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Consumer Reports: Best overall pickup truck

62K views 121 replies 82 participants last post by  Somanyroads 
#1 · (Edited)
Consumer Reports has once again ranked the Honda Ridgeline as the most reliable pickup truck in their latest issue.

Also, the Chevrolet Avalanche which I've seen compared to the RL, I'll never understand why, has fallen and no longer receives Consumers Reports recommendations.
 
#85 ·
I don't agree with all of CRs reviews, for sure there is some bias in reviews. And maybe some owners are less that honest in answering surveys on reliability, but I would think only an insignificant number would even bother to fill out a survey they were not going to answer truthfully.

But nothing is perfect, you read this and that, add in your own experiences. None of that will totally isolate you from getting a lemon. But hopefully stack the odds in your favor.
 
#86 ·
That's part of the problem. You may buy a lawnmower for example and have lots of success with it. CR may say that it gets the lowest ratings. I don't believe that their reviews should be the be all end all, rather a starting point.

Eopinions.com is another good site.
 
#87 ·
Epinions has people on there that know how to write detailed usage reviews. They've lived with the products for some time and really wring it out. That is something you rarely get from magazine reviews supposedly written by pros. More useful too. My only issue is they don't keep up with a lot of stuff, it can be very dated.
 
#88 · (Edited)
Consumer Reports is a reader-supported non-profit and accepts no advertising or financial support from manufacturers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Reports

JD Powers gets most of its revenue from corporations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._D._Power_and_Associates

Consumer's Digest is a for-profit organization that licenses its logo to manufacturers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumers_Digest

Of those three, CR seems to have the most reliable and unbiased ratings, although I haven't had 100% success with their top rated products over the years.
In any case here is this year's pickup review:




PS, I haven't noticed any rattles in my '11 RTL. What a great truck!
 
#91 ·


Of those three, CR seems to have the most reliable and unbiased ratings, although I haven't had 100% success with their top rated products over the years.



Can't say I have in every case either. What I do like about their auto reliability charts are the different problem areas, and making it easy to track year to year.
 
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#92 · (Edited)
Don't mix up reviews with reliability figures. Two totally different things.

They send out forms you fill out including repairs you had done (using categories to cover different types of repairs) and you log the mileage, etc.
What is opinionated about that?
How would you do it?

They use the same method for other products.

They have Toyota in their pocket? Sounds like an opinion to me.. we need some research!

You can look up older CR numbers in the library and see the same trends most of us have already noticed, like the improvement in Fords, over the years, etc.
I'm not saying CR is perfect, but there is nothing else close that is as comprehensive, except True Delta...and they don't have as many online subscribers, but their figures pretty much reflect the same things we've come to expect.
 
#93 ·
O.K. That may have sounded like a rant on CR it's, not intended. I love my RL and have no problems with CR's rating but...I have owned and purchased items they rate as great only to be disapointed after the shine wears off including several cars and high end electronics. They are a good barometer if nothing else. I take it all with a grian of salt. Just like alot of product reveiws that I look at before making a major purchase, one guy loves it and the next hates it. You have to read between the lines. I know what I read, but believe what I see.
 
#95 ·
Again, I am not talking about CR reviews, only their Reliability Charts which are based on owner input, not the magazine's opinions. I have some reservations about their reviews also, on more than just automobiles.
 
#96 · (Edited)
I contributed. Everything was positive except for gas mileage, cost, and gadgets (electronic).
 
#98 ·
Oops, I contributed too, to CR reviews, but I didn't fault my 08 in any way. Best vehicle I have owned in 54 years of driving! I carry too much "stuff" to worry about mileage. I haven't "put a pencil to it", but I would bet the overall cost per mile is also less than any vehicle I have owned. It's like the Duracell battery, it just keeps going and going.
 
#99 ·
That's the kind of experience I hope to have. I've just passed 12,000 miles and it seems to get a little better mileage right now. Maybe it's the summer fuel switch as the engine seems smoother also.
We've been driving about the same length of time, and many vehicles have passed our way. This is one of the most " just drive it and forget about it " ones I've driven.
 
#100 ·
Re: U.S. News and World Report Autos review of the Ridgeline

Anyone been to U.S. News and World Report Autos lately?

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/Compact-Pickup-Trucks/

I understand that the competition it down to only four, but they have the Ridgeline tied with the Tacoma as the best "compact" pickup truck.

I think it is strange that the midsized Ridgeline is considered a compact, but since the last real compact trucks are gone, I guess it is a compact now. Especially since full sized trucks are so HUGE. When the Ridge first came out, it wasn't much smaller than a F150, now it completely dwarfs it.

Yes, I know all they actually do is borrow information from other reviews and compile it, but it is still pretty impressive that our truck is rated so high.

Honestly, I believe our vehicles slow sales have everything to do with price.

If you go to the link you will see that our Ridges have the highest starting price, (10 grand or more more than the competition, in the same range as their loaded models).

However, those same people will go into the other dealers because of the low entry level price and still leave with a car that costs as much as a Ridgeline (bait and switch) because they don't realize that even a base Ridgeline comes with as much content as their loaded trucks.

If Honda actually makes a new Ridgeline they are going to have an entry level stripped model....just to get people in the door.
 
#101 ·
We have a handful of "compact only" parking spaces at my shop. My take is that if my Ridgeline fits in the space and the nose (I back in) doesn't extend beyond the white painted lines - I fit. :)

- Chip
 
#106 ·
And their basic review included all the main features that a lot of reviews miss. Of course, they did not touch on the 4WD, but that is nothing unique (except for how it works).
 
#107 ·
Nice. The one flaw I see in their report is their mpg quote (just citing the city at 15 mpg as if that's an overall mpg expectation). I guess it stood out to me because I just got back from a weekend trip to northern NH (plenty of hills, but moderate highway speeds) where I achieved 22.4 mpg overall and 420 miles on the single tank of gas I used. I've always been satisfied with my Ridgeline(s) fuel economy.
 
#112 · (Edited)
I drive my 06 around the DC beltway and around town and I average right around 15mpg. I have never touched 20 even on almost pure highway stuff. Best as I can tell there is nothing mechanically wrong with my truck and I have never been particularly satisfied with its mileage. From my experience, CU "overall" mileage is pretty much spot on and I doubt that they mistakenly cited city mileage for overall. Honda might have improved the Ridge's mileage some (they might have made the trip computer a bit optimistic too) in the latest models but perhaps CU hasn't rechecked things . . .
 
#109 ·
77" wide, 206" long, 122" wheelbase, 4500 lbs. might be considered compact for a pickup, but it would be huge for a car. This is a very hefty vehicle regardless of how you classify it.
 
#110 · (Edited)
Anyone notice that the RL pic in the April 2014 issue of CR on page 76 is of a 2006-2008 RL? (not that it matters) ;)
 
#111 · (Edited)
The old school pick up truck die hards are always going to say what they say simply because that is all they know what to say. I've owned no less than half a dozen pick ups with all but one belonging to the mid size class and can honestly say they have served me well but driving a Ridgeline is a whole other matter.

The RL looks like a pick up and basically does what is asked of any other truck on the market but does it in style with its ride and unique look as well as build quality, 5 star safety rating and proven Honda reliability. So as well as being in a class all its own it still jumps into the old boys pick up class and cleans up there as well. Not bad for a truck thats been long considered "Not a truck". Have you ever had the opportunity to stand on a Ridge? Its a great vantage point isn't it? You can see all that is below you and that suits me just fine. Just my opinion but it is what counts to me.
 
#113 · (Edited)
Mileage will increase dramatically if you switch from E10 to E0 (no ethanol) premium gasoline, but you will pay for it at the pump. Try it. You'll like it.
Ridgeline is a heavy 4WD vehicle that is geared low (4.53 final drive ratio) although it is overdriven in 4th and 5th gears. It's a tow truck. I will admit that my heavy right footed driving habits change when I switch from my turbo Miata to the Ridgeline. I tend to drive the RL like an old fogey.
 
#116 ·
Add me to the list of people who get the fuel efficiency that Honda promises, or better. There aren't many tanksful of fuel where I got as little as 15 MPG in routine driving between the suburbs and city (I'm 10 miles from city center). In summer, 18-19 is typical. In winter, 16-18. Once warmed up on the highway, it's 24+ MPG any season, as long as I keep it no more than about 65 MPH.

For the last couple of years, I have been using octane 89, and it pays for itself. I'm on my second tankful of 87 now, just as an experiment. So far, it's getting 16 MPG with 87 at slightly higher average temperatures than the 17 I got with 89, so results are consistent.

BTW, this is all much easier to interpret in metric measurements! I was initially a skeptic about how intuitive it would be to measure by L/100km. However, that measures actual rate of consumption, whereas MPG's are better for measuring range. In the range of common highway speeds, it's dead simple to see that fuel consumption is close to proportional to speed. Want to go 20% faster? That'll cost 20% more fuel.
 
#118 ·
Just got back from a week long trip to Denver. 1899 miles, truck computed average was 21.0 and hand calculated was 20.9. Best tank while in Colorado was 23.4 mpg hand calculated, a new record for my RL. Coming back to Texas vicious headwinds all the way spanked my mileage hard. The vast bulk of the driving was on interstates at 75+ mph. I keep the tires at 34 psi cold, on the highway when heated up the sensors report about 37 psi and the truck handles quite well with them.

The RL was exceptional on the drive - had heavy snow in some areas, mixed ice and slush, occasional black ice, it handled all conditions exceptionally well. It is probably the perfect traveling truck... EXCEPT for the seat padding, or more accurately lack thereof. It just beat my hip bones to death. I've got to find some kind of pad that will counter the effects of the bolsters or whatever you call the little side pads that squeeze inwards.
 

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#119 ·
I wanted to post some of my thoughts after about two weeks of Ridgeline ownership. This thread seemed to be as good a place as any. Moderators if you disagree please feel free to move the post if you like.

Anyway, I purchased my 2008 Billet Silver RTL from it's original owner with just over 101k on the ODO. I had been looking for a weekend vehicle for about a year and had narrowed my choices to a Ridgeline, Tundra or Tacoma. I have had wonderful service from multiple Japanese vehicles over my 34 years of vehicle ownership experience and just could never get comfortable with the reliability data on any other manufacturer for a vehicle of this type.

We just got back from a weekend trip to our fishing cabin in Ashe County NC. After a few hundred miles of mostly highway, some rural two lane and about 10 miles of dirt/gravel roads, I am pretty much convinced I bought the exact vehicle I needed. The highway ride is totally comfortable for me, the Ridgeline handles the back road twisties better than I expected and the AWD and ruggedness of my silver beauty (warts and all) was more than I needed to safely and comfortably transport us (me, wife, pooch) and all our provisions.

19.5 MPG average as best I can tell, more than enough room for everything (I can't get over how convenient the locking trunk is) and just as comfortable a vehicle as I can ask for. When my wife, who never has given a hoot about a vehicle, tells me multiple times "she really likes this truck" it makes me wish I had been a little more spendy and maybe gotten a newer Ridgeline. Then again, for a vehicle that will likely not be driven more than once or twice a month I think I probably have enough invested (and now I have more to spend for ACCESSORIES).

I definitely wish my Ridgeline had a backup camera and I am seriously thinking about the hitch-installed back up sensor I have seen. Bluetooth would be nice but my cell phone usually stops working about half way to the cabin anyway. All in all, I am very satisfied so far with my decision to join so many other happy Ridgeline owners. Thanks to all who support this forum and have offered wisdom and guidance! Now, let's go Fishin'!!!
 
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