[longboat]

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).

 

[Honda4evr]

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.

 

[NoelPR]

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.

 

[WC Ridge]

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

 

[Gray Beard]

Is your spouse interested in giving you her Mazda and she get a new vehicle?

No she loves her car!

 

[Solo]

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

 

[darrenhawkins96]

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.

 

[p220sigman]

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.

 

[CountryCruiser]

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.

 

[zroger73]

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.

 

[Mikeg]

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

 

[Gray Beard]

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.

View attachment 461521
View attachment 461522
View attachment 461523
View attachment 461524

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.

 

[Gray Beard]

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.

 

[Gray Beard]

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.

 

[Gray Beard]

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.

 

[14v6]

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.

 

[Nervey]

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's not just packing boxes, but that seems to be a common size for other Coolers, Tubs, Crates. When I first got the truck in 2017 I bought the most portable, foldable, lightweight snow blower just to clean the sidewalks...I could lift it with one hand and it folded small. But the damned thing wouldn't fit under the hard cover, by one freak'n inch. I had to put it in the passenger seat to haul it (in that 2017 year the back doors didn't open wide enough). The truck is brilliant, but that one inch affects your shopping and hauling sometimes.

I said early on that a person could make a few bucks if they either made:

• And accordion style adjustable cover to raise a little for clearance.
• or riser studs that that would lay flat on the bed rails and boost the cover. I think @OneFish fabricated his own vision of that.

Again, not a problem of course if you don't need the cover. And not a problem 93% of the time you need the truck bed. The truck has amazing cargo space overall.

I still wouldn't trade this truck for any other on the market now. Hard to beat the trunk and the fold-up rear seats. You won't find a better ride for a pickup. That is just some of the details to be aware of, and hopefully Honda does something better next time.

You would have a GREAT couple of vehicles if you added a Ridgeline to your Mazda lineup.

 

[Gray Beard]

It's not just packing boxes, but that seems to be a common size for other Coolers, Tubs, Crates. When I first got the truck in 2017 I bought the most portable, foldable, lightweight snow blower just to clean the sidewalks...I could lift it with one hand and it folded small. But the damned thing wouldn't fit under the hard cover, by one freak'n inch. I had to put it in the passenger seat to haul it (in that 2017 year the back doors didn't open wide enough). The truck is brilliant, but that one inch affects your shopping and hauling sometimes.

I said early on that a person could make a few bucks if they either made:

• And accordion style adjustable cover to raise a little for clearance.
• or riser studs that that would lay flat on the bed rails and boost the cover. I think @OneFish fabricated his own vision of that.

Again, not a problem of course if you don't need the cover. And not a problem 93% of the time you need the truck bed. The truck has amazing cargo space overall.

I still wouldn't trade this truck for any other on the market now. Hard to beat the trunk and the fold-up rear seats. You won't find a better ride for a pickup. That is just some of the details to be aware of, and hopefully Honda does something better next time.

You would have a GREAT couple of vehicles if you added a Ridgeline to your Mazda lineup.

Wish I could like this twice! Great info and thank you

 

[longboat]

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.

 

[donc]

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