[Uncle Festus]

I think Matt's review comments are a very fair assessment, it gives people who might be on the fence some useful comparison data. I have been able to drive my Dad's new F-150 crew cab quite a bit, he got the V8 where I would have certainly chosen the 3.5 Ecoboost, but in all other respects the truck is optioned like I would want one. It's quite impressive and drives / rides very nicely. I think my Gen 1 has overall better handling, which means of course the Gen 2 is better still, but the F-150 has come a long, long way from the spartan buckboard it used to be. The new F-150s are honestly very good all around trucks, but for 90% of what I do with a truck every day the Ridgeline is a better option for me. For the other 10%, the F-150 is far better.

My Dad is still skeptical of the Ridgeline, but he has ridden in it enough to develop a grudging admiration for it - particularly the ability to open the tailgate to the side and have sacks of horse feed at waist height so easy to slide out and tote - it's something people just can't appreciate until they have a bad back and can compare the impact on the back versus dragging those same sacks across the tailgate of a full-size truck. Leaning forward and pulling back like that really does a number on the old lumbar vertebrae. But you can do the same chore with your Ridgeline, and not have even the slightest twinge from the back - a huge blessing. And as you get older, having a truck where the seat is right at butt height so you can slide right in without having to climb up or drop down, that's a great advantage too. There are a lot of elderly farmers and ranchers who lose their independence and ability to work their land, after a fall from their vehicle or tractor. A truck like the Ridgeline greatly reduces the risk of such a fall because it is so easy to get in and out.

If Honda had a program to let farmers and ranchers borrow a Ridgeline for a week to see just how convenient and versatile it really is, they'd sell a million of 'em.

 

[Uncle Festus]

I read these threads, and I always end up wondering why so many truck haters bought a Ridgeline instead of an eminently more practical minivan that would fit their needs better. After all, you can haul 99% of the stuff in a minivan that you can in a Ridgeline, all you have to do is pull out the easily-removable seats or fold them flat. A minivan is more efficient, more practical, safer, more maneuverable in town, provides a better ride and handling, has similar ground clearance, seats more people, blah blah blah blah.

I see Ridgelines all over the place here in Texas, and I can count on one hand the number of times I have ever seen anybody towing or hauling anything with one. The vast majority of the ones I see have only one person in the truck and the bed is empty - what a complete obscene waste of resources.

NOBODY really needs a Ridgeline instead of a minivan. Anybody that buys one is just foolish, trying to intimidate other drivers, or compensating for a small weenie. They should have bought a minivan.

 

[Uncle Festus]

ABSOLUTELY LMAO :laugh:

For those who don't "get" my previous post, it's pretty simple. Go back and re-read any of the million threads on this forum where Ridgeline owners preen their feathers at how much smarter / sophisticated they are than the foolish little-weenied scum who buy other brands / models of pickup, then read my post again. I was merely pointing out that the same logic used to condemn F-150 owners can be used by non-truck owners to condemn Ridgeline owners.

I am a rural guy. I have owned dozens of trucks in my life and I have 3 in the driveway right now - Ridgeline Gen 1, Chevy 1500, and a Dodge dually 1-ton diesel. My family uses them for different roles, and they all have nice features. The Ridge is practical and versatile, handles well, is a great daily driver with some neat features. The Chevy has a powerful V8 and is incredibly smooth and comfortable for long distance driving. The Dodge is an absolute beast of a workhorse, it is used to haul payloads and pull trailers that would leave the Ridgeline crumpled in a little weeping ball of aluminum and plastic and which would fry the transmission of the Chevy and crush its frame. On the flip side, the Dodge rides as stiff as an 1880's buckboard with no springs and it has all the NVH that one might expect from a diesel engine. But of the three it is still my favorite and the only that I can't do without -- because the other two cannot do what I need the Dodge to do.

TL;DR: Different strokes for different folks.

EDIT: Lame humor at the end removed, my sense of humor has always been like an anvil dropped on a cow patty... :crying: >

 

[Uncle Festus]

I love the sarcasm that others missed on here... but I ask, why drive a minivan if most drive solo? I mean, that's 7 wasted seats and unused cargo area, 99% of the time, is it not?!?!

> :wink: :grin:

Absolutely correct! > They should be driving a Segway!