[zroger73]

NOTE: I'm pretty sure the tank is larger in the F-150 as well cost more in gas Per tank (not as economical as RL) but better range good for towing or long trips.

I've never understood people who judge a vehicle's economy by how much it costs to fill up their tank. That has nothing to do with fuel economy. I suppose those same people would consider a motorhome with a 10-gallon fuel tank to "efficient" and a Prius with a 40-gallon tank to be a "gas guzzler"!

 

[zroger73]

Why would you trade a 2016 anything for a 2017 anything. Buying a new vehicle every year doesn't make much financial sense at all.

Seen a lot of that here, people driving something for 6 months then trading it, ouch on that depreciation hit.

I kept my '16 CR-V for a whole two months - that's a record even for me.

I look at it this way: Even thought I trade frequently, I lose less on depreciation by shopping smarter than many (most?) buyers lose by overpaying due to add-ons, doc fees, financing, undervalued trades, third-party warranties, dealer markups, etc.

 

[zroger73]

Some people are just born to be "truck" guys - they are aroused by loud mufflers, lots of cylinders, slinging mud, black smoke, occupying multiple parking spaces, and rattling teeth.
Some people have a perceived need for a large truck that can crawl over large rocks and get them as far off the road as possible.

For everyone else, there's a Honda Ridgeline.

 

[zroger73]

Backing into parking is a truck thing. I do it without thinking when I'm driving a truck. It comes down to a choice:

1. Backing out of your parking space later, more or less blind (less blind in the Ridgeline with the video), into pedestrian and car traffic in a parking lot or ...

2. Backing into the parking space that won't have pedestrians or vehicles and has nice white lines to show you where you are. Just remember to check it out before you back in to make sure there's no pole.

It's no contest for me. I love backing into spaces. The Ridgeline is not hard to park. For years, long before the Ridgeline, I've enjoyed seeing how close I can come to the obstacle behind the truck in the parking lot. In the Tacoma, with its backup video, I could come within 2 inches. The parking nannies never let me get that close in the Ridgeline. That's why I turn them off once in a while.
>

I'm thankful for the fact that I can do a lot of things. Backup up - especially with a trailer - is not one of them. Statistics may show that it's safer to back into a parking space (and some employers require it), but I'm the exception to that statistic. I'll either be late to work due to the time it takes me to successfully back in to a parking space or I'll end up bashing in the door panels of the vehicles beside me along with my rear bumper. I have the skills of a race car driver going forward, but going backwards is an entirely different world to me.

 

[zroger73]

You should have test drove the RTL-E as it has all the bells and whistles including locking tailgate!!

A locking tailgate was standard on all 2020 Ridgeline trims - not just the RTL-E.