Hey guys I was thinking about getting one. Can someone give me some inside on it ? My main concern is the tow Capacity .. I pull alot of cars on a dolly sometimes for 2-3 hrs trips. Mostly small car like civics, integras and accords .. How well do they pull ? I know what the book says ( 5000 pounds) .. How well does it do on fuel when loaded vs unloaded ? Anything about buying one I need to watch for ? Any info would help .. Thanks

 

Your best bet is to head over to Ridgeline Owners Club | Honda Ridgeline Owners Club - Home and search on towing there. You will find a ton of info.

Be advised the J35 V6 makes power higher up the rpm band than a V8 and as such, the J35 will be singing to get the job done. The J35 is not a torque monster by any stretch of the imagination, but the 5k tow limit is an honest one, unlike many other makes advertised towing numbers.

Aerodynamics will have much to do with how well it will tow and the resultant mpgs. Some don't like the lack of low end grunt and the need for the J35 to run at higher rpms. But it's a Honda and will run all day long like that.

Here's one thread to get you started:
Ridgeline's can tow (photos) - Honda Ridgeline Owners Club Forums

 

Fuel milage sucks. If i k ew it would be so bad i would have bought a real truck. Dont get me wrong i love the truck but at this point wish i bought another pilot. I towed both on a car hauler and dolly some hondas and never an issue. Barely felt the differance. I didnt sear h enough and just assumed my pilot getting 20-22 all miles wohld be a fair representation of what to expect froM A ridge since its basically the same engine tranny. WRONG!!! highway at 63mph cruise i managed 18 normal city 11-13ish And thats being nice. I havd do e a tune up and tried everything ...i average 14 or 15mpg ....towing is single digits ....

honestly regret the purchase. Aside from the mpg's i absolutly love the truck. Its perfect for what i needed in everyway.

 

Thanks for the info. I have a 2003 silverado ext cab with a 5.3 in it . It does great as far as towing. But it gets about 18mpg hwy on a good day. But it don't drop much under load. I thought the honda would do better on fuel. .. I have a chance to sale it for 11.5. And that's not bad for a 2003. But the more I look into it the more bad stuff I hear about the honda. Don't get me wrong it's still a honda and there dependable. But I would rather keep the full size if the fuel is going to be about that same

 

Be honest about your needs vs your wants vs what you can afford. The RL fits the bill in many categories but not all... just like any other vehicle.

I have both a Pilot (2006) and a RL (2008)... both are AWD... and the RL gets better mpg around town while the Pilot gets better mpg on the road. Go figure. 17-ish is the average both seem to get. Check out Fuelly.com for more specific mpg numbers for any vehicle you might be considering for real world numbers.

But mpg is not the whole picture either. No vehicle is perfect. Some are better than others. Get the vehicle you need for the job you need it to do. If your Silverado is paid off and is in good condition and otherwise does what you need it to do, why dump it?

If it's too big to fit in your garage and is becoming a money pit, that's another issue altogether. Take your time, do your research, shop at your leisure and find the best deal if you choose to buy. When you get in a hurry (due to need or want) is when mistakes are most likely made.

 

My silverado has no problems. It's just now hit 76k on it .. But only gets about 13-15mpg when pulling a 2k-3k car ..was just looking to see what my options where .. But daily it gets about 18mpg. That seems to alittle better then the ridgeline ...Just looking at it in the long run.im in not hurry to do anything .. But if the Ridgeline get the same or worse then I'll just stick with the v8 pulling power.

 

My Ridgeline averages about 18mpg also. I was kind of disappointed with the mpg, specially coming from driving Honda Civic most of my life. I mainly bought for to haul my motorcycle around and drive up in the snow in Lake Tahoe and so far it's been superb at that.