Soccer Mom van vs truck. Yeah, I'm not seeing the struggle...

 

I agree! Though I would replace the term “truck!” 😁
Bill

 

Buying nearly the same vehicle as your wife drives does seem redundant.

The Ridgeline would give you a bit different utility benefit than your wife's Mazda.

My vote is for the Ridgeline.

 

That’s my wife’s stance as well.

 

My heart is with the Ridge, but my practical brain is with the Mazda.

After a failed transmission and a dozen other issues with my 2019 Ridgeline at 14K miles, I traded it for a 2020 CX-5 after being extremely pleased with the quality of a 2019 MX-5 Miata that I still own. The Japan-built CX-5 was as perfect as an automobile can be. Zero problems. Well-assembled. High-quality materials. Given how infrequently I haul large items, an SUV is much more economical and practical for me, but Honda made me an offer I couldn't refuse to come back to their brand so I bought a 2021 Ridgeline. It was definitely a step back in quality from the Mazdas. I sold it after buying my first EV - a Tesla Model Y a couple of years ago. After 32K miles in an EV, I no longer have any interest whatsoever in ICE-powered vehicles.

If I were in the market for a practical ICE-powered vehicle and didn't need an open bed, a CX-5 would be at top of my list.

 

Thank you for the great reply! Agree on the build quality of the CX-5, wife’s 2017 still feels brand new after 8 years. Tight construction, great materials, rock solid engine, all very impressive especially for the price.

I did consider the CRV hybrid, but after a few test drives I decided it just wasn’t for me. Congrats on the model Y! The instant torque on those things is stellar.

 

My 2022 Ridgeline has been a dream so far, 19,000 miles and I work it like a rented mule....

 

It comes down to use case. We've had various combinations of cars but there's always a void without a minivan or a truck. Sure the SUV will cover 95% of the uses but something always comes up and renting a truck although an option isn't always that easy especially if there is a time crunch.

You don't mention what you currently drive in addition to the Mazda and how you make everything work. A Ridgeline will compliment the Mazda well for your use case.

I do think that it's a mistake to not have a CRV hybrid or RAV hybrid in the fold as the MPGs. will almost double the Ridgeline as the offerings slowly move away from ICE only to electric.

We currently have a RAV4 hybrid a RAV4 Prime and a Ridgeline. The Ridgeline mostly sits because it guzzles gas but comes in very handy when that "something" always comes up.

 

Thank you!

For the past year we’ve been sharing the Mazda but before that I was driving a Nissan Altima that I had for about 11 years. Again, could fit a surprising amount of lumber in there with the trunk closed, but the wood jussst about touched the dash. Sold it during the used car upswing with the intention of upgrading right away, but found with remote work we really didn’t need a second car at the time.

 

go with the Mazda and get a rubber cargo mat

 

If you already have the exact same car, why get another? I would get a wagon if I were you. My DD is a wagon and it's really still the best overall vehicle form IMHO. Many check off almost all boxes.

 

If you already have the exact same car, why get another? I would get a wagon if I were you. My DD is a wagon and it's really still the best overall vehicle form IMHO. many check of almost all boxes.

Short answer is that’s my wife’s car. I don’t even like driving it since I am very rough on things and she takes a more careful approach haha. But, it’s a great ride and after eliminating every other make or model I would consider I keep coming back to the CX-5. And the Ridgeline of course.

I considered the CX-50 which is sort of like a wagon, but the materials were a major downgrade from the CX5 and the headroom was way too low for my 6’ height.

 

There is one potential handicap with the Ridgeline. You mention cargo space in the Mazda, but if you have a hard cover on the Ridgeline, you are going to be swearing a lot if you want to haul something typical and keep it covered. For the 2nd time in a year, I have moved apts. It is the most infuriating thing to do with a Ridgeline. The bed is shallow and with a cover, you cannot get standard packing boxes in the bed. No cover is fine, but I was moving during rain and snow (both times). I'm not exactly sure why Honda couldn't have engineered ONE more inch for standard moving and packing boxes and many tubs. We could fit more in the Tesla Model-Y and a Ford Explorer that I borrowed.

Now, on the positive side. I love SUVs and still prefer them. But there are many times I don't want the noise, and smell, and mess the vehicle. Especially with DIY things you reference. In that case, the truck is priceless... any truck is. But for me, if I'm going to own a truck, it will be the Ridgeline over anything else. Road comfort for daily commuting means too much to me.

The mpg difference is not enough to sway me if you factor cost. But I agree, even if you loved a vehicle, it doesn't make sense to own two of the same unless you have specific needs that require it. My vote is the Ridgeline... understand your space limitations and get a tarp.

 

The shallow bed is definitely on my mind as well, that’s really interesting about the moving boxes. These are the kinds of things you don’t really know with any car until you live with it a bit.

 

It really depends on your usage. I have the truck, my partner has an SUV (Subaru Forester). I drive about 22 k per year and the truck is wayyy more comfortable for my daily commute. I also haul things I don't want in the cab about 2 to 3x a month. Interior space is good for rainy days but the truck bed is way easier to use for all my hobby homesteading chores. No cover for me and it was way easier to haul stuff in our recent apartment move in the truck than Forester. However we did need to time the rain with out a cover. We personally would not get two of the same vehicles.

 

It comes down to "what tasks will you assign to the vehicle".

If you need a truck (hauling dirty, smelly items or tall items), Ridgeline is a no-brainer. The only other vehicle with more utility is a minivan.

If you just need to haul things around and an open bed is not a necessity, a minivan is the best answer. Hauls more than most trucks, in a weatherproof cabin, and hauls people in comfort when needed. Some people have irrational hangups about owning/driving them, however.

If just commuting, a sedan makes the most sense. Hybrid Civic is great, Hybrid Accord if you want a nicer ride. Prius if you need max MPG. BEV if you don't often drive over 100 miles in a day.

Only real advantages of SUV is better visibility if you want to see over traffic, and better ingress/egress if you are tall and/or have an old achy body. A unibody SUV is also better for towing than the equivalent unibody pickup truck.

SUVs and trucks are bad for pedestrians if you drive in an area with a lot of pedestrians. I suspect front cameras will become mandatory on larger vehicles in the future (they'll come on up to 10-15mph, then shut off above that speed).

 

Puzzled by a couple things you said. I have had mini vans/SUVs for decades. I had multiple giant breed dogs who went to shows, trials, hiking, etc. Now my giants have passed, I have one 32 lb dog, and my Odyssey was hit and totaled recently. When vehicle shopping, I did NOT want a pickup truck, because of the lack of interior cargo space. But I also recently bought a tiny camper (1800 lbs empty). I wanted a better tow vehicle, so looked at Passport and Pilot, for the 5000 lb tow capacity. I test drove both, Passport felt huge - I felt like a tiny pimple in it. Pilot - better, but meh. Sales guy urged me to try the Ridgeline. By far the best feel for driving.

But I feel that I sit much higher, and can see much better over traffic in the Ridgeline. Why do you say the SUV has better visibility? And why do you think a unibody SUV is better for towing than a unibody truck? I ask because a big reason I got the Ridgeline is because of the towing capacity. And I limed the feel of it better than the SUVs I tried.

I have never towed anything other than an aluminum utility trailer before, won’t be towing my camping trailer until the snow is gone in the spring. So I’m just curious about those two things that you said. Thanks!

 

I went from a Honda Passport to my Ridgeline. The first thing I noticed how much quieter it is than the Passport. Any SUV will probably won't be as quiet.

 

Correct - that's because the rear wheels/suspension are outside the cabin in the Ridgeline, but inside the cabin in an SUV, so the Ridgeline transmits less road noise into the cabin.

 

I will try to keep the Integra as long as I can.
But if I need a new ride and money isn't an issue it will be a ridgeline.

I miss my previous 21 RTL-E.

 

I switched from Ridgeline to Passport and quickly came back. I severely underestimated how much I use the truck bed and convenience.

 

Don't ya just love that door swing tail gate? I know I've only used the normal drop down gate about a dozen times in a year and a half. I couldn't start to count the number of times I've used the door swing gate. Love it.

 

I've had motorcycles all my life, so...
But we still find uses for our old Pilot. Oh what to do; I see your problem

 

Hello, Gray Beard.
We have a 2019 Mazda Cx-5 Grand Touring FWD and a 2023 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E. Both are excellent vehicles, of course. I wish Mazda could have its own version of a unibody pickup. The Ridgeline is the best driving and riding pickup that hauls. For us, we haul 2 e-bikes. They are too bulky for our CX-5. There is a gas mileage penalty, but we still drive our CX-5 for the bulk of our errands. So, the gas mileage penalty is not a big issue. I traded my Mazda CX-9 for my Ridge. The Ridgeline is so much more spacious and we had no mileage penalty. I am very happy with my purchase.

Whatever you decide, you are a very good study. It is a good bet that you will be happy with your choice.

 

Hello, Gray Beard.
We have a 2019 Mazda Cx-5 Grand Touring FWD and a 2023 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E. Both are excellent vehicles, of course. I wish Mazda could have its own version of a unibody pickup. The Ridgeline is the best driving and riding pickup that hauls. For us, we 2 haul e-bikes. They are too bulky for our CX-5. There is a gas mileage penalty, but we still drive our CX-5 for the bulk of our errands. So, the gas mileage penalty is not a big issue. I traded my Mazda CX-9 for my Ridge. The Ridgeline is so much more spacious and we had no mileage penalty. I am very happy with my purchase.

Whatever you decide, you are a very good study. It is a good bet that you will be happy with your choice.

Thank you for the kind words! If Mazda had a pick up in the U.S. I’d be there in a heartbeat.

 

I agree there isn't a bad choice between the two. We were deciding between the RL and an SUV (Highlander) before we got the RL. We have a minivan already so didn't need to covered storage. I don't haul a ton of messy/dirty stuff, but I do need the open bed sometimes, so we decided the RL was a better fit for us. Haven't regretted it a bit.

I would agree that having two vehicles that are the same doesn't give you as many options if you need them. If you need to have more covered storage, you can always add a truck cap to the RL at a later time, but at that point, a minivan would be a better option than either the Mazda or the RL as they have way more storage.

 

Get the Ridgeline, you won't regret it. $4 Bedrug and $180 soft rollup tonneau cover. 99% waterproof. Can fit most under the cover. Trunk lid opens fully since the cover rails are on top of the bed rails.

And with around 1,500 lbs payload and 5k towing, you have options. U-Haul trailers and weekend DYI rental equipment towing.

 

Great info thank you! Not sure if that’s your truck there with all the rock but that’s exactly what I’m picturing as being super helpful.

 

My wife has had a 2020 CX-5 for 5 years and still loves it. You're right, they're great cars.

I just got a 2025 RL because we've had a truck for so many years. As others have said, having 2 different vehicles gives you more versatility. If the mileage is a big factor, why not go with a commuter car instead? If it's not that big of a deal, RL all the way!

As far as the technology, other than her HU display, I like the tech in the RL better but her's IS 5 years old.

Mikeg

 

Funny thing, with remote work I only really drive 2500 miles or so a year. If I were to return to an office that would jump to 5500. Which in the scheme of things isn’t all that much still. Makes me wonder if I am too hung up on the mpg.

The 360 cam and HUD are fantastic on the 25 CX-5, really enjoyed them during the test drive.

 

After my kids complained about the back seat room in the Ridgeline for College moves I got a Passport as my 17 RL had a low brake pedal and annoying engine knock. I got the raised roof rack and crossbars thinking I could have the best of both worlds. Big mistake as the PP to me was a slow, unresponsive, gas guzzling slug that offered little benefit over a RAV4 Hybrid which got double the MPG's so I dumped it. Quickly, we realized that with the 3 RAVs we had at the time, even something simple like getting a Christmas tree was pain so off to get another truck. At the time, about a year ago, RL was the only midsize available (Chevy had a stop sale, No Rangers available and new Tacos weren't available yet) so I got a good deal on a brand new 23 and here I am. So far so good but it's ancient compared to my RAV and that's considered ancient too. I use the RL for bed duty and foul weather and drive it through the layers of salt they put on the road here while my RAV is used for everything else.

 

As mentioned, the bed is shallow (almost as shallow as the Gladiator), but it makes up for it in width. It is much wider than the other trucks.... grest for hauling tree branches, recyclables, etc.

I don't have a tonneau, but use a cargo net that i put over stuff in the bed.... works great! And i can pile it high!

When coupled with the trunk storage, it definitely has the most storage of any mid-size crew-cab truck.

 

I do have a tonneau, but the cargo net is awesome... much quicker than strapping something down, and great for preventing objects from sliding while you're driving.

 

We have a 21 CX5 and 22 Ridgeline. Happy with both so far.

 

I had a giant smile last weekend as I hosed out the dirt and sand from bags I bought at Home Depot that leaked everywhere in the bed. I had a giant smile as I cruised across the US on a 5K mile road trip with my spouse and pugs. I smile when I use the bed trunk. My '23 is quiet, surprisingly capable on 4WD roads, and looks great to me in the driveway. Oh yeah, big smile towing my boat with ease. Smiles every time I drive it. So yes, my very biased vote is go for a Ridgeline .

 

Last week I went to Home Despot to get some plywood for a rear cabin dog platform, couple bags of dirt, four pine 1x4s, and some other small things.

I could have used my wagon and scuffed up the back or possibly scratched up my nice leather seats or trim (for the fourth time); but I, like Vinny, smiled and kept saying to myself how much i love this truck. I wanted the back gate for the last five years. Using it makes me giggle like a five year old.

An all electric version of this truck would make it perfect IMHO.

 

My last vehicles have been a Suburban, two Yukon XLs, a Volvo XC-90 and now 2024 Ridge BE. If GMC still made the flat 4'x8' floor of the Suburbans/Yukon XLs of 20 years ago I would still have an SUV for the convenience, but GMC does not. The crew cab style of the Ridge provides huge interior space with flat rear floor, and the Ridge drives nicer than my Volvo XC-90 did; much much nicer than any of my GMC truck SUVs did. I love the Ridge.

I would find the small 41" between wheel wells of the Mazda very limiting; no way would I want to own two of them no matter how pretty they are. The space between wheel wells of the Ridge is about 50", which means one can haul 4x8 sheets flat (unlike most midsize pickups) and can work on 4x8 sheets flat. IMO a big deal for home projects. I cut material on the Ridge tailgate so I do not have to hand-carry 4x8 sheets around. Did I mention that I love the Ridge?

 

We agree tonneau covers suck on midsize pickups (IMO get a real truck cap or leave the bed open), but what does that have to do with Mazda versus Ridgeline?

Enough to gain a “thank you”. He points out two things.

• Bothered by a truck bed, he never owned one
• and notes he is active in DIY and Wood working and likes the thought of being able to haul “ANYTHING”.