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Picking up 2008 RTL tomorrow. Buying tips & thoughts.

2K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  Tcape 
#1 ·
Signing the papers tommorrow night on an '08 RTL (Billet Steel w/o Navi). Dealer needs to put on remaining options on Monday. Most of the dickering was done via two emails to minimize the time at the dealership.

I can say that I gained an immense amount of knowledge about the RL on this site.

I've been eyeing the Ridgeline for about a year and the $3000 incentive and 2.9% financing gave me a good reason to pull the trigger. I was going to keep my '00 4.7L Dakota Quad Cab 4x4 for another year. Paid 25510 before NC taxes and options. Took a beating on the Dakota but nothing unexpected. Dakota is in better than average condition both aesthetically and mechanically. In the end, I feel like I am leaving about $400 on the table for my total OTD financed but they woudn't budge another dime.

My only other consideration was the Tacoma but price and overall road feel allows me to easily give the RL the nod.

Having owned a 4 door slightly larger than mid-size pick-up truck, the gas mileage is nothing new to me so it's not a concern. Still don't understand why so many on the ROC seem surprised by the fuel mileage. The truck is 4500 lbs......

Lots of features I like about the RL and a couple that would make it "perfect". These are my observations based on kicking the tires & having owned 4 previous Honda cars so I am familiar "brand quirks". Ex, typical Honda who are determined to make OEM fog lights a rare item on any of their vehicles :(

My really like list:
The overall fit & finish of the interior seems better than my '03 V6 Accord with Leather.

Leather seats with hard plastic undersides for the rear seats. With two 85 pound golden retreivers, the fabric in the Dakota was like a velcro strap and hair was a beotch to vacuum off. Won't be an issue in the RL. The dogs are in the truck a couple times per month so this is a huge benefit.

The center console!! Finally a useful design. The Dakota design absolutely sucked.

In-bed trunk to store my tie-down straps, bungies, etc without cluttering the back seat and floor board.

The power sliding rear window. See note about having dogs above ;)

Rubber mats instead of carpet. I keep my vehicles 9-10 years and after 5-6 years, they all start to look tattered. Much easier to clean and vaccum the rubber mats.

The needs improvement list:
Provide backlighting on all the buttons, including the steering wheel controls. This is also lacking on my Accord.

Front grille design is eh, so-so.

Rear-mud guards should be standard, especially the RTL models. C'mon.

Options are OVER-PRICED!! I got the running boards, roof rack, mud guards, hitch & harness and they are right at $1600. The navi is simply not worth the upcharge when portable Garmin units are $300.

So, it should be intersting to see how the truck pans out over the long haul. Really looking forward to the refinement the RL offers and still allows me to have my 4-door pick-up.
 
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#3 ·
Congratulations on your new wheels. Hope all goes well at the "signing". :) I agree with most of what you said. Especially the rear splash guards - give me a break! I don't agree with your comment on the nav system but then that's your opinion and I certainly see where you are coming from. Yea the Garmins are cheaper and trust me, I love Garmin (I have 2) - but I really like the built in nav as it integrates nicely with the radio and environmental systems. Is it worth the extra cost? I guess it depends on your priorities. I like my toys and if I had it to do over again, would still get the nav. That's my opinion! One thing I know we'll agree on is that you will enjoy your new truck. We'll all be anxious to see pictures. Good Luck!
 
#4 ·
Congrats on your new truck! I too purchased the silver w/out nav about 5 weeks ago. It had the splash guards already on the truck and they didn't want to take them off, so I managed to get them throw in for free. The little driving I've done,,,,, (truck has 435 miles,,, including the 95 I had to drive from dealer back to my house) has proven to me that I'm glad to have the splash guards on. I've got the Garmin Nuvi and it works perfectly for me in my RL.

The only option I think I want to go back in get is the running boards? Just curious,,, which ones did you get? I'm looking at the Nerf (sp?) bars... they have black, chrome or alloy. Since I don't have any other chrome on the truck, that choice is out. I'm down between black or alloy bars, or running boards..... Don't know if there is a advantage from one to the other... any thoughts?

Anyway, congrats again on the truck... I'm sure you will love it!

Doc
 
#6 ·
The only option I think I want to go back in get is the running boards? Just curious,,, which ones did you get? I'm looking at the Nerf (sp?) bars... they have black, chrome or alloy. Since I don't have any other chrome on the truck, that choice is out. I'm down between black or alloy bars, or running boards..... Don't know if there is a advantage from one to the other... any thoughts?

Anyway, congrats again on the truck... I'm sure you will love it!

Doc
I got the black running boards like these: 2008 Honda Ridgeline - Accessory Detail - the Official Honda Web Site

The tubular type running boards/bars look "cheesy" and truly like an add-on to me. The running boards look more integrated and complete the bottom edge of the truck.
 
#5 ·
Congrats on the new truck.
 
#7 ·
jdawd, looks like your a fellow NC native....right? Always nice to have another Ridgeline in the Carolinas. Congrats on getting the best truck sold in America. I know you'll love your RL. And you're right about accessories being WAY overpriced. Be sure to check the vendors here on the ROC. You'll find the prices are well under what most dealers charge. And the products you'll find here are genuine Honda parts. You'll also find some great instructions for installing most any parts you'll buy. Best of luck with your new Ridgeline!
 
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