2009 Honda Ridgeline User Reviews

Pros

Cabin features, trunk, daytime running lights, safety features

Cons

Clearcoat Paint, rear doors, bed lining, rear visibility

Purchased As New

Bought a new Blue RTL in Jan 09. I have just over 6,000 miles on the truck and I'm pretty pleased with the vehicle. I put chrome side steps on the truck. Disappointments first: The paint scratches very easy. I've noticed fine scratches on the hood and the roof. Same goes with the bed. I use the truck bed often and it scratches very easily. Definitely get a rubber mat for the bed.. The rear doors don't open wide enough for large boxes. However, the rear seats fold up far enough for anything you can fit in the back. I average 19.5 MPG driving in Atlanta. The overall range of the truck is under 350 miles per tank. I haven't been "off-road" in the truck, but it has handled some dirt roads without any drama. Rides like a car, but is noisy on the freeway.

Cargo capacity is good. I moved from Fort Polk, La to Fort McPherson, Ga with 650 lbs in the back and the truck handled without issue. Leather seats are comfortable; my wife loves the heated seats and dual zone climate controls. Stereo is ok, but having the AUX input and 12V AC are nice touches.

I recommend this truck to anyone looking for a safe, reliable, and practical ride. With the trunk, I always have my golf clubs ready to go!...read morehide

Pros

very spacious, love the trunk in the bed, so many well thought out features

Cons

accessories are a bit pricey, need the body side moldings ($400 plus)

Purchased As New

just bought an 09 rts, what an awesome truck/car, rides like a car. is very easy to park, gas mileage is ok. performance is great, all the features are great, get compliments all the time, wish the warranty was a bit longer 3yr, 36k

Purchased As New

I shopped, test drove most of the vehicles in the market from SUVs to Trucks, from most manufaturers except Honda. A word was all I need from a friend and we purchased the almighty Ridgeline after test driving. It has the get up and go without consuming gas so far we are making 17mpg in town for less than 300miles on the truck!! It feels like a car, however it has so much room even for my 6'10 friends, its compartment in the trunk for storage is ver y useful for camping/grocery shopping and stuff like that. My wife was the skeptic she surprisingly loved this truck after the test drive imagine that. Least I forget the price very affordable in this hard economy times at a veryu low interest rate. Hope you enjoy your test drive like I did. You got to love the Risgeline, it is the ultimate TRUCK!!!...read morehide

Pros

Very reliable, decent fuel economy for its size, lots of cargo/passenger room.

Cons

paint has chipped in a few spots, a bit spendy

Purchased As New

I bought an '07 RTL and this is the first brand new vehicle I've ever owned, so what a relief. I know they're a little more expensive than some comparable models, but they more than make up for it in reliability. Other than routine maintenance, I have had no real problems with it. Gas mileage is pretty good too, I get around 22-23 mpg on the highway, 17-18 in town. And there really aren't a whole lot of them out on the roads, so I get compliments on it all the time. Unfortunately, some mistake it for a Chevrolet Avalanche, and I'm quick to correct them. This is the perfect vehicle for the person that does "a little bit of everything"....read morehide

Pros

Good mileage, 2006/RA. The trunk is great, truck moves even with full load!

Cons

Poor rear vision, tough to tell where front ends and curbs are . No Skid Plates!

Purchased As New

Mileage was not that great until about 7,000 miles and it got better up to 20k. It averages 20 mpg with a mix of in town and freeway driving. In pure freeway driving the mileage without a lot of cross wind is 22-24+.

It is probably the best 6 cylinder vehicle re power, merging and towing. Merges as fast as my wife's Lexus.

Very poor vision to the rear and the rear sides. I'm average height, and I can't tell where the front end stops. My sons are 6' and 6' 1" , and they can't tell where the front end stops when parking or manuvering in tight quarters.

I fly fish, and the trunk holds my expensive fly rods/reels securely and out of sight. Gear like spare rain gear, vests and dry clother stay in the trunk.

Mild off road driving with the full time all wheel drive is great.

However, the Honda Marketing guys and their lawyers are not great. Many of the places I fly fish require skid plates. The marketing guys showed the Ridgeline driving off road in Baja. That is an out and out lie as you would destroy the undersides in moderate to severe off roading without good skid plates. When, I bought the Ridgeline, I was told that I could buy after market skid plates to protect the underside of the vehicle.
That was wrong and it appears that Honda's lawyers go after anyone trying to after market good off road skid plates.

Ride is comfortable for adults. My wife hated the Big Bronco I had. She didn't want to ride in it and avoided driving it. She says the ride of the Ridgeline is close to her Lexus, and she has no problem driving to work if her car needs service or the roads are really bad with rain.

Our 2 grandkids prefer the Ridge over my wife's Lexus. They have plenty of room in the back with a pull down center piece. They can see the road and get in and out of the seat belts with no problem.

The all wheel driving takes a little getting used to, and I actually built up a few new reinforced skin parts on my inner hand/fingers. That is no problem compared to the superb handling ability. We have a lot of tailgaters up in Wino ccountry. I can take the Ridge into a tight curve at least 10 miles above the posted speed limit and not hit the brakes. After a couple of these curves, the tailgaters pull back.

I haven't driven the Ridge in snow, but I have on icy roads. It handles great. One son has friends who live both in the Tahoe and Wino country. Every family adult owns a Ridgeline.

My BIL and his wife visited from Illinois last May. He is a real car/truck buff. He had two Avalances, which got terrible miles. He couldn't believe the great mileage ,we got on the Ridgeline with 4 adults and gear.

He traded for a Ridgeline and loves it. His wife was concerned about driving one in the snow and ice. One severe cold day, her
Avalance wouldn't start. It had snowed all night and was still snowing.
Their new Ridgeline started and drove the 12 miles of country roads to a freeway to work and back home with no problem. She will be trading for a Ridgeline this fall.

They both have Harley's and a trailer to haul them. The Ridgeline handles the trailer and 2 Harleys and their gear .

We have a lot of rude drivers in California, who bluff us out in our Lexus like ignoring their stopsign when we are stopped at ours. They don't do that with the Ridgeline.

I have the basic RA Version. I would like to have a sun roof to ventilate the truck and a factory compass and air temp. The Ridge has the roll down the windows with the remote key capability. So I do this when it is warm or hot to cool off the inside. That is a great option/capability. The little window in the back can be opened or closed with the driver's controls and that regulates the temp.

In 2.5 years, I have had to replace the windshield wipers after about 18 months and the radio antennae had to be replace.d Other wise it has the Honda reliability that built the Honda Cult, which I am now a member....read morehide

Pros

Interior larger than some frull size PU's. Handle well, solid feel, looks great

Cons

Radio.

Purchased As New

Bought a 2008, got a good deal. I only have 5000 plus mile but mileage continues to improve. The interior is unbelievably spacious, plenty of nooks and crannies for storage. I has a reallu solid feel and handles better than any truck and most cars I have operated over the years. My wife was a little reluctant about a truck, but now it is all she wants to drive and our other vehicle is a Lexus. I feel certain that I am going to continue to enjoy this vehicle....read morehide

Pros

Ride, comfort, bells & whistles, looks, in bed trunk, dual opening tailgate

Cons

None for us

Purchased As New

Last year, we bought an RT base truck and loved it. Only put 4600 miles on it but decided to trade up to th 2009 RTL with navi. I love this truck. It is so comfortable, looks great, and is fun to drive. You would never know it is 4 wheel drive; the ride is smooth and comfortable. Since I am very short, I love the tailgate opening sideways. It makes it easy to get stuff in and out of the trunk. The back seat is comfortable for a couple of hours and it is so well designed!
We are a honda/acura family and always wanted Honda to make a truck. When the Ridgeline first came out, we felt it was a bit expensive. However, when we bought ours, both last year and this, we got great deals and have not been disappointed....read morehide

Pros

Great storage space. Wonderful ride. Terrific handling. Great looks.

Cons

Average gas mileage - still lots better than my old pickup.

Purchased As New

Was actually looking for an SUV. I always thought the Ridgeline was sort of "funky" looking. Then, I got behind the wheel and drove it. From that point on, there was no turning back.

The ride is smooth and the handing very precise. Braking is nothing but the best - quick, sure and straight. Love the interior styling and all the room for people and storage. More than enough for my 6'2" frame. The seats are firm and very supportive - great on a long trip. The inside is one of the quietest I have found in just about any vehicle (especially a truck). Road noise is at a minimum. There is just a little engine noise that comes through, but not enough to have anyone raising their voice to be heard - even when talking with someone in the back seat.

The accelleration from a stop is as though there is a much larger engine under the hood. And, the gas mileage isn't all that bad - averaging 19+ so far. The trunk in the bed is a wonderful design and so large. It is large enough to hold all I normally travel with. The tailgate design is the best. Swinging it open allows me very easy access to the trunk.

I had it in snow (for the first time) just recently and that is when I truly appreciated the drive train. Love the way it went into 4WD on its own and it was very stable and sure-footed. Then, when back on dry pavement, it is back to FWD. A wonderfully SMART system.

In closing, this is far and above the best vehicle I have ever owned. My dealer made the entire purchase process very easy and without any of the normal pressuring. With what Honda offers in the Ridgeline, it sells itself. And now, I love the styling. I have started "tricking out" my Ridgeline -- added the air deflector to the hood and running boards.

I have had people approach me in parking lots to tell me what a wonderful looking vehicle I have - I have the Dark Cherry Pearl and my running boards are black. GREAT LOOKING!! LOVE MY RIDGELINE!!...read morehide

Pros

Great Ride, and looks

Cons

Some things have cheapen on the new model, interior wise.

Purchased As New

I just purchased my 2nd Ridgeline, traded in my 06 RTL for a 09 RTL,
The interior has been cheapen using plastice instead of metal, the rubber floor mats were great during winters have gone to carpet mats, cheapen the taillights....I really think I liked the old model better...it just looked tougher...the quality is still there like all Honda's.....The price has jumped a couple grand, but the added features are nice, sunroof, trailer hitch, fog lights, daytime running lights..been driving Hondas for 25 yrs..You can't beat their engines....read morehide

Pros

A lot of room for stuff.

Cons

Fuel consumption is par. Needs a body/interior update since it's been the same since 2006.

Purchased As New

I was looking at trucks for 3 weeks and couldn't decide between Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma or the Honda Ridgeline. So I test drove all of them and seem to be pretty close in comparison of power and handling and looks. I chose the Ridgeline because of the amount of storage. The RL has a giant center console that expands when pulled open to reveal a giant hole with CD storage or whatever else you want to put. The best part of the Ridgeline is the water tight trunk, ice chest and dead body storage(haven't used it yet for dead bodies). I've used the trunk numerous times for parties and camping trips. The only problem with the trunk, it has a tendency to get hot during the summer and melt 100LBS of ice in a matter of 3-5 hours, but with a built in drain plug, you can drain the water fast and restock with ice. Anything that's glass or can in the trunk when ice is melted is like a fat kid in a wave pool sloshing around and hitting the walls when driving....read morehide