2021 Honda Ridgeline Review & Towing Test: Can It Tow Your Track Car?
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- čas přidán 26. 07. 2021
- The Honda Ridgeline is a unique offering in the midsize truck space, given it's a unibody truck with all-wheel drive. No low range, locking diffs, or body-on-frame construction here! But the 2021 Honda Ridgeline can tow up to 5,000 pounds with a 600 pound tongue weight - enough to tow an open trailer with a track car or racecar behind it. The 2021 Ridgeline Sport makes 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque from its Honda J-series V6, paired to a 9-speed automatic. Our test vehicle included @Honda's optional $2,800 HPD package - what do you think? Here's how the 2021 Honda Ridgeline tow test played out with an open trailer and a 1974 BMW 2002 hooked up to the hitch.
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Small correction the bed is 5 feet 4 inches. Which puts Ridgeline inline with Tacoma et al for their short bed option.
A couple points: I tow a 2020 Coleman Lantern 17bh travel trailer (3900lbs fully loaded, 19ft overall length) with the 17 Ridgeline (identical except only 6 spd trans) and it tows fine while returning mid to high teens mpg, so boxy trailers not really an issue. The whole, subtract occupants from payload and towing numbers, is true of all trucks the others just conveniently forgot to mention it. Lastly, the most popular truck in America is the f150, and it's highest selling configurations are the Xl and Xlt trims. Why do I mention that? Because those trims have the 3.3l engine and 3.55 axles, check the door sticker and discover that the most popular truck in America's best selling configuration tows 5000lbs and has a 1700lb payload, so basically is no better than the Ridgeline capability wise.
Glad the Ridgeline works for you and the trailer! Thanks for the comments - and agreed, everyone defines payload to basically just include an average-weight driver and nothing else. Honda is one of very few brave enough to admit that it changes with more people/things inside.
Good call on F-150, though it's important to note you can get many different engines/axle gearing on XL and XLT, as well as the Max Tow package, so they don't *all* tow only 5k. But very important with a truck like that to check the VIN, see the build sheet, and look at the doorjamb sticker to know what it's rated for, between hitch and payload capacity.
@@OutMotorsports exactly right, in fact I believe that optioning the 3.73 gears on the Ford with the 3.3l ups it's towing to something like 7500lbs. I do love my ridgeline though, in fact my 2021 arrives at the dealership later this month. Sadly I will be losing the lane watch camera from my Rtl-t, but overall a good upgrade.
@@OutMotorsports Also, I went back and re-read my initial comment, and realized it sounded negative and critical of your review, which I did not mean it to be. You gave a fair and balanced review of a truck most people are overly critical of. Your points on its strengths and weaknesses are quite fair.
In terms my points, I only like to educate people on what reasonable expectations they can have from a truck. Frankly, I don't believe one should tow over 5000lbs with any mid-sized truck, even if the manufacturers claim it can. The ability of trucks of that size to stop mass that is greater then the weight of the truck is not great. Even then, the top tow numbers they advertise typically require special options not included on the normal configurations and that by the time they are added to the vehicle, put you on even footing with their half-ton brand mates for price, so why not get the half-ton if you need that kind of capability.
Same regarding my comment on boxy trailers in the wind. The Ridgeline does ok, for a mid-sized truck. Compared to a half-ton, the experience is much worse towing those boxy trailers in any mid-size. If someone plans to tow a boxy trailer on a regular basis or for long distances, get a half-ton even if the trailer is within the mid-sized truck's door sticker capability, the extra mass and wheelbase make for a better towing experience, and safer for you and those sharing the highway with you. I only tow my camper to places within 2 hours of my home, and I never tow it on the interstates unless I have no choice. Can the Honda go further and handle towing on the interstate? Sure, but it is safer to take the back roads with less wind and speed, and I would feel the same towing it with any other mid-sized truck. If I had the need to go further, I would buy a half-ton at that time.
In an additional note on this subject, relating to the payload numbers and how they impact towing, there is the issue that the mid-sized truck range is pretty low on payload in the first place. The Gen2 Ridgeline was the segment leader in payload at the 1583lbs until the new Ranger came along, which I believe has 1700lbs or so. The most popular truck in segment, the Tacoma, has a payload of only 1100lbs for most configurations (again unless you select some extremely specific configuration options to get more which is rare). Why is this important? Well, let's use my camper and family as an example: 3900lbs (fully loaded GVWR with tanks full and maximum cargo) with a 15% tongue weight (585lbs right at the Ridgeline's max), myself at 175lbs as driver, and then my wife, kids, and dogs. For the Tacoma, 1100-585-175=340lbs. 340lbs for my wife, 2 kids and 2 dogs puts me over the max ability of the Tacoma and with no ability to pack any additional camping gear. I would need a second vehicle. The Honda would be 1583-585-175=823lbs. My wife, 2 children, and 2 dogs weigh around 400lbs collectively (rounding up for convenience), leaving 423lbs left over for gear. My point? With a single driver, the Tacoma can out-tow the Honda, but the Honda is the better tow vehicle for family camping, a better daily driver, and so forth.
Forgive the long-winded clarification, and again thank you for the fair and unbiased review of the amazing Honda Ridgeline!
No worries at all, it's good to have the conversation! You'll likely be horrified to know that Jake tows his aluminum enclosed car trailer with a 2013 Cayenne - it does fine given it's properly set up. Every chassis is different. The Ridgeline is honestly long enough (wheelbase wise) that stability with an enclosed trailer that fits in its stated weight/tongue weight capacity isn't a concern we have. As for braking - with properly-configured trailer brakes and a controller (electric brakes) the whole rig should be able to stop quickly and easily.
Modern "midsize" trucks are within spitting distance of old half-tons for size and they're a bit more capable than most give 'em credit for. The Ridgeline's biggest letdown is the engine, you really have to wind it up to make power and torque, which isn't the best experience for towing, especially if you live somewhere hilly.
ALWAYS good to reiterate that tow rating and payload come with specific trims/options and you can never assume that the vehicle you're buying is rated for what you want. Have to look at the doorjamb sticker and verify options yourself!
Glad you enjoyed the video and there will be more where this came from!
@@OutMotorsports thanks! I absolutely agree about the brake controller, and use one with my camper. I would love to see the next Ridgeline incorporate either hybrid or forced induction tech (maybe a supercharger) to give more low-end power. I love Vtec, but it does need rpms to work, same issue I have with turbos, they don't work well at stop lights or slow speeds. A hybrid/vtec engine would be amazing.
Great review! Thank you for discussing the payload which is often overlooked.
Glad you enjoyed! Payload really matters and a lot of people end up overloaded on both payload and tongue weight. It's all fine until driving conditions aren't perfect, and then you'll end up wishing you had cared more.
Hello its CampingRandy at the Ridgeline Store. We “super off-road” our Ridgeline. It’s very capable. Don’t sell it short. Clearance is the only issue. Once lifted, with skid plates; you can go anywhere. Great video.
Ridgeline is a great truck. I don’t blame others for choosing with more of their emotional side, but this does extremely well for 95% of uses that midsize truck owners do.
Agreed. Unless youre towing over 5k or doing hardcore off roading, there’s genuinely no logical reason to get anything else. This even has a payload higher than most half tons.
For your average Harry Homeowner who’s bringing home bags of mulch from Lowe’s on the weekend, it’s all you need.
It’s better in snow than my Silverado… does dirt roads just fine .. I rarely tow… and my Silverado 4x4 got stuck in a ditch off a parking lot… so my real man truck is truly just for show…Ridgeline gets a bad rap cause it ain’t cool … AWD imho is better than 4x4
Have to admit, super enjoyable video! Age 37 here came from a 2017 GMC sierra since new and before that a 2011 Silverado. After multiple and I mean MULTIPLE mechanical issues with the last sierra, I went to a 2023 Ridgeline. Unbelievable how quiet and comfortable this vehicle is to drive. thus far, no regrets. Absolutely excellent video! Well spoken and great info! Thank you!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed and congrats on the new Ridgeline! It's really all the truck a lot of buyers need.
Great info . Thank you !
Honest Review, thank you
forgot to mention how fuel efficient the truck is.
21-22mpg compared to the Tacoma's atrocious 17mpg.
That and I believe the Tacoma still has drum brakes in the rear 🤦♂️
D/S is Drive and Shift or S Position.
Index page 593 refers to pages 21, 395 and 397.
There is no “Sport mode” on any Honda Pilot, Passport or Ridgeline. For example the dedicated Drive button and separate Sport button on 2018-2022 Honda Accord 2.0T with shiftless gear changer.
Will there be a towing test of the Ford Ranger and/or Transit anytime soon? I want to tow a track car with an open trailer, and I appreciate the non-standard vehicles (vans, midsize trucks) you have been testing.
We’ll see what Ford has available in the area!
at 11:03 you can see the passenger from a BMW E82 trying to snap a picture of your 1800ti lol
That is the person taking the 3rd person view clips for the review.
I dig this truck
I just test her of one of these and it was one of the nicest trucks I've ever ridden in
Any idea what trim? They are well-equipped as base models but get pretty nice the higher up the scale you go.
@@OutMotorsports I test drove the black edition and a sport. Sport is a great deal, but I'll probably go with the black edition. The suspension setup just makes it ride amazing.
What was your MPG for towing.
Have you sustained any over heating issues driving long duration trips. I pull a Honda talon 4 seater and every year we take long road trips two different states to ride trails.
We didn't have issues and if you're at or below the max rating of 5,000 lbs (or a little less with passengers) you should be fine. Honda and all other manufacturers now use the SAE J2807 test when picking a tow rating. It's a brutal test out in the desert, and the vehicle has to tow its stated weight through a variety of conditions without overheating. You should be fine.
Truck enough for 99% of the "truck" owners who never put anything in there big boy truck that they don't need lol
Exaggerated percentage from a the view of a city boy or hobbyist. In Texas most of us use it for what it’s for. And sometimes the 1/2tons aren’t enough. And if I keep it clean and drive in the city I would get comments from people like you who think it’s someone who has a small penis and won’t use it.
@@MrMikeDao
Ya this city boy who lives in rural FL.
Your clueless to how things work.
Funny fools like you can't see past the nose on your face.
Maybe you think it's a big 3 thing, Big 3 ain't as American as you think.
Just because you use truck for it's purpose don't think most do. I travel all over this country and most pickups aren't used for shit but driving. Get out there it's a big country. Funny I've been to Texas many times and see many pickups with damn clean beds that where never touch with dirt.
Do a bit of research pal.
Take care, I see there's dummies even in Texas.
This toy sounds like it’s about to blow up just going up a small incline! It would never make it up the mountain roads in Pennsylvania towing.
@@jessepoorman2621
Sure lol
9900lbs is the combined weight limit, Honda Ridgeline, cargo and trailer.
I really really wish the sport/base trim came with a power drivers seat. I WANT the cloth (it's better in a truck), but I also want a power drivers seat. Sigh...
That's exactly what I wanted too. I did see some option where you can but aftermarket heaters, but I rather have the option that already come with it.
I HAD a Mercedes AMG, so ya, very nice, fast, sporty as heck. had the "performance exhaust" one day I was given a ride home, from a venue 5 min walk away... so in 3 mins or so, that man's 2017 Honda Ridgeline impressed the HELL out of me.... I went to investigate and decided that these CAR things....WELL, we live in Truck country.... Calgary, Alberta.... so traded the AMG in for a Black Edition 2019..... LOVED it..... hold on wait for it.... In 2021...with the REFRESH, tougher looking front and DUAL EXHAUST PIPES... ya... Jumped all over it, I especially love the KeyFob locking tailgate and in Canada here, the COOLING seats... the 2021 is a Sparkling Pearl White, Black Edition.... I feel its 2 times as good at the 2019....it's a REAL BEAST and its not the AMG... but when the VTEC kicks in.... I AM Impressed.... bye bye Mercedes for a long time.... I don't need SUPER Unleaded gas or 600$ oil changes....
Do you think this would be fine to tow a 3700 lb bowrider boat/trailer/gear combo on a 50 mile round trip every weekend over summer? I havent personally towed a boat with this, but all the other reviews/videos I've seen say that boats are aerodynamic enough for the Ridgeline to do just fine with -- especially those that weigh ~ 3500 lbs. That's pretty much all I would be towing with this. Do you think I'd have any issues given your brief experience towing with this?
You'll be fine, yep. Check your tongue weight if you're really concerned, but even 12% of 3,700 lbs is still under Honda's stated max of 600 lbs and it's doubtful that you'd have more than that unless the trailer was super off-balance.
My wife has a 19 passport with the trans cooler so basically the exact same thing just with an suv body instead of a truck body. We tow a 4 seat Polaris general which is about 2k pounds on a 16ft tandem axle trailer which is about 1,600lbs. It tows it with absolutely no problem whatsoever. I’d only suggest putting the transmission into “sport” mode as it kicks down and holds gears a lot longer which is nice for towing. If we keep it in regular drive it’s constantly going up and down gears.
I tow a 4K boat with mine and it does just fine
I tow a 3700# e-pro travel trailer no problems. Really a great truck.
@@forrestarmentrout1469
Just a couple questions
How far do you pull your trailer
How fast do you drive with the trailer?
What do you get mpg while towing your trailer ?
You mentioned an enclosed trailer pushes the engine too much. I have a 3,500 lb travel trailer. Do you still think this truck would have to work too hard?
The aerodynamic demands of a travel trailer/enclosed will work the Ridgeline harder than an open trailer, but you'll have an easier time if your total tow weight is 3,500 pounds. Should be okay. Use S (not D) for towing and it'll hold gears longer to keep in the power band - the J35 V6 is just a revvy engine that makes power and torque toward the top of the tach, that's all. Let it wind out more for hills.
Imagine how much more successful the Ridgeline would have been if it had been this decent looking from day 1. Design matters Honda, you keep putting out garish designs, your sales will keep suffering. (This 2021 is pretty nice...)
I totally agree! Even from 2021 on, I wish they gave it its own fascia, more square and truck-like.
@@kman2220 I had them put the HRD grille on my non-HRD truck. Looks far more rugged that way..
Tundra towing haul trailer
I think this is the only midsize truck that lets 4x8’ sheets lay flat in the bed.
Every second generation Ridgeline from 2017-2019 had a six speed transmission which kinda sucked. Every Ridgeline from 2020 till current had the 9 speed transmission which turned out to be better.
Where’s the tow haul button
What was the spelling of the name of that trailer brake controller?
It's a mouthful! Tekonsha Prodigy RF:
amzn.to/3luRV6a
If I’m hauling 4x8 sheets of drywall/plywood, I’ll spend a few bucks and rent a truck from Home Depot.
omg 11:02 :D
It would look sic squatted🎉😂
BTW it's the (hated) ZF 9sp and not a Honda 9sp - they make the old 6sp and new 10sp. Hope the Ridgeline gets the 10sp in the refresh :(
I hate the 6 speed more than 9 speed.
@@squidusn71 I think you are right that the 9sp is certainly a more advanced/better trans than the long-lived 6sp and to be fair to Honda they seem to have dialed it in quite a bit (I haven't heard people complain about it since the refreshed Pilot had it before the refresh and Chrysler Pacifica/Jeep Cherokee and a number of other autos around 2016/17)
Ridgeline towing
Ram towing
I'd love to own a Ridgeline for towing 5000# but that engine is too weak
did you just paddle shift a truck? lol
It's the only way to pick and choose your gears, which is super helpful when towing sometimes!
Tundra towing chet's rent
I guess you’re not an expert on a Honda Ridgeline it can haul 4 x8 sheets of plywood
I have a Mercedes ML 350 4Matic that tows 7500 pounds. I tow my RV with it just fine. I don’t understand why a truck, any truck nowadays can only tow 5000 pounds?
Design decisions made to keep ride quality, reliability, durability, cooling, performance, fuel economy all where Honda wants it to be while recognizing this is on a platform shared with Pilot, Passport, and Odyssey.
Also keep in mind, starting with model year 2013, all new vehicles with a tow rating meet the SAE J2807 standard, which is incredibly demanding on the tow vehicle.
Prior to MY2013, a manufacturer could truly just claim their truck or SUV could tow whatever amount of weight. And it might have, at 25 mph with the hazards on when you encountered a 2% grade. The SAE standard levels the playing field. So, not sure how old your ML is but that could be one reason.
If the SAE standard isn't the case, Mercedes-Benz and other European manufacturers tend to do a better job of making smaller vehicles tow more. That's likely through a mix of gearing, suspension design/damping setup, and bushing firmness.
It's absolutely a valid question but Honda clearly doesn't want to play in the 5k+ tow rating pool, and a 5k lb rating is fine for a lot of people. Look at the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick. They are both 5k or lower, and there are many crossovers that are also rated 3,500 - 5,000 that meet peoples' needs well.
put premium gazz in it.
Your review about the car was great. You have lots of talent, but why bring identity in car reviews? Why not just be yourself and work on reviewing cars without any sexuality. Who cares about that. We came here to see a car review.
Thanks! As for the "why" - the queer community is one that's not thought of as totally welcome at car shows, autocrosses, track weekends, etc. Sure, "show up" but can you bring your same-sex partner, much as a straight man would bring their girlfriend or wife? Can you do that without getting looks and comments? The answer is no, unfortunately, in a lot of places. And before you say "just don't shove it in my face," consider how simply bringing your wife or holding her hand in public is akin what many would call "shoving it in my face."
So, with that, we're here to build community for the LGBT+ car enthusiasts who have previously not found many or any of their people, or a welcoming place to nerd out about cars and motorsport. We host events online and in-person to connect people, too. It's not exclusively-LGBT+ (i.e. all are welcome as long as you're not a jerk) but the messaging is consistently "you are welcome as you are" which is sorely needed. The car community and motorsport community would both be better off if more adopted such a mindset.
If you have a problem with any of what I wrote above, there are a *bunch* of other channels doing new car reviews with no other purpose behind 'em.
I don't see the issue with him saying check identity. Over the many years we have had the 1st Generation Ridgeline 2006-2014 in family. I have seen 1000s of comments in reviews that said its a girly truck. It's a woman's truck ect.
It's a minivan they say never referring it much related to MDX Passport but some to Pilot. The macho male ego identity does need to be checked at door when
talking about Ridgeline. Yes check your numbers when towing. It's not a rock crawler. But it drives rides and handles.
better on road. Better daily driver or commuter. The thinking man's truck as people sometimes refer. What are your real needs. Cabin space in Ridgeline is more than other midsized pickup trucks.
The grocery getter comments.
Like we don't see Tacoma F-150 and Rams at Costco Walmart Sams parking lot. Some people more into towing and off- reading numbers. These gussied up Ram 1500 and F-150 are not doing off-roading many not towing nothing but trailer hitch. Beds are empty.
The Ridgeline bed doesn't need to be loaded down to make it ride better.
That's one advantage of Unibody over Body On Frame. We didn't buy for work truck.
Who gives two $hits what people think about you or you lifestyle…As long as you’re not being obnoxious I honestly don’t think most people, care!
Just a suggestion, make a series of videos just talking about famous cars that appeared in pop music videos like the Bugatti Veyron in Taylor Swift's video, pop videos and songs have a lot of car references and a car channel for the LGBTQIA+ community could use this to introduce gays to this universe
Still a Honda Pilot with a Bed .
...which is all the truck most buyers of half-tons actually need
@@OutMotorsports Used to pull my Small Boat on a CRV , broke the Transmission after a few Months , Then used a Ford Escape with the V6 4.0L engine , the Engine Blew after a year of pulling the same stuff . I needed a real Pick-up afterall.
@@Durahan82 Honda CRVs have very low tow ratings. I think they're currently rated to tow 1500 pounds, and they use CVTs, which aren't the best suited transmissions for towing. I don't think I'd regularly tow any size boat with a CRV.
@@chuckd7423 my CRV was a 2005 .
@@Durahan82 the max load of the CRV just like my Element, is 1,500 lbs, and one should never tow the max. 600 - 800 lbs is a proper long term tow load.
The f does lgbtq have to do with vehicles.
Plenty, for those of us who haven't felt entirely welcome as automotive enthusiasts for simply showing up as our whole selves at cars and coffee, track weekends, autocrosses, etc. Have a little empathy, it's good for you 🥰
The Nissan pathfinder is better
The Nissan Pathfinder is not a pickup truck and thus not a direct competitor.
The flares make the truck look like crap, it's like a man or woman with a thick black unibrow.