks that were cut up a mountain with a bulldozer, and did not let me down. To this day, I have not taken the Avalanche to the dealer for one defective part. There was a recall on the tailgate straps, but I never had a failure on them. The Avalanche rides like my livingroom couch. It's extreemly quiet, has lots of torque, and cruises down the freeway at 85mph while feeling like it's stopped at a light.
You guys can bag on the Avalanche all you want. First amendment right and all. Many of you that have never ridden in an Avalanche will say bad things about it.
I have a very heavy right foot. I only get 16 to 17 miles per gallon with it. I know somebody that drives like a grandma in his, and he "claims" he is getting 23mpg sometimes. I just know he's exagerating a bit.
The folks at GM put together a nice truck in the Avalanche. They don't cost $40K, like previously posted. If you pay that much, they saw you coming. They average about $33K fully loaded.
It's funny how there are so many designs that are following the lines and features of the Avalanche. It is a trendsetter. My wife's Ridgeline has the same profile as my Avalanche. Ford now has a version of it coming out next year, and I believe it has the midgate in it. Even Subaru has a version of the Avalanche.
But enough about the Avalanche, let's talk Ridgeline.
The trans DOES have a problem holding on to fifth gear. The high end torque seems to leave a little to be desired. I like the look of the interior. Very modern looking. It definately has that Honda feel to it. Tight steering, good cornering, nice acceleration. For the record tho', we raced each other, and I did beat her.
I have a few things I don't understand about the Ridgeline tho'.
Why didn't they make the tailgate go all the way up? It stops short of matching the sides.
Why didn't they put in a midgate? The bed is an odd size and you can't put much in it.
Why did they put that cool trunk cooler in the bed? When you want something out of it, you have to unload the bed of the truck.
I tried hauling my dirt bike in the bed, and it didn't fit. I had to leave the tailgate open. My wife's quad didn't fit either. I tried to load the kids YerfDog in it, and IT didn't fit.
My wife loves that truck. I'm happy for her. She can take the kids to school, get the groceries, hit the garage sales, or haul the kid's soccer equipment.
It has plenty of airbags (especially when my mother-in-law rides in it), and it feels like it could take a pretty good impact and live through it.
Say what you want. I'll take the Avalanche anyday. The Ridgeline isn't that much cheaper to buy or maintain, and it gets about the same gas mileage as the Avalanche.
I mean no offense to the Ridgeline owners. Please don't take any. The Ridgeline is a nice truck. Honda really stepped up to the plate with this vehicle. You should be proud to own one, as I am proud to own my Avalanche.
:cool:

Q. Why didn't they make the tailgate go all the way up? It stops short of matching the sides.
A. better visibility and better aerodynamics

Q. Why didn't they put in a midgate? The bed is an odd size and you can't put much in it.
A. Because it is a much stronger structure this way than a midgate. The rear cab structure is reinforced so that in the case of a frontal crash, stuff in the back won't come into the cab.

Q. Why did they put that cool trunk cooler in the bed? When you want something out of it, you have to unload the bed of the truck.
A. The likely hood of this senario is probably pretty low. Many "nay sayers" of the Ridgeline has pointed this out. But I've yet to read a situation on this forum when this happened. Let me ask you another question: if not in the bed, where else would you put it?

You are SUPPOSED to leave the tailgate down when hauling your bike. Honda designed the tailgate to be the strongest in the segment for a reason. If you wantd to be able to close the tailgate with a bike in there, you'd have to extend the bed 2-3 FEET mroe which means youc an't park it in the garage, you have a hard time finding parking space, etc etc etc. It's a chocie that was made.

Give a read to this thread... might give some insight on the RL.
http://www.vtec.net/forums/one-message?message%5fid=388353

:)
Even Subaru has a version of the Avalanche.

To be fair, Subaru had the Brat back in the early days and then discontinued it, they brought it back as the Baja with little modification. It has again been discontinued.

As to the other things I think those have been discussed, and why would we want the Ridgeline to be an exact duplicate of the Avalanche? As I think I mentioned, I have driven an Avalanche, and it didn't ride as you mention when I took it out. It certainly has more power than the Ridgeline does, and for the record, when prices are compared they are compared at MSRP which is the best baseline. Sure no one pays that anymore, but in the first year of a car it isn't unusual to be close to it for most of the year, although this has been an odd year with the employee pricing issues and gas prices racing up so fast. I mean it is sad when you cheer when you pass a gas station that is selling gas just under $3.00 for the first time in weeks.

I seriously considered an Avalanche but my wife veto'ed it, price, size, and reports we had seen online about sporatic leaking problems at the midgate all killed off that idea. I still think it is an interesting and unique vehicle, but not for me.

The Subaru Baja is a worthless vehicle.

Hi shingles!!
I thought I would break down your response to my post.

QUOTE=shingles Q. Why didn't they make the tailgate go all the way up? It stops short of matching the sides.
A. Better visibility and better aerodynamics
END QUOTE

This makes no sense on both counts.
The extra 2 inches would have changed the view? The back wall behind the back seat restricts your view. Even if you took the tailgate off, the rear view would be restricted. Besides, that’s why God invented back-up cameras. The hook up directly to the display on your nav monitor.
Aerodynamics? The air behind the cab is rolling. It dips down into the bed of the truck, hits the tailgate like a brick wall. The only ways to fix that problem are: Lower/remove the tailgate, or install tonneau cover/bed cover panels. The Avalanche comes stock with the latter.


QUOTE=shingles
Q. Why didn't they put in a midgate? The bed is an odd size and you can't put much in it.
A. Because it is a much stronger structure this way than a midgate. The rear cab structure is reinforced so that in the case of a frontal crash, stuff in the back won't come into the cab.
END QUOTE

In a frontal crash, I can’t see how anything in the cargo bed would come forward into the cab with the midgate up. The midgate is made from very strong composite materials, the rear seatbacks are lined with steel plates on the back, in addition to an internal steel frame. The front seats have internal steel frames also. If you have the midgate down and you get in a frontal crash, that would be the equivalent to anything you might stack into the back seat of the Ridgeline. If you were to get rear ended, the midgate is just as strong as the Ridgeline rear wall. If you have long titanium rods with points facing forward, and big square plates on the other end, and a big semi hits you, I don’t care what you are driving, you are a shish-kabob.

QUOTE=shingles
Q. Why did they put that cool trunk cooler in the bed? When you want something out of it, you have to unload the bed of the truck.
A. The likely hood of this senario is probably pretty low. Many "nay sayers" of the Ridgeline has pointed this out. But I've yet to read a situation on this forum when this happened. Let me ask you another question: if not in the bed, where else would you put it? END QUOTE

It just doesn’t get mentioned in this forum then. It happened to us on a day trip. We put all the chairs, Ezup, misc. kid toys, etc… in the back of her Ridgeline. The wifey packed something for my daughter in the cargo bed trunk that we needed about half way there. Now granted, foresight would have dictated this particular item be placed in a different location, but the options were: A. Find a place to stop and buy another one. B. Unload the cargo bed in a gas station parking lot and get it out. Since the only place we can buy this particular item is in a major department store, and we were in the middle of noplace, we opted for B.
Where else, you ask?
Dodge put a nice cooler/compartment in a few of their vehicles under the floor in the back seat. Chevy, in their infinite wisdom, made good use of the useless area above the rear wheel wells. There are two large, lockable, always exposed, built-in compartments with drains for use as a cooler, on the Avalanche. Sure beats unloading the truck first. Especially when you are out in the desert about to unload all the bikes, camping gear, etc… Yes, you could carry a cooler, but wouldn’t that sort of defeat the purpose of the “built-in” one?


QUOTE=shingles
You are SUPPOSED to leave the tailgate down when hauling your bike. Honda designed the tailgate to be the strongest in the segment for a reason. If you wantd to be able to close the tailgate with a bike in there, you'd have to extend the bed 2-3 FEET mroe which means youc an't park it in the garage, you have a hard time finding parking space, etc etc etc. It's a chocie that was made.
END QUOTE

Huh? Why am I “SUPPOSED” to leave it down? I close mine with both dirt bikes in the back. Why not have the tailgate up, so all the OTHER stuff in the cargo bed doesn’t fall out when I’m four-by-ing it out to a good riding area? I would think the tailgate is “SUPPOSED” to be closed!
I never have trouble finding a parking place for the Avalanche, and it is in my garage as I type this post. I wouldn’t try to pull it into the garage with the dirt bikes in it, ‘cuz the garage door isn’t high enough to clear the bikes.
Strongest in the segment? What does that mean? I can hold the two rear tires of our dirt bikes up with my bare hands. They aren’t heavy. We have had four large men stand on the tailgate of my Avalanche, and it held us.
Why extend the bed 2-3 feet? The bikes fit fine with the tailgate up in my Avalanche. They hang off the back in my wife’s Ridgeline. I can put the two dirt bikes, Ezup, camping equipment, firewood, kids toys, and a lot of other stuff in the cargo bed, close the tailgate, open the side saddlebag/cooler compartment, grab a soda for the road, and go. Thirsty on the road? 15 seconds to another nice cold soda.
Which brings me to this:
Shortly after I purchased my Avalanche, I was doing one of those “rainy day” projects, which just so happened to be on a rainy day. I went to Home Depot, purchased 5 sheets of 4 foot by eight foot ½ inch plywood, 8 ten foot 2 by 4’s, a six foot Stanley level, a new circular saw, nails, etc…. Garage shelving project. My wife and daughter went with me. When we put all these materials into the cargo bed, it was necessary to lower the midgate. Fortunately, I have the flip up armrest in the front, so it converts to a bench seat. It was not raining yet, but the clouds were dark. The wife wanted to stop by the mall on the way home to find something for the house. We all know how a trip to the mall works… “Oh, just one more store, right over here, it’ll just take a second” Translation: “another hour please”. Needless to say, when we finally left the mall, it was pouring down rain. I sure am glad those stock deck panels are water-tight. We stopped for some drive through food, then headed on home. Nobody stole any of my stuff, and it was dry.

Competetion is the human way. We like to bag on other people’s decisions, so we can make ourselves feel better about our own. The only flaw I have found with the Avalanche is, it runs on gasoline. If it ran on mud puddle water, I’d be happier. I’ll just have to live with it. As far a mileage, one or two miles per gallon will make no difference. It’s all about your right foot. If I can’t afford the truck, I can’t afford the gas.

My wife loves her Ridgeline. I give her a hard time about it all the time. It gives us something to argue about, ‘cuz she’s perfect and so am I.

Hi shingles!!
I thought I would break down your response to my post.

Q. Why didn't they make the tailgate go all the way up? It stops short of matching the sides.
A. Better visibility and better aerodynamics


This makes no sense on both counts.
The extra 2 inches would have changed the view? The back wall behind the back seat restricts your view. Even if you took the tailgate off, the rear view would be restricted. Besides, that’s why God invented back-up cameras. The hook up directly to the display on your nav monitor.
Aerodynamics? The air behind the cab is rolling. It dips down into the bed of the truck, hits the tailgate like a brick wall. The only ways to fix that problem are: Lower/remove the tailgate, or install tonneau cover/bed cover panels. The Avalanche comes stock with the latter.

I think you may want to check that, the aerodynamics of a truck does not have all the wind going over the roof of the truck slamming into the back gate or you would see significant increase in gas mileage riding with the gate down, but people who have tried have noticed no significant difference with the gate down or a bed cover on. And the view of vehicle behind you would be significantly affected if the gate was higher, it is already hard enough to see vehicles following behind you without making it worse. Honda likely did a lot of aerodynamic studies of the truck in a wind tunnel and determined what was the optimal height of the gate while still maintaining utility. Here is a nice article for that. http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/1997/October/05.html

I think you may want to check that, the aerodynamics of a truck does not have all the wind going over the roof of the truck slamming into the back gate or you would see significant increase in gas mileage riding with the gate down, but people who have tried have noticed no significant difference with the gate down or a bed cover on. And the view of vehicle behind you would be significantly affected if the gate was higher, it is already hard enough to see vehicles following behind you without making it worse. Honda likely did a lot of aerodynamic studies of the truck in a wind tunnel and determined what was the optimal height of the gate while still maintaining utility. Here is a nice article for that. http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/1997/October/05.html

Ever ride in the back? I have. The wind DEFINATELY rolls over the cab. It swirls around in the bed. Test it. Put a ream of paper in the bed and get on the freeway. That story you posted a link to is skewed.
Regardless, The extra height would not have changed a thing. If the wind, as you stated, does NOT hit the tailgate, then why not make it match the sides? Take a piece of 2X4. Cut it to the width of the tailgate. Have somebody hold it in place, and get into the driver's seat. Your rear visibility does not change very much at all, except directly behind the vehicle, which you can't see anyway.

And in an earlier post, someone mentioned a leaking midgate. The only way any of them leaked, is if you did not close it properly. Nobody I ever met complained about their midgate leaking.

The Subaru Baja is a worthless vehicle.

Subaru Baja with Katrina Mod....

Ever ride in the back? I have. The wind DEFINATELY rolls over the cab. It swirls around in the bed. Test it. Put a ream of paper in the bed and get on the freeway. That story you posted a link to is skewed.
Regardless, The extra height would not have changed a thing. If the wind, as you stated, does NOT hit the tailgate, then why not make it match the sides? Take a piece of 2X4. Cut it to the width of the tailgate. Have somebody hold it in place, and get into the driver's seat. Your rear visibility does not change very much at all, except directly behind the vehicle, which you can't see anyway.

And in an earlier post, someone mentioned a leaking midgate. The only way any of them leaked, is if you did not close it properly. Nobody I ever met complained about their midgate leaking.

The report I pointed you to is just one of several I found on the net. One was a study done in Canada where they found exactly the same thing. Again, I said that the aerodynamics with the gate up were better than with it down and the air does not hit the back like a brick as you stated. What you said is totally false based on aerodynamic tests of trucks. Without an aerodynamic study of this truck you can not say that those few inches wouldn't have had a major negative effect on the efficiency of the vehicle. I can't say that it would, but what I can say is that losing any more vision out the back of the truck would be a problem. The front end of vehicles driving behind me already dip under the vision out the rear so I can't see their lights, when I really look to see how close they were behind me they were driving at a fair distance (although closer than they should have been), cutting the vision more would be a problem and going up 2" higher doesn't cut just 2" of distance off the rear of your vision.

As to the leaky midgate, I have heard it from someone who owned one that they had a problem with a leak in their midgate caused by a bad seal. (by the way here is a link that has someone saying almost exactly what he did and seems to be limited to 02 Avalanches: http://www.clubavalanche.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8173& ) They were trying to convince me not to consider one while they were at the GM dealership where I was looking at trucks. They said they had had nothing but trouble with theirs and that they know of other people in the northeast that had problems with them in the cold. Personally if I had to guess, this guy probaby didn't shovel the snow out of his bed and this could have been the trouble. But even so, if you hear it has been an issue with someone you are less likely to include the vehicle in your list. Though I did try it, and as I said it wasn't as smooth as you said it was, but also as I said it definitely had more power.

RidgeRunt - did you read the link I posted?
Strongest tailgate means strongest. I am not sure how else to phrase that.

No one is "bagging" on you. I am just answering the questions you have.

Why are you "supposed" to leave the tailgate down? Because it's a short bed. This truck is not meant to be compared to your full size truck. That is THE single biggest mistake that every makes. This here is supposed to be compared to most midsized truck. When comparing the bed length to a full size truck, sure it's going to lose out. Ofcourse Honda is to blame here... they made a truck that is better than most mid sized trucks and competes with some full size. So they are sort of "stuck" with some of these comparisons.

Hi shingles!!
I thought I would break down your response to my post.

QUOTE=shingles Q. Why didn't they make the tailgate go all the way up? It stops short of matching the sides.
A. Better visibility and better aerodynamics
END QUOTE

This makes no sense on both counts.
The extra 2 inches would have changed the view? The back wall behind the back seat restricts your view. Even if you took the tailgate off, the rear view would be restricted. Besides, that’s why God invented back-up cameras. The hook up directly to the display on your nav monitor.
Aerodynamics? The air behind the cab is rolling. It dips down into the bed of the truck, hits the tailgate like a brick wall. The only ways to fix that problem are: Lower/remove the tailgate, or install tonneau cover/bed cover panels. The Avalanche comes stock with the latter.


ACtually it makes sense.

1) air doesn't "hit the back of the bed". It flows over the bed... tonneau cover worsen MPG, it's a common myth that they help. Tail gate down also worsen MPG.

2) It DOES help the rear, assuming you have your rear view mirror adjusted correctly. If you notice when looking back, the bottom of the mirror is exactly the top of the tailgate. Now if you raise the tailgate 2 more inches, then you have to raise your mirror so you get max coverage in the rear view mirror (ie the bottom isn't filled tailgate). Now when you raise it up, now the point where you see behind the truck is a few feet futher back.

I don't want to start bashing a vehicle named after a potentially catastrophic event...so I'll just talk about my truck (for now ;) )

As The Kid (Honda Canada factory worker and former ROCer) said a long time ago,...(What ever happened to The Kid?)...
"Just a quick fact for you guys...the three inch drop in the tailgate height lets you see 5 ft. closer behind you compared to it being even with the top. So part of it is visibility."

I know there's an article out there somewhere where this is confirmed by Gary Flint, the Chief Ridgeline Engineer and former GM engineer, but I can't find it right now.

Here's a great article and interview with the designers of the Ridgeline on PickupTruck.com ...

http://www.pickuptruck.com/html/2006/honda/ridgeline/page1.html

"Also joining editor Mike Magda were Kevin Thelen, who was in charge of testing, and Jim Keller, in charge of design.

Thelen: The question everybody asks is what’s better: the tailgate up or down? If you engineer the truck correctly, by far the best aerodynamics will be with the tailgate up. You design it so the airflow comes off and misses the tailgate. We actually tested on competitor where the air came off the roof and hit the tailgate. But for the most part they are designed so air comes off, misses the tailgate but then reattaches as soon as possible behind the vehicle to keep the slipstream as long as possible.

The Ridgeline will NEVER look this cool though :eek:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v87/bp_fire/av.bmp

The Ridgeline will NEVER look this cool though :eek:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v87/bp_fire/av.bmp

Yah, real cool. What's the bicycle basket on top for?

If I wanted my vehicle to look like that I would have bought that. Pretty simple problem to solve if it were a problem. For the purposes I bought a truck, the Ridgeline meets every need and then some and was a better all around vehicle in my opinion to anything available on the market at the time. And since it was my $30k it is my opinion that matters period. So if we don't love the Avalanche here, it shouldn't be a big surprise, we all own Ridgelines.

As to the claim that a cover lowers gas mileage, this is not supported in general for trucks, in fact the other direction is. The study I mentioned before done in Canada showed that over a 100k mile period the savings with a cover versus without a cover for the average truck at that time would be about 200gallons of gas and would therefore almost cover the cost of the cover. 80% of this savings could be received by covering just the back 50% of the truck bud. This was in 8' beds. For 6.5' beds the difference was much less. We have a 5' bed, I would guess the difference goes down even more. Thus for us we may be in that region where the cover doesn't improve gas mileage and the added weight has a negative impact. But again without scientific proof, I am not going to speculate what the truth is.

OK, since I'm a sucker for a little competition, I spent a minute researching the Avalanche on Edmunds and especially the Problems/Solutions section. Have to report that there was an interesting statement by a two-time Avalanche owner regarding the Ridgeline...See the last sentence...

"I had one of the first 2002 Avalanche's. Never had any trouble. It now has 80,000 miles and my grandson has 20 inch wheels on this good looking dream.
I bought me a 2003 to replace it when I gave the 2002 to him. It has been a wreck. It had pops and cracks in slow turns and made noises in the body /frame connection. I finally found out the noise in the body was rubber mounts. If you submerge the frome under water the noise will stop for a month or two. I finally found a dealer that put a new rack and pinion box on the steering and the poping and cracking stopped when making turns. Now its beginning to make a noise when it shifts .After coasting and you press on the acceleratorf it races the engine and nakes a noise as it shifts. It started this at about 15000 miles and it now has 37000 miles on it. I think it was waiting until the warranty expired before it falls apart. I sure like the truck but I will probably switch to the new Honda next year."

ps. This is as far as I want to go with this since I don't really need to justify my love for my truck. It's just awesome!

The Ridgeline will NEVER look this cool though :eek:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v87/bp_fire/av.bmp

I particularly like all the plastic. Wonder what a few years of UV rays will do to it?

Your truck does look cool, but cool doesn't make the truck a honda and it never will.. So go drive your cool truck down to the service station for repairs and another tank of gas. Have a nice day

Your truck does look cool, but cool doesn't make the truck a honda and it never will.. So go drive your cool truck down to the service station for repairs and another tank of gas. Have a nice dayI don't see the mass repairs you are referring to about the Avalanche :confused: And as far as the gas issues, you RL owners seem to be in the same boat
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2308

I'm here researching the RL for a possible future purchase, I'm kinda suprised about the pm's and replies I'm receiving bashing the Av (I don't own one btw) it seems that the RL has maintenance issues also tailgate issues, oil leaks, throttle probs http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=21

Educated statements seem rare here :rolleyes:

Yah, real cool. What's the bicycle basket on top for?

it looks like its holding off road lights to me :rolleyes:

here's a smarta$$ remark for you, why buy a 4x4 (AWD) truck that you will never take off road ? and furthermore, why haven't I seen a lifted RL yet :eek:

This is a forum for enthusiasts of the Ridgeline and potential buyers. We'll gladly answer any serious questions you have about the vehicle, but it would seem that you've already decided that you don't like the vehicle or believe others to be better so I'd say it was time to move on.

GAWD I HOPE NOT!The Ridgeline will NEVER look this cool though :eek:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v87/bp_fire/av.bmp

This is a forum for enthusiasts of the Ridgeline and potential buyers. We'll gladly answer any serious questions you have about the vehicle, but it would seem that you've already decided that you don't like the vehicle or believe others to be better so I'd say it was time to move on.
I like the RL, It's the people here that concern me :eek:

it looks like its holding off road lights to me :rolleyes:

here's a smarta$$ remark for you, why buy a 4x4 (AWD) truck that you will never take off road ? and furthermore, why haven't I seen a lifted RL yet :eek:

Ok, I'll bite. The reason you won't see a lifted Ridgeline - basically it's mechanics - http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=458

it seems that the RL has maintenance issues also tailgate issues, oil leaks, throttle probs

Add up the number posted problems vs total vehicles sold. Beats the endless multi million vehicle recalls by GM.

here's a smarta$$ remark for you, why buy a 4x4 (AWD) truck that you will never take off road ? and furthermore, why haven't I seen a lifted RL yet :eek:
How many 4 wheel drive owners actually do take their vehicles off road? I would say very few. I wanted 4WD so I can get to work when it snows...my 2WD F150 wouldn't go for crap in the snow. I had to drive the wife's front wheel drive Accord.

Why would you want to lift an RL (or any truck for that matter)? I can't imagine ruining a $30k truck by lifting (or lowering) it! You'd only screw up the ride and handling.

Let see Ridgeline vs. Avalanche: not much of a choice – but obviously a matter of personal opinion.

Tailgate Height: The engineering measure used to evaluate this issue is the invisible distance between the rear of the vehicle and a short object (3 foot pole). The Avalanche tailgate is so tall you can visibly lose a small tank behind it. Specially, the invisible distance to a 3 foot pole in an Avalanche is about 19 feet. The invisible distance to this same pole in the Ridgeline is 5 feet. Coincidently, this is similar to visibility in a passenger car. The center head rest is also flush to permit a line of sight out of the rear of the vehicle.

Crash Integrity: In front crash situation, you will experience in excess of 40g’s of load in an impact. You seriously believe those latches on the seat back on an Avalanche will sustain that kind of load, you need to reconsider your engineering skills. The Ridgeline will contain a loosely packed load in a front impact at 30mph. I would suggest you seriously reevaluated the weight of items you haul in your Avalanche if you have small children the back seat.

Bed Length: The Avalanche’s bed is 63 inches long. This is a whopping 3 inches greater than a Ridgeline in a vehicle that is over 15 inches longer. I fail to see how you can haul a ATV or motorcycle in an Avalanche without sacrificing the passenger space in the rear seat. You also might want to check out the tailgate warning label to confirm the load rating on your Avalanche. Based on the cable recall issue, you may want to think twice about putting too many people on it.

Ridgeline Trunk: has over 8.5 cubic feet of space in a large cubic configuration. The Avalanche side saddle bins are small and provide limited storage capacity. I have had 3 Avalanches and used them a great deal. They ride and handle like a 1980’s Cadillac. If that is your taste in vehicles, go for it.

Performance: The Ridgeline is about 0.6 decs faster 0-60 than an Avalanche. I am not sure what data your performance measure is based on. The Avalanche is equipped with a V8 which does have more low speed torque. The Ridgeline also achieves better fuel economy. I don’t know how you achieved your claimed fuel economy. I have had 3 different Avalanches; I have never achieved over 18mpg on the highway. I typically achieved 16-17mpg commuting. Perhaps if GM rolls out the variable displacement in a few years, you could achieve your claimed level of fuel economy.

Best Wishes,
K

Crash Integrity: .....You seriously believe those latches on the seat back on an Avalanche will sustain that kind of load, you need to reconsider your engineering skills. The Ridgeline will contain a loosely packed load in a front impact at 30mph. .....
K

Something else that I didn't think about when I was doing my shopping. The could be further compounded if you had the mid gate removed with a load of, lets say lumber in the back. Gives me shivers to think about what will happen if you were involved in a head on, even at a low speed, your cargo would slide into the back of the front seats and pinning you against the dash. High speed, yikes!

Honda Guy

BTW, this guys name says it all...Another post of his has been blocked/stopped. I agree, why the heck would you lift (or lower) a truck? Now that s***head has done this, the truck is no longer an off-roader, which now means, that it is purely an on-road truck. (I mean, how much s*** can you put on a truck before it becomes a rolling monument to JC Whitney?)

The Ridgeline will kick your ever-lovin' ass in every performance measurement every time. Bring it own, tough guy, I mean kid, I mean snot-nose puke, I mean, well, you get the picture. :D

BTW, this guys name says it all...Another post of his has been blocked/stopped. I agree, why the heck would you lift (or lower) a truck? Now that s***head has done this, the truck is no longer an off-roader, which now means, that it is purely an on-road truck. (I mean, how much s*** can you put on a truck before it becomes a rolling monument to JC Whitney?)

The Ridgeline will kick your ever-lovin' ass in every performance measurement every time. Bring it own, tough guy, I mean kid, I mean snot-nose puke, I mean, well, you get the picture.
NO posts of mine have been blocked or stopped, I deleted a post myself because it contained an email address that I use for my personal business. The pic of the truck is NOT mine, I NEVER insinuated that is was mine in ANY way, you ASSumed it was mine and now you are making derogatory comments to me ? The highlighted statement is my personal favorite :D You are one ignorant phuck :cool: and a perfect example of the people on this forum. You guys are fast to jump to conclusions and ramble on about the deficiencies of "other" trucks *Kodiak* I have had 3 Avalanches and used them a great deal. They ride and handle like a 1980’s Cadillac I highly doubt you have OWNED any Avalanches OR ever ridden in an 80s Cadillac :rolleyes: I've ridden in both the RL and the Av and the ride is VERY similar, lay back off the crack pipe for at least 30 minutes before you post !

p.s. and as far as the Bring it own, tough guy, I mean kid, I mean snot-nose puke, I mean, well, you get the picture comment, you're safe making comments like that at mommies home using your mommies computer, I seriously doubt you'd man up like that face to face :eek: Its easy to talk like daddy on the pc

Once again – a series of opinions un-substantiated with facts. My credentials are substantiated with facts and engineering information. Sorry if you feel threatened by someone challenging your viewpoint. I would suggest you find a new hobby if you are looking for therapy here.

As for the facts, I have in had the displeasure of spending a great deal of time in old Cadillac’s in my youth through members of my family. I have also driven many several of them as company vehicles through my association with a former employer. The Avalanche is based on off the Suburban (GMT800 platform). It has a full coil suspension and is underdamped. It also lacks a rear sway bar which limits it’s towing capability to under 3500 pounds in standard configuration (check you owners manual). It also has terrible handling response (yaw delay) at full load. The payload is also significantly less than the Ridgeline. In FACT, it is so incapable, it can not haul a half ton of payload with a driver and passenger in the vehicle. Get your facts straight, and return with some intelligent conversation rather than threatening school-yard adolescent banter.

This one had gone down hill far enough.