Howdy

[Truckeye]

Just wanted to introduce myself and thank Everyone for their posts on these boards. This is the most informative message board I've ever seen (and cordial at that) and has already been a tremendous help to me.

I am a past Ford truck owner, 97 F150 4x4 4.6L, 00 F250 4x4 6.8L. I was considering the 07 or 06 Tundra and starting doing more research on the Ridgline (Though I Hated the looks (sorry ). Seeing how the ridge ranked on Consumer Reports and Edmunds impressed me, but it was these forums that finally convinced me.

I don't have a Ridge yet, looking to remedy that this week Yes, the looks have grown on me

I do have a question for all you guys though, how many of you are past Ford, Toyota, Dodge, etc owners? Seems like the majority here have been in the Honda family for a long time.

[Long Gone]

Welcome to the ROC Truckeye and neighbor.
Just wanted to pop in and say hi and tell you to sit tight and watch how many Ridge owners we have that converted from the "other" truck.
Be sure and check our dealer pages. It has certain dealers that sponsor us and they may give you a good deal because you're e ROC head. Also do a search on Ohio and you will find some neighbors who also own Ridgelines.
Welcome, good luck and be sure and come back and keep us in the know with your progress.

[RIDGID]

Welcome to the forum,plenty of information to garner and friends to make.Just north of you near Cedar Point.You will be happy to know about the get together near you this summer.
Can forty or fifty of us stay at your house for the weekend?
hahaha
welcome again,

[Truckeye]

lol. 40-50 may be a bit excessive, sounds fun though! I just saw the first meeting is the end of July in Columbus, unfortunately that's the absolute deadline I have to relocate to Milwaukee by I will still try to attend.

I checked for ROC dealers in OH but they're aren't any close to Cols. Yeah, I have seen a few OH members around these boards Love the decals btw LadyRidge.

Good to hear there are other converts here, that says something.

Thank you for the replies, really glad I found this place.

[brich]

Welcome to the forum.... Here are MY opinions...
I currently own a Ford Winstar. Not a pickup but it is a Ford. Have owned Ford cars in the past.
This is my first Pickup but my dad owns a Toyota Tacoma, which I have used on occassion. I like his truck for it's bed. The ride to me was all truck. Nothing great about the ride. It's a nice truck. No real complaints about it but it is what it is - a pick up truck.

Not wanting to have to keep borrowing my dad's Tacoma, I decided to get my own truck... Why did I go with Honda? I've never owned a Honda but have owned a lot of domestic cars and have never really had the dependability that I had hoped. As they aged, something always would go wrong and start to cost me lots of money... My sister had a Honda Civic forever. I think she had about 150,000 miles on it with no major repairs. Gave it away to her neice who continues to use it on a daily basis. That's dependability...

Saw the first Ridgeline commercial during the SuperBowl and I LOVED the way it looked. It was different, not your traditional pick up. Then I started researching all the cool features this truck offered. The Looks, the fact it was a Honda, the features that would give me what I had with cars (as far as passenger room for my wife and kids), the bed which would mean no more calling up dad for his truck. That trunk that holds almost as much as the back of my minivan... I was sold... But then I drove it... Enough said!

Would I recommend the Ridgeline? Absolutely but only if the Ridgeline fits what your looking for. Don't buy a Ridgeline for what it's not. If your a weekend do it yourselfer who enjoys a nice riding vehicle. Has a family that enjoys going on road trips. Enjoys light offroading, camping, fishing... This is a great truck... If you need a heavy duty work truck, need to do serious offroading, have the desire to hang a gun rack in the back window or just need to maintain your Ford Toughness, this may not be the truck for you. Not that the Ridgeline can't handle any of these things or not that it's not Honda tough, it's just that I see far to many posts around here by people who don't like the Ridgeline simply because it doesn't meet their needs. Determine in your mind what the differences are between the Ridgeline and the others and see if they meet what your looking for. For the rest of us, it's the perfect truck...

Isn't it interesting just how many Honda faithful there are? Count me as newbie in that catagorie....

[Twintym]

I had a '99 Expedition, then an '02 F150 SuperCab and then an '04 F150 SuperCrew before my Ridgeline. My Fords were good trucks with few problems. However, I can't say that I ever enjoyed driving them. They did their job but never excited me in any way. Then, I started looking outside the Ford dealership. I was not in love with the looks of the Ridgeline at first, but I recognized how functional and truly unique the vehicle was as I looked closer. I love to drive this truck, and the real miracle...so does my wife. I couldn't pay her to drive any of my Fords since the Expedition. It handles and rides great. It handles a load and has all the electronic toys I love so much. My wife said she wants to replace her Toyota Sienna minivan in a couple of years with a Ridgeline of her own. I can't say enough about the Ridgeline. It is the best vehicle I have ever owned. You won't regret buying one if your needs match its capabilities. It works for me. I even got to like the styling.

[Truckeye]

thanks for the post brich.

My mind is made up and the fact that so many of you are past (multiple) honda owners is truly a testament to Honda.

As you pointed out, it was my mainly my die-hard domestic Truck ego that kept me from seriously considering the Ridgeline. Smaller truck, less towing cap, smaller engine, less ground clearance, etc. After much consideration, the fact that is a V6 (albeit a beast at that) and a smaller truck are no longer cons but pros to me. It's much easier to get into than a full-sized domestic 4x4, the ergonomics of the Ridge are awesome, first truck I felt really comfortable in. Everything seems to be where it needs to be. After I started thinking about functionality vs machoality, the Ridge was a clear winner.

Plus I've got the wife and little one now and it's time to protect them. That doesn't mean I'm succombing to the Family Truckster or giving up my Tonka toy though. The interior size will comfortably accomodate anything I can throw at it, the bed can hold sheets of 4x8 which is all I really need. The ride is unlike any other truck I've been in, and it handles great. Throw in 4x4 Of The Year and it's a done deal.

thank you Twin too! Great to hear that from you guys.

[brich]

Cool.... but it is true..... The Ridgeline does sell itself...
Despite these gas prices, all I want to do is drive !!
Good luck....

[Truckin']

Hi, I'm glad to see you've got your mind made up. You're going to love it.

This is our first Honda. When we had our truck on order, we were overcome with anticipation, so we talked about it a lot. Every Honda owner told us that it will be the best vehicle we've ever owned. They were right.

Our favorite truck was "old yeller" Ford. I don't remember what year it was but we owned it for about a decade until someone ran a stop sign and bashed it. We had a lot of wonderful trips in that truck.

Our RL replaced a Trooper, also a fine vehicle with a lot of good memories attached to it.

To us, our RL is pure indulgence and luxury. We enjoy it vastly more than any vehicle that preceded it.

[zero]

My Ridgeline is my 2nd Honda. My first is an '05 Odyssey minivan. I discovered the Ridgeline one day while waiting for routine maintenance on the Ody. I saw the brochure with the concept on it and I was sold.

I used to have a 2000 Toyota Tundra pick up. That was one nice truck. I traded it in just before my son was born. I felt that it would be very practical with a new baby. Those 'suicide' doors for the back seats are not very practical in your typical parking spots at the store.