[RidgelineDC]

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.

 

[RidgelineDC]

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).

 

[RidgelineDC]

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.

 

[RidgelineDC]

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.