2017 Honda Ridgeline has arrived

[War Eagle]

We were driving past our local Honda dealership over the noon hour today, and my wife spotted two new 2017 Honda Ridgelines sitting on the lot. Had to stop and take a look. They had gotten their first shipment of three and had already sold one. Typical Honda comfort, style and attention to detail. Very nice, to our taste. Still has the unique features original Ridgeline owners love - dual-action tailgate, in-bed trunk, etc. Unfortunately, mostly same-ole, same-ole performance specs. V6 280 HP, 262 torque matched with 6-speed auto. Towing capacity 3,500 lb 2-wheel, 5,000 all-wheel. I don't recall the fuel efficiency, but it's posted on the web now, and pretty much typical of other V6 gasoline engine offerings (non-turbo). What they seem to be promoting most is all the new technology - truck bed audio, truck bed power outlets, Honda-Link, Honda satellite-link navigation, Honda Sensing, etc., etc. All in all, I think it's a sweet little mid-sized truck for being on an SUV platform (think Honda Pilot with a user-friendly open-air cargo box in the back) and certainly a capable tow vehicle for most fiberglass RVs. I'll be curious to hear what others think once they've had a chance to "kick the tires" on the new Ridgeline.

[Mike Magee]

The short bed length (64" on this model) continues to be a bit limiting, but otherwise it looks nice. I hope they sell better than the old model Ridgelines were selling

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi All,

I have been reading and watching You Tube videos about the '17 Ridgeline. Definitely interested in what others say and experience with this unique offering.

Take care,

Dean

[WaltP]

The one downside on the old Ridgeline is the atrocious gas mileage under tow. I'm anxious to see if they've improved that. When I switched from a 6cyl RAV4 to the Ridgeline, my mileage dropped from 14 to 10.

Walt

[honda03842]

We have the Ridgeline V6 in our Odyssey and been getting 19 mpg on our trip to NL.

[lwehrly]

I looked at all the specs on the ridgeline when I was truck shopping. For less price, the Chevy Silverado had as good or better gas mileage in a v8, a larger bed, hauls more, similar in cab amenities. No trunk in the bed, but I couldn't figure out why I'd want that. Ditto for the audio in the bed. I do have lights in the bed, backup camera, etc. I decided if I was buying a truck, get a truck, not a modified SUV. No, Im not a Honda hater. My other car is a civic.

[WaltP]

Norm
I get 19 highway without trailer on my Ridgeline and that's how it's advertised. The difference must be in weight and/or transmission.

Walt

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by WaltP

Norm
I get 19 highway without trailer on my Ridgeline and that's how it's advertised. The difference must be in weight and/or transmission.

Walt

Or aerodynamics. Or foot weight (on the gas pedal). Or luck of the draw in how tightly or loosely some components went together due to tolerances.

[WaltP]

Sorry, but that just doesn't fly. Whatever Norm's experience with his Odyssey, everyone I know with a Ridgeline has performance similar to mine, plus or minus.
We all love the vehicle overall but wish/think it should have better mileage under tow.

Walt

[sokhapkin]

What year is your Ridgeline? Norm's Odyssey is 2014. There could be a big difference in the engines design.

[WaltP]

My Ridgeline is a 2013 and there were no major changes.

Walt

[Jon in AZ]

There is a new transmission, and the engine now includes the VCM (variable cylinder management) system from the Pilot and Odyssey, so I'd expect decent gains in highway mileage, but probably only minor improvements in city and towing mileage compared to the first generation Ridgeline.

Personally, for this type of vehicle, I think the downsides of VCM outweigh the fuel economy gains, but manufacturers are under the gun to raise CAFE, so this is what we get.

I haven't heard if the new transmission includes a full manual mode. The old 5-speed didn't. If the new one does, that would be a nice towing upgrade.

As to why anyone might buy one, I agree with Linda. I don't think traditional truck buyers are going to be cross-shopping Ridgelines. But for people who don't want a truck, but carry gear better suited to an open bed, the Ridgeline offers a compact size that fits in garages and parking spaces (compared to mid- and full-sized crewcabs), car-like driveability, towing capability well-matched to small and mid-sized molded fiberglass trailers, and (hopefully) better-than-average reliability like the first generation. The more conventional styling may gain a few more sales, but I don't foresee a mass exodus from the traditional pick-up market.

[War Eagle]

While checking out the new Ridgeline, pop the hood and look where the fill cap is for adding oil. You'll need a funnel with about an 8" down-spout to add any oil (0-20 synthetic, like pretty much everyone else these days). Everything is packed so tightly into the engine compartment, I never did see (trying to look down from the top), where the oil filter might be located. Far cry from my old 1954 Chevy 2-door coup. You could almost fit three of those old in-line 6's in that huge engine compartment.

[sokhapkin]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

Everything is packed so tightly into the engine compartment, I never did see (trying to look down from the top), where the oil filter might be located.

Same story with 2015 Ford Escape 2L ecoboost. I can't see ground when pop the hood. To remove the battery one have to remove engine air filter first.

[Glenn Baglo]

I don't get the rationale for this discussion.
Apples, oranges and bananas.

[honda03842]

There's no doubt aerodynamics make a difference. As to VCM, it doesn't make much of a difference, it comes on much less often than when not towing but it does come on.

Only about half our miles when we're traveling, are towing miles. VCM shines when not towing. Driving around Fogo Island in NL where there is no Interstate we averaged 27 mpg not towing on one tank. On US highway driving we're over 30 with a best of 35 mpg for a long highway trip. We've just crossed 40,000 miles with the Odyssey and so far are very happy with it though the whole VCM concept makes me a little anxious. Time can only resolve that feature's reliability.

The Odyssey is a very large vehicle, towing it seems to generally average 19 mpg, a little higher in NL because the speeds are less, not because you can't drive fast but because there's relatively little traffic and I tend to drive slower with less traffic,

[WaltP]

I'm not really knowledgeable about differences and similarities of the Odyssey and Ridgeline, but I do know that no one with a Ridgeline gets ANYTHING like the mileages Norm reports.
I'm not a speeder or a rubber burner. Without towing I get just about what Honda claims, 19-20 highway and 16-17 city. Towing I get 9-11, at 55-65mph. Other Ridgeline owners I know get about the same.

I know this is going on, but no one needs to read the thread.
Why is it pertinent here? Because tow vehicles and their performance are of interest to at least some folks here.

Walt

[Mikmay]

Originally Posted by WaltP

I'm not really knowledgeable about differences and similarities of the Odyssey and Ridgeline, but I do know that no one with a Ridgeline gets ANYTHING like the mileages Norm reports.
I'm not a speeder or a rubber burner. Without towing I get just about what Honda claims, 19-20 highway and 16-17 city. Towing I get 9-11, at 55-65mph. Other Ridgeline owners I know get about the same.

I know this is going on, but no one needs to read the thread.
Why is it pertinent here? Because tow vehicles and their performance are of interest to at least some folks here.

Walt

I also tow with a ridgeline and while it does not get the best mileage under tow it is not as bad as yours Walt .im at about a 20% drop in millage which is probably similar to most vehicles and I am by no means a conservative driver. Could it possibly be the difference in what we tow and there weights as I tow a hc1 and norm tows a scamp which I think are more streamlined than the Bigfoot

[WaltP]

Mike
I'm sure that's a major factor in the difference between you and me. The others I was talking about have 17' Casitas. Their weights are close to mine and they get slightly better mileage due to aerodynamics, maybe 1 mpg difference.
But Norm is apparently getting better mileage under tow than I get with no tow, so the vehicles are clearly not comparable.

Walt

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by WaltP

I'm not really knowledgeable about differences and similarities of the Odyssey and Ridgeline, but I do know that no one with a Ridgeline gets ANYTHING like the mileages Norm reports.
I'm not a speeder or a rubber burner. Without towing I get just about what Honda claims, 19-20 highway and 16-17 city. Towing I get 9-11, at 55-65mph. Other Ridgeline owners I know get about the same...

I agree, and comparing a Ridgeline to an Odyssey just because they have the same engine doesn't work for me either. The only vehicle you can really compare the new Ridgeline to is the old one. Towing mileage depends on so many factors, but in your case (17' Bigfoot) I suspect the large, blocky trailer profile negates much of the advantage of a more compact tow vehicle.

The advantages of the Ridgeline come when you unhitch. VCM will likely make an appreciable difference in highway fuel economy compared to the old design. I believe the chassis is also new, shared with the resigned Pilot, and taken from the latest Acura MDX, so ride and handling should be more car-like than before.

Reliability is the big unknown. That was one of the strengths of the first generation Ridgelines. Honda has had some misses lately when it comes to reliability. Time will tell.