Why I bought the RL

[Oznative]

I was born into a farm family and raised in the great state of Kansas. All of the trucks on the property were either Ford, Chevy and Dodge. If memory serves me correctly I think there was a Studebaker or two in there as well. My dad always stressed how important it was to buy American to support our economy. He would roll over in his grave to think that his only son bought a Honda truck. They never had foreign-engineered tractors and combines such as Kubota or Nissan. They had Massey-Ferguson, John- Deere, and International just to name a few. The domestic automakers better get on the stick and start making cars and trucks that people want to buy or they will loose the battle.
I bought this truck because it suited my needs as a weekend warrior and has a great ride to boot. Has anyone noticed that solid thump sound when the doors are closed? How about that great ride and handling capability. The room and storage compartments. The VTM and the VTM-4 system. It is very obvious that many hours of careful planning and engineering went into this state of the art vehicle. I knew before I bought it that the gas mileage was really no better than my F-150. I’ll never complain about that. The overall quality and the solid reputation of Honda made this an easy transition for me. Yes I have run into a few situations where a so called (real truck) would have been more suitable for the job at hand. I do allot of yard work that usually ends up with a load of loom (dirt) or bark mulch. I was very comical explaining to the guy operating the front-end loader that I wanted a load of bark mulch in the truck and not on it. Yes the bed could be longer but I knew that before I bought it also. I knew from the first commercial during the super bowl back in 2004 I think it was that I wanted one of these trucks. I agonized for quite some time shopping and test-driving. I looked at all of the foreign and domestic trucks and kept coming back to the RL. One of the biggest decision makers was all of you friendly people here on the ROC. Yes I stumbled upon the ROC purely by accident and was glad I did. This web site has it all. I wanted to thank all of you for your humor, and wit and above all you excellent information. I lurked for many months before becoming a member. I’m glad I did. Thanks

[5S Dude]

Hey OZ, It’s great to have you! Congrats on the Senior Membership too. This place has become a second home to me and given me the opportunity to meet so many awesome folks.

You may find this interesting; I’ve read just recently, that the Ridgeline’s popularity has jumped 88.5% from last year and although Tacoma sales figures are about 3 to 4 times higher. We can see by the chart that a lot of it’s competition is going the wrong way!

[brich]

Great story Oz... enjoyed the post.

As we both know having had the chance to hang out a few times, we ROCers are very passionate about our purchase. I waited an agonizing 14 months until I could afford my RL. It was a long 14 months but I have been in absolute heaven since.

One of my best friends just saw my truck for the first time this past weekend. He's a Dodge man himself and I had heard he was not happy with his truck anymore. I was already to sell him a RL. Well he looked outside and said, "Whoa... you got a Ridgeline? You've wanted one of those for ever..."
Kid you not, we went outside and he said, "I can't believe you finally got one of these Not Real trucks..." hahaha So I asked him if he's seen the trunk? I show him and he is amazed at how big it is. He then goes on to say, "The bed is way to small. I could never get one of these..." At that point I decided not to argue or say anything else to sell the truck.

It was time to head out to eat and the funny thing is, all 3 of my buddies all said I was driving. They wanted a ride in the Ridgeline. So we drove off and left 2 Dodge trucks and an Infinity Q35 behind. They all loved the ride, the Navigation with the "drive-in movie sized screen", the comfortable roomy back seat.

I decided I wouldn't push the Ridgeline on my Dodge buddies. I knew they were impressed but the truck may not belong in their driveways. That's fine with me. The Ridgeline is not for everybody but for those who know it's for them, love them. But I will say, they were very impressed and my truck now has their respect as being a "sweet ride". That's good enough for me as they continue to complain about their Dodges...

*disclaimer-this is not a Dodge bash by any means...

[Oznative]

5S Dude, Hey that's very interesting information. It solidifies what I mentioned about the american automakers getting on the stick.

brich, Yea I have a few buddies that love the RL but still are old school and want the (real trucks)
If I was going to pull a horse or cattle trailer or even a few stumps and plow in the winter I would definitely go with a full size truck. The RL is not intended to be used in that manner. However reading a few posts here on the ROC people are doing these tasks very successfully with the RL. This is the part that I agonized over for so long. Do I need a large truck that is needed a few times a year or go with the RL that is needed all year?

[dbb]

During his Ridge Run presentation Gary Flint said the only worthy competitor to the Ridgeline in its category (small pickup) was the Toyota Tacoma and that all the rest were - and this is a direct quote - "crappy".

[Pizza Man]

I knew from the get-go that I didn't need nor want a "real truck". I've been telling my wife for years that I wanted a SUV with an open bed. I wanted a fine riding vehicle that I wouldn't be afraid to haul Home Depot stuff in. As soon as I saw the RL commercial I stopped dead in my tracks. Being a 'Buy American" owner all my driving life, I fought with myself about the decision to buy "foreign". It's a decision I'll never regret. I have close to 4k miles of sheer perfection. The RL is the perfect vehicle for me. I prefer it over my Seville for overall comfort and convenience and the Bravada I got rid of for the RL was no match period.

On a recent long drive with my 80 year old MIL I asked her if she minded that we used the truck instead of my car. Her response, "I knew immediately I was in a truck, but after the first 5 minutes I didn't even notice anymore, until you asked". Exactly what I was looking for in a Utility Vehicle.

I would also like to add the ROC was extremely helpful in overcoming my hesitation to buy "foreign". Great people, eager to help and fun to chat with.

[CT RIDGELINE FAN]

Needed to replace my 1994 Nissan Pickup.Loved the looks and ride of the RL.
I think you get alot for your money. Love it so far!

[Oznative]

Originally Posted by CT RIDGELINE FAN

Needed to replace my 1994 Nissan Pickup.Loved the looks and ride of the RL.
I think you get alot for your money. Love it so far!

I also needed to replace another truck. F-150 Based on the quality of 4 other Honda's owned by the war commissioner and daughters I bought the RL. Boy am I happy with my decision so far.

[Dragonslayer]

I felt that it was about time for me to drive something that did not tear up my back , drove and was as comfortable as a car yet was still a truck, I read previews on the rl in popular science and consumer reports and decided that I would replace my work duo , a 74 chevy cheyenne 4X4 and a 98 ranger and the rest is history.