2018 or newer Honda Ridgeline

[Terry in Fowler]

I'm considering a Honda Ridgeline to replace my 98 f150. I am interested in your experiences with a 2018 or newer model. My wife needs a vehicle that is easy to get in and out of with good leg space and is not to high. She has both knee and back injuries. I would also like it to have good space in the back seat for our 2 grandsons.
I'll be towing a 2003 Scamp 16', around 3,000 lb.
The Ridgeline sounds good on paper, but I would trust your experiences much more.
Thank you.

[New Orleans John]

Originally Posted by Terry in Fowler

I'm considering a Honda Ridgeline to replace my 98 f150. I am interested in your experiences with a 2018 or newer model. My wife needs a vehicle that is easy to get in and out of with good leg space and is not to high. She has both knee and back injuries. I would also like it to have good space in the back seat for our 2 grandsons.
I'll be towing a 2003 Scamp 16', around 3,000 lb.
The Ridgeline sounds good on paper, but I would trust your experiences much more.
Thank you.

Many 17' Casita (around 3200 lb loaded) owners tow them with Ridgeline and say it works well. Should be good with your 16' Scamp

[Jon in AZ]

My experience with the 3.5L V6 in our Pilot is it’s adequate in mountains and high elevations, but not effortless like a truck with a V8. We also tow with a Chevy Express van camper with a 6.0L V8. It definitely climbs the hills more easily, but the Pilot is a far better tow vehicle in every other regard (ride comfort, handling, maneuverability, day use when unhitched. overall fuel economy…). It comes down to expectations and compromises.

You suggested elsewhere you might tow for a while with your V6 Sorento as you wait for the vehicle market to stabilize. That would be a pretty good test of whether you will be happy with the performance of a V6 before you drop big money on a new tow vehicle. If you like the Sorento, I predict you’ll absolutely love the Ridgeline. It’s a far more refined vehicle than either the F150 or the Sorento.

[parmm]

I've had two Honda Odysseys and a CRV. Happy with all of them. In the Ridgeline you are going to have to run Honda's special transmission fluids.

[Terry in Fowler]

I agree with you that it should work for towing. From what I've read here and in many Reviews it should handle the Scamp well enough except for, maybe, some of the longer, steeper climbs.
My biggest concerns have to do with my wife being able to enter and exit easily and ride comfortably with leg room. With f150 she had to have a mid height step and the door was difficult to get her feet through without a lot of discomfort in her knees. The door way needed to be about 2" wider. The Sorento works much better. Surprisingly the front door is a little wider. It being 14 years old keeps me from considering it as a long term option.

[Terry in Fowler]

Thank you for the benefit of your experience. I have always had V8's and I would prefer one now. All of the full size 1/2 ton trucks and vans I have seen are even higher than the 98 f150. My daughter and son in law have a 2017 Ram 1500, easy in with lots of legroom. It is at least 3' higher so it won't work. She needs to be able to get in and out of the driver seat without assistance. It's been 2 years since she could do that with the f150. She would like to buy a 1/2 ton truck with a V8 as I would, but in an emergency she needs to be able to get in and drive.
Jon, I would like to know if there is good leg space getting in and out of the Pilot since it is what the Ridgeline is based on. What I read says it is one of the roomiest of the mid size suv's.
I know it seem like it would be easier to go to lots to check vehicles, but she can only try a bad door once and she is pays for the day.

[Terry in Fowler]

I know what you mean about the transmission fluid. The Sorento requires Kia Red 1 fluid at $27.50 a quart. I just changed the fluid last week. I didn't change the filter since it require is not servicable without some disassembly.
I would have put a new motor in the f150, but the rest would still be 23 years old. That wouldn't be a problem, but we're planning a couple long trips in the next year and half. If not for that I would put the money in it and for 2 more years until the shortage of vehicle is over.

[Terry in Fowler]

I am sorry for being long winded on the replies. This is a hard decision for me to make. The last new car purchase i made was a '73' El Camino' in '74'. I have bought used and they have served me well. Now many of the 2 or 3 year old vehicles are selling for as much a when they were new. The new Ridge line msrp went up over $5,000.00 this year.
Again, thank you all for you information.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Terry in Fowler

Jon, I would like to know if there is good leg space getting in and out of the Pilot since it is what the Ridgeline is based on. What I read says it is one of the roomiest of the mid size suv's.
I know it seem like it would be easier to go to lots to check vehicles, but she can only try a bad door once and she is pays for the day.

It's hard to answer your question because I haven't owned an F150 for comparison, and I don't have mobility issues. I also have the older body style (2009-2015), so the cab is more like the first generation Ridgeline. On most vehicles the driver's side is tighter than the passenger side. I'm thinking your wife might have to move the seat back to enter and exit and move it forward to drive. Power seats would be very helpful.

Maybe you could take some critical measurements on your F150 and compare them to the same measurements on a new Ridgeline. Don't overlook the height of the door sill. Some vehicles- like our CR-V- are quite high, which could also create problems for the mobility-impaired.

So sorry to hear about your wife's difficulties, and I hope you can find a good solution that will allow you to keep traveling!

[Gene680]

I bought my new Ridgeline specifically to tow my 2022 Casita Independence which is on order. I love the truck! I looked at Toyota Tacomas but decided the Ridgeline ride and cabin were much nicer. It has all-wheel drive, a tow package plus the brake controller was plug and play with the truck socket under the dash. The Ridgeline also has a two-way tailgate and a huge trunk under the bed. If you want to boondock the transmission comes with push-button settings for normal, rain, mud, and sand. Although I don't think it's ready for a really rough road. It has plenty of leg room and fold-up seats in the rear with tons of storage behind the driver and passenger seats. I haven't towed with it yet but am planning a two or three-year tour of the country with my cat Oscar and I wanted a comfortable truck to drive.

[Terry in Fowler]

She has to wait another year to have knee replacement, but that will come. Her back just is.
I'm checking to see which dealers in my area have ridgelines in stock, then we'll check one. In 2 weeks I've only seen one on road
If we can't find a mid size truck that suits her needs we will probably go with a large suv. We need the extra space for the way we camp and carrying the grandsons.
Thanks again.
I hope all of the smoke from the fires is not causing you to much discomfort in your part of Arizona.

[Terry in Fowler]

This good to know. It is in line what I have read.
My cousin has the Tacoma which he says is okay, but he wishes he had kept his 2013 f150.
Sounds like wonderful travels you have planned. We're planning a couple of trips that will cover over 4,000 miles each in the next year and a half if all this works out.
Your information will make my wife more at ease with buying the Ridgeline rather than the f150 of which we have had 3 alobg with 4 full size vans as tow vehicles.

[larryf]

We tow our 19 ft Escape with a 2019 Ridgeline and just love it. We have towed with it all over the west and have experienced no problems with having enough power. The comfort and room in the cab are about as good as you can get. The back seat will accommodate 3 adults comfortably. The height getting in is more than a car but less than a Truck but you can have steps installed to assist with entry.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Terry in Fowler

I hope all of the smoke from the fires is not causing you to much discomfort in your part of Arizona.

We had some smoke back in May and June from early fires south and west of us. Since the monsoons arrived at the start of July it’s been unusually wet in eastern AZ. No new fires and everything’s green and beautiful. We are blessed.

So sad what’s happening in the northern Sierras. We were at Tahoe a few weeks ago, and we could see smoke from the Tamarack fire on the horizon. The eastern side of the lake was smoky but it was clear on the northwest end where we were staying.

[daveandbonscott]

Originally Posted by Terry in Fowler

I'm considering a Honda Ridgeline to replace my 98 f150. I am interested in your experiences with a 2018 or newer model. My wife needs a vehicle that is easy to get in and out of with good leg space and is not to high. She has both knee and back injuries. I would also like it to have good space in the back seat for our 2 grandsons.
I'll be towing a 2003 Scamp 16', around 3,000 lb.
The Ridgeline sounds good on paper, but I would trust your experiences much more.
Thank you.

I tow a 17 ft 1977 Boler easily with my V6 2007 Honda Ridgeline. Consider a transmission cooler, but I don't have one and it never heats up the engine. I towed from Vancouver to Winnipeg and back with nary a problem.

Ridgelines ride on the highway so well it's like sitting on your living room couch floating down the road. It is not so easy to get into - higher frame for ground clearance but there are handles to pull yourself in and you can purchase a tool that helps one get in and out of a vehicle that sits on the door lock

[Lee Senn]

Terry Just a FYI if you have been pleased with your Ford experience . Ford is coming out with a model called Maverick which will probably cost new about what you can get a used Ridgeline for ( likely about $26,500.00 properly equipped to tow 4000 lbs which may or may not meet your needs ) . The step in height looks to be lower than most pickups so might work in that department ( I had an older Ridgeline loved it and i wish I could have kept it but the payment finally became to much , my memory says the step in was moderately high ) . I can't testify as to door width on the upcoming Maverick but it might be worth giving a look see if you can wait awhile . The Maverick should be in showrooms before 2021 year end . Lee and Norma p s just key in 2022 Maverick on your computer and loads of pics and info will pop up

[Jack Walter]

One of my really good friends has a Ridgeline and absolutely loves it. He tows any of his three boats with it - two of which weigh as much as a Casita and its very comfortable for long trips. He calls it the "Untruck".

[Casita Ed]

We have towed our 2010 Casita 17SD with a Toyota Tacoma Prerunner and now with our 2018 Ridgeline. The Ridgeline is a serious step up in towing comfort and a very good step up in towing ability.

I began my search for a new tow vehicle looking at full size trucks and rapidly became disillusioned with how high off the ground they were. Everything in the bof trucks is jacked up, even the new Tacoma's. The Ridgeline is about the same height as the Pilot and other suv's, so I test drove that and was sold halfway through a 15 minute test drive. It is QUIET and SMOOTH just like pro testers said it was. They compared it to a luxury suv. I haven't ridden in a luxury suv, but for my take it is the most comfortable car or truck I have ridden in. We are both vertically challenged, which is why I nixed going full size truck. We got the RTLE so as to get the auto programmable driver seat and electric 4 way passenger seat. The cab is roomy and very liveable on a long trip. We keep a 30 qt Yeti in the back of the cab with tons of room to spare.

The new safety features Honda uses are sophisticated imo. No constant beeping if you go near the lane markers, it just wiggles the steering wheel. If you don't like that, turn it off. For my part, I love the features and use them on long trips. They reduce my driver fatique.

When test driving the 2018 Tacoma I discovered the new Tacoma's have a weaker 3.5 liter V6 than our 4 liter V6 we had, which was a 2010. Honda went the other way with their 3.5 liter V6, it is now stronger and gets better fuel economy and is nearly as responsive as our 2010 4 liter V6 was.

As an example, when going over Snoqualmie Pass in Washington State, I used to baby the Tacoma, trying to keep rpms below 3k because of engine noise. Not so with our Ridgeline which I keep on acc cruise, set the speed for 50 mph, stay in the right lane and let the engine rev as needed to maintain speed because the cab is so quiet.

Fuel economy with both trucks has been averaging 15 mpg, however the Ridgeline on our last trip with a new set of Michelin tires averaged 16 mpg towing. Not sure how that will play out on subsequent trips. Our last trip didn't have any major passes, but we drove Highway 101 which was two lane with curves and some summits.

We love the Ridgeline so much, we bought a 2020 CRV Touring. We used to own two Toyotas.

I have no monetary interest in Honda. Hope this helps you find a new tow vehicle.

[Guide Guy]

We just traded in our 2011 Ridgeline for a new 2021. As amazing and wonderful as our first one was, this is even better. We lived in Bishop, CA for 20 years (and Mammoth for another 20) and drove the 2011 all over the place, highway, mountain passes (including Tioga Pass), remote dirt roads, you name it. We moved to Oregon 3 years ago and often drive local mountain roads in comfort. We have a 17’ 2008 Casita SD that we’ve towed with the 2011 from Bishop to Whidbey Is (by Seattle) several times, to Oregon many times before moving here, and Boulder CO in 2019 in comfort, with confidence and loved it. We’re towing our Casita back to Boulder in late Sept. in the new Ridgeline and are really looking forward to the drive. The Ridgelines are rated at 5,000 towing capacity, and we tow our Casita fully loaded and weighting upwards of 4,000+ lbs with no problems. We’ve had the new one for 2 months and it averages almost 21 mpg in town so our gas bill should be a lot less than the last trip. I’d recommend you get Ridgeline and tow your trailer with it without hesitation, you’ll be happy you did.

[Charles G.]

I tow an Escape 17B with our 2020 Ridgeline RTL-E. Like many others, I looked at the Tacomas & 4 Runners before buying the Ridgeline. The Ridgeline is better handling & much more comfortable than the Toyotas. My Ridgeline stores 2 seating positions, but the driver’s seat also retracts when the engine is shut off & automatically returns to the preset position when put into drive. This feature might appeal to your wife.