Hello out there from the frozen wastelands of Alberta, Canada...am trying to decide if the Ridgeline is right truck for me..Is it tough enough seems the deal breaker.
I work in the oil industry and drive about 30-35,000 miles a year in all kinds of conditions and on all kinds of roads, a lot of them bad.
probably close to 1/2 my driving is on gravel/dirt roads and pretty poor ones at that - lots of washboard, holes etc. Am always in a hurry, so tend to pound down these roads at 60 mph plus a lot of the time.
My local mechanic is telling me that the Ridge is just not heavy duty enough to take the pounding.
Says I should go Ford or Chev - I really don't want to do that, but perhaps I must. Mechanic thinks front end and suspension and who knows what are just too lightly built for the pounding.
Was hoping for better gas mileage, better reliability and all the rest of the good things a Ridge promises. Cost to drive is a biggie, so depreciation also is big issue.
Am driving an 02 Silverado 1500 LT 4x4 now - nice truck with low miles, but is coming a little unglued after ony 6 months out here (was a garage kept city truck before) and is gonna cost me a few thousand soon if I keep it - plus fuel economy is not nice.
I don't haul heavy loads, or tow much if ever, and rarely tackle serious mudbogging type roads - just a lot of gravel pounding. I do get stuck in mud or snow on occasion, but really try not to and usually wait for a tow rather than hammer my truck. Usually.
Another factor is I work in a rural area, with no Honda dealer for long ways - and very thin pickins for good mechanics at all. So reliability is a large issue - it's a main reason lots of guys in my industry out here buy a new truck - they keep it while it has warranty (about 2 years) then get another one. I was hoping to avoid the massive depreciation of this plan - but downtime is just not an option.
Thinking used Ridge with say 80,000 miles or less.
Am considering a Ford Ecoboost - but price and depreciation are a bummer on a new one, and used I don't trust the reliability - plus used is still pricey.
Maybe a Tacoma is tough enough? Tundra probably would be, but V8 gas mileage likely not going to satisfy.
I'm a big Honda/Toyota fan, although most of my experience has been with older models. Have a "new" 02 CRV which is great highway car, but not even close to cutting it on my work roads. Wife's 97 Rav4 does a little better.
I'm convinced I'd enjoy the Ridge - but will it stand up?
I'd consider upgrading the shocks/struts if that'd make the difference.
Thanks for your time and considerations
I work in the oil industry and drive about 30-35,000 miles a year in all kinds of conditions and on all kinds of roads, a lot of them bad.
probably close to 1/2 my driving is on gravel/dirt roads and pretty poor ones at that - lots of washboard, holes etc. Am always in a hurry, so tend to pound down these roads at 60 mph plus a lot of the time.
My local mechanic is telling me that the Ridge is just not heavy duty enough to take the pounding.
Says I should go Ford or Chev - I really don't want to do that, but perhaps I must. Mechanic thinks front end and suspension and who knows what are just too lightly built for the pounding.
Was hoping for better gas mileage, better reliability and all the rest of the good things a Ridge promises. Cost to drive is a biggie, so depreciation also is big issue.
Am driving an 02 Silverado 1500 LT 4x4 now - nice truck with low miles, but is coming a little unglued after ony 6 months out here (was a garage kept city truck before) and is gonna cost me a few thousand soon if I keep it - plus fuel economy is not nice.
I don't haul heavy loads, or tow much if ever, and rarely tackle serious mudbogging type roads - just a lot of gravel pounding. I do get stuck in mud or snow on occasion, but really try not to and usually wait for a tow rather than hammer my truck. Usually.
Another factor is I work in a rural area, with no Honda dealer for long ways - and very thin pickins for good mechanics at all. So reliability is a large issue - it's a main reason lots of guys in my industry out here buy a new truck - they keep it while it has warranty (about 2 years) then get another one. I was hoping to avoid the massive depreciation of this plan - but downtime is just not an option.
Thinking used Ridge with say 80,000 miles or less.
Am considering a Ford Ecoboost - but price and depreciation are a bummer on a new one, and used I don't trust the reliability - plus used is still pricey.
Maybe a Tacoma is tough enough? Tundra probably would be, but V8 gas mileage likely not going to satisfy.
I'm a big Honda/Toyota fan, although most of my experience has been with older models. Have a "new" 02 CRV which is great highway car, but not even close to cutting it on my work roads. Wife's 97 Rav4 does a little better.
I'm convinced I'd enjoy the Ridge - but will it stand up?
I'd consider upgrading the shocks/struts if that'd make the difference.
Thanks for your time and considerations