[reggiewilliams]

For those who are thinking about purchasing an RL...Listen up.

The RL can corner better than any truck I've driven, including the Caddy's. Acceleration is effortless. The rig motors at 75 mph and gets over 24 mpg. This truck is close to the engineering perfection of the infamous Legend Cpe.

Now I posted the thread bashing two of my favorites.

SS Silverado-who would build a pick-up and put near racing slicks on it.
Avalanche-hope you can get a contract with Exxon.
Both-get the extend warranty, you will need it.

I owned plenty of cars and drove even more (including Acura/ Mitsu Monteros).
Bottom Line-HONDA has changed my idea of what a truck is supposed to be and do.

 

[ridgeNH]

Honda built the truck I was looking for.

I think GM dropped the ball, but then why should they change, if people were really paying 40 k for a truck.

 

[hkmail1]

I love the ridgeline, but I would rather have a v-8 cruising at 75. My Ridgeline hunts way to much between 5th and 4th. I can't use cruise control because the slightest hill makes it go into 3rd.

As for 24mpg, I haven't broken 19mpg. Usually get 16mpg.

I would never buy a GM, but have had quite a few Toyotas and although there is no comparison between the ride. The RL kills our 4runner for ride quality, I can set my cruise in the 4runner at 80 without it hunting for gears.

Kevin

 

[85 bulldog]

i always said that if honda ever built a truck i would buy one. this is everything i've wanted in a truck and more, from the trunk to the fullsize rear seat. at first my wife didn't like the way it looked, but after driving and riding in the RL she loves it. i tell everyone that will listen if you need a truck that will haul the family and tow most anything within reason seriously look at the RL.

 

[EBone]

I sold my '02 Tahoe to get my RL. The one thing the Tahoe has over the RL is turning radius. I could make u-turns in the most unbelieveable places with it. It would amaze people that I had in the Tahoe with me how tight I could pull off a u-turn.

My RL makes the same turns into y-turns, causing me to back up part way through.

 

[oldguy]

NK, I also had a 2005 4 runner, V8 and it handled the hills and was about 1 mph better that the Ridge, BUT, as you said, the Ridge is so much more comfortable and easier to handle, and our wifes love it

 

[Crabman]

I also had a 2005 4 runner but a V-6. The trans was a lot smoother at 60-80 mph. The Ridgeline hunts between 5th and 4th that it's almost impossible to keep at 2000 rpm for good gas milage. Also I was getting 24-27 mpg on the highway with the 4 runner But the trade off was no contest . With the back seats up in the 4 runner there was no room in the back for anything larger than a load of groceries. There is no comparison with back seat room or comfort. The ridgeline has much more comfort and holds the road much better in the corners. It drives like my old 2003 Accord with the versatility of a truck.

 

[reggiewilliams]

Here are the existing conditions and factors attributable to obtaining the 24mpg.

AC on
Night time
93 octane gasoline (pricey at 3.19 a gallon on 9/1/2005)
Original oil in the case
4300 miles on the rig
Retrax cover (if you buy one mention reggiewilliams/ridgelineowners.com for a discount)
Door bumpers
Tow hitch
Fender flares
Few abrupt maneuvers
All windows up!
Set it at 73 mph and forget it...let it hunt for gears, it's ok!

I think this truck has taller gears than the six speed Legend (i.e. the legend registered 2550
rpm at 80 mph, the RL registers 2400rpm at 80 mph).

 

[denvrfan]

I also had a 2005 4 runner but a V-6. The trans was a lot smoother at 60-80 mph. The Ridgeline hunts between 5th and 4th that it's almost impossible to keep at 2000 rpm for good gas milage. Also I was getting 24-27 mpg on the highway with the 4 runner But the trade off was no contest . With the back seats up in the 4 runner there was no room in the back for anything larger than a load of groceries. There is no comparison with back seat room or comfort. The ridgeline has much more comfort and holds the road much better in the corners. It drives like my old 2003 Accord with the versatility of a truck.

Forget highway speeds for a second. The thing that bothers me most about the RL's transmission is that it waits until about 47-48 MPH before shifting into 5th gear (normal acceleration from a stop light). On most secondary streets, you essentially have to exceed the posted speed limit just to get it out of 4th gear. It's no wonder many of us are struggling to realize even the minimum estimate of 16MPG. Heck, my last 3 fill-ups have all yielded between 14.5 and 14.8 MPG (almost all city driving).

 

[reggiewilliams]

denvrfan

How many miles do you have on your car?

 

[reggiewilliams]

updated sig.

 

[denvrfan]

denvrfan

How many miles do you have on your car?

4800 miles. It's almost 6 months old. One of the first 2000 off the line.

 

[3SuperSports]

My second tank of fuel, less than 300 miles on the clock, netted 18.3 mpg. combined city/highway/rush hour highway traffic.

 

[shingles]

Forget highway speeds for a second. The thing that bothers me most about the RL's transmission is that it waits until about 47-48 MPH before shifting into 5th gear (normal acceleration from a stop light). On most secondary streets, you essentially have to exceed the posted speed limit just to get it out of 4th gear. It's no wonder many of us are struggling to realize even the minimum estimate of 16MPG. Heck, my last 3 fill-ups have all yielded between 14.5 and 14.8 MPG (almost all city driving).

Not my experience. It's very throttle position dependant. If you are aggressive on the throttle, it will wait, but for me, it always shifts into 5th pretty fast after the tranny warms up. I am still average 19.5 MPG in houston commuting traffic.

 

[BillB]

I'd take 19.5 to the bank. I haven't broke 17 yet for a full tank test. Mixed highway and rural local driving with very little stop and goes. Around 2000 miles so far.

 

[captmiddy]

I haven't had the hunting problem with my Ridgeline. I drove over 100 miles at 77MPH without it shifting hardly at all. The top end gear in the RL is very weak though so even a slight up grade seems to eventually catch up with you. I would bet with the AC off I could get 24 to 25 out of the Ridgeline, I got my best mileage during a day where the outside temp read over 100 and the AC was set to 69/73 (driver/pass), and that was 22mpg. My mileage around home tends to be rather a bit lower, like 17mpg but mostly because of a horrible commute, if I use the commuter only for the workday commute and then drive the truck around for errands and the like, I get about 19mpg. When I say horrible, we have a gas eating hill (sort of like the kite eating tree in Peanuts) that I have to go up twice a day (I work at home, I have to drop my wife off at the train).

For those getting bad mileage, maybe it should be on your list to visit a ROC gathering and let someone getting good mileage ride with you for a short distance, maybe they can notice something that you are doing that is affecting it or maybe they can feel something that just doesn't feel the same. If only I could have made the Hybrid gathering in Massachusetts this year I would have asked someone getting amazing mileage to give me hints. It was right where I was parked just 1 day prior but then I left for vacation and was probably about 500 miles south of it by the time it happen.

 

[larryr]

Here in the Ozark Mountains ( mostly hills ) I have trouble getting 19 mpg - usually 17. While I was on vacation in Florida ( flat as a pancake ) I had 3 tanks of gas in a row that gave me over 21 mpg ( mileage at start 4600) -the tanks with about 355 miles per fillup ( the gas gauge was at 1/4 tank left and the wife made me fill up by needed to use the restroom ) 21.8, 24.6, 22.1 then rush hour in Atlanta 19.8, then home again at 20.2 mileage at this point 6200. most of the interstate speed limit was 65 in florida and georgia. 70 in tennessee and alabama.
the 2 tanks since I've been home were 17.8 and 18.1 - hills make a big difference in mileage.

 

[Bob79]

I don't have the problem of my Ridge searching for gears either. There's a length of road I drive frequently that the speed limit is 40 MPH. I speed up to about 46-47 and it drops into 5th, and I'm cruising at about 1,400 RPM's. I think the tranny is fine, and I'm yet to get under 18 MPG with over 75% of my driving in the city.

I can't wait till early Novemember when I'll be taking it on the highway for about 250-300 miles so I see what kind of mileage I get. And the fastest I plan on going is 65MPH.

I think a lot has to do with driving habits & road conditions. Also the manual says baby the truck (first 600 miles) and I did that for the first 750 miles, rarely (maybe twice) going over 3,000 RPM's. Then at about 750 I gave it some gas twice and got to about 5,500 RPM's. Maybe because I babied it so much during the break-in that I've been so lucky.

 

[Tex's Ridge]

Not my experience. It's very throttle position dependant. If you are aggressive on the throttle, it will wait, but for me, it always shifts into 5th pretty fast after the tranny warms up. I am still average 19.5 MPG in houston commuting traffic.

At what speed does your tranny shift to 5th. Mine is also 47 with easy acceleration.

 

[shingles]

Not my experience. It's very throttle position dependant. If you are aggressive on the throttle, it will wait, but for me, it always shifts into 5th pretty fast after the tranny warms up. I am still average 19.5 MPG in houston commuting traffic.

Ok, after more careful testing... it does seem to stay in 4th till I am above 45mph.

So far what's effected MPG the most is my right foot.