C/D Long Term Test: 2006 Honda Ridgeline

[bigdave269]

I am not sure why I missed this when I got the magazine (I've been a subscriber for 20 years!), but the July '07 issue of Car and Driver reported the results fo their long term road test for the Ridgeline. There is also a blog with comments good and bad.

Opening from the article by Tony Swan:

When the then-new Honda Ridgeline emerged as the winner of a five-vehicle comparison test a couple years back [“Do-It-All Compact Pickups,” June 2005], our mailbags (both snail and cyber) overflowed with outrage. The essence of this bilious tide of correspondence was that “this thing you weirdos call a truck” is not a truck at all but some sort of car decked out in pickup drag and therefore an insult to all true truckers.

At the conclusion of that test, our take on the car-or-truck issue was this: “Who cares?” And now, after two years and 40,000 miles with a Ridgeline, we heartily endorse the finding of that ’05 comparison-test crew: “Let’s appreciate the Ridgeline for what it is: a new type of utility vehicle.”

[Webwader]

I missed it for a while too, Dave. It was one of my "throne room" issues and got covered by a few other mags for a bit. :oops: They had a lot of nice things to say about the RL and not too many negatives. What surprised me is that they averaged 19 mpg for the 40,000 miles and that included a lot of towing. Considering how they typically drive, that's just short of a miracle. At 31,500 miles I am averaging 16.86 mpg, with 35% of that being towing miles (3,300+ lb trailers). My non-towing average for that period (tanks that included no towing) is 19.28 mpg. But since Michigan is a lot flatter than Oregon and surrounding states, and I probably have more suburban miles, I don't think I'm doing too bad.

[bigdave269]

That's funny, but that's where mine was, too. I forgot all about it until I read some comments on the article in the September issue.

My mileage remains 15 around town, 16 - 17 on the highway. I have not towed anything yet.