I’m a life long Honda fan. I’ve also had a Mercedes sedan, a Mustang V8, and Lexus LX. Honda gives the best bang for the buck. After 18 years owning a 2006 Odyssey, I researched pickups to death and picked the Ridgeline BE. It’s the perfect size for my use. Can still park in the city. As for “it’s not a truck!”, I beat my Odyssey harder than most truck guys work their pickups. There are … more minivans in Home Depot than pickups. The Ridgeline is a beefed up Odyssey/Pilot platform so I’m not worried about durability. The ride is excellent except the tires feel firm or heavy on washboard roads but better than a truck based pickup. The ground clearance is on the low end of the scale at around 7.5”. If it becomes an issue, I’ll install a Flatout coil over kit in the future. Honda engineers vehicles to the umpteenth. You park somewhere and think “will the door or hatch or tailgate still open?” And it still opens. The seats are very comfortable and have memory which is the height of luxury for me. The ECO mode makes a big difference. Feels like a Mercedes starting in second gear. Turn off ECO and turn on Sport mode and the RL feels like a race car. I guess I’ll figure out the sweet spot between the engine and transmission. This engine maybe the last of the V6 VTECs which also prompted me to buy. Toyota Tacoma is a first model year and going turbo 4 and hybrid, Ford and GM are turbo 4s. I won’t buy a first year model change again. Even Toyota Lexus have teething problems. My fearless prediction is the Ridgeline will outlast them all and provide a much better ownership experience. Pet peeve: the ‘Black Edition’ emblem in the grill and the HONDA on the tailgate are chrome. I painted the one on the grill black and removed the HONDA on the back. She’s Darth Vader Black now.
The BE stereo is fantastic. I live in the North East so I sprayed the undercarriage with CorrosionX. Oil based undercoating is superior to paint undercoating. I’m considering disabling the Variable Cylinder Management and the Idle Stop features for increased engine and motor mount longevity. The in bed trunk is huge. Fits two big plastic bins. I’ll replace the donut spare and shelf with a full size spare. Too soon to report on mpg. She’s good looking, rides great, and an all round competent vehicle. Hope this helps you. Cheers.
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