Honda Ridgeline...investigated it today...

[giant_mtb]

Alright well here's my opinion on the Ridgy after seeing it in person. Your first impression when you walk up to it is, "damn this thing is short, what the hell?" The top of the hood is only about 5 inches above my waist, which is pretty short for a truck, no? (I'm about 5 foot 10-11) So yeah the thing's short, the bed is also short and pointless, and why the hell is the tailgate lower than the sides? The in-bed trunk looks tacky and slapped on (big gaps and cheesy attatchments). Now for the interior. I sat in the driver's seat and the first thing I noticed was that, even for a skinny tennager such as myself, the steering wheel is rubbing on the parts that get particularly uncomfortable when rubbed the wrong way. So I tried to adjust it using the hopeless tilt mechanism. (took me a minute just to figure out how to work the damn thing) The results were nothing short of disappointing. The tilt moves the steering wheel a few inches, big deal, it doesn't help anything. So basically, if you have a larger waist than your average 160 pound adult, you won't like driving it. The seating position is also way too high over the dash, which causes visibility problems for the gauges because the steering wheel gets in the way. Also, the steering wheel faces you at about your upper stomach...so basically, when the airbag goes off, it's gonna hurt like a bitch in the stomach. Visibility out the front wasn't bad, but out the back was horrendous, especially in the blind spots. The back-seat room is comfortable enough for kids 15 and under, but adults will get cramped and claustrophobic after a few minutes.

So there you have it, the interior sucks, driving position sucks, visibility sucks...so basically this car sucks. And unless it drives like a dream, the bad interior and visibility qualities would scare me away from ever purchasing this "truck".

[Secret Chimp]

The seat wasn't set too high, was it? =P

[giant_mtb]

The seat wasn't set too high, was it? =P

No, I actually checked that, and it was about a quarter of a second's worth of electric adjustment from it's bottom-most position...which isn't much.

[BMWDave]

I sat in one too, and I didnt like the interior.  Hard expanses of dark grey plastic just dont do it for me.

[giant_mtb]

I sat in one too, and I didnt like the interior.  Hard expanses of dark grey plastic just dont do it for me.

Yeah, I expected better, especially since this one had the leather interior, but...of course I wasn't pleased with it.

[R33 GT-R]

The Ridgeline is really a POS, I can't believe people are diluted enough to buy them, even if it is a fucking Honda.

[ifcar]

Unless you can compare any aspects of the vehicle to other competing vehicles, this doesn't really mean much. The Ridgeline's rear seat space, for example, is better than any competing midsize pickup, suggesting a lack of perspective here.

[R33 GT-R]

Unless you can compare any aspects of the vehicle to other competing vehicles, this doesn't really mean much. The Ridgeline's rear seat space, for example, is better than any competing midsize pickup, suggesting a lack of perspective here.

Uhh Ohhh, Iffy got mad at your review and has layed the wood to you.  Better wait for his next one and lambast a point on it as well.    

[CaseyNPham]

I thought it was really ugly but I actually liked the Ridgeline... I didn't really notice the blindspots but I knew they'd be horrible.

[giant_mtb]

Unless you can compare any aspects of the vehicle to other competing vehicles, this doesn't really mean much. The Ridgeline's rear seat space, for example, is better than any competing midsize pickup, suggesting a lack of perspective here.

Well from what I've seen otherwise...besides the amount of back seat room, the interior of the Ridgy is inferior to the other trucks in its class.

[Raghavan]

i liked the smell of the interior...

[giant_mtb]

i liked the smell of the interior...

Most cars smell good when they're new...      

[Raghavan]

But of course this is a good truck because it's a HOnda.

[giant_mtb]

Ohhhh of course!  New Honda cars smell better than all other new cars...just because they're Hondas!  I completely forgot! ^_^

[Raghavan]

Ohhhh of course!  New Honda cars smell better than all other new cars...just because they're Hondas!  I completely forgot! ^_^

well, the comercial said that it's a good truck cos it's a honda...

[giant_mtb]

Ohhhh of course!  New Honda cars smell better than all other new cars...just because they're Hondas!  I completely forgot! ^_^

well, the comercial said that it's a good truck cos it's a honda...

Naw.  All they said was "above all it's a Honda"...but...same thing!    

[Raghavan]

Ohhhh of course!  New Honda cars smell better than all other new cars...just because they're Hondas!  I completely forgot! ^_^

well, the comercial said that it's a good truck cos it's a honda...

Naw.  All they said was "above all it's a Honda"...but...same thing!  

 ^_^  

[Tom]

It has the mark of greatness:




An advertising point is that the tailgate is lowered so you have better visibility backing in/out.  Unless you are a pansy truck driver you use your mirrors.

[giant_mtb]

It has the mark of greatness:




An advertising point is that the tailgate is lowered so you have better visibility backing in/out.  Unless you are a pansy truck driver you use your mirrors.

Wow.  If they want to improve visibility get rid of those damn useless pillars that cause the massive blind spots.     And the lower-than-the-rest-of-the-car tailgate looks ugly.

[ifcar]

Unless you can compare any aspects of the vehicle to other competing vehicles, this doesn't really mean much. The Ridgeline's rear seat space, for example, is better than any competing midsize pickup, suggesting a lack of perspective here.

Well from what I've seen otherwise...besides the amount of back seat room, the interior of the Ridgy is inferior to the other trucks in its class.

Have you even BEEN in the other vehicles in its class?    

[giant_mtb]

Unless you can compare any aspects of the vehicle to other competing vehicles, this doesn't really mean much. The Ridgeline's rear seat space, for example, is better than any competing midsize pickup, suggesting a lack of perspective here.

Well from what I've seen otherwise...besides the amount of back seat room, the interior of the Ridgy is inferior to the other trucks in its class.

Have you even BEEN in the other vehicles in its class?  

I haven't been in them, but I have seen them in person...I've seen just about every truck I know in person but not necessarily been in all of them.

[ifcar]

Unless you can compare any aspects of the vehicle to other competing vehicles, this doesn't really mean much. The Ridgeline's rear seat space, for example, is better than any competing midsize pickup, suggesting a lack of perspective here.

Well from what I've seen otherwise...besides the amount of back seat room, the interior of the Ridgy is inferior to the other trucks in its class.

Have you even BEEN in the other vehicles in its class?  

I haven't been in them, but I have seen them in person...I've seen just about every truck I know in person but not necessarily been in all of them.

How can you compare their interiors then, with experience in only one of the six midsize pickups?

[R33 GT-R]

the Ridgeline is a joke, once agiain

[TBR]

I do have experience in all of the midsizers and I would put the Ridgeline's interior at the back of the pack simply because of the styling. But, as far as quality is concerned, it is no worse than the Frontier or Ranger for sure.  

[giant_mtb]

Unless you can compare any aspects of the vehicle to other competing vehicles, this doesn't really mean much. The Ridgeline's rear seat space, for example, is better than any competing midsize pickup, suggesting a lack of perspective here.

Well from what I've seen otherwise...besides the amount of back seat room, the interior of the Ridgy is inferior to the other trucks in its class.

Have you even BEEN in the other vehicles in its class?  

I haven't been in them, but I have seen them in person...I've seen just about every truck I know in person but not necessarily been in all of them.

How can you compare their interiors then, with experience in only one of the six midsize pickups?

That's not very relevant...what is relevant is that the Ridgy's interior sucks, regardless of what the other midsizer's are like.  If they others are worse, then great, they're worse...that might mean that the Ridgy has the best interior in its class, but that doesn't mean it's a good interior by any means.

[ifcar]

Unless you can compare any aspects of the vehicle to other competing vehicles, this doesn't really mean much. The Ridgeline's rear seat space, for example, is better than any competing midsize pickup, suggesting a lack of perspective here.

Well from what I've seen otherwise...besides the amount of back seat room, the interior of the Ridgy is inferior to the other trucks in its class.

Have you even BEEN in the other vehicles in its class?  

I haven't been in them, but I have seen them in person...I've seen just about every truck I know in person but not necessarily been in all of them.

How can you compare their interiors then, with experience in only one of the six midsize pickups?

That's not very relevant...what is relevant is that the Ridgy's interior sucks, regardless of what the other midsizer's are like.  If they others are worse, then great, they're worse...that might mean that the Ridgy has the best interior in its class, but that doesn't mean it's a good interior by any means.

A reviewer who looks at a class and decides that either everything or nothing in it is good almost always makes a poor review, lacking in perspective for that class, and in need of reevaluated expectations.

[giant_mtb]

Unless you can compare any aspects of the vehicle to other competing vehicles, this doesn't really mean much. The Ridgeline's rear seat space, for example, is better than any competing midsize pickup, suggesting a lack of perspective here.

Well from what I've seen otherwise...besides the amount of back seat room, the interior of the Ridgy is inferior to the other trucks in its class.

Have you even BEEN in the other vehicles in its class?  

I haven't been in them, but I have seen them in person...I've seen just about every truck I know in person but not necessarily been in all of them.

How can you compare their interiors then, with experience in only one of the six midsize pickups?

That's not very relevant...what is relevant is that the Ridgy's interior sucks, regardless of what the other midsizer's are like.  If they others are worse, then great, they're worse...that might mean that the Ridgy has the best interior in its class, but that doesn't mean it's a good interior by any means.

A reviewer who looks at a class and decides that either everything or nothing in it is good almost always makes a poor review, lacking in perspective for that class, and in need of reevaluated expectations.

What should I expect for 30K?  I sure wasn't expecting what the Ridgy showed me.  And in my review on the first page, I never mentioned the other cars/trucks in its class...all I did was explain my opinion on the Ridgeline, and didn't even mention comparing it to its competitors.

[ifcar]

But a review should always compare a car to its competitors, otherwise you get complaints about the Miata's trunk space or the F-350's handling.