Honda Ridgeline to 2016 Silverado - First Impressions

ShamrockShooter · July 16, 2016

My 16 Subaru Outback with navi, onstar, internal antenna, and eyesight (electronics) has no static on FM 60 miles from the City. At first i thought the static/buzzing was a blown speaker, but when i put it on xm or bluetooth music, it went away. There is a software update available as listed in another post on this site, so maybe i will get lucky and that will fix it. The bose radio was a $500 upgrade, so it lets you here the static with extra fine quality sound...lol.

Cant wait to get my leer cap on next week. Happy i went with the Husky Xact floor mats over weathertechs. i have them in my subaru and dont like them much.

KARNUT · July 16, 2016

The Ridgelines is aiming more towards midsize trucks and SUVs, so far the mags are giving it high marks. As fars as performance the engine has enough hp to hold its own with the rest in its class. If memory serves, most midsize V6 midsize SUVs I test drove perform better then most full size trucks and got better gas milage. Apples and oranges.

ShamrockShooter · July 16, 2016

The new ridgeline had many faults. No volume knobs, in trunk bed was smaller and they removed ability to carry a full size spare. The back doors only open about 45 degrees making it impossible to load anything in the back seats. The rear seat leg room was less, they put the armrests on the seat and gave u a nice flat place in the middle for your purse. The bed is also very shallow. The hardcore guys on the ridgeline forum have mostly said they wouldn't buy it. It drove like a car but it was expensive and the build quality didn't look too hot on the initial trucks I saw. Tacoma and Colorado where too small so went up the silverado.

redwngr · July 16, 2016

I've found the S7 will charge fine IF it is pushed towards the rear when sitting on the charging pad.

Ravenkeeper · July 16, 2016

Spent 9 years in a Honda Ridgeline. Replaced 1 hose that's it. Loved the truck, but it was time for something new, and didn't like the new Ridgeline redesign. So a 2016 Crew Cab Chevy it was. Here are my first impressions:

The good:

The Texas Edition in White with 22 inch black rims looks bad A$$. I've had several people stop me in the parking lot and tell me what a sharp truck it is. i like the move away from all the chrome to body color trim.

The fuel economy is impressive with the 5.3. First road trip around 100 miles at 55 said 23 mpg on the display.

The crew cab has lots of room and good visibility.

Love the volume and favorite buttons on the back of the steering wheel.

Android Auto is pretty nice for Google maps, and Amazon Prime music.

The Onstar app w/ Remote start and lock is a great feature.

Highway ride is pretty quiet. I had an F150 and a Ram for 4 months while my honda was out for airbag work. the Chevy is definitely quieter on the highway.

I don't have to ever try to convince anyone that this is a real truck like i did w/ my honda.

The bad:

I like the overall layout of the infotainment system. However, the constant static in FM/AM (I'm 5 miles from the broadcast tower) stinks. Bringing it in for a software update, but i have my doubts.

It's 2016, do we really still need a 20 inch coat hanger for an antenna? Is it really that hard to make an internal antenna?

Why bother making those tiny useless floor mats?

The cup holders (bucket seats/ no middle seat) are the noisiest creaking plastic junk i have ever seen. i can't put anything in there w/o it making a terrible plastic noise.

The person that designed the sun glasses holder in the roof, should be taken out back and kicked a few times for being stupid. Seriously, a $53,000 truck and I can't even fit my kids sun glasses in there the opening is so small.

The driver door makes a terrible rattle when you close it.

The black trim piece on the roof is already loose and bulging up two inches.

The wireless charging pad is a joke. I have a samsung 7, which i charge wirelessly all the time, but it has only worked once (case removed) in my truck. Very disappointed. I was looking forward to this feature.

That's all for now. I look forward to many fun years in this ride.

It's bad enough trying to compare a Ridgeline to an Avalanche, but a no brainer trying to compare it to a Silverado.

Woohoo! largest engine a 3.5l V6 with an AWD only setup with no option for a powerful V8, 4WD or 2 spd. transfer case. A truck shaped SUV that tries to pass itself off as a truck......want to hook up a trailer to that baby and lug it up a hill?

I can see Elton John having a problem fitting his glasses into the overhead holder, or trying to jamb in oversize curved wrap arounds into the compartment, but it takes only normal dexterity facing lens forward to fit just fine by feel without even looking.

Silverado's radio station discrimination could be better in urban environments. But with unsuitable windshield and rear window locations, there's no other place for an internal antenna in a vehicle with no side stationary glass.

I can relate to this post. I too had a ridgeline for almost 10 years. I tried out the new one but was not all that impressed. So I leased a new 2016 Silverado. The increase in gas mileage over the Honda is great and only to get better. Have to agree on the sunglass holder. I have only had it for a little over a 100 miles so I can't comment on the rest of the complaints. Enjoying the truck so far though.

I figure I can lease 3 times with the money I saved over buying a new Ridgeline

I traded my '10 Ridgeline for my '15 Silverado. My Ridgeline was getting me 24MPG and my Silverado has been averaging 19, since I bought it. I've been wanting a full size truck, mostly for the tow capacity, 12K as opposed to 5K. I love the ID holder and hate the sunglass holder. I don't listen to AM/FM anyways, so I removed the antenna, giving my Silverado a sleek, clean look.

Dnt · July 16, 2016

Quotes by OP in original post "Replaced 1 hose that's it." "I had an F150 and a Ram for 4 months while my honda was out for airbag work"

Honda makes a great vehicle but like all not without its imperfections. I put my sunglasses in the center console because they will not fit in the holder LOL I do keep some small reading glasses in the miniature sunglass holder LOL

fbachman · July 16, 2016

What kind of "Elton John" sunglasses are trying to put in there!! My Ray-Ban Aviators fit with room to spare. Sorry but I just don't understand all the complaints about the sunglasses holder. I've even put my wife's Oakleys in there.

I agree. I have aviators (and not the ones with tiny lenses, I have a big head---ask anyone ). I'll admit, at first, I was like... WTF? Once I got the hang of it, and figured out to put them in Lenses facing forward... NO PROBLEM.

Works great for me...

UplandPa · July 16, 2016

A guy I work with went from a F150 to a Ridgeline. He says it's the worst vehicle he's ever owned, not tough enough to do any truck things and fuel economy not as good as a car.

He's broken down twice with electrical problems while on family vacations, can't wait to unload the thing!

Silverado Steve · July 16, 2016

Know a couple of coworkers with Ridgelines. They constantly complain about the crap mpgs 19 max and little capability and price point. They both said their next trucks would be full size.

redwngr · July 16, 2016

I agree. I have aviators (and not the ones with tiny lenses, I have a big head---ask anyone ). I'll admit, at first, I was like... WTF? Once I got the hang of it, and figured out to put them in Lenses facing forward... NO PROBLEM.

Works great for me...

Not the first to report this experience with the glasses holder.

fbachman · July 16, 2016

That's the kicker for me...

most anyone I know with a "compact" suv / truck gets no/only marginally better mileage than my '16 5.3l/8sp full size truck (Sierra)

Makes it academic for me..

Pretty impressive really; a rolling barn door aerodynamically, a large truck with a beefy V8, and 16-17mpg all day long in suburban and light city driving.

Then again, GM has always been known to have a big edge on engine management over its competitors.

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Silverado Steve · July 16, 2016

That and when you consider the new Ridgeline runs from $36K-$42K, you could get a equally equipped full size for that point. Other than only needing something smaller to navigate the city or park in a garage, the mid size don't make a lot of sense financially.

That's the kicker for me...

most anyone I know with a "compact" suv / truck gets no/only marginally better mileage than my '16 5.3l/8sp full size truck (Sierra)

Makes it academic for me..

Pretty impressive really; a rolling barn door aerodynamically, a large truck with a beefy V8, and 16-17mpg all day long in suburban and light city driving.

Then again, GM has always been known to have a big edge on engine management over its competitors.

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fbachman · July 16, 2016

That and when you consider the new Ridgeline runs from $36K-$42K, you could get a equally equipped full size for that point. Other than only needing something smaller to navigate the city or park in a garage, the mid size don't make a lot of sense financially.

Agreed, you stole my thunder..

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15 Z71 · July 17, 2016

Is a ridgeline even a truck??

bassJAM · July 17, 2016

The midsized don't make much sense financially, but I do LOVE my Frontier. I prefer the slightly smaller size for daily driving, especially in the tight parking garage at work. If it wasn't for the likelyhood of needing room for 2 carseats and an 8 year old in the backseat next summer, I'd be getting another Frontier or Tacoma. I would have been interested in the new Ridgeline, because in spite of it's unibody construction it's still capably enough to haul firewood for me. But it's butt-ugly! So suddenly the extra legroom and width of a 1/2 ton is important to me.