I had a Gen 1 Ridgeline. All my friends gave me grief for not buying a real truck. But when I told them that it drove like a car, had a trunk and I could carry a stack of 4x8 plywood, they stopped teasing.
I just bough the Gen 2 and I am in love with it. But I don't understand the haters. While this truck resides in a mid-size truck market, it really isn't a mid sized truck. It is a really nice car with a bit of suspension and a truck bed. That's the market that Honda was targeting and I fit squarely into that market. So, when people talk about its limited offroad capabilities, I agree with Honda that only a very small percentage of people would ever take their $40k truck offroad. When they talk about it only having 5k towing capacity instead of 6500 lbs, I agree with Honda that somewhere around 3% of the market actually hook their truck up to a trailer... much less a trailer that weighs over 5k.
Bottom line is... the overwhelming majority of us use our trucks like a car, with the occasional load being put in the bed. That's where this truck shines. I just bough my wife a Lexus NX300 and I think that my RTL-T drives as well, is as comfortable, and has equal amenities as her $50k Lexus. Plus I can carry a full sheet of drywall if I want!
The Ridgeline and other midsize trucks are like apples and oranges. Those who complain about the Ridgeline and say they would rather have a Taco, would be the same people who complain that the their apple has a red peel, unlike their orange. It's a different animal altogether.
So, if you are on the fringe of the biggest part of the midsize truck market, where you really are a serious offroader, or you really tow more than 5k, then obviously you wanted an orange and not an apple. But if you are like the bulk of the market who appreciate the incredible ride, drive and amenities that the ridgeline has to offer, then an apple is exactly what you wanted.
I just bough the Gen 2 and I am in love with it. But I don't understand the haters. While this truck resides in a mid-size truck market, it really isn't a mid sized truck. It is a really nice car with a bit of suspension and a truck bed. That's the market that Honda was targeting and I fit squarely into that market. So, when people talk about its limited offroad capabilities, I agree with Honda that only a very small percentage of people would ever take their $40k truck offroad. When they talk about it only having 5k towing capacity instead of 6500 lbs, I agree with Honda that somewhere around 3% of the market actually hook their truck up to a trailer... much less a trailer that weighs over 5k.
Bottom line is... the overwhelming majority of us use our trucks like a car, with the occasional load being put in the bed. That's where this truck shines. I just bough my wife a Lexus NX300 and I think that my RTL-T drives as well, is as comfortable, and has equal amenities as her $50k Lexus. Plus I can carry a full sheet of drywall if I want!
The Ridgeline and other midsize trucks are like apples and oranges. Those who complain about the Ridgeline and say they would rather have a Taco, would be the same people who complain that the their apple has a red peel, unlike their orange. It's a different animal altogether.
So, if you are on the fringe of the biggest part of the midsize truck market, where you really are a serious offroader, or you really tow more than 5k, then obviously you wanted an orange and not an apple. But if you are like the bulk of the market who appreciate the incredible ride, drive and amenities that the ridgeline has to offer, then an apple is exactly what you wanted.