Honda Ridgeline, MT TRUCK of the year

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Q,



Be careful when dissing minivans. It just might be this one, and it will blow you off the road!:lol:
 
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RL,



Your RL has more HP then a Dakota. It has more HP then our Motorhome. Then again, that motorhome has over 400 LB/FT torque. That is what a real truck needs, torque. To pull a trailer up a hill, you need torque. To pull a stump out of the ground you need torque.



Don't get so bent out on horsepower. I know our engines arent torque monsters, they were not designed to be that way. When our engines were designed, they blew away anything in that size. The Nissan Frontier had a Supercharger and still did not have the power (torque) that our engines had. I would be willing to bet if Ford would take the 4.0L SOHC and make it similar to the 3 valve set-up in the 5.4L F-150 and the 4.6L V8, we would be looking at higher HP and torgue then your V6 produces. Again, you can not failry compare something that was state of the art in it's time to something that is state of the art now.



I could brag about how much more power a RL has compared to a 1917 Model T. It can tow more, haul more, has more HP, and can drive up a hill in foreward gear.



Does that mean a RL is better then a Model T? No. When the Model T was built, it was an awesome machine, for it's time.



Today the RL has some points that could be construed as being better. Toyota took a similar approach with the T100. It was not quite a 1/2 ton truck. IIRC, it was advertised it could haul 8 sheets of 1/4" plywood in the bed. It only lasted a few years. Toyota went back to the drawing board and built the Tundra.



Anyone serious about towing anything will not even consider the RL. A FWD truck is not a truck. Call it AWD, but it is a FWD system with a rear differential. The RL is perfect for the guy that tows his ATV to the woods for a weekend or has a small fishing boat. That was all the Trac was designed for.



My major beef with the Rl is that it is advertised as a 1/2 ton truck. Compare a 1/2 ton truck to a RL and you will see it is not a 1/2 ton truck, it is a mini truck.



I would ssay that Honda calling the RL a 1/2 ton truck is misleading.





Tom
 
Sorry...didn't get a chance to reply to the above posts because I was off for 3 days on a little vacation with my family. OK....where were we....



Q - "You would not blow the doors off of most tracs here since we're mod'd a lot."



So, you are saying the only way a ST can compare with a RL is if it's mod'd? Makes sense.



Q - "THe only thing you care about is not getting dirty and having a trunk for your groceries. "



If staying clean and taking care of my children....you know, feeding, clothing, looking out for their well being.....makes me a Girly Consumer....then I guess I am. Oh, by the way Q, I am still waiting for that appology.



Tom - "Again, you can not failry compare something that was state of the art in it's time to something that is state of the art now."



I'm glad you mentioned, "state of the art"....maybe that's why the RL won all those awards is because it broke some new ground and is state of the art? Why anyone would lose it over that, is beyond me (Not you in particulat Tom...talking about some of the other ST forum members.)



Tom - "I would ssay that Honda calling the RL a 1/2 ton truck is misleading."



OK, Tom, just for curiosity....without using comparisons of one truck to another, give me your definition of what a 1/2 ton truck is. I'm real curious to see what on the qualifications a vehicle needs to meet your criteria of a 1/2 ton truck.



 
He's baaaaaccccck...



RL,



You should change your handle on this site to Michael Corleone...



"Just when I though I was out, they pull me back in!"
Click to expand...



:lol:
 
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OK, Tom, just for curiosity....without using comparisons of one truck to another, give me your definition of what a 1/2 ton truck is. I'm real curious to see what on the qualifications a vehicle needs to meet your criteria of a 1/2 ton truck.
Click to expand...



Give me the definition of a half ton truck. If you use the reasoning of the bed being able to hold 1000 LBS, then would you classify a Subaru Baja a 1/2 ton truck?



When someone is looking for a truck, they hear 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, 1 ton. They compare a 1/2 ton truck to a 1/2 ton truck. By the competition, the real setters of the 1/2 ton truck definition, the Ridgeline is in no way, shape, or form a 1/2 ton truck.



Just because the RL is "innovative" does not make it better. Getting awards does not make it better for performance because the bed is plastic. Getting Motor Trends Truck of the Year award does not make it anything more then a FWD, unibody minivan. Sure it is AWD, ladie freakin dah. It is still a FWD vehicle. So it has unibody construction with a subframe. It is still a minivan.



One of my favorite saying is this...



"You can put BBQ sauce on a turd and eat it. It might taste good, but, it is still a turd."



So, you can put a frame and truck-like body on a minivan. It might be able to do the job, but, it is still a minivan.



You can argue the facts all you want. Guys with Civic's were impressed that the 1.6L Civic SI (SIR in Canada) with 160 HP was impressive. Sure it was. 160 HP out of 1.6L. Compare the output of a Ford 460 with 235 HP and that 460 is a dog. A Mustang 302 had 215 HP. Only 55 more HP out of an engine that is over 3 times as large as the Civic SI engine is and the 460 is ove 4 1/2 times as large as the 1.6L is. The 460 has only 75 more HP then the Civic has.



Put the 1.6L engine in a real car, like a Crown Victoria, and you wont be able to get it moving much faster then 40 MPH.



The same goes for the Ridgeline. There is no way I would even consider towing anything more then 3000 LBS with a RL. FWD cars are not ment for towing. The front ends can not handle the abuse towing can, and will do, to a transmission. Especially a FWD system.





Tom
 
RLOwner, in real life would you have the nads to go sit in the Steelers section of an arena and root for the Cowboys and trash talk the Steelers? If so, carry on my man, carry on.
 
Tom - "Blah, blah, blah....minivan....blah, blah, blah...".



You still DID NOT answer my question......



Tom - "The same goes for the Ridgeline. There is no way I would even consider towing anything more then 3000 LBS with a RL. FWD cars are not ment for towing. The front ends can not handle the abuse towing can, and will do, to a transmission. Especially a FWD system."



Hmmm....you'll have to tell that to a fellow RL owner who tows his 3500 lb. boat, back and forth to his home/dock (About a 40 mile trip), about 10 times a month. He's had no problems what-so-ever and says it tows/handles just as good as his previous 1/2 ton truck.



Q - "I see, so you just conveniently forgot that it was you who brought up that fact that your truck would blow the doors off mine, and now twist it to mean something else. Would you like some fries with that order of stoopid?"



Who's twisting what? You're the one who said I shouldn't take any ST lightly off the line, because it's probably been mod'd. You said that, not me. Also, I find it funny that you mention an order of fries....It's probably a reflex reaction.....I suppose you say that a lot during the day at your job.



Q - "You know, I can't think of a single reason ....rant, rant, blah, blah, rant".



See my previous post.



TJR - "RLOwner, in real life would you have the nads to go sit in the Steelers section of an arena and root for the Cowboys and trash talk the Steelers? If so, carry on my man, carry on."



Hmmm, that's a tough one. Probably not Would you?







 
RL,



Like I said, give me the definition of a 1/2 ton truck. Using the reasoning that the bed will hold 1000 LBS means a Subaru Baja is a 1/2 ton truck. Would you agree?



Hmmm....you'll have to tell that to a fellow RL owner who tows his 3500 lb. boat, back and forth to his home/dock (About a 40 mile trip), about 10 times a month. He's had no problems what-so-ever and says it tows/handles just as good as his previous 1/2 ton truck.
Click to expand...



You forgot to finish the statement. ...Compared to the 1981 Ford with a straight 6 and 300,000 miles and bad shocks.



Let us know how that RL holds up to 5 years of it. What works fine now does not mean it will still work just the same after many years.



I abuse my vehicles. My Trac has towed over 8,000 LBS without a problem. (I have weight slips to prove it...if you doubt me) I am sure I did some damage to the tranny pulling that kind of weight up a steep hill, but I don't care. I also know my Trac is not a 1/2 ton truck...even though it is rated to hold 3/4 ton in the bed.



Does that mean my Trac can be compared to an F-250? Sweet!!!





Tom

 
RLOwner, one of my online codes of conduct is to treat every person and every situation as if it were a "real world" situation and personal interaction.



Cyberspace is filled with "low ego" types that have a difficult time in the real world. They tend to come online, piss all over everyone, pick fights, and try to lord it over people; all to seemingly compensate for their otherwise crappy lives that they themselves have created in the real world.



So, ask yourself, RLOwner, what do you want to get out of this fight? Do you seek changed attitudes, or are you really just in it for the fight?



TJR
 
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hhhmmm - after reading this I have decided my 73 Riviera was a 3/4 ton. I hauled well over 1500 ibs in back of that thing a couple times.



grump
 
Caymen - "Like I said, give me the definition of a 1/2 ton truck."



No, don't try and turn the tables. What my defintion is...... is irrelevant. I asked you what your definition of a 1/2 ton truck is. You are the one who said Honda calling the RL a 1/2 ton truck is "misleading". I am just curious to hear what YOUR definition of a 1/2 ton truck is. That's all. Nothing more, nothing less.



Caymen - "You forgot to finish the statement. ...Compared to the 1981 Ford with a straight 6 and 300,000 miles and bad shocks."



No, I didn't want to finish the statement because it would have caused somebody to blow a gasket. If you want to know what his previous vehicle was..... it was a 2000 F-150. I could go into why he decided to trade in his F-150 for an RL....but, again, I don't want anybody here to blow a gasket.



Caymen - "Let us know how that RL holds up to 5 years of it. What works fine now does not mean it will still work just the same after many years."



I wouldn't have any problem doing that. Honda has been very good at putting out a very good product. Are they perfect? No, they have their shortcomings. But H is famous for their reliability and they don't get that reputation by accident. The RL is made for hauling/towing. I know many of you don't believe that, but it doesn't have a beefed up drive train, beefed up/extra large brake rotors, and dual high-output radiator fans (just to name a few) for nothing.



Darin - "Jeez all this posturing... and for what? "My twuck is bettah than yo twuck?"



No. Just trying to educate.



TJR - "Cyberspace is filled with "low ego" types that have a difficult time in the real world. They tend to come online, piss all over everyone, pick fights, and try to lord it over people; all to seemingly compensate for their otherwise crappy lives that they themselves have created in the real world.



So, ask yourself, RLOwner, what do you want to get out of this fight? Do you seek changed attitudes, or are you really just in it for the fight?"



Well, I'll tell you what, TJR.... in real life, if somebody pokes me in the eye, they are gonna get something right back. If Q wants to trade insults, I have no problem with that. I just as soon not have a 6th grade argument with the guy, but that is all he seems to understand. I have tried to take the high road, but I am only human and I can only take personal attacks/insults for so long.



Besides, I did not start a "fight" when I came in here. I came here to have a discussion. Did I come here trashing the ST? No. I came here to try to prove to you folks, through information and discussion, that the RL is not a piece of sh!t/girly truck/etc. Yes....I would like to see a change in attitudes and, as I have posted above, if you folks quit ripping on me and my vehicle of choice, I will go away.



I can appreciate that some of you don't like the looks of the RL. Frankly, I wasn't exactly enamoured when I first saw it either. I can see why some of you folks thinks it is ugly and I can give you that. But to call the RL a piece of sh!t, just because it didn't come out of a Ford assembly plant....well, that's just plain silly.

 
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Well, Q.... you did a good job of it (Pushing my buttons)!



I totally agree. As I mentioned in a previous thread....I thought this exchange has been fun....and amusing and interesting, all at the same time. Yes, both vehicles have their pros and cons, and neither one of them are perfect. I have enjoyed this exchange. I know I know more about the ST than I did just a few days ago and I hope you folks can say the same about the RL. As far as our choices of vehicles and which one is "better".... I guess we have to agree to disagree on that point!



As far as having a cold one....sounds good to me.



Absolutely....no hard feelings what-so-ever!
 
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