I currently own a '05 Honda Pilot and had an '04 Pilot before that. One thing that I really like is the amount of interior space that it has. When deciding on my next vehicle I figured the Ridgeline would at least maintain the amount of space as the first two rows of seats from the Pilot. This has turned out not to be the case and I now have to deal with kids kicking the backs of the front seats and a wife who refuses to sit in the cramped back seat when we need to carry an extra passenger. The pilot easily has another 2-4 inches of passenger leg room and extra width as well. I wish they would have maintained these interior dimensions for the Ridgeline!!!

There is only 1 inch difference between the 2006 pilot and 2006 ridgeline interior leg room. Look at the specs. I don't have a problem. I have had two 6ft adults in the rear seated very comfortably. I adjust my driver and passenger seats equally.

I'm sorry, but did you not try the truck out first???:rolleyes:

I think that you must be smoking crack. I am 6'1" and 250 (not so skinny) and riding in the back seat is a dream. I fear riding in the back of any medium or small sedan and forget about compact cars. The only bigger back seat in a truck is in the dodge mega cab. And if anyone needs that much room it had better be shaq or someone who owns their own oil well.

Aw, your kids kick the back of the seat. What did you think -- that if the seats are far enough apart they will learn to behave better? Beside what happens as they get older -- will the shrink rather than grow?

Case in point on size, Myself and four friends drove to chicago for the day a few weeks ago -- that's five fully grown (one short, one tall, one normal, and one fat) men! Narry a complaint from one of them ...

I will have to say that with my 5 y/o being in a car seat, the car seat raises her feet enough that they hit the back of my seat (I have to keep my seat all the way back). So, I put her on the passenger side since that seat is kept more forward and put my 9 y/o son behind me. His feet hang down closer to the floor (like an adult), so he has plenty of room. I could see where having both front seats all the way back and needing 2 child seats in the back could cramp the foot room.

My son is in a booster seat and he kicks the back of the seat too. However, he does this in every vehicle :)

I went back and checked the 2003-2005 Pilot and the legroom is unchanged. Only 1 inch more than the Ridgeline.

My wife rode in the back on a couple of 3 hour trips and was perfectly happy with it. That was just so my 13 year old son could run the XM radio - nirvana for a teen. As to kicking the front seat, when my kids were little, they did that a few times in my old van. Eventually they got tired of having their little legs slapped each time it happened.

I currently own a '05 Honda Pilot and had an '04 Pilot before that. One thing that I really like is the amount of interior space that it has. When deciding on my next vehicle I figured the Ridgeline would at least maintain the amount of space as the first two rows of seats from the Pilot. This has turned out not to be the case and I now have to deal with kids kicking the backs of the front seats and a wife who refuses to sit in the cramped back seat when we need to carry an extra passenger. The pilot easily has another 2-4 inches of passenger leg room and extra width as well. I wish they would have maintained these interior dimensions for the Ridgeline!!!


I am surprised that the Pilot would be wider than the Ridgeline. And from the responses, if it's only 1 inch in leg room, I suggest having your kids remove their shoes. That would bring it down to a half inch. Then, if you remove your coat, you could in theory push your seat forward one notch. That should take up that half inch, and the kids won't be kicking the rear of your seat.

Plus, you will still have a 5' open bed in the back!:D The Pilot does not have that.

Good luck!

fins

I bought the Ridgeline in part because of the rear seat room! I had a Dodge 2003 Crew Cab (Cummins - <insert diesel grunt here>) and was constantly getting kicked by my boys - they were the ones who proclaimed that they liked how spacious the back seat was! My wife has ridden between their car seat and booster seats (granted, she is small) and said that she likes riding back there - it is just harder for she and I to hold hands <insert AWWWW sound here>.

-ridgeln

The only gripe that I have is the rear seat is a little slab-like, but the roominess is part of the reason why I purchased it. I guess I can suffer through it, specially since I don't have to sit back there :D

I found that my rear facing car seat for my youngest daughter (1 month on Sunday!) will not fit behind my driver's seat. So I had to put her behind the passenger seat (the wife doesn't need as much room). My oldest daughter is 2 and a half and she is in a regular front facing car seat and she does kick the back of my seat as well.

I forgot where but I saw some seat protectors that cover just the back side if the front seats that I was going to get if I could find the web site again (anyone?).

The thing I can't imagine is trying to cram those seats in the back of any of the othert midsize pick-ups. I was going to get a Frontier and having lived with the Ridge for a while I can't imagine owning something with less room.

Craig - http://www.onestepahead.com has them. Look under "travel accessories". I tried to link it, but their site is slow.

Try this out, Craig.

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/86220/313777/117.html

I don't understand why you all are arguing with the dead FACT that the Ridgeline has reduced interior volume than the Pilot? I wasn't comparing it to any other midsize pickup out there I was comparing it to my Pilot! If you are happy with the space then woop de woo for you! With both car seats in the rear I now have to sit with my knees hitting the dash and the kids still have to bend their knees while they're seated in their car seats! I don't care if the interior leg room specs are the same for the Pilot as the Ridgeline because I don't have this problem in the Pilot and we have the identical car seats in it! Plus I have a good 2-3 inches between my knees and the dash in it. Also, with both car seats in the back my wife has to sit sideways to sit between them and she's 5'2" 110 lbs. We don't have this problem in the Pilot either. Didn't I test it first? Well no actually I didn't install both car seats and my wife in the back to see if they'd fit because, like the idiot am, I thought the room would be comparable between the two vehicles. Now, if I didn't have to put two car seats back there, then I'm sure it's quite comfortable. But, since this isn't the case, I'm making this my gripe!

:confused: I thought the ABS was your griipe.:confused:

Aw, your kids kick the back of the seat. What did you think -- that if the seats are far enough apart they will learn to behave better? Beside what happens as they get older -- will the shrink rather than grow?



I'm not talking about my kids misbehaving. I'm saying that they're sitting in their car seats and their little legs aren't quite long enough yet to hang down towards the floor. They stick straight out towards the backs of the front seats. I then have to move both driver and passenger seats forward in order for them to be able to sit without having to bend their knees! Yes, when they grow the problem will go away! Oh, and I thank you for your sarcastic comments to my post.

Since you have both a Pilot and a Ridgeline, and the entire family fits OK in the Pilot but not in the Ridgeline, then perhaps you should use the Pilot and not the Ridgeline whenever the entire family needs to go somewhere.

My 7 y/o kicked the back of the seat.....................once :eek:


It sounds like you are expecting something from the Ridgeline that it was not even designed for(?)

I now have to sit with my knees hitting the dash and the kids still have to bend their knees......

The ADULTS who OPERATE this 4,000+ pound vehicle should come first.

I guess we are all wondering why an adult, who is a parent, would change driving position so much (knees hitting the dash) for the kids comfort.

Driving position is key to driving safe. If not for you, or your kids, at least for the rest of us on the roads. In emergency situations it's very important to have the movement needed to prevent an accident.

Sit in a safe and comfortable driving position when you operate your 2+ ton vehicle, and if the kiddies can't deal with it, take the pilot, trade the Ridgeline........or trade the kiddies.:eek:

Good Luck.

Driving position is key to driving safe.
Yup. It's best to be as far from the dash as is practical so that, in the case of a frontal crash:


The air bags can deploy properly.
Injuries from the air bags will be less severe.
There's more buffer zone between front seat passengers and the dash, providing a better chance to escape or minimize contact with the dash.

Driving position is key to driving safe. If not for you, or your kids, at least for the rest of us on the roads. In emergency situations it's very important to have the movement needed to prevent an accident.

While I agree, it sounds like his car seats won't fit with the seats any further back. On the other hand, I could never drive a Miata, for example, because with the seat all the way back, my leg is wedged against the door to where my hand won't even fit between the steering wheel and my leg! :eek: Might be the same for the OP and the RL, may just be the wrong vehicle? :confused:

I've never owned a vehicle that has that much room in the back, so I am well pleased! :)

Thanks Gretchen/Zero. Those weren't the one I saw but they might just do the trick. :)

I guess from the responses I have been proven wrong! I must be imagining the interior dimensions of my Ridgeline. I thought that this was a thread was a hypothetical wish list of items that we wish Honda would address. Based on the responses to my own concerns, I see that I am in the minority on this issue. I'm kind of surprised however that the overwhelming response to my concern has been "get used to it". I guess then it would be fair for me to reply to all the other requests for changes in the thread with "you should just get used to it"! Obviously the Ridgeline is so perfect that a thread like this shouldn't exist in the first place and any request for improvements or added features are absolute nonsense. As for taking my Pilot instead of the Ridgeline when I go out as a family,WOW, what a terrific concept! I'm just glad some brilliant people are on this board to suggest such a profound recommendation! Of course this can not always be the case and totally defeats the point of having two full size family vehicles in the first place. As far as me placing my seat so far forward as to limit my ability to control my vehicle? The statement is utterly moronic and I never stated that my seat being forward was somehow limiting my ability to properly drive or posing some type of safety concern. At most this situation has posed a minor nuisance and an occasional banged knee from getting in and out. I was also told that I should just scrunch up my kids in order for myself to be comfortable while driving. Well I've decided to make a compromise in this area. I've decided to live with some amount of discomfort in order to avoid the crying from kids who have to sit with their knees to their chests in order for their parents to have the maximum amount of leg room possible. I'm sure that it may be easy for some of you to explain to a two year old why his legs have to be squished but I have a little more problem explaining Hondas design philosophy to mine. These last statements must sound rediculous to all of you as I'm sure none of you has ever had to place your seat in an otherwise uncomfortable position just to accommodate your rear seated passengers. I know, I know........I bought the wrong vehicle........ I'm expecting too much!

:confused: I thought the ABS was your griipe.:confused:

It may be that this is a limitation of ABS equipped vehicles in general and can be resolved by removing the fuse to the ABS. The last vehicle that I did any serious offroading in was my Non ABS equipped 1997 Tacoma so that was the type of performance I was used to. It was my understanding that an ABS equipped vehicle would be better in most conditions which has turned out not to be the case in this one limited situation, a situation that I'm sure 99% of Ridgeline owners will never see themselves. I would happily live with reduced off road capability in order to maintain superior wet weather control of my vehicle.

*Sorry if this comment confuses anyone. It is in response to another thread but the comment was made here.

SDB1 - I can only speak from what I think. You have 2 posts started and both were about something that sounds negative with the RL. Some in ROC feel that there are people out there who enjoy bashing the Ridgeline and really do not own one; they just want to defame it. (is defame a word :confused: ) We have had what’s referred to people that troll the site to see if they can cause uproar. I do not think your one of them; I think you posted valid points that came at the wrong time, as we just learned from other threads like from Rob who lost his RL to a fire, ladyridge and others had to go way out of their way to prove him on the up & up.
Anyway, myself and many other members included, when we first joined complained about lots of stuff, but we also shared things we love about the truck, not just the negatives.
Sorry if I am typing your ear off, as I am not very good at explaining a lot of things, I guess what I wanted to say here is Welcome to ROC.
I for one look forward to ROC and frequent its web site way to much as I enjoy exchanging stories, ideas, and do hope that if I can help just one person by sharing an experience, then it makes me happy. I hope you can look past what’s been said and share all your RL experience or opinions as everyone is and should be welcome at ROC!
By the way, I also have had an 18 month old paddle at my back with his feet and agree its stinks, but I can not compare to the Pilot as I do not have one. Hope your having a great day and look forward to hearing back from you!:)

Try this out, Craig.

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/86220/313777/117.html

I put one of these in my Ridgeline on my seat back but didn't attach the velcro at the bottom. I do need a solution just didn't want to have a sticky seat back when I wanted them off. I was thinking about using the 3M stick and release stuff.

I know, I know........I bought the wrong vehicle Maybe this is the right vehicle :D

http://home.off-road.com/~trailblazers4x4/unimog.gif

I put one of these in my Ridgeline on my seat back but didn't attach the velcro at the bottom. I do need a solution just didn't want to have a sticky seat back when I wanted them off. I was thinking about using the 3M stick and release stuff.

Nothing GOO GONE won't remove. Probably even windex would take it off. I use the velcro on mine. Just make sure it is low enough to be below the cloth/leather and on the plastic.

I am missing something with this post. If the Pilot was the answer, why get the truck? If you need a truck then the seat room in this one is more than anything short of the Dodge Megacab. I don"t know what other truck would suit your needs. I came from a Double Cab Tacoma where my 2 year old had no leg room at all. Now he fits. His feet do not hit the seat. Sure he can kick it, but he can kick the back of all seats. I looked at the pilot and sat in the rear. There is about 1 inch more room to the back of the seat. On a little kid with short legs, that can make the difference in him hitting the seat. One thing I notice is that I ride with the seat back more upright which give tons more leg room in the rear and I can still have it slid back pretty far.

I am missing something with this post.

No, you're not missing anything. This thread is completely devoid of sense. :)

Thank you, I agree. This was the first post in which one of my comments were called "utterly moronic".:eek:

fins

I hear ya. I know it's a message board. I've been on 'em since the 80's. But things have gotten just a bit testy around here lately.

I'm sure we all have had buyer's remorse over something in the past and sometimes it can't be fixed. I know what this person is talking about with the 2 car seats in the back and diminshed space in the middle and there aren't many vehicles out there that would not have this same issue, However, instead of buying a new $30,000 vehicle, you should see if you can find car seats that fit a bit easier in the RL. I looked far and wide for comfortable and safe seats for my children and found a set that fits well in the RL and does not seem to take up much more space than having them sit without seats. They are made by a company called Compass and they come highly recommended by loads of people on web sites that helped convince me to try them.

SDB1 - I can only speak from what I think. You have 2 posts started and both were about something that sounds negative with the RL. Some in ROC feel that there are people out there who enjoy bashing the Ridgeline and really do not own one; they just want to defame it. (is defame a word :confused: ) We have had what’s referred to people that troll the site to see if they can cause uproar. I do not think your one of them; I think you posted valid points that came at the wrong time, as we just learned from other threads like from Rob who lost his RL to a fire, ladyridge and others had to go way out of their way to prove him on the up & up.
Anyway, myself and many other members included, when we first joined complained about lots of stuff, but we also shared things we love about the truck, not just the negatives.
Sorry if I am typing your ear off, as I am not very good at explaining a lot of things, I guess what I wanted to say here is Welcome to ROC.
I for one look forward to ROC and frequent its web site way to much as I enjoy exchanging stories, ideas, and do hope that if I can help just one person by sharing an experience, then it makes me happy. I hope you can look past what’s been said and share all your RL experience or opinions as everyone is and should be welcome at ROC!
By the way, I also have had an 18 month old paddle at my back with his feet and agree its stinks, but I can not compare to the Pilot as I do not have one. Hope your having a great day and look forward to hearing back from you!:)

While I can understand your explanation for what other people may perceive, I am at a loss as to why I have received so much hostility against my initial post. I didn't go into other peoples Dear Honda posts and bash their requests! While I am happy alot of people have found their ideal vehicle in the Ridgeline that doesn't mean that some of us might not like to see changes or perhaps a new model in the future. Overall I have been extremely impressed with the performance and utility of this vehicle. I don't however see a need to post my positive experiences in order to somehow justify my purchase. I do, however, see a definite need to try and find a solution to any type of problem that may arise hence my two posts regarding my personal Ridgeline issues. If any of you think that my comparing the interior comfort level of the Ridgeline and the Pilot is pointless or meaningless then choose another thread to respond too because it isn't pointless to me!

I'm sure we all have had buyer's remorse over something in the past and sometimes it can't be fixed. I know what this person is talking about with the 2 car seats in the back and diminshed space in the middle and there aren't many vehicles out there that would not have this same issue, However, instead of buying a new $30,000 vehicle, you should see if you can find car seats that fit a bit easier in the RL. I looked far and wide for comfortable and safe seats for my children and found a set that fits well in the RL and does not seem to take up much more space than having them sit without seats. They are made by a company called Compass and they come highly recommended by loads of people on web sites that helped convince me to try them.

I'm not sure if you already had car seats and you replaced them or you just had kids and bought some new car seats but I've used the same car seats in my last 5 vehicles and I'm not changing them now. As stated previously this problem isn't as big an issue as it has been turned into. It doesn't force me to drive in an unsafe manner it doesn't prevent the operation of the vehicle and it doesn't make me regret purchasing or want to sell my Ridgeline. I started this thread as an innocent comparison to the differences I've found between my two vehicles both which happen to be from Honda, in the hopes that Honda may read the thread and maybe incorporate an extra couple of inches in there somewhere for a future vehicle. If a little extra space is such a bad thing for all of you then I guess I was way out of line!

it doesn't make me regret purchasing or want to sell my Ridgeline.

I think if you had stated this in your OP then you would have had a very different reaction.

Maybe this version would have enough rear seat room...and finally go rock climbing :rolleyes:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/4doorfamilycar/final.jpg

I think if you had stated this in your OP then you would have had a very different reaction.

I didn't realize I was going to have to defend myself in what I thought was a thread directed to Honda for possible vehicle improvements.

things have gotten just a bit testy around here lately.

Shovelhd, you hit the nail on the head.

Happy Holidays to All.

Honda does not officially support, use, read, or glean information from this forum. That is not to say that there are not HOA staff that read it, only that it is not sponsored by Honda. There is no guarantee that an HOA employee has seen your post, or any other post, for that matter.

There's nothing to be defensive about. You bought a vehicle without checking it out to make sure it met your needs. If I was about to drop $35K on a vehicle, I would have taken my family on a test drive. Yes, I do have kids. We also have a Pilot in the family. It serves an entirely different purpose than the Ridgeline. The Ridgeline has more rear seat legroom than any midsize truck on the market.

I currently own a '05 Honda Pilot and had an '04 Pilot before that. One thing that I really like is the amount of interior space that it has. When deciding on my next vehicle I figured the Ridgeline would at least maintain the amount of space as the first two rows of seats from the Pilot. This has turned out not to be the case and I now have to deal with kids kicking the backs of the front seats and a wife who refuses to sit in the cramped back seat when we need to carry an extra passenger. The pilot easily has another 2-4 inches of passenger leg room and extra width as well. I wish they would have maintained these interior dimensions for the Ridgeline!!!
I know that nothing is perfect, not for everybody anyways.
But I have one question, Why do you sound like "lack of space" was something you didn't notice when you test drove a Ridgeline.
Besides, its all in the specifications section of Ridgeline brochure.
Sorry, I mean no offense but I just can't figure that some one will buy a $50,000(Canadian)vehicle and find out that its not suitable for their family.

Okay, not commenting on the OP, but taking it slightly off topic.

Its been eight years since I've had car seats so things might have changed, but I drove for years with two cars seats in a Civic and never had problems with leg room front or back, AND sat an adult in between on occasion (I'm 5'6"). I am amazed that there would be that little room in the RL. For a few more years we had two cars seats and a booster seat in a CRV, again, comfortably for all.

Have car seats changed that much? Are they more substantial than before? I have a hard time seeing a car seat taking up more width that an adult, width wise or front to back. Or are expectations different for different people? I know I can deal with things that others find unacceptable in many areas of life. ;)

Genuinely puzzled, having sat in the back seat of my Ridge today between my two large-ish sons (6' and 5'6"; 6' son with loooong legs was comfortably in passenger side, front seat all the way back to accommadate dog in front).

We have an '05 Pilot and just got the '06 Ridgeline on Monday. I would say the Pilot has a little more legroom than the RL, but not that much. Of course, you can adust the backrest angle in the Pilot 2nd row seat, so in "feels" a little bigger --with a slightly more reclined back angle than the RL. All in all, I think the RL is great for 4, maybe 5 adults. :)

We have an '05 Pilot and just got the '06 Ridgeline on Monday. I would say the Pilot has a little more legroom than the RL, but not that much. Of course, you can adust the backrest angle in the Pilot 2nd row seat, so in "feels" a little bigger --with a slightly more reclined back angle than the RL. All in all, I think the RL is great for 4, maybe 5 adults. :)
Welcome To ROC Jeff in PA!

Honda does not officially support, use, read, or glean information from this forum. That is not to say that there are not HOA staff that read it, only that it is not sponsored by Honda. There is no guarantee that an HOA employee has seen your post, or any other post, for that matter.

There's nothing to be defensive about. You bought a vehicle without checking it out to make sure it met your needs. If I was about to drop $35K on a vehicle, I would have taken my family on a test drive. Yes, I do have kids. We also have a Pilot in the family. It serves an entirely different purpose than the Ridgeline. The Ridgeline has more rear seat legroom than any midsize truck on the market.

While I thank you for pointing it out, I was already aware of the fact that this site is unaffiliated with Honda Motors. Also, with the 19+ vehicles I've purchased in the last 12 years I have yet to put the entire, family including car seats, in the vehicle for a test drive. That would be a total waste of time as I can visually see if car seats will fit or not. That being said, even if I had, this issue alone wouldn't have deterred me from making this purchase as the other attributes of this vehicle more than make up for a few minor shortcomings.

Okay, not commenting on the OP, but taking it slightly off topic.

Its been eight years since I've had car seats so things might have changed, but I drove for years with two cars seats in a Civic and never had problems with leg room front or back, AND sat an adult in between on occasion (I'm 5'6"). I am amazed that there would be that little room in the RL. For a few more years we had two cars seats and a booster seat in a CRV, again, comfortably for all.

Have car seats changed that much? Are they more substantial than before? I have a hard time seeing a car seat taking up more width that an adult, width wise or front to back. Or are expectations different for different people? I know I can deal with things that others find unacceptable in many areas of life. ;)

Genuinely puzzled, having sat in the back seat of my Ridge today between my two large-ish sons (6' and 5'6"; 6' son with loooong legs was comfortably in passenger side, front seat all the way back to accommadate dog in front).

The car seats haven't changed at all as I have also had a 2002 Civic and a 2003 CRV and both of these vehicles had more rear seat space than the Ridgeline, at least as far as leg room is concerned. The space between the two car seats was still terrible in both of those vehicles.

I know that nothing is perfect, not for everybody anyways.
But I have one question, Why do you sound like "lack of space" was something you didn't notice when you test drove a Ridgeline.
Besides, its all in the specifications section of Ridgeline brochure.
Sorry, I mean no offense but I just can't figure that some one will buy a $50,000(Canadian)vehicle and find out that its not suitable for their family.

This wasn't a top concern when purchasing this vehicle and still isn't. I also never said that this makes the vehicle unsuitable for my family. I'm only talking an extra inch or two! That is all it would take to make it just as comfortable as the Pilot. I'm only suggesting it for a future release here people I still like my Ridgeline just fine!