VTEC with a bed

[Sijray21]

Despite feeling like a sheeple (or a quintessential suburban homeowner dad), I bought a new 2019 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E in Obsidian Blue. Back to Honda and VTEC I go. I’ve been debating with which vehicle to replace the GTI for a while now and pulled the trigger yesterday. Acquiring the z3 last year threw my initial plans of a sporty hatch/wagon back to the drawing board as it gave me a cheap(er) fun car to drive and tinker with as a project. A mid-sized truck was ideal for a utility fitment into the fleet to compliment the roadster and my wife's wagon and this one is the best fit for what I plan to do with it.

The truck is nice, like really nice. The steering is clearly of a larger vehicle, but not over bearing. I'm still getting used to the width, turning radius, and wheelbase when maneuvering in tight spaces. The features really make this a pleasant experience and I've yet to really master much of the tech yet. I haven't tried the ACC yet, I hope to never test the safety stuff, and I already don't like the aggressive lane keep assit.

I also haven’t daily driven an automatic transmission since the Titan in early 2010 and I forgot how nice it is in stop/go traffic. I do find this strange when I think about it, but when I do drive an automatic I tend to just cruise as opposed to trying to find the open spot and gain a better spot in the rat race line; maybe this is good for my overall driving demeanor. The suspension is cush and this thing is q-u-i-e-t. If I don’t turn on any music it’s eerily quiet. The handling is what it is; responsive for its size, slightly heavy, and yet numb. The engine feels strong and throttle is nice. It gets out of its own way except when in eco mode where it feels like I put it in limp mode. The seating is comfortable and not bolstered. The interior space was a big selling point and had plenty of room in the cab for both rows, probably because it's pretty much a pilot with a bed instead of a third row. It feels like I’ve given up a little getting this nicer suv/truck/car thing and beautifully I don’t really care about the stigma. This thing will be useful and hopefully pretty reliable pending my maintenance.

Only future additions I can think of are a tonneau cover, bicycle rack mounts for the bed, and some all weather mats, but that’s about it. Maybe those extended door checks for the rear doors, but not planning to do much with this car/truck aside from drive and use it.

[Apoc]

An auto DD? RJ has a sad.

[Kaan]

you forgot... trailer for the Z3 to come back out the track

[Ryan T]

Nice truck man. I like it. Too bad it'll get stolen before Christmas.

[Sijray21]

i have thought about a trailer for the z3 eventually. no place to store it due to HOA rules, but we'll see about the progress for that thing. Still needs the rear end welded up properly, the bushings for the RSF, and i wouldn't feel comfortable unless i replace the seats with something that sits lower (they're heavy and they fetch a good amount online anyway).

Christmas? shit, i'm not that lucky with Hondas


BTW, already useful today

[Kaan]

welcome back to the game. time to get a cold air intake and exhaust

[JPolen01]

Love the color choice. Not the biggest fan of the styling on the new generation as it feels that they just cut the back off the pilot and slapped on a bed. It should serve you well though. I glanced at them a few times when I was at the dealer buying my Accord. The cushiness and quietness of a Honda with the utility of the truck is great.

[Jake]

Great color! I have a friend who has one in white, they had all the chrome paint-matched and it looks... different. Not sure I'd do it on yours or leave it contrasting as it is.

It'll definitely tow the Z3 once you get those last fiddly bits fixed up.

[Sijray21]

I am not a fan of the styling of the pilot, but the biggest gripe i have with them is the rear; luckily the Ridgeline doesn't have that. I still am not a huge fan of the front as it looks like every other SUV/Van that honda offers (wish i could just put a paper bag over it...), but at least i don't have to look at it while i'm driving. The color is the best thing, IMO, for the styling of this truck. Although i'm not a fan of the chrome, i couldn't care less about 'fixing' the styling...something something lipstick on a pig, something something...

[.RJ]

Ridgline is an ugly truck. No way around that.

[Apoc]

(or a quintessential suburban homeowner dad), I bought a new 2019 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E 

I think you misspelled F31.

[Sijray21]

(or a quintessential suburban homeowner dad), I bought a new 2019 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E 

I think you misspelled F31.

i don't think F31s are for the quintessential suburban homeowner dad, i think they're for the cool ones    ... sigh

[WRXtranceformed]

Congrats man! They are really really nice, probably the most comfortable truck out there in that category. You may also want to look at adding step rails. Improves the look, is very functional and the right ones will keep offending soccer moms doors from dinging

[ScottyB]

i like it Jay. first off, that color is Tits McGee. but secondly, i think it will be insanely practical for you guys. between the space, ground clearance, ability to hold filthy dog/hardware/bike stuff in the back and good interior space you'll get your money's worth. honda makes a mean V6 too, i bet with a little tweaking it would really scoot...don't tell me you haven't thought about it

[.RJ]

 honda makes a mean V6 too, i bet with a little tweaking it would really scoot...don't tell me you haven't thought about it

There aint much in this one, to be honest.  Its a bit of a strange choice for this chassis as the motor isnt particularly torque-y and the powerband seems to be a big higher up than what the transmission usually wants to shift at.  Plus the truck drives like a Minivan through and through, its impossibly boring.  But its quiet, comfortable, easy to park and the utility of those things are really something else.  There's times I miss mine.

[Sijray21]

honda makes a mean V6 too, i bet with a little tweaking it would really scoot...don't tell me you haven't thought about it

i haven't actually thought about modding the ridgeline engine with anything, but i'll save that for the z3 or another fun vehicle in the future. If it were an accord v6 or something maybe.

The fact that this thing only has 2 pedals already means to me that it's a commuting/utility tool i and i already drive it like that. i have zero urge to floor it or hit the twisties in this thing, haha.

the only mods i'm considering are for adding more utility and comfort:

• rear checkers (already ordered)
  
• tonneau cover (shopping around, jesus there are a lot of options)
  
• bike rack system for the bed (seeing if one can work with a tonneau cover)
  
• all weather mats
  
• step rails (thanks Lee, i didn't think about it before, but this'll happen sometime soon)
  
• tinting for the front windows to match the rears
  
• yellow fog light bulbs because the halogens don't match the LEDs anyway
  

The LED headlights are nice at night, however I've never had auto-high-beam lights on a car before, so that's interesting. nice, but also not? i'm not convinced i like it yet. The ACC i find to be a bit aggressive when slowing down with considerably slow traffic in front, but i generally don't trust it. The Lane Keeping assist is actually kind of nice to have in this thing since it's pretty wide. Android auto is sweet; nice to have every day now. Eco drive deactivates some cylinders and i do find it smoother in slower traffic, but it definitely hampers the performance. Has plenty of get-up and go in normal mode for what it is, imo.

[ScottyB]

aw bummer. i've heard J35's with an open exhaust and its really a cool sounding engine.

[.RJ]

Jayray, dont get a bed cover. There's a factory bike rack accessory that's really nice and not terribly expensive, just buy that.

There's also a factory bed extender, those are also really nice and makes the short-ish bed much more useful.

I dont think you need step rails. I'm a hobbit and I never had them or felt like I needed them....

If you have any interest in a bed liner then do it now - the factory plastic liner is fine though IMO, it just gets scratched to shit with regular use.

[JPolen01]

You can turn the auto high beams off. I had to in my Accord. I found it convenient when they come on by themselves, but they do not turn off fast enough for oncoming cars. I rarely use ACC, but when I do I feel like is works pretty well. You can adjust how close you follow the car in front of you (1-3 car lengths) if you haven't done that. It does leave a decent gap that people can cut in on.

I got weathertech mats about a month ago and love them. Perfect fit.

Plus one on the no step rails. You will probably step right over them most of the time.

[Sijray21]

Jayray, dont get a bed cover.  There's a factory bike rack accessory that's really nice and not terribly expensive, just buy that.  

There's also a factory bed extender, those are also really nice and makes the short-ish bed much more useful.

I dont think you need step rails.  I'm a hobbit and I never had them or felt like I needed them....

If you have any interest in a bed liner then do it now - the factory plastic liner is fine though IMO, it just gets scratched to shit with regular use.

apparently the new bed liner doesn't scratch as easy as the Gen1s (watched some HondaProJason video where he was explaining that).

The step rail is actually more for the kiddo and other shorter people riding in it (mom, wife, etc.) along with aesthetics; i don't need it and not a priority. The racks are cheap and the trunk in the bed locks with the doors anyway, but i was thinking of a cover for trips where we'd need the storage for bags of clothing and such where weather would be a factor. We'll see; not sure on the cover just yet especially with how expensive they are.