MemRheins

Reliable?... I Used to think that...then I brought a honda...

Pickup's are the thing the Domestic Brands keep on getting right...Hell Back at the Firehouse we have as our Work Truck a 1971 Ford F-series, used to be the brush fire truck, but now its kinda a beater... Thing has 193,000 miles on it...and 95% of the parts are original...My TSX is on its second transmission < 15,000 Miles... 193,000 miles,

v6...okay still, Its not even a true pickup, im sorry but to me it looks like an Avalance w/ a weird front... Give Me a HEMI Ram... or a Ford F-250...Dont even mention Diesel Powered pickups cause those would kill this car....I know its in the "Light" pickup catagory...But a Dodge Dakota is alot more repetuable truck...then a Honda Ridgeline


Just my

Whiskers

The Toyota Tundras are pretty solid.

teranfon

I agree with some of your points, but overall I think the truck will be a success. I've been a farmer for close to twenty years, and have had the opportunity to own many trucks, usually purchasing every two years. I've had my share of lousy transmissions, burnt cylinders, injector pumps failing, and many other numerous failings. My Fords have faired the best. Nonetheless, I see many people who purchase 5.4 Tritons, 5.7 hemis (if you can actually call it a hemi), and Duramax diesels who purchase them with the intention of working them, but usually end up using them for groceries and complaining about size and fuel mileage. Truth is a truck like the Ridgeline would be more than adequate for the majority of truck owners out there, and I think the more practical approach Honda had taken with this vehicle will benefit them. I certainly wouldn't haul a ton of feed with it, but it would serve even my needs a good deal of the time.

Terry

ClutchPerformer

And it ALSO needs a V8. I agree that tree-hugging is Honda's biggest flop.

ClutchPerformer

Good post!

I think the "hemi" thing is funny, too.

DCyamaha

yeah, hondas... reliable, what was i thinking....

MemRheins

Im Sorry but the more Recent Hondas havent been too well made...the TSX/TL Especially have had a large share of problems, compaired to the earlier honda's thats a big deal... I meen there are some old honda's that are sitting in junkyards, that you could w/ out much trouble get to run... I just dont see the TSX being one of those cars...I Love the Car...but as far as it lasting 190,000 Miles, I doubt it...

To the Farmer guy well the whole idea of using a Pickup to get Grocerys is rediculious, Same w/ the idea of some 23 year old woman needing a Suburbain to take 2 kids to soccer practice and get Grocerys... I May be wrong and the Ridgeline will do great...i just for some reaon dont see Many Traditional Pickup Followers Abandoning there Chevy Silverado's, Dodge Ram's and Ford F-150's To get a Honda ridgeline...


BTW...does anyone else see this:

Dan Martin

that's the first comparison I made when I saw it.

TSX69

Honda is taking a big risk w/ the RidgeLine: they hope to tap into a whole new market w/ the crossover truck. Much like the crossover SUVs, I see this appealing mostly to women & older men who like the idea of a truck but want a softer ride. Younger males, who I would assume make up the bulk of truck sales, are not going to stray from their rugged trucks made by Ford & Company.

Considering trucks are the top selling vehicles in the US, this is a smart move. I just wish Honda would have also made something along the lines of the Tacoma/Tunda to more directly compete in sales. I am glad the interior is not as avant garde looking as the concept vehicle was.

Eeyore

Besides the trouble you had with your transmission, what exactly makes you think that the TSX will not last 200k miles? A lot depends on how the car is treated during its lifetime and how it is maintained.

The engine in the TSX is easily capable of going at least 200k miles, compared to the 2.2 liter in my 1994 Accord, it is a much better unit (my Accord has 192k). All of the evidence I have available to me leads me to believe that the TSX will go at least 200k, if it is properly maintained. As far as the rest of the car, I don't see rust being a problem any more than any other car, and probably less than lots of cars.

My best bet for the part that most folks would have trouble with during the life of their TSX would be the auto tranny. I think the engine will run for as long as you want it to, again if it is properly maintained. The engine in this car is definitely its strongest part.

TSX Cman

i cant say i like any hondas at all..... i like my TSX and maybe the new mugen legend in japan. other than the TSX i will never own another honda

VeniceBeachTSX

I honestly doubt it's aimed at either of you.

It's aimed squarely at the guys who are driving tricked-out pickups with chrome rims and street tires all around LA...

Just as the Civic is no longer aimed at anybody who cares about performance, rather is targeted to the vast majority of vehicle buyers who don't even know what type of suspension their car has. And it does phenomenally in that niche, where the primary competition is the Corolla.

I'm not sure why all the hate for the Element either. It's a niche vehicle that cost very little to bring to market and that has sold well for a couple of years. May turn out to be somewhat of a fad, but also might be improved by some improved styling and perhaps a V-6 in the future. There were about 10 years of my life during which this would have been a perfect vehicle. If an injury hadn't caused me to curtail some outdoor activities, it might still be a perfect vehicle.

Seems to me that the vast bulk of the people on this board seem to forget that the average consumer probably associates Honda primarily with words like "reliable," "practical" and "well made," not "performance." (Admittedly Honda has a sportier rep than Toyota, but the two have been getting closer and closer over the years.)

vishnus11

"tree-hugging" - I guess you probably dont give a shit for future generations. Im not sure what defines a "tree-hugger" but I sure do care about the environment that Im gonna live in and the one my children are going to be living in.

Honda's commitment to the environment is outstanding. Many of its vehicles have ULEV emissions and the mpg figures for new hondas are A+. It is this kind of commitment that makes Honda/Acura what it is today. You automatically equate the lack of Honda/Acura having a V8 in its line up as "tree-hugging" ?

In regards to the original question, I'd have to say that the Vigor was a monumental flop. Towards the end of its lifespan, Acura was selling less than a 1000 units a month. Im not sure exactly why the car failed, but if I remember correctly, it did have some poor crash test ratings - 2 stars/5 for both passenger and driver.

TSX Cman

saving the environment is great. kinda sucks when you have a 4cylindaer car and get 400km/tank of gas tho
400km/55ish litres of gas at a time
dont remember the figure of milage that it worked out to,, but under 20mpg

teranfon

Good points, but aren't most trucks marketed to people who never truly use their potential? Or perhaps I should say their perceived potential. Don't get me wrong, in my particular line of work I require a good truck for my livelihood. I've got a new F350 Powerstroke sitting outside right now with 4000 pounds of bagged feed sitting in the box. Admittedly its rare when it has to perform this service, as its usually hauls no more than the Ridgeline's 1100 lbs. payload. But today I priced out a fully loaded Ridgeline at $46 000.00 Canadian. A fully loaded tricked out F350 Harley Davidson retails for $68 000.00 Canadian. In my mind the Ridgeline makes far more sense.

Terry

VeniceBeachTSX

That's true of 99% of all vehicles on the road. And I suspect it'll be true of the Ridgeline too. It'll be marketed to people who'll put groceries in the back and talk about how they're going to go camping someday. Maybe.

teranfon

So true.

BTW, cute cat. Almost identical to my cat Sierra.

Terry

sauceman

I'd say the 95-97 Odyssey was one of, if not the biggest flop by Honda. They have honorably amended themselves since then.

sauceman

You better believe it.

The TSX is a car capable of 300K+ miles.

As for more recent Hondas being of lesser quality, one could always argue against you.

I would personally say you haven't driven Hondas long enough to be able to place a judgement on this.

I remember how Accords built in the 80's were a lot more fragile then nowadays.

TSX69

If I remember correctly, Honda is marketing the truck to "Cool Dads" ... whatever that means

03CoupeV6

The Ridgeline is innovative and original... the American trucks, even redesigned, seem dated. But I suppose it is considered "tried and true" and truck enthusiasts still aren't going to go for a Honda truck with a V6 engine.

If I were in the market for a truck, however, the Ridgeline would be atop my list. I appreciate and admire Honda's dedication to environmental issues and safety for everyone. Most truck buyers aren't concerned with whether or not their truck is crash compatible with a car or a LEV, though.

DCyamaha

OH common! Don't you know, they know it all at the age of 18

ClutchPerformer

Actually, I do give a shit about future generations.

The way I see it, you're attacking me on one of two fronts:

1. You think I don't care about the use of petroleum resources.
2. You think I don't care about emissions/pollution.

I'm not sure which it is, but I'll answer both:

1. Being in the engine industry, I can see that the power source for our IC engines will not come from petroleum in the very forseeable future. This is due to the fact that we consume petroleum at a much, much greater rate than it is generated and/or discovered. This rate of consumption is actually decreasing right now, but it will never decrease enough so that the resource will be able to sustain itself. It's like the social security system: Everyone knows it'll go bankrupt--the only question is when. So.... no matter how efficient we make our cars and industrial processes, and no matter how few cylinders each of our cars has, all of the petroleum will be gone one day and no matter what we do to try and conserve it (short of stopping petroleum use altogether) will stop that from happening. One more V8 in one company's engine line won't break the bank.

If you want to talk about wasting resources, complain about all the natural gas-fired power plants that we seem to like building.

2. It's true that a bigger engine generates more pollutants. But a LEV is a LEV. Do you really think that a Honda-made V8 would automatically be a big dirty monster like something from the big 3? Of course not. And I'd bet that any V8 from Honda could get better emissions than most large V6es. So what's wrong with buliding some?

I equate the lack of a V8 in the Honda line to tree-hugging because the reason that they don't make a V8 is their "committment to the environment". I'm not trying to say that tree-hugging by itself is a bad thing. But this stance is hurting Honda in the most profitable automotive segments (trucks/SUVs/lux sedans). More profits mean Honda is able to do more things like produce more hybrids, put more money into R&D, and most importantly force other companies to compete in an areas (V8 power/emissions/economy) where they haven't had to in...... forever! A Honda V8 forces everyone's V8s to be better. As it is now, they can just chuckle at the Ridgeline/Pilot/MDX/RL/NSX and say "well, the Honda's nice, but we offer a V8".

Or maybe I'm just selfish... But that's my

Sorry for the hijack...

vishnus11

i would think that a v6 with IMA would give eqivalent/better performance than compeitors V8s while delivering much better gas mileage and lower emissions.

GA_TSX

Easy one. Acura "less than" Vigor. The name discribed everything the car was not. The Vigor allowed Infiniti back into the game and to move ahead of Acura. The current line up (TSX, TL, and RL) has finally allowed Acura to put aside the Vigor mistake.

iamhomin

Fudge. I meant the Element, not the Pilot.

ianS

The 5th gen lude may a bit pricey on US but it was a hot seller here in Toronto. You can still see it everywhere in Toronto. After I traded in my Civic Si for a 5th gen lude, it make me hate my tank (I meant 1yr old Volvo S70T5M with 25000 km) immediately! It made me want to get rid of the tank asap! End up I traded in my tank for a E46 328i sp 5spM because it was the only car that will keep my smile

03CoupeV6

Perhaps a V8 with VCM. However, I don't seriously believe Honda needs it. They don't have a reputation of trying to do stuff LIKE other companies. They do things differently, and for that I respect them. The RL's 300HP V6 is just fine, and according to intro tests, the 255HP Ridgeline will be fine, as well.

Eeyore

I agree. Besides the fact that Honda probably considers a V8 to be an irresponsible move environmentally, I think they also know that they build superior motors to the degree that they don't NEED a V8 to compete. They get away with putting I4's in cars that maybe ought to have V6's and V6's in cars that maybe ought to have V8's. But the thing is they pull it off, and their cars do not suffer in performance. I remember a few years ago when my friend's uncle bought a Infiniti Q45 with a 278HP V8. The car was fast and I remember being impressed by this Japanese car with a V8 motor. Now Honda is selling a car with a 300HP V6. Good for them.

I dare say that any modern V8 that Honda produced would make at least 400HP, naturally aspirated. Its just not needed, except maybe in a new-generation NSX. But even then, weight becomes an issue and a V8 may not be the best choice since the NSX has traditionally achieved excellent performance in large part by keeping the weight down--lots of Aluminum, etc.

ClutchPerformer

So now we're comparing NEW Hondas to OLD cars? Today, the Q45 has 340HP and 333lb-ft of torque (RL is 300/260). Edit: Just looked it up, you know the Q45 that had 278HP began production in the 1990 model year? And even then it had 298lb-ft.

LINK! from the good folks at q45.org.

But, but, but, but... FUEL ECONOMY!!

Q45 = 17/23
RL = 18/26

I know what you're thinking: RL WINS!!!

But consider the fuel consumption per unit power output: The RL consumes 7% more fuel per HP in the city, and 0.2% more on the highway than the Q. V8s are not always huge fuel consumers (especially for a company that has access to cylinder shut-off technolocy like Honda). You get a little back by being able to do things at lower RPMs.

And the fact still remains that Honda doesn't have a car to compete with the Q45 (wait until the new one gets here), the LS430, and the V8 germans (A6, 545, E500). I think they should have that car! And all they need is an engine...

But no one will ever challenge Hondas engine decisions except me....

dom

And me

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Relax a sec, Clutch. The car you seek is coming, according to the oracle...

And just to be fair, remember that your comparison numbers need to account for effciency losses attributable to the AWD system.

ClutchPerformer

I'll believe it when I see it....

That's true, but this is the drivetrain Honda CHOSE to put on every single RL out there. If they were really 100% concerned about maximum efficiency, they would have done something else.

dom

:inbeforethisbecomesanotherwhydoesn'thondahaveaV8t hread:

VeniceBeachTSX

You should read a bit more about EPA testing procedures. They attempt to simulate "normal" driving, which is a nice way of saying that neither of these engines were used at anything close to 100% of their capability, and most likely only exceeded 50% at very limited times.

Eeyore

Yo Clutch, I am thinking RL wins, because I like the RL better LOL

Alright so I was a little off by comparing a 90's Q45 to a new Acura. I guess my point was, who else besides Honda has the BALLS to put their flagship car out there with "only" a V6? Maybe they will have a V8 sedan someday, maybe they won't. If they do, you can bet your ass it'll be better than anything Nissan can come up with.

mickey513

TOTALLY AGREE. Hands down the biggest flop ever IMO for Honda/Acura. Freaking rebadged Isuzu Rodeo..........Piece of garbage.

ClutchPerformer

See... I don't think it's because Honda has such big balls... it's just that the V6 is ALL they have to work with in that segment.

I agreee 100%!! And that's why they need to make one.

dom

I'll settle for a 4L'ish V6.

emperuman

I dont think Honda/Acura is gonna come to market with a V8 powered car (tree-hugging or not). Now they will definitely come with the necessary power with IMA technology and such, but I would be really surprised if they came up with a V8.

With IMA Honda can hit two mangoes with a single stone, Performance and Emissions (which translates into better fuel eco). I am positive Honda is going to go another route to get that power out of a car, instead of a V8.

My .02