Dear Honda, WHY?????

[tmbygrl]

I love my ridgeline. It is by far the best vehicle I have owned. I have had 4 other trucks and this one is a dream. BUT.
I have XM radio, infact 2 subscriptions for my household. Thats about 400$ a year. I bought my truck knowing it was XM "ready". I have a roady xt. I have no where to mount it. I would prefer to have it controlled through my lovely 6 disc cd changer. But my dealer has told me that my XM ready radio will cost me about 1000$ dollars (yes, thats 3 zeros) to make my XM work thru my head unit. WTF.....
I really do not understand. I have 2 Hondas in my household and with 2 xm units and subscriptions, well you see where I'm headed right.
I got this specific vehicle because 1 we have to have a truck. We live way out in the country (xm radio anyone). But more importantly, this was the only truck I test drove that was comforgable enough on my back for me to drive as my regular vehicle. I was in a bad wreck and it messed up my back and NO OTHER truck out ther was comfortable. I even used my settlement money to buy it for myself because I had been driving the dodge dakota I had to get after the accident for 5 years. my back needed a break.

Sorry to rant, but how can I make it work.
My xm is very low volume compaired to when I listen to cd's or my regular radio. I have to turn it ALL the way up and this is just not satisfactory to me. BestBuy told me I could "hardwire" my roady unit and I might get better sound.

I pretty much live in my truck folks. any suggestions?????????

[Kodiak]

Option 1 - Honda Accessory
http://www.collegehillshonda.com/hon...lectronics.htm

$227 plus installation

Option 2 - Mount for existing Road Ready Hardware
Mount for portable electronic devices specicly designed for the Ridgeline>>
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-CSHzhKN...0&I=042HO7106L

$38 plus intallation

Plus FM Modulator

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-CSHzhKN...p?I=142FMMOD01

$30 plus installation


Option 3: Hardwired RCA inputs (better quality)>
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-8QU4aSz...9HO03SON&g=770

$80 plus installation

[Hokieone]

If you have one XM account, the next three can be linked to the first account and the fees are greatly reduced for those three. Can't help you on the installation issue, but you should be able to save some money on XM fees.

[CJMDWYER]

I bought an RTS and added the factory XM myself. It really wasn't that hard to do. If you go to the site that was listed above you can probably download the installation instructions. That way you have a factory XM (which sounds as good if not better than CD) for about 1/4 of what the Dealer quoted you. I did mine on a Saturday morning in about an hour. I do not claim to be a mechanic, besides installing stereos in my own vehicles back in the 80's!

[wrenrj1]

Our two XM Roady II's cost $21.32/month, or $255.84/year. I use a Ram mount in the cup holder and mounted the antenna on the hood. Total installation was about 20 minutes. Granted it runs thru the FM modulator, but I'm not the Audiophyte so it's good enough for me. My local dealership wanted $579.00 to make my XM "Ready" radio truly XM ready. That's crap.

[geotech]

Originally Posted by Kodiak

Option 1 - Honda Accessory
http://www.collegehillshonda.com/hon...lectronics.htm

$227 plus installation

Option 2 - Mount for existing Road Ready Hardware
Mount for portable electronic devices specicly designed for the Ridgeline>>
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-CSHzhKN...0&I=042HO7106L

$38 plus intallation

Plus FM Modulator

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-CSHzhKN...p?I=142FMMOD01

$30 plus installation


Option 3: Hardwired RCA inputs (better quality)>
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-8QU4aSz...9HO03SON&g=770

$80 plus installation

You say you want a revolution?

Marie Antoinette: "Why are our customers so angry?"
Dealers: "The customers have no XM."
Marie Antoinette: "Then let them eat hardware and installation fees!"

[cjr2]

Honda calling the vehicle XM ready is a joke! I currently subscribe to Sirius but considered switching to XM when I bought the Ridge. I thought l would investigate a switch to XM. Went to Honda East in Cincinnati and the Service Dept. lady didn't know anything about the XM radio. Went to the Parts Dept. and the counter guy was very helpful and printed off 20 pages of instructions for the install. Basically you disassemble the car, put a $ 400+ black box in it with dozens of associated parts and now your Ridgeline is XM capable. Unbelievable!! XM got sold a line by Honda with this one.

I put my $49.99 Sirius receiver in the car (it fits perfectly in the flip out compartment below the radio. The springs in the compartment door hold the unit in-place). I removed the cover at the rear of the roof above the brake light and mounted an outside magnetic antenna on the roof. I ran the wire under the roof rack cover that runs the length of the roof, under the front window weather seal and then under the passenger side window weather seal, under the dash and to the receiver and I’m Sirius ready.

Also, why no accessory plugs in for MP3 players, Sirius or XM? VW does this and while I respect Honda this makes you scratch your head? Also I'd like a temp gage and compass, basic stuff!

[geotech]

Originally Posted by cjr2

Honda calling the vehicle XM ready is a joke! Unbelievable!! XM got sold a line by Honda with this one.

I think it was mutual collusion. How much did XM pay Honda for the right to put their logo on our disabled radios?

But clearly XM got the better of the deal. The vast majority of the ill will deservedly rests squarely on Honda's shoulders. Do you really blame XM for this example of marketing genius?

[cjr2]

Originally Posted by geotech

I think it was mutual collusion. How much did XM pay Honda for the right to put their logo on our disabled radios?

But clearly XM got the better of the deal. The vast majority of the ill will deservedly rests squarely on Honda's shoulders. Do you really blame XM for this example of marketing genius?

No, I think Honda and XM mutually screwed up. I just think Honda should have put radios that were XM ready in the car.......pay a subscription and you're activated. It would have brought a lot of new subscribers to XM. I would have dropped my Sirius account and Honda could have collected a piece of the action on each subscription.

Sirius and XM are supposedly merging so I'll have XM eventually.