[phineas]

Posted today, and not linked to by any of the many reviews that I read this morning, 2017 Honda Ridgeline specifications from the manufacturer:

2017 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit - Overview - Honda.com

 

[phineas]

From a reliable source, I just learned that the turning circle of the 2017 Ridgeline is 44.4 feet, nearly 2 feet longer than that of the 2014 RL, and nearly 4 feet longer than the Tacoma Double Cab 4 x 4 short bed. I was hoping they'd hold it to 42' when they lengthened the wheelbase. The new Ridgeline's wheelbase is about 1 inch shorter than that of the Tacoma. Even though they've narrowed the Ridgeline's front track slightly, it's still roughly 3 inches wider than the Tacoma's. It's the price we pay for extra stability and interior space.

 

[zroger73]

One of the complaints I had about my three G1 Ridgelines was the "huge" turning radius making it difficult to slip into tight parking spaces. I always joked about parking the "school bus" to my passengers. I can't imagine the G2 being even worse. Early on, I believe we were told that this was one of the things that was significantly improved over the G1. No?

 

[Q Tech]

Anyone find info on what tires are on g2?

 

[DogOnBoard]

Turning diameter of Gen2 is 40.8', which is shorter than Gen1 according to Press Kit:

2017 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit - Chassis - Honda Automobiles - Honda News

Tires are light truck all-season 245/60X18 105H. Auto show trucks had larger phony tires to make the trucks look beefier, and an underbody photo showed rub marks on the inside of the over-sized 265/60's (yeah, I'm still pissed about that).

 

[phineas]

DogOnBoard, I hope your number is the right one. But there seems to be a difference of opinion between two Honda documents. The one you cited certainly says 40.8 feet. But I just dug out a Gen2 Honda spec sheet that shows the same information my source, someone in the automotive press, gave me earlier. It reads "turning diameter: 44.4 feet." Check it out.

2017 Honda Ridgeline U.S. Specifications & Features - Ridgeline - Honda News

Maybe Joe could shine some light on this, if he knows?

 

[quickshoe]

My guess is the smaller one is curb to curb (scribed by tires), the other is wall to wall (scribed by front bumper)....

I know they both say curb to curb. Not impressed with the amount of errors/misinformation out there.

 

[JJ13]

My guess is the smaller one is curb to curb (scribed by tires), the other is wall to wall (scribed by front bumper)....

I know they both say curb to curb. Not impressed with the amount of errors/misinformation out there.

Like the fact the press release says locking tailgate... :act060:

 

[DogOnBoard]

My guess is the smaller one is curb to curb (scribed by tires)...

That makes sense, and IIRC, the longer G1 turning diameter was curb-to-curb. Do we know what the wall-to-wall turning diameter of the G1 is?? That's the only way we can say which RL is better when you're trying to turn around while being squeezed in by walls, trees or the cutslope of a mountain road.

 

[klossfam]

Like the fact the press release says locking tailgate... :act060:

Freudian slip I guess since Honda KNOWS they should have a locking tailgate...Assuming it should have been worded 'In-Bed trunk' vs tailgate...Classic...

 

[DogOnBoard]

I agree that Honda recognizes their mistake, and I think a locking tailgate is probably the most likely upgrade that we will see on the G2 in the next year or two...but I bet they only put it on the RTL-E!

 

[phineas]

The 2016 Pilot's curb-to-curb turning diameter is 39.4 feet. But its wheelbase is 111 inches -- 14 inches shorter than that of the 2017 Ridgeline. (The two vehicles have nearly identical front and rear tracks.) That's why the 44.4 foot turning diameter could be more realistic. But the way they crow about the short turning diameter in the press release makes Honda look really foolish if it's actually bigger than the G1's.

It's certainly possible for a Ridgeline-size vehicle to have a 40-foot turning diameter. My soon-to-be-traded 2013 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab short bed has a 127.4-inch wheelbase and a slightly wider track. Its curb-to-curb turning diameter is 40.7 inches, a 10th of an inch smaller than the Ridgeline's PR stat. No question about it, the 40.8 inch spec is real. It was either a goal they didn't accomplish or one whose achievement missed the deadline for the deep spec sheet.

 

[phineas]

On the tailgate:

When I was a kid my parents had a 1968 Dodge Coronet 440 station wagon complete with wood colored decals to make it look like the ugliest Woody on the planet. It had a tailgate that swung both ways. I remember that it had a key lock. One of the engineering problems that Honda faces is dealing with locking both articulations of the door. But obviously if they could do it in 1968 they can do it now. You'd hope that Honda would also want to tie it into the power lock/unlock feature that the trunk has. It's as if Honda gave up on this last piece of wizardry.

It's been a long time since I've owned a Honda. Is it likely that the company that makes PopLock will come out with a tailgate-locking solution for the Ridgeline? Toyota put a backup camera in the tailgate latch handle of its pick-ups and the company behind PopLocks just designed the camera right into their solution.

 

[DogOnBoard]

I believe PopLock and at least one other aftermarketer built a tailgate lock for the G1, so it's completely possible. I remember a local detailer telling me he could install an electronic lock on the G1 RL tailgate and program it for the key FOB "unlock" button. It should be a piece of cake for Honda.

 

[colorider]

On the tailgate:

When I was a kid my parents had a 1968 Dodge Coronet 440 station wagon complete with wood colored decals to make it look like the ugliest Woody on the planet. It had a tailgate that swung both ways. I remember that it had a key lock. One of the engineering problems that Honda faces is dealing with locking both articulations of the door. But obviously if they could do it in 1968 they can do it now. You'd hope that Honda would also want to tie it into the power lock/unlock feature that the trunk has. It's as if Honda gave up on this last piece of wizardry.

.

I hate to drift too far off the Honda tailgate issue, but are you sure it was a Dodge Coronet 440? Ford offered the two-way tailgate on the some of the full size wagons in that era, but not Dodge. I owned a '67 and it was just a basic, one way, tailgate.

Now back to the tailgate lock!!!!

 

[tkepongo]

I am so pissed about the tailgate not being able to lock. Now I have to hold off on the purchase until an aftermarket piece arrives...or get the Tacoma

 

[phineas]

I hate to drift too far off the Honda tailgate issue, but are you sure it was a Dodge Coronet 440? Ford offered the two-way tailgate on the some of the full size wagons in that era, but not Dodge. I owned a '67 and it was just a basic, one way, tailgate.

Hmmm. Prior to buying the Dodge, my parents had a Ford Country Squire, which offered the two-way tailgate in 1966. I don't think our Ford wagon was that new. But we're looking at this through a child's eye. I was 10 in 1968. I'll do some more research later, but a 10-minute Google trip showed me that my memory might well be faulty about the Dodge. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[quickshoe]

The 2016 Pilot's curb-to-curb turning diameter is 39.4 feet. But its wheelbase is 111 inches -- 14 inches shorter than that of the 2017 Ridgeline. (The two vehicles have nearly identical front and rear tracks.) That's why the 44.4 foot turning diameter could be more realistic. But the way they crow about the short turning diameter in the press release makes Honda look really foolish if it's actually bigger than the G1's.

It's certainly possible for a Ridgeline-size vehicle to have a 40-foot turning diameter. My soon-to-be-traded 2013 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab short bed has a 127.4-inch wheelbase and a slightly wider track. Its curb-to-curb turning diameter is 40.7 inches, a 10th of an inch smaller than the Ridgeline's PR stat. No question about it, the 40.8 inch spec is real. It was either a goal they didn't accomplish or one whose achievement missed the deadline for the deep spec sheet.

Wow! That's a really tight turning diameter!


Wheelbase and steering angle are the major factors involved.

 

[phineas]

Turning diameter of Gen2 is 40.8', which is shorter than Gen1 according to Press Kit:

2017 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit - Chassis - Honda Automobiles - Honda News

Tires are light truck all-season 245/60X18 105H. Auto show trucks had larger phony tires to make the trucks look beefier, and an underbody photo showed rub marks on the inside of the over-sized 265/60's (yeah, I'm still pissed about that).

DogOnBoard, I hope your number is the right one. But there seems to be a difference of opinion between two Honda documents. The one you cited certainly says 40.8 feet. But I just dug out a Gen2 Honda spec sheet that shows the same information my source, someone in the automotive press, gave me earlier. It reads "turning diameter: 44.4 feet." Check it out.

2017 Honda Ridgeline U.S. Specifications & Features - Ridgeline - Honda News

Maybe Joe could shine some light on this, if he knows?

Bump. Anybody have any new information about the turning diameter of the 2017 Ridgeline? The two links above lead to contradictory specs on this data point. Has anybody driven it? I would think the difference between 40.8 feet and 44.4 feet would stand out.

 

[kevmelbel]

I see moonroof is missing form the feature list. Maybe it's an option on the RTL and RTL-T now?