[tcj]

I'm new to the site and pretty much have settled on a Ridgeline to replace my Toyota Matrix (my wife was smart and went with a 2003 Accord - and we love it, it has sold us both on how wonderful Hondas are!) My wife and I just had a baby and suddenly found out the hard way that the Matrix just wasn't designed to hold a rear-facing baby seat, unless you don't mind driving with your knees nearly hitting the steering column! I'm a truck-guy and got rid of my old truck for the Matrix . . . and now I'm back to trucks!

The Ridgeline might be the most well thought-out, logical car/truck I've ever seen - I'm thorougly in love with it. However, I have one big question: being in Arizona, a good, powerful air conditioner is a must. I've suffered with my Matrix's weak AC for a couple years and want to make sure that the Ridgeline's AC can handle extreme heat and actually cool down the cab in a decent amount of time. What's the verdict? Are there any AZ or desert owners who experienced the truck through the summer?

 

[TheRidgester]

I think the A/C is great... best over GM & Ford by far... but heres a link to others... some like it, some do not
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1696&highlight=Conditioning

 

[Long Gone]

Welcome and congratulations to you and your wife on your new baby.

I live in Ohio but I can tell you that it gets mighty cold in that RidgeLIne.

I don't think you should any problems.

 

[tcj]

I think the A/C is great... best over GM & Ford by far... but heres a link to others... some like it, some do not
http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1696&highlight=Conditioning

Argh! I searched for an AC thread and couldn't find anything (wouldn't allow anything under three letters for a search.) Anyway, thanks!

 

[Kellcut]

Argh! I searched for an AC thread and couldn't find anything (wouldn't allow anything under three letters for a search.) Anyway, thanks!

Just click on the link in the post. That'll take you to a thread on air conditioning.

I know that it worked great for me, even though I live in MN, it gets plenty hot in the summer.

Good luck and welcome to your new baby

 

[RTLofatruck]

I live in central California, and while it's not quite as hot here as it is where you are, we have plenty of 100+ degree days here. A/C is very important to me, and I love the A/C in my RTL. Cools quickly, and has a very strong fan. I haven't ridden in the back to know how the rear A/C is.

 

[tcj]

Good luck and welcome to your new baby

How obsessed with the Ridgeline am I when I immediately assumed "new baby" was referring to the RL? Best not mention that to my wife . . .

 

[Webwader]

How obsessed with the Ridgeline am I when I immediately assumed "new baby" was referring to the RL? Best not mention that to my wife . . .

Good thinking, tcj.

 

[Ridge]

This past summer I've been in Vegas and Saint George Utah. Both places were 100 degrees plus and the RL kept it nice and chilly. Just set the AC to auto and choose temp. It will freeze you if you desire it.

 

[Long Gone]

How obsessed with the Ridgeline am I when I immediately assumed "new baby" was referring to the RL? Best not mention that to my wife . . .

Oh boy..he needs Ridgeholics already. lol

 

[captmiddy]

If you are looking for old car AC cold you won't get that in any vehicle, but the Ridgeline's AC has been the best I have had in a car since the 80s. We drove through 105 degree temps on our trip to Florida and never noticed it until we got out of the truck for a pit stop and ran right back in after we completed each one to return to our 75 degree cabin. It was so nice and comfortable my wife slept a good portion of the 28 hour drive over 3 days. Yes I drove about 10 hours each day except the first day which we kept to just 4 hours to get us past NY traffic.

 

[Webwader]

Captmiddy, by "old car AC", do you mean the ones that used to lose charge regularly due to poor seals, cause the engine to shake every time the compressor clutch kicked in, occasionally froze up, and had relatively short compressor lives?

 

[tadtam]

"old car AC",

I thought he meant when you roll the windows down and get the speed up to 80

 

[captmiddy]

Actually I mean when they used to use that awful coolant that did bad things to the atmosphere. Before they moved to the new modern coolant that can't cool anywhere near the way the old stuff used to.

But I like your explanations better .

 

[Webwader]

Ah, yes, the Freon.

 

[5S Dude]

Actually I mean when they used to use that awful coolant that did bad things to the atmosphere. Before they moved to the new modern coolant that can't cool anywhere near the way the old stuff used to.

But I like your explanations better .

Man! Capt. I thought you were talking about the days when the refrigerant (R12) was in use. Back in the day, air conditioners used this stuff and they could form ice on your nose but they told us that it caused global warming and was banned. The R134a in use today can get cold enough for me, But I'm really old and have very thin blood........

Production of R12 or CFC-12 was halted by the clean air act on January 1, 1996.

 

[HEY RIDGELINE!]

Man! Capt. I thought you were talking about the days when the refrigerant (R12) was in use. Back in the day, air conditioners used this stuff and they could form ice on your nose but they told us that it caused global warming and was banned. The R134a in use today can get cold enough for me, But I'm really old and have very thin blood........

Production of R12 or CFC-12 was halted by the clean air act on January 1, 1996.

the difference in r12 and r134a is a couple of psi. they cool almost equally well. what makes r134a safe, it does not contain chlorine.

 

[tcj]

If you are looking for old car AC cold you won't get that in any vehicle, but the Ridgeline's AC has been the best I have had in a car since the 80s. We drove through 105 degree temps on our trip to Florida and never noticed it until we got out of the truck for a pit stop and ran right back in after we completed each one to return to our 75 degree cabin. It was so nice and comfortable my wife slept a good portion of the 28 hour drive over 3 days. Yes I drove about 10 hours each day except the first day which we kept to just 4 hours to get us past NY traffic.

That's what I was hoping to see. Actually, if anyone has an Accord (2003) I'd be happy with that performance. It blows away the AC on my Matrix, that's for sure! Since getting the Matrix in 2003, it's been a summer norm to get out of the car with a big oval of sweat on the back of your shirt. It might cool down and feel okay if it's blowing on you, but it never felt like it cooled the car's interior down. I'd guess with the Ridge's smaller interior (no hatch area to cool) it must cool down quite a bit faster in general.

I think I need to get one of these . . . (and why is Honda not offering the RL in the gorgeous dark blue that we have on our Accord? I love that color, it would look so nice on the Ridgeline!)

 

[Budman1109]

(and why is Honda not offering the RL in the gorgeous dark blue that we have on our Accord? I love that color, it would look so nice on the Ridgeline!)

I agree.....I also think it would look GREAT in the Desert Mist Metallic color!

As far as the AC goes it's by far the best system I've had in a while. Even here where it gets pretty humid and hot, within 5 minutes it's nice and comfy inside

 

[DoctorJ]

I still have a few cans of R12 from the old days.