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Why the new Ridgeline is a better truck.

5252 Views 18 Replies 12 Participants Last post by  Shineaholic
I have seen so much nitpicking of the new truck on here that I thought a good positive thread was in order.

I like the G2 a lot, and I consider it a huge improvement for several reasons.

1. It looks much, much better.

Not all of us bought the first generation 10 years ago and spent the last decade convincing ourselves it looks nice. It does not look nice, at all. It is one of the most universally disliked designs created in the last decade, which is why such a good vehicle sold so poorly. The new vehicle looks much better in person. It does not look like a pilot with a bed, it looks like a sleeker truck.

2. The bed is much better.

It is weird to me that people are freaking out that the bed is a bit shallower towards the back and not acknowledging that the bed is simply much larger than the old bed. The old Ridgeline's bed was comically small, while the new bed is longer than the short-beds of all of the competitors and as wide as the full-size trucks.

I am sure that the extra length and width more than makes up for the decrease in height, but there are also a ton of cheap fixes for bed height for the rare occasion you are hauling huge amounts of loose cargo like dirt.

But something tells me the wider and longer bed will come in handy much more often, and will fit more dirt anyways.

3. It is faster and handles better.

Go drive one. It is actually shocking how nice a truck of that size drives.

4. The interior is much nicer.

The interior of the new Ridgeline is in a completely different class than the old one. The seats are the most comfortable I've sat in, and I have been shopping for the Colorado, Canyon, Tacoma, Grand Cherokee, and BMW X5.

You miss the "cubbys"? There are several in the door. But honestly, being forced to unclutter your truck with visible nick-nacks is probably a good thing. Nothing is more anxiety-inducing than getting into somebody's car and every single surface and hole is filled with crap. Use the glove box, use the door cubbys, use the center console. Still got more stuff? Seek a therapist, hoarder. For the rest of us, we appreciate a clean interior where things are properly stored out of sight.

5. The gas mileage is much better.

A faster, more powerful truck, with much better gas mileage.
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I have seen so much nitpicking of the new truck on here that I thought a good positive thread was in order.

I like the G2 a lot, and I consider it a huge improvement for several reasons.

1. It looks much, much better.

Not all of us bought the first generation 10 years ago and spent the last decade convincing ourselves it looks nice. It does not look nice, at all. It is one of the most universally disliked designs created in the last decade, which is why such a good vehicle sold so poorly. The new vehicle looks much better in person. It does not look like a pilot with a bed, it looks like a sleeker truck.

2. The bed is much better.

It is weird to me that people are freaking out that the bed is a bit shallower towards the back and not acknowledging that the bed is simply much larger than the old bed. The old Ridgeline's bed was comically small, while the new bed is longer than the short-beds of all of the competitors and as wide as the full-size trucks.

I am sure that the extra length and width more than makes up for the decrease in height, but there are also a ton of cheap fixes for bed height for the rare occasion you are hauling huge amounts of loose cargo like dirt.

But something tells me the wider and longer bed will come in handy much more often, and will fit more dirt anyways.

3. It is faster and handles better.

Go drive one. It is actually shocking how nice a truck of that size drives.

4. The interior is much nicer.

The interior of the new Ridgeline is in a completely different class than the old one. The seats are the most comfortable I've sat in, and I have been shopping for the Colorado, Canyon, Tacoma, Grand Cherokee, and BMW X5.

You miss the "cubbys"? There are several in the door. But honestly, being forced to unclutter your truck with visible nick-nacks is probably a good thing. Nothing is more anxiety-inducing than getting into somebody's car and every single surface and hole is filled with crap. Use the glove box, use the door cubbys, use the center console. Still got more stuff? Seek a therapist, hoarder. For the rest of us, we appreciate a clean interior where things are properly stored out of sight.

5. The gas mileage is much better.

A faster, more powerful truck, with much better gas mileage.
I owned 4 of the first version and it was a great truck but I agree with what you are saying. Compare it to other trucks and you will understand why, which I did by they way.
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1) I didn't hate the styling of the G1, but the G2 is much more of a crowd pleaser (especially in person).

2) I do love how large the bed is and having a truck bed stereo will definitely be nice while giving it a bath. The trunk visually looks smaller, but I think I read that it does actually have more space. Also, it is more golf club friendly in the trunk now!

3) It's definitely faster and the engine sounds so good.

4) I liked the interior of my G1 RTL, but the G2 is so much more luxurious.

5) I had 20" wheels on my G1 and was only getting 15.1mpg. Anything is better than that!
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5) I had 20" wheels on my G1 and was only getting 15.1mpg. Anything is better than that!
I bet they looked great though! I'm wondering how these new ones are going to look if people throw some 20's on them or lift them (if that's possibe).
Wow, I generally agree (hope to drive one today or tomorrow) but this thread is hater bait. They will be all over it.
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I have seen so much nitpicking of the new truck on here that I thought a good positive thread was in order.

I like the G2 a lot, and I consider it a huge improvement for several reasons.

1. It looks much, much better.

Not all of us bought the first generation 10 years ago and spent the last decade convincing ourselves it looks nice. It does not look nice, at all. It is one of the most universally disliked designs created in the last decade, which is why such a good vehicle sold so poorly. The new vehicle looks much better in person. It does not look like a pilot with a bed, it looks like a sleeker truck.

2. The bed is much better.

It is weird to me that people are freaking out that the bed is a bit shallower towards the back and not acknowledging that the bed is simply much larger than the old bed. The old Ridgeline's bed was comically small, while the new bed is longer than the short-beds of all of the competitors and as wide as the full-size trucks.

I am sure that the extra length and width more than makes up for the decrease in height, but there are also a ton of cheap fixes for bed height for the rare occasion you are hauling huge amounts of loose cargo like dirt.

But something tells me the wider and longer bed will come in handy much more often, and will fit more dirt anyways.

3. It is faster and handles better.

Go drive one. It is actually shocking how nice a truck of that size drives.

4. The interior is much nicer.

The interior of the new Ridgeline is in a completely different class than the old one. The seats are the most comfortable I've sat in, and I have been shopping for the Colorado, Canyon, Tacoma, Grand Cherokee, and BMW X5.

You miss the "cubbys"? There are several in the door. But honestly, being forced to unclutter your truck with visible nick-nacks is probably a good thing. Nothing is more anxiety-inducing than getting into somebody's car and every single surface and hole is filled with crap. Use the glove box, use the door cubbys, use the center console. Still got more stuff? Seek a therapist, hoarder. For the rest of us, we appreciate a clean interior where things are properly stored out of sight.

5. The gas mileage is much better.

A faster, more powerful truck, with much better gas mileage.
7 posts and kinda hard on the GEN 1. FYI I have been thrilled with my GEN 1 RLs for over 11 years, all 3. Hope to see and drive one tomorrow unless they are all sold out.
7 posts and kinda hard on the GEN 1. FYI I have been thrilled with my GEN 1 RLs for over 11 years, all 3. Hope to see and drive one tomorrow unless they are all sold out.
I like the G1. It was a great truck, but it only appealed to a small niche because of some eccentricities. People who appreciated those eccentricities are being pretty dramatic over the new G2 on this forum, so I am expressing the other side of that coin.

The number of posts that someone has made on this forum does not give their opinion any more or less value. I've seen a lot of "longtime Ridgeline Owners" practically breaking down into tears over things like a slightly shallower bed (even though it is much larger), and slightly smaller angles on the rear doors (even though the interior is much nicer), while completely ignoring all the other ways the G2 is a better design.

Is this a cult, or a forum? If it's a forum, my thread is perfectly reasonable. If it is a cult, I'll leave and allow the "OMG! THE WALLS ARE LOWER!" threads to reign supreme.
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Wow, I generally agree (hope to drive one today or tomorrow) but this thread is hater bait. They will be all over it.
I'm actually stunned that this thread has not already been overtaken by G1 owners explaining why their G1 is vastly superior to the G2 and everything that Honda has done since the original RL was created is backwards and wrong.

It's new to me to be on a forum trying to find information and share information to make an informed purchasing decision and to be trolled by more senior members of that forum.

That said, I tend to agree with virtually everything that the original poster said and don't even think it's particularly controversial. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I suspect would be a good time to pop some popcorn, get comfortable, and wait for the fireworks.
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good thread. Can't argue with anything said.

This same topic will be way more appropriate after the G2 has been around awhile and proves itself a bit more. Heck I bought the very first RL from my local dealer back in 2005 and I told the sales dude they were gonna sell millions of them. Boy was I wrong.

time will tell.
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I will be that G1 owner...

I dont think it looks better or worse for that matter - I love the look of my G1 for what it is - its not a Tacoma or even a Colorado , the G1 nor the G2 will never be that kind of truck- Honda is making the best and really only family truck in the marketplace - its not made for off road or even the work site - I am sure many of you are using at the work site - and I am sure your coworkers with F-150's and Silverados mock you behind your back - I bought my G1 because I wanted a family truck - trips to the hardware store, dump, etc... I like the AWD for the snow yada yada yada. It also drove the best of any truck I have ever owned (I had a Tacoma, F150 , Chevy Blazer, etc,...) It looks the way it looks for a reason.

I dont think the bed is much better or worse - the high walls in the G1 can be very useful - but the I am sure the extra space in the G2 will be awesome also - what I dont get is the speakers - unless you are a season ticket holder for some sports team I dont think you would use them very much - its a cute gimmick - but a Bluetooth speaker is just as good or better.

I have not drove a G2 yet - but the G1 drives better than any truck in the marketplace and has for years - people get in my G1 and the first thing they always say is how nice it drives - if the G2 is better great. However a lot of truck owners want a truck that drives like a truck. Take a new Tacoma for a test drive and you'll know what I mean. I sometimes miss the "real" truck feel.

Nice interiors are a dime a dozen - function over form for interior - I am very jealous of the G2's carplay - there are certainly issues with the G1 interior and I am sure people will find issues with the G2 - there is no such thing as one perfect interior for everyone. The G2 interior does look awesome.

Are you telling me my 17.5 MPG in the summer and 16 MPG in the winter is not good? If you want better gas mileage buy a hybrid or a Tesla - all trucks stink on gas mileage today - no one buys them for the gas mileage although Honda clearly has an advantage here in the G2 - time will tell if its enough.
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Test Drive First Impression

I love what the G1 stood for: that departure from the norm. Honda's willingness to experiment with this somewhat new paradigm. To not knuckle under to the cult of body on frame pickup trucks.

I'm picking up my new G2 in two hours. And it's great to finally read a positive thread about it. I test drove it yesterday and was totally bowled over by it. It's very refined. As you ease your way into the throttle, pickup is fluid and instantaneous. Press a little harder and you get the VTEC growl. The brakes are sure and certain, and easy to modulate. The steering is light and quick with no tendency to over steer — just the way I like it. You forget that there's a bed back there. You're driving a car and oddly it doesn't even seem like that big a car. I haven't put it through the kind of handling test run that I'd like to, but the initial test drive was promising on that score too. If you're looking for something that drives like a truck and has the high seating position of a truck, this ain't it. This is a fun to drive car with the widest bed in its class. Okay so it's the shallowest bed too. Bed height is my biggest problem with the G2 overall. It's been a lot of years since I've had one but, I might buy a cap for this thing. Besides the height of the bed, I have no serious problems with the G2.

It's true that the second set of doors does not open as wide as most would like. However it's wide enough for people. I also think it's going to be possible to disconnect the stop piece to allow the back door to temporarily swing wider. I haven't tried this but there's a bolt right beside where it anchors to the side of the truck. It could be that removing that bolt will loosen this stop piece and make it a two-minute affair to open the door wider, just long enough to load something big into the back. I don't know how well that works for a dog crate if you travel everywhere with it, but I think for most people it's going to be enough (assuming that it works).

All in all, the 2017 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E is a very impressive machine. For a guy like me, who has no interest in offroading and no expectation of towing, there's just no downside. It offers the best of both worlds. It drives like a car but you can load up the back with all sorts of dirty stuff if you want. It's my kind of vehicle.
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I like the G1. It was a great truck, but it only appealed to a small niche because of some eccentricities. People who appreciated those eccentricities are being pretty dramatic over the new G2 on this forum, so I am expressing the other side of that coin.

The number of posts that someone has made on this forum does not give their opinion any more or less value. I've seen a lot of "longtime Ridgeline Owners" practically breaking down into tears over things like a slightly shallower bed (even though it is much larger), and slightly smaller angles on the rear doors (even though the interior is much nicer), while completely ignoring all the other ways the G2 is a better design.

Is this a cult, or a forum? If it's a forum, my thread is perfectly reasonable. If it is a cult, I'll leave and allow the "OMG! THE WALLS ARE LOWER!" threads to reign supreme.
Never been a cult, always been a forum for those that appreciated the GEN 1. Many friendships formed and much camaraderie. In the beginning we had many Ridgeline meets and I was privileged to participate in a few. The St Louis meet in 2007 that had the RL Project Manger and his team spend the weekend with us was an unforgettable experience. You will always have the naysayers and complainers but we have always worked through the problems. No question about it, the GEN 1 is/was unique. As far as me personally I purchased my 1st vehicle in 1955 and my 1st new vehicle in 1959 and many more over the years. In my opinion, the GEN 1 RL is the best vehicle I have owned to date. Only 3 problems in 11 years; bumping my knee on the light switch in the early models, 1 flat tire on my current '13 RL, and the current air bag fiasco. Other than that, no problems. Hoping the GEN II will equal or exceed the GEN I.
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Never been a cult, always been a forum for those that appreciated the GEN 1. Many friendships formed and much camaraderie. In the beginning we had many Ridgeline meets and I was privileged to participate in a few. The St Louis meet in 2007 that had the RL Project Manger and his team spend the weekend with us was an unforgettable experience. You will always have the naysayers and complainers but we have always worked through the problems. No question about it, the GEN 1 is/was unique. As far as me personally I purchased my 1st vehicle in 1955 and my 1st new vehicle in 1959 and many more over the years. In my opinion, the GEN 1 RL is the best vehicle I have owned to date. Only 3 problems in 11 years; bumping my knee on the light switch in the early models, 1 flat tire on my current '13 RL, and the current air bag fiasco. Other than that, no problems. Hoping the GEN II will equal or exceed the GEN I.
I always had an appreciation for G1, and the rave reviews from it's owners are part of the reason I began investigating the G2. People just need to give the G2 a chance, there is really too much to like about the truck for so much negativity coming from G1 owners who were expecting the sequel to be exactly what they imagined in their mind, without taking into account the fact that G1 was not a sales success. Obviously they needed to try something new with the G2, while keeping the most useful features (trunk and fold up seats).

It reminds me of people who loved the original Star Wars in the 1970s, and because of how much they loved it they hated the sequel before even seeing it. Everyone needs to relax and give it a chance, it is getting rave reviews from all unbiased sources. Car and Driver gave it 5 stars out of 5.

Honestly, I loved the Colorado. I thought it was awesome when I saw it, and thought it made the Tacoma seem outdated. Now that I drove the Ridgeline, I feel like the Colorado may as well have wooden wheels. The Ridgeline drives that well, and I have absolutely no brand loyalty to Honda at all.
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Never been a cult, always been a forum for those that appreciated the GEN 1. Many friendships formed and much camaraderie. In the beginning we had many Ridgeline meets and I was privileged to participate in a few. The St Louis meet in 2007 that had the RL Project Manger and his team spend the weekend with us was an unforgettable experience. You will always have the naysayers and complainers but we have always worked through the problems. No question about it, the GEN 1 is/was unique. As far as me personally I purchased my 1st vehicle in 1955 and my 1st new vehicle in 1959 and many more over the years. In my opinion, the GEN 1 RL is the best vehicle I have owned to date. Only 3 problems in 11 years; bumping my knee on the light switch in the early models, 1 flat tire on my current '13 RL, and the current air bag fiasco. Other than that, no problems. Hoping the GEN II will equal or exceed the GEN I.
And you can probably thank my truck for the improved bed material - boy did they take a lot of pictures of the puncture hole in my trunk!
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2. The bed is much better.

It is weird to me that people are freaking out that the bed is a bit shallower towards the back and not acknowledging that the bed is simply much larger than the old bed. The old Ridgeline's bed was comically small, while the new bed is longer than the short-beds of all of the competitors and as wide as the full-size trucks.

I am sure that the extra length and width more than makes up for the decrease in height, but there are also a ton of cheap fixes for bed height for the rare occasion you are hauling huge amounts of loose cargo like dirt.
Yes, and easier on the shoulders. See my post elsewhere about stress on your rotator cuff. I know, haters will sneer and say "I am tough, I don't need to worry about that". Ha! You won't feel so tough after a torn rotator repair. A lower bed will help a bit to prevent that nasty injury and that is a good thing.
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I always had an appreciation for G1, and the rave reviews from it's owners are part of the reason I began investigating the G2. People just need to give the G2 a chance, there is really too much to like about the truck for so much negativity coming from G1 owners who were expecting the sequel to be exactly what they imagined in their mind, without taking into account the fact that G1 was not a sales success. Obviously they needed to try something new with the G2, while keeping the most useful features (trunk and fold up seats).

It reminds me of people who loved the original Star Wars in the 1970s, and because of how much they loved it they hated the sequel before even seeing it. Everyone needs to relax and give it a chance, it is getting rave reviews from all unbiased sources. Car and Driver gave it 5 stars out of 5.

Honestly, I loved the Colorado. I thought it was awesome when I saw it, and thought it made the Tacoma seem outdated. Now that I drove the Ridgeline, I feel like the Colorado may as well have wooden wheels. The Ridgeline drives that well, and I have absolutely no brand loyalty to Honda at all.
I am planning on making the 100 mile roundtrip to the dealership tomorrow. Hope they have one on display, if not I will drive over to Waltrip's in Franklin and see what they have, not buying, just looking. Can't do any buying until the status of my quarantined RL is satisfied.
I didnt buy a G1 but after a while, it grew on me. And now I like the way it looks functional. It say a "I am not a beauty queen but I can tow stuff in the dry wet or snow and give you a nice ride at the same time". Well, I am paraphrasing, probably doesn't say ALL that but it is thinking it. :grin:
But I just could not get over the mpg's. I had a new truck and loved it but after that love affair started to fade I looked att he ridgeline many many times. It was a monthly pilgrimage to the honda dealer to drool over all the ridgelines they had in stock. But that sticker with the horrible MPG's AND thinking about the insane gas prices at the pump, sent me running. Now, they are better then my S-10 is rated at so I can deal with that.
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Now, they are better then my S-10 is rated at so I can deal with that.
No comment....:smile:
No comment....:smile:
thats a comment.
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