[NSIDER]

Well, I think I've told this story before, but in the hopes of saving another poor, emasculated soccer Dad, might be worth a redo.

After my third G1, and the void from Honda of no more for a couple years, what was I to do? I took the bait, and said yes! I need a minivan! I have two kids, and they BOTH play soccer! I need the room & versatility they offer, I really do. So, off to my friendly Honda dealer, and a couple hours later, I'm driving home in a shiny new Odyssey Elite. She was a beaut, had every gizmo anyone could want, and room-o-plenty. Seats would fold, flip, and even come out! I really thought this was family car nirvana.

But slowly, insidiously, I began to notice changes. I was finding interest in scrap booking. I gained another feeling. My super manly 6'5" 260# body began to shrink, muscles atrophied, and my beard went away. I cried at a movie. What in the world is going on???

Then it hit me. That VAN! It's the minivan, it has to be! I can save myself!

I immediately drove to an even friendlier Ford dealer, and crawled into the show room, and begged for help. Help me be a man again, I cried! The wise old salesman laughed, and said, been driving a minivan, have ya? Yes, Yes, I said, please help! I showed him before & after pix of myself, and he turned pale. He paused for a moment, regained his color, and said, come with me.

This is brand new this year, he said. You can haul the kids, have your back massaged while you drive, and pull a 12000# trailer. She's got not one, but TWO turbos, and she'll give a Mustang a good run. And he opened the door, and there sat the holy grail of manlyness! Birds sang, harps played, and the warm sun shown down like a beacon, on to this massive, gorgeous, 4-wheeled testosterone machine!

YES! This is what I've been waiting for! Surely THIS will make me a man once again!

I was not 5 minutes into the test drive, and my beard was completely regrown, and bushier than ever! I could see my muscles swelling, as I stared down on the little cars beneath me. I felt the need to fall trees and shoot animals! YES, this is it!

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Don't ever say a big honkin' pickup truck is unnecessary. It might just save YOUR life someday, too.

 

[TommyDeVito]

Well, I think I've told this story before, but in the hopes of saving another poor, emasculated soccer Dad, might be worth a redo.

After my third G1, and the void from Honda of no more for a couple years, what was I to do? I took the bait, and said yes! I need a minivan! I have two kids, and they BOTH play soccer! I need the room & versatility they offer, I really do. So, off to my friendly Honda dealer, and a couple hours later, I'm driving home in a shiny new Odyssey Elite. She was a beaut, had every gizmo anyone could want, and room-o-plenty. Seats would fold, flip, and even come out! I really thought this was family car nirvana.

But slowly, insidiously, I began to notice changes. I was finding interest in scrap booking. I gained another feeling. My super manly 6'5" 260# body began to shrink, muscles atrophied, and my beard went away. I cried at a movie. What in the world is going on???

Then it hit me. That VAN! It's the minivan, it has to be! I can save myself!

I immediately drove to an even friendlier Ford dealer, and crawled into the show room, and begged for help. Help me be a man again, I cried! The wise old salesman laughed, and said, been driving a minivan, have ya? Yes, Yes, I said, please help! I showed him before & after pix of myself, and he turned pale. He paused for a moment, regained his color, and said, come with me.

This is brand new this year, he said. You can haul the kids, have your back massaged while you drive, and pull a 12000# trailer. She's got not one, but TWO turbos, and she'll give a Mustang a good run. And he opened the door, and there sat the holy grail of manlyness! Birds sang, harps played, and the warm sun shown down like a beacon, on to this massive, gorgeous, 4-wheeled testosterone machine!

YES! This is what I've been waiting for! Surely THIS will make me a man once again!

I was not 5 minutes into the test drive, and my beard was completely regrown, and bushier than ever! I could see my muscles swelling, as I stared down on the little cars beneath me. I felt the need to fall trees and shoot animals! YES, this is it!

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Don't ever say a big honkin' pickup truck is unnecessary. It might just save YOUR life someday, too.

I've got fast motorcycles for that.

As far as beards, being a man. That's a different vehicle entirely. V8, RWD, manual, the way God intended. Wooderson explains it better than anyone....

Let me tell you what Melba Toast is packin' right here, all right. We got 4:11 Positrac outback, 750 double pumper, Edelbrock intake, bored over 30, 11 to 1 pop-up pistons, turbo-jet 390 horsepower. We're talkin' some f'in' muscle.

 

[NOVARIDGE]

Let me tell you what Melba Toast is packin' right here, all right. We got 4:11 Positrac outback, 750 double pumper, Edelbrock intake, bored over 30, 11 to 1 pop-up pistons, turbo-jet 390 horsepower. We're talkin' some f'in' muscle.

Did someone say "positraction"?!?! LOL!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFdJza0AbeA

 

[Xenos]

I totally agree with Minthral. For me when it comes to vehicles it comes down to balancing what you NEED with what you WANT. Who wouldn't want a tricked out Ford Raptor or similar big honking truck. Makes you feel manly right? King of the road right! But do you really need it? I NEEDED something that will allow me to carry stuff like mulch, gravel, DYI homeowner materials while still be my daily driver. I WANTED a pickup truck. So the Ridgeline was perfect for me. I know, I know, friends said get a Tacoma, get Frontier because they are more "truck like." But that's just it. The Ridgeline is truck enough for me!

 

[lbjgh]

I refer to the full size trucks as poser trucks... 99% are never used to their potential.

 

[Dogs 2C]

Here are photos of my 2017 RTL-E next to my neighbors 2016 F150 King Ranch.

Peeking around the corner in the second photo is my other neighbor's 1995 Ford Ranger.

 

[bisonp]

I lurked here on and off for a long time because I really wanted a Ridgeline. But in the end, the rear seat was just a bit too small for my family of 5 and the price too high. I ended up getting a 2018 F-150 XLT 4x4 for around the same price as a Ridgeline Sport.

I still think Honda is on the right track with the Ridgeline, but the interior went backwards from the G1. Smaller, less storage, not really made for gloved hands. The bed is about 2 inches too shallow to fit a lot of the common stuff I haul around. I was surprised when I took my measuring tape and found the 1st Gen Ridgeline's back seat was not only the same width as my old F-150's, it was also 3 inches higher off the floor. Sure hiproom was still less because the doors were tighter and legroom was much less, but it really was a more comfortable seating position...if you fit. The G2 was noticeably cramped front and back for my 6'3" frame and in the end that was what took it off my shopping list. The F-150 is larger and more cumbersome than I'd like for daily driving. But you get so much truck for your money, keeping in mind that nobody pays anywhere near MSRP, that smaller trucks just didn't make sense for me.

Anyway, perhaps when two of the kids are out of the house I'll be in the market for a Ridgeline. But I do think Honda needs to pay better attention to the "truck" details if the Ridgeline is going to make it that long. The market is there, they just keep missing it.

 

[stevem5215]

6' 3" is a large person to fit into a smaller truck. I can fully understand why you would pick a full size over the RL. It's lesser for sure.

As for the hauling, I wonder what you actually put back there that is tall enough and regular enough that needs a larger bed area. Most truck users do not haul much of anything let alone a regular hauling like you mention.

True, the F150 is bigger and more cumbersome but if you are hauling teen aged kids and a wife along with yourself then yes, larger isn't a negative unless you are parking the truck in a parking garage in a downtown area.

And MSRP is never paid on a F150. But on a Ridgeline (especially the early 17's) it happens. Honda is generally known for reliability and not debating whether or not yours will be "honda" like, Fords are typically in for repairs more often. (I've had plenty of Fords along the way to know)

Steve who didn't want a "truck", more like a SUV (which I drove many of for years) with a truck like body.

I lurked here on and off for a long time because I really wanted a Ridgeline. But in the end, the rear seat was just a bit too small for my family of 5 and the price too high. I ended up getting a 2018 F-150 XLT 4x4 for around the same price as a Ridgeline Sport.

I still think Honda is on the right track with the Ridgeline, but the interior went backwards from the G1. Smaller, less storage, not really made for gloved hands. The bed is about 2 inches too shallow to fit a lot of the common stuff I haul around. I was surprised when I took my measuring tape and found the 1st Gen Ridgeline's back seat was not only the same width as my old F-150's, it was also 3 inches higher off the floor. Sure hiproom was still less because the doors were tighter and legroom was much less, but it really was a more comfortable seating position...if you fit. The G2 was noticeably cramped front and back for my 6'3" frame and in the end that was what took it off my shopping list. The F-150 is larger and more cumbersome than I'd like for daily driving. But you get so much truck for your money, keeping in mind that nobody pays anywhere near MSRP, that smaller trucks just didn't make sense for me.

Anyway, perhaps when two of the kids are out of the house I'll be in the market for a Ridgeline. But I do think Honda needs to pay better attention to the "truck" details if the Ridgeline is going to make it that long. The market is there, they just keep missing it.

 

[lbjgh]

Bisonp, congrats on picking the right vehicle for your needs. The interior of the F150 is cavernous.

My brother bought the F150 recently and it's perfect to haul his race car on a trailer. Couldn't do that with my RL. Plus his commuting mpg with the v8 and 10 speed auto is pretty close to my RL.

All that said, I may not haul a race car but my RL has pulled trailers and lots of stuff in the bed... Perfect for my needs and drives like an Accord.

 

[NSIDER]

I lurked here on and off for a long time because I really wanted a Ridgeline. But in the end, the rear seat was just a bit too small for my family of 5 and the price too high. I ended up getting a 2018 F-150 XLT 4x4 for around the same price as a Ridgeline Sport.

I still think Honda is on the right track with the Ridgeline, but the interior went backwards from the G1. Smaller, less storage, not really made for gloved hands. The bed is about 2 inches too shallow to fit a lot of the common stuff I haul around. I was surprised when I took my measuring tape and found the 1st Gen Ridgeline's back seat was not only the same width as my old F-150's, it was also 3 inches higher off the floor. Sure hiproom was still less because the doors were tighter and legroom was much less, but it really was a more comfortable seating position...if you fit. The G2 was noticeably cramped front and back for my 6'3" frame and in the end that was what took it off my shopping list. The F-150 is larger and more cumbersome than I'd like for daily driving. But you get so much truck for your money, keeping in mind that nobody pays anywhere near MSRP, that smaller trucks just didn't make sense for me.

Anyway, perhaps when two of the kids are out of the house I'll be in the market for a Ridgeline. But I do think Honda needs to pay better attention to the "truck" details if the Ridgeline is going to make it that long. The market is there, they just keep missing it.

I'm right there with you, made the jump back in 2015 after three G1's. I was not thrilled with the direction of the G2, was hoping for more of a truck than the G1, not less. Plus my two boys were hitting their teen growth years, and I knew any mid-size would be uncomfortable for trips of any duration. That, along with some lifestyle changes that included trailering duties beyond 5K put the RL off the list for good.

I'm now on my second F150, ('15 & '18) and have been extremely happy with them. Really, the best overall vehicles I've owned. They absolutely do everything well, and have been problem free. Honestly can't see myself going back to a mid-size, even after the kids are on their own, that's how much I'm enjoying these current trucks! Hope yours serves you well! :smile:

 

[bisonp]

6' 3" is a large person to fit into a smaller truck. I can fully understand why you would pick a full size over the RL. It's lesser for sure.

As for the hauling, I wonder what you actually put back there that is tall enough and regular enough that needs a larger bed area. Most truck users do not haul much of anything let alone a regular hauling like you mention.

True, the F150 is bigger and more cumbersome but if you are hauling teen aged kids and a wife along with yourself then yes, larger isn't a negative unless you are parking the truck in a parking garage in a downtown area.

And MSRP is never paid on a F150. But on a Ridgeline (especially the early 17's) it happens. Honda is generally known for reliability and not debating whether or not yours will be "honda" like, Fords are typically in for repairs more often. (I've had plenty of Fords along the way to know)

Steve who didn't want a "truck", more like a SUV (which I drove many of for years) with a truck like body.

Stuff I haul regularly is typically camping equipment coolers and bikes, and I like to keep the tonneau closed when I do. I could have lived with the Ridgeline's bed I'm sure, I just wish it was a bit deeper.

And yeah, I swore I wasn't going to buy another Ford. My old one was a great truck...until it hit 70,000 miles. I wouldn't call it unreliable after that, and to be fair it was about 10 years old at the time, but repairs were expensive and more frequent than I would expect in a modern vehicle. Cam phasers, ridiculous spark plug change, 4x4 IWEs, etc. The 5.4 performed well but was just not well engineered so I'm still leery of Ford getting a direct injected twin turbo right. All trucks hold their value very well, so if I do have to get out of it after 5-6 years I should still do fine. Again, it came down to how much truck I got for the money. I just couldn't justify the Ridgeline. But I still like it, and maybe still would have bought it if we were a family of 4. I hope Honda keeps building it.

 

[Jimsc]

Stuff I haul regularly is typically camping equipment coolers and bikes, and I like to keep the tonneau closed when I do. I could have lived with the Ridgeline's bed I'm sure, I just wish it was a bit deeper.

And yeah, I swore I wasn't going to buy another Ford. My old one was a great truck...until it hit 70,000 miles. I wouldn't call it unreliable after that, and to be fair it was about 10 years old at the time, but repairs were expensive and more frequent than I would expect in a modern vehicle. Cam phasers, ridiculous spark plug change, 4x4 IWEs, etc. The 5.4 performed well but was just not well engineered so I'm still leery of Ford getting a direct injected twin turbo right. All trucks hold their value very well, so if I do have to get out of it after 5-6 years I should still do fine. Again, it came down to how much truck I got for the money. I just couldn't justify the Ridgeline. But I still like it, and maybe still would have bought it if we were a family of 4. I hope Honda keeps building it.

Why are you responding to a 2 year old post?

 

[bisonp]

Why are you responding to a 2 year old post?

Why not? It's still relevant.

Why did you respond? You added no substance to the discussion.

 

[jbabb96]

I own a 2016 Ford F150 XLT supercrew 4x4. It is a great vehicle, but very difficult to park at my work. I hated the way the 2016 Tacoma drove, and I didn't bother looking at the Colorado/Canyon because of poor reliability ratings. I've been following the Ridgeline carefully as a mid-size truck seems like a great fit for me.

Well, I finally got to test drive one today. It was an RTL trim with AWD. The MSRP of the Ridgeline RTL is about $3000 less than my F150 sales price. I wanted to test drive one that cost near the same as my F150, but my choices were limited. A closer comparison with my truck would probably be the RTL-T or RTL-E Ridgeline since my XLT came with the 302a "luxury" package from Ford. I don't need to tow much, and my hauling is mostly kids, bicycles, groceries, and large items purchased from home improvement stores. The Ridgeline is enough truck for my needs.

Here is what I think after a test drive:

1. Handling: The Ridgeline has nice acceleration and handling. It drives more like a car than the F150. Getting around in traffic is a breeze. On the down side, the Ridgeline driving position is lower, giving less view of the road. Winner: Ridgeline

2. Comfort: The front driving position is comfortable in the Ridgeline, but my Ford is more comfortable. The Ford has more adjustments (telescoping steering wheel, adjustable pedals, and more adjustments on the power seats) to get the best driving position. The Ridgeline soaks up bumps in the road better and doesn't seem to hop like my Ford does when taking bumps on a turn. The back seats in the Ridgeline are awful in comparison to my Ford. I'm tall, and my knees were in the seat back when sitting in the rear. Winner: F150

3. Parking: This was my main reason for looking at the Ridgeline. It is easier to park, but surprisingly not much easier than my F150. The RTL doesn't have back up sensors, and my Ford does. I nearly backed into a post with the Ridgeline because I was using my side mirrors to squeeze into a spot. I was focused on the sides and not what was directly behind me. The Ridgeline seems as wide as my Ford. The Ridgeline is definitely shorter, through. A higher trim Ridgeline with back up sensors would be better. Winner: Ridgeline (not by much though)

4. Truck bed: The Ridgeline in-bed trunk is clever, but the lack of a locking tailgate is awful. My Ford has a bedrug carpet bed liner and tonneau cover. When I lock my tailgate, the entire volume under the tonneau cover is like a trunk in my F150. The Ford box-link system gives more options for cargo in the F150 bed. The F150 bed is deeper and therefore has a bigger volume to store stuff below the sides of the bed. The little storage compartment on the side of the Ridgeline is useless because the cover is made of flimsy plastic and it doesn't lock. Winner: F150

5. Electronics: The Ford Sync 3 system doesn't (yet) have Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. My F150 trim level doesn't have navigation. For fairness, a higher trim level Ridgeline that costs as much as my F150 would have these things. The RTL trim does not. Ford Sync 3 will have these things in 2017. My F150 also has a lot more power options, including TWO standard 115 volt 400 Watt outlets in the cab, more usb charging ports, and other charging ports. Winner: Tie

6. Towing and payload: The F150 has significantly higher tow and payload ratings. My F150 also has trailer backup assist that makes it easier for a novice to back up a trailer. Winner: F150

7. Off road: The F150 has a traditional 4x4 system that is manually selectable. The Ridgeline AWD system is always on and the computer handles everything. The F150 has higher ground clearance and a full sized spare tire. I would much rather have the F150 if I were heading out into the wilderness. On city streets with light snow or ice, the Ridgeline would probably be better. Winner: F150

8. Cost to buy and maintain: The sales prices are actually similar. Ford has a higher MSRP, but sells at deep discounts from that. The Ridgeline gets slightly better gas mileage than my F150 with the 2.7 L turbo 6 cylinder. The F150 body is aluminum, so it won't rust, but will likely cost more to repair after a collision. Honda has a reputation for reliability, but there is no information yet on the Ridgeline reliability. The F150 is rated fairly highly on reliability from Consumer Reports. Winner: Tie

So there you have my opinion. I think the Ridgeline is a good product that can compete against the Tacoma and Colorado/Canyon. The Ridgeline offers a far better driving experience than the Tacoma that I test drove. The Ridgeline is even competitive in a number of ways for customers like me who have purchased full sized trucks given the poor choices in the mid-sized segment.

Am I going to trade in my F150? No. The Ridgeline just doesn't offer enough of a compelling reason to take the financial hit that I would take on a trade. The F150 is more truck than I need, and I may eventually trade it for a Ridgeline when I am not regularly hauling kids in the back seat and when the Ridgeline has made some improvements (hopefully a locking tail gate and a way to securely carry a full sized spare tire).

You should have test drove the RTL-E as it has all the bells and whistles including locking tailgate!! But you always wanted the Ford TRUCK-TRUCK anyway. Appreciate your OPINIONS!

 

[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.