[SJMaye]

I find myself looking at Ridgelines again. One thing I noticed was the infotainment system seemed sort of antiquated both in appearance and as I read reviews. I would appreciate hearing from actual owners. Are you happy with your system? Are you happy with the navigation system? Are the routes pretty accurate? Is the screen responsive? Have there been any updates in recent years? Are there plans to update the system soon?

 

[Gregory Sarasota]

The tech isn’t very good with speech recognition. The auto high beams rarely work well. Wireless phone charger is a joke. The safety tech , lane departure, auto braking does better. Love the truck. Pulls boat adequately (4500lbs) 21 rtle

 

[fdeno]

The base system is adequate but not awe inspiring. But better than Chrysler. Factory navigation is useless to me as they are somewhat non intuitive and never up to date. Car Play with Waze is better. The base audio in my 2022 is “boomy” and I’ll have to see if I can adjust the settings or put new speakers in. Still I prefer it over some of the other cars that now require a monthly subscription for things like remote start.

 

[Gregory Sarasota]

I searched for the perfect truck. Doesn’t exist. I needed something reliable, that could occasionally pull a trailer, run to Lowes, grab some mulch. Also wanted above real world 20 mpg . Also highly important is a vehicle that doesn’t annoy you with idiosyncrasies, rattles , squeaks and constant dealer attention. To have a safe comfortable dependable ride that’s hands down above ALL the other trucks was just a huge bonus.

 

[DriveAllNight]

The whole system needs to be upgraded, it's slow, somewhat unresponsive and it would be helpful to get more information/functionality out of it. People complain about the Navigation, but I use it all the time without any issues, that's one of the things that works fairly well.

With all that said, I wouldn't not buy a Ridgeline because of it, I wouldn't not buy any vehicle because of the infotainment system, but it is a strike against it.

 

[SMR1974]

I'm a Mopar guy, and my RL is my first non mopar vehicle in quite some time. Honda's system in the RL feels to me to be very far behind the offerings of it's competition. With that being said, I've only had my RL for a month now, so I'm still getting used to it and will reserve harsh judgement. To me so far, this is much slower and much less intuitive than Chrysler's UConnect, or the system in my daughter's Toyota Camry. As far as Nav goes, I haven't had the chance to use it yet. Although I'm not a fan of it so far, it hasn't made me regret my decision to go with the RL, as the truck itself checks so many boxes for my needs.

 

[gti16vman]

The infotainment is frustrating at times, mainly because it is slow. On the whole, for me, it works fine though. The built in nav works fine as it is Garmin based which is what I have used for a long time and am familiar with. Plus you get 5 years of map updates so it at least it can remain fairly up to date as long as you stay on top of that. I use the steering wheel controls and those work just fine. Again, just not really fast to do anything.

 

[SJMaye]

Thanks for all the responses. Sounds like things have not changed in the last couple years. To clear up one thing, I am not considering a Ridgeline based on the infotainment system. I simply like the Ridgeline and had questions based upon reviews on YouTube. My only personal experiences with infotainment systems are my 2016 Ford F-150 and my 2020 Toyota Camry. I loved the Ford system along with its navigation. They worked superbly for me. I am not fond of the Toyota system. The overall system works, but navigation is highly inaccurate. More than once I found myself on single lane dirt roads going nowhere. One time the ETA was an hour longer than Google Maps. Ran them side by side. Google Maps was correct. Paying the upcharge for their in-dash navigation was a waste.

In reading Kelley Blue Book.- "The 2023 Honda Ridgeline remains fresh from a significant update for the 2021 model year. This recent reboot gave Honda’s midsize pickup a squarer and more truck-like exterior, a new and improved infotainment system, and made all-wheel-drive (AWD) standard on every trim. ".

Did the infotainment / navigation actually improve with the 2021 updates?

 

[DriveAllNight]

Did the infotainment / navigation actually improve with the 2021 updates?

With a new Ridgeline you get free map updates, I thought it is 3 years, someone wrote 5, whatever the case, after the free updates run out you can still pay Garmin to keep it current - so there is no reason to not have current maps - other than money of course.

 

[2022DadMobile]

My perspective is coming from an owner of vehicles which have production years of 2006, 2009, and 2012. So my 2022 RTL feels like a technical tour de force.
Radio sounds great, touch screen seems perfectly adequate. None of that is very important to me but I am very happy with it.

The internet can make mountains out of molehills.

 

[gti16vman]

Did the infotainment / navigation actually improve with the 2021 updates?

Someone who has had both can correct me if I am wrong, but I think the improvement was just a volume knob and the rest remains about the same. I am sure the software is a bit newer, but I have never read anyone saying it was much better than the previous Gen2 version.

As for map updates, I said 5 years, just did some searching and it looks like it changed to 3 years around 2021. As pointed out though, you can either pay for updates after 3 years or simply use maps through Android Auto/Carplay as well.

 

[zroger73]

Are you happy with your system?

Yes.

Are you happy with the navigation system? Are the routes pretty accurate?

I no longer use built-in navigation. Instead, I use Apple Maps or Google Maps through Apple CarPlay because the map data tends to be more up-to-date and the live traffic feature isn't limited to "major metropolitan areas".

Is the screen responsive?

I think so. It does take the system a while to boot or reboot, but once booted I find it to be very responsive.

Have there been any updates in recent years?

Never.

Are there plans to update the system soon?

No.

Did the infotainment / navigation actually improve with the 2021 updates?

The audio-navigation system gained a rotary volume knob and an fingerprint-resistant, glare-reducing coating for the 2021 model year.

Honda's original press release for the 2021 Ridgeline stated that the model "receives an updated Display Audio system with crisp new graphics, easier-to-use touchscreen icons, and a physical volume knob". This statement was later removed from the press release.

 

[longboat]

My radio has instantaneous response and TWO real knobs!! However, the screen is only 5" and not a touchscreen. It's the perfect radio for someone who pays attention to their driving rather than fiddling with touchscreens, etc. And it doesn't sound bad once the volume is cranked up. Mp3s play fine through the usb sticks or bluetoothed phone. I can easily make hands-free calls pushing the little button on the steering wheel.

Cons? Doesn't have Android Auto. If I need that, I can easily upgrade to an aftermarket H/U. I use Google maps on my phone tacked up on the dash where it's easy to see.

Unfortunately, Honda quit offering the 5" color radio in the Ridgeline after 2020.

 

[SJMaye]

Other than in-dash nav there is nothing really compelling me to buy an RT-l or RT-LE. Maybe I should look at the Sport and use Android Auto.

 

[longboat]

Other than in-dash nav there is nothing really compelling me to buy an RT-l or RT-LE. Maybe I should look at the Sport and use Android Auto.

It's not advertised, but you get auto-dimming side mirrors with the E. That can be a really nice feature if you do much driving in the dark. Both L & E have memory seats which is nice if you have two different drivers. I think the memory saves other settings, also, such as radio favorites.

 

[19RTL]

Given the Ridgeline costs up to $47K (+tax), the audio/display system is appalling with no software updates available. A 2016 design that was outdated even then! The Sport/RTL used to have the advantage that it was easy to upgrade to an aftermarket head unit, but Honda "fixed" that in 2020!

Unless you have to buy now, wait for the Gen 3.

 

[NoelPR]

I don't rely on it.
Most of the time, I use Apple CarPlay with AppleMaps. Works 98% of the time for me.

 

[RossoRidgeline]

Had experience with RAM and Ford in the past couple of years. Honda is a distant third and has a noticeable delay when hitting the buttons compared to them. Having said that, I think simpler can be better. Having tablets mounted there is distracting and too many choices when trying to drive. Ford also has reduced the owners manual to a quick start pamphlet and put a large detailed virtual owners manual into the infotainment system.

So it depends on what you are comfortable with. My work truck does ApplePlay on a 6” screen and that works fine for nav and picking audio sources. Weekend trailhead car does AM/FM and CD. I think if you were doing long road trips and took the time learn how to navigate the menus (or had a savvy navigator) then I can see the tablet systems being worth size and cost.

 

[MotoKam]

I have a 2022 Ridgeline Black Edition. I traded in a 2018 Accord Hybrid Touring that I bought new. I was surprised how slow the Ridgeline system was compared to the Accord. I knew the Accord was a newer generation, but I had no idea how nice the upgrade was until I went backward. The upside is that it doesn't reboot unexpectedly like the Accord system did. Functionally, the systems offer the same things. I use Apple CarPlay and Sirius/XM mostly. Cheers!

 

[SJMaye]

Unless you have to buy now, wait for the Gen 3.

I do not have to buy now. When is Gen 3 scheduled?