RL G2 was built as a gentleman's truck

wally board · 2016-12-29

The 2017 Honda Ridgeline was not built to be a roughneck truck or a rock crawler, it was built to be a gentleman's truck.

redman7.0

· #2 · Dec 29, 2016

I totally agree. I have no use for the big bloated beasts today's trucks have become. I love my Hondameno.

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Commodore

· #3 · Mar 9, 2017

I live in a very truck rich area in CT. Some of these trucks are jacked up high enought to almost need a ladder to get into. The diesel guys have exhaust system so large that a woodchuck could live in the tail pipes. Some have aftermarket turbo systems with enough psi to blow over street signs at fifty yards. Their 'Jake brakes' and compression releif valves can scare def folks to death with all the noise these machines produce. It goes without saying that a ton of money went into these things. Some owners like to go mudding (probabbly a ton of fun :smile

and as a badge of courage leave as much mud on their trucks for as long as they can.
What I'm trying to say is these super duty vehicles, often refered to as 'Broodozzers', have become today's younger mans sports car. It's a rare sight to see any of them doing any truck like duties with their [truck] aftermarket show cases. I'm still not quite sure why 'Broodozzers' seem to be chick magnets?
I've had my share of soild axel trucks (all 4x4) that I typically bought to use for garden work, light duty hauling, our once weekly dump run or just getting around in if it snows. The new Ridgeline [for me] is the perfect vehicle for what I need from a truck and lets me ride comfortably in quiet when it's not being used as a truck.
I'm surprized that so many truck buyers these days still think they need huge body on frame, solid axel, full sized trucks to do all the things - that they probabbly will never do?

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Evets F

· #4 · Mar 9, 2017

Commodore, nice handle, has a better ring to it than Commode Odor.

I am in complete agreement with you. I think the G1 too is a gentlemans truck, I think that Honda gave it a bit beefier look to better sell to truck buyers. There were G1's that were lifted and had bigger tires put on them making them somewhat better off road but, some still whined that they were not that great as an off road vehicle. They are not, they do very well on unimproved roads and adverse weather but, they are too stiff to climb really rough stuff and the drive system is not made for that. It is a front wheel drive vehicle that can shift power to the rear momentarily as needed or be held into lock out for getting out of tough spots. This feature is time and speed limited as the clutch packs can not dissipate heat well enough for continued operation. Hence this truck will never be capable of continued off road duty a true 4X4 is capable of and that is fine for me. What Honda has built suits my needs perfectly and it is a fine road car. Its on road abilities blow the doors off those ladder and frame 4X4.

I believe this segment originally created by the G1 Ridgeline is far better defined and understood in the market. The G2 being made a bit softer looking will likely sell far better as people now understand what this truck is. The brawny look of the G1 may have created some disappointment when it did not live up to its tough look. Those of us who appreciate it for what it is and not what it looks to be love them dearly. The look of the G1 cut two ways, it sold trucks but, made some haters when it did not live up to its look.

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Tidewater BE

· #5 · Mar 10, 2017

Love mine the way it is!

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Shineaholic

· #6 · Mar 10, 2017

Commodore said:
I live in a very truck rich area in CT. Some of these trucks are jacked up high enought to almost need a ladder to get into. The diesel guys have exhaust system so large that a woodchuck could live in the tail pipes. Some have aftermarket turbo systems with enough psi to blow over street signs at fifty yards. Their 'Jake brakes' and compression releif valves can scare def folks to death with all the noise these machines produce. It goes without saying that a ton of money went into these things. Some owners like to go mudding (probabbly a ton of fun :smile and as a badge of courage leave as much mud on their trucks for as long as they can.
What I'm trying to say is these super duty vehicles, often refered to as 'Broodozzers', have become today's younger mans sports car. It's a rare sight to see any of them doing any truck like duties with their [truck] aftermarket show cases. I'm still not quite sure why 'Broodozzers' seem to be chick magnets?
I've had my share of soild axel trucks (all 4x4) that I typically bought to use for garden work, light duty hauling, our once weekly dump run or just getting around in if it snows. The new Ridgeline [for me] is the perfect vehicle for what I need from a truck and lets me ride comfortably in quiet when it's not being used as a truck.
I'm surprized that so many truck buyers these days still think they need huge body on frame, solid axel, full sized trucks to do all the things - that they probabbly will never do?

holy crap thats funny. They should sell a grate to cover the tail pipe to keep out the critters.

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Evets F

· #7 · Mar 10, 2017

Yeah, thought about bolting a garbage can under my bumper just to see if it made me feel more capable. Maybe two of them, always liked dual exhaust.

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SK17touring

· #8 · Mar 10, 2017

The diesel guys have exhaust system so large that a woodchuck could live in the tail pipes.

Shineaholic said:
holy crap thats funny. They should sell a grate to cover the tail pipe to keep out the critters.

Yeah, that's so you can't stuff a potato or banana in it. But you could get them during watermelon season 0

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Wrascal

· #9 · Mar 10, 2017

Belittle the Big Trucks all you want ... by accurately proclaiming that most of their life those Big Beasts are not used to their full potential - but the same argument can be made for the much smaller beast RL.

I really liked my Ridge - but most of the time (when traveling without my dogs) I found my hatchback to be more useful as an around town Lowes runner/ grocery getter. Tag along a small trailer and in a pinch it duplicates many RL skillsets (excluding the higher seating position - and the smile on my face).

Finally - I suspect most gentleman ride in the back seats of luxury automobiles; I suggest you think of RL owners as sophisticated people looking for a good, and capable, buggy.

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14v6

· #10 · Mar 10, 2017

Wrascal said:
Belittle the Big Trucks all you want ... by accurately proclaiming that most of their life those Big Beasts are not used to their full potential - but the same argument can be made for the much smaller beast RL.

I really liked my Ridge - but most of the time (when traveling without my dogs) I found my hatchback to be more useful as an around town Lowes runner/ grocery getter. Tag along a small trailer and in a pinch it duplicates many RL skillsets (excluding the higher seating position - and the smile on my face).

Finally - I suspect most gentleman ride in the back seats of luxury automobiles; I suggest you think of RL owners as sophisticated people looking for a good, and capable, buggy.

Agreed, a CRV type of vehicle hits the sweet spot but is a little boring. RL could be overkill but the same argument could be said for Pilot vs. CRV, Explorer vs. Escape, etc. You have to draw the line somewhere on where the minimum threshold is. Of all the trucks out there, the RL is at the lower end size wise.

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Outfitter2

· #11 · Mar 10, 2017

Wrascal said:
Belittle the Big Trucks all you want ... by accurately proclaiming that most of their life those Big Beasts are not used to their full potential - but the same argument can be made for the much smaller beast RL.

I really liked my Ridge - but most of the time (when traveling without my dogs) I found my hatchback to be more useful as an around town Lowes runner/ grocery getter. Tag along a small trailer and in a pinch it duplicates many RL skillsets (excluding the higher seating position - and the smile on my face).

Finally - I suspect most gentleman ride in the back seats of luxury automobiles; I suggest you think of RL owners as sophisticated people looking for a good, and capable, buggy.

14v6 said:
Agreed, a CRV type of vehicle hits the sweet spot but is a little boring. RL could be overkill but the same argument could be said for Pilot vs. CRV, Explorer vs. Escape, etc. You have to draw the line somewhere on where the minimum threshold is. Of all the trucks out there, the RL is at the lower end size wise.

I find the RLs to be the perfect blend for my needs. I drive 125 out to the ranch in amazing comfort, excellent handling and decent gas milage with tools and gear loaded in the bed, then drive 1 mile on caliche/gravel roads to camp. No concerns with gas vapors from gas cans since they are in the bed and no guilt hauling a deer etc back home in the bed. It also fits in the garage better than the "big boys".

To make things perfect we also have a CR-V for grocery shopping and running around in town and for the wife to commute to and from work.

As a truck, the RL's may be judged with "Low T", but I'm not insecure driving it. :grin:

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Danke

· #12 · Mar 10, 2017

Wrascal said:
Belittle the Big Trucks all you want ... by accurately proclaiming that most of their life those Big Beasts are not used to their full potential - but the same argument can be made for the much smaller beast RL.

I really liked my Ridge - but most of the time (when traveling without my dogs) I found my hatchback to be more useful as an around town Lowes runner/ grocery getter. Tag along a small trailer and in a pinch it duplicates many RL skillsets (excluding the higher seating position - and the smile on my face).

Finally - I suspect most gentleman ride in the back seats of luxury automobiles; I suggest you think of RL owners as sophisticated people looking for a good, and capable, buggy.

It's not belittling big trucks at all. The folks in in the crosshairs are those with the overdeveloped peacock gene who take said truck (or tuner car or whatever else) and pour so many bucks into customizing it that the vehicle becomes less and less practical at what it was meant to do.

Look at the folks who run smokestacks in the bed so they can drive down the road pumping black smoke and screaming look at me. They're trading useful cargo area for the opportunity to be a clown car in their own personal parade.

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