[silkiechicken]

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.

I would say so. That's a tiny number of miles.

 

[CountryCruiser]

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.

Yep that's mine. Almost two years old with just over 38k miles on it so far.

 

[p220sigman]

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.

Based on the miles you are projecting, you are talking about approximately 65 gallons a year difference between the CX-5 and the RL. Depending on your gas prices, less than $300/year. I don't know that I would even consider mileage in your case.

 

[Vinny in ATX]

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 .

 

[graystroke]

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.

 

[Allen_Labradragon]

Absolutely stuck on making a final decision: Ridgeline RTL or Mazda CX-5, both 2025s.

Couple things holding me back on the Ridge:

• Mpg rating of 18-24 vs. 26-30 on the Mazda
• Living with a truck bed. I grew up in a truck house, but never owned one of my own.
• Asking price is about $5k more than Mazda

Hold backs on the Mazda:

• My wife has a 2017, fantastic car but it may be a disadvantage for the two of us to have the exact same car
• Cargo gets a little tight sometimes

Ridgeline Pros

• Love how it looks! I see some people call it plain, but to me I love the understated simplicity and clean lines. Looks great in every color
• Drives like a dream (despite the 2024 anomaly I posted about earlier). Seriously one of the best driving vehicles we’ve ever driven.
• That V6 sounds and feels fantastic
• I do a lot of woodworking and diy home repair, wife does a lot of gardening. The idea of being able to haul pretty much anything without weight worry is very appealing

Mazda Pros:

• Looks fantastic! Still one of the best looking vehicles on the road
• Love that 2.5L engine, rock solid and has never let us down. Can be very fast when you need it, or hang back and be cool for cruising
• We regularly get 24mpg around town and 28-31 on highway trips
• Way more tech and amenities and $5k less
• 0.9% for 36 months vs 2.9% for Ridge

Don‘t think I can go wrong with either car really. One great thing about an suv is covered, dry storage. I can fit 8’ lumber inside and close the hatch no problem. Caveat is I can only hold so much and it comes up quite close to the dash. Same with buying soil, mulch and drainage rock…it fits, but sometimes you need two trips and you definitely feel the weight. But the rest of the time it’s nice not having to worry about tying anything down or whether it’s raining or snowing.

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

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?

 

[Allen_Labradragon]

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.

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?

 

[Nervey]

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”.

 

[Dog]

Be honest with yourself about how often you really need an open bed. I lie to myself constantly, which is why I have a Ridgeline . A far better choice for me would be the CX-5, and then rent a pickup from Home Depot for the 5-6 times a year I need to haul something bulky or dirty. Would come out way ahead with a better built and more economical vehicle. But here I am...

Fortunately, I have a small affordable fleet of wildly different vehicles - a tool for every job, if you will. So my opinion isn't really helpful. If I could only have one vehicle, either the CX-5 or the RL would be hard to beat.

 

[jimmyridged]

For woodworking and DIY repair options I would really get the truck. Unless you have room to keep a small trailer to assist in picking up the occasional 4'x8' sheet good or 12' long boards.

Regardless if I had just two vehicles, I would not want them to be the same exact same size and style.

 

[TravelPup]

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!

 

[longboat]

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!

1) SUV has better visibility vs a sedan, is what i meant.

2) SUVs have an integrated D-pillar that gives them more structural strength for towing. The Ridgeline lacks a D-pillar, although engineers tried to make up for it via extra-strong trusses between the bed and cab. That being said, the Ridgeline will feel more comfortable towing vs the Pilot simply because it has a longer wheelbase. If the Pilot and Ridgeline had the same wheelbase, the Pilot would make a better tow vehicle.

This phenomena does not apply to BoF vehicles because most of the towing forces are handled by the frame rails, and not dependent on the cab or bed. Most mfrs prefer to build trucks this way because it is much simpler and cheaper, but you pay for it with very poor packaging and relatively poor ride and drive characteristics.

 

[Pleease]

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.

 

[Wbd12228]

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.

I would say so. That's a tiny number of miles.

Toppers are great on RL.

 

[jobblyRL]

I don't see the point of having the same vehicle in the household. We have a Passport and Ridgeline. We drive them interchangeably. Helps keep mileage similar on them also. I wouldn't take the Passport to buy lumber, soil, rocks, or mulch. I took the Passport to pick up a pizza yesterday. Like the trunk to keep it flat and out of the elements.

 

[jerseyshoreguy]

I think the cap is great, it is easy, safe and allows me to get out of helping with really big moves!

 

[LDB415]

Bought a new 2024 RL RTL Friday. 159 trouble free miles and counting! I had a CX-30 in the past. Good car and Mazda is on my A list. But this RL drives and rides like a dream. Very pleased with my decision. Good luck making yours.

 

[Hboogie]

I went from a Hyundai Santa Fe which is a great commuter vehicle for family and light hauling to a 2024 Ridgeline. I've had many vehicles and the Ridgeline is the MOST practical vehicle i've ever owned. Its not over the top with things that you'll never use but it has many things that you never knew you needed and how you'll live without them going forward.

 

[interloper603]

The RL comparison to other similar sized vehicles in the truck world always puzzled me. The RL is a True Sport UTILITY vehicle in every sense of the word. Not a pick up truck. This coming from a F-150 owner for the past 40 years. Yes I left a Ford F-150 Lariat for a 2025 Honda Ridgeline and am not looking back.

 

[HipsterDoofus]

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.

I had the same experience. I had a succession of Isuzu Troopers (gen 1 and 2) and a Blazer as a company car and the first mile testing the G1 Ridgeline I thought I'd suffered hearing loss. I actually did have hearing loss but that wasn't the entire effect. Just having the rear wheel bays out of the passenger compartment made having a decent sound system worthwhile.