One of my wife’s nephews work for Honda before and after we bought our Ridgeline. Our local BIG O dealer owner worked for Acura. Both said that the Ridgeline’s transmission was the best of a marriage between the Pilot’s and MDX. The Odyessy was never mentioned.
Below is a link reconfirming their insight and input.
The one complaint, I have re my Ridgeline is the inability to buy true off road gear to protect the expensive underside. Honda’s lawyers apparently wait to sue anyone daring to make some real off road secondary market protection.
So that has eliminated a few of my fly fishing sites where I needed the OJ Simpson Bronco Clearance and still hammered some rocks with the underplates. I can negotiate 6-7 inches of clearance, but anything more could really damaged the expensive underside.
Honda ad guys should be fired when they show the Ridgeline doing off road stuff.
One of our younger relatives out here with 4k boat and a dog of a F150 preferred the Ridgelines. His new F150 does a good job.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/trucks/112_0503_2006_honda_ridgeline/performance.html
The Ridgeline uses a five-speed automatic transmission and Honda’s 3.5-liter VTEC V-6 from the Pilot/MDX, but tuned here to 255 horsepower and 257 pound-feet. By mounting the engine sideways in the bay, Honda has created the only transverse-engined truck on the market. Also similar to the Pilot/MDX is the use of Honda’s VTM-4 automatic AWD system. No low-range here, but some light off-road during our drive proved this SUT more than capable at crossing streams, crawling up semi-steep trails, and gripping its way through some half-treacherous troughs.
Honda pulled a few rabbits out of its hat for the Ridgeline, the coolest of which is a lockable, weatherproof, in-bed storage area included with a floor drain that allows it to be filled with ice and beverages for primo tailgating at the stadium lot. Another nifty item is the dual-action tailgate that operates in a conventional up/down motion and a side-hinged, swing-door motion (first seen in old Ford/Mercury full-size wagons). Honda engineered this gate for access to the hideaway storage bin and to prevent yard material from cramming the gap between the tailgate and the bed when off-loading. It’s a smart idea that works.
Click to view GalleryTo prove just how serious the Ridgeline is about competing in the pickup-truck business, we hooked one up to a 5000-pound trailer and drag-raced an equally equipped Ford F-150 with an optional 5.4-liter V-8. The Ridgeline’s lack of displacement and two cylinders put it at a distinct disadvantage, but the race was close, and the Honda was barking at the Ford’s heels the entire time. We didn’t expect it to beat the Ford, but we were surprised at how close it was.
Direct competition includes Ford’s next-generation Sport Trac (see number 0:42), which made its debut alongside the Ridgeline at the Detroit show, though the Sport Trac’s body-on-frame chassis may not ride as comfortably or handle as well as the Ridgeline’s.
I also, tell people that the best mpg comes after you have over 15 to 20 K on the Ridge. Buy a good used one and enjoy the 18 to 20 mpg in town and 22+ on the road.
My wife has a great joke about the relatively small bed of the Ridgeline:
The bad news is that everyone thinks it has a small truck bed.
The good news is that noone wants to borrow it because of its perceived small bed.
I can’t be what she and our DIL and some of their friends get in and out of the “puny” bed.
Have a good day.
You say that like it's a good thing... (I'm thrilled as can be with all my LH platform Chryslers, because while front wheel drive, they still have the engine in the correct way) ;-)