Recently the Honda Ridgeline saw a complete makeover. It hasn’t performed well in the past, and it even took a two-year absence to undergo an extensive redesign, so we’re left wondering if it can live up to a popular truck like the Toyota Tacoma. It’s time to compare these two to see which you should purchase for 2017.
Price
How much are you willing to pay for a great vehicle? These two mid-sized trucks are notoriously inexpensive, but they’re two great options if you need to haul something from point “A” to point “B.” Of course, Toyota has always been one of the cheapest options on the market, so it’s no surprise it’s the most inexpensive of this comparison.
Toyota lists the Tacoma SR 4x2 with a starting MSRP of $24,120. This is a stark comparison to the 2017 Ridgeline, which has a starting MSRP of $29,475. That’s a $5,355 difference, which can account for an extra $89.25 per month alone before taxes and interest if you got a 60-month auto loan. Is the new Ridgeline worth the extra money?
Towing
What’s the point of getting a truck if it can’t haul what you need? In this case, the Ridgeline outperforms the Tacoma—although the Tacoma is infamous for not being able to haul large loads. The Ridgeline can tow up to 5,000 pounds.
The Toyota Tacoma can only tow up to 3,500 pounds with the SR four-cylinder. However, if you want a little more power, you can upgrade to the SR V6 engine which can tow a massive 6,800 pounds. Keep in mind that this will also increase the MSRP to $29,735, which is more than the Honda Ridgeline.
Fuel Economy
Trucks don’t get the best gas mileage. Everyone knows this, but if you had an option for a more fuel efficient vehicle, you’d pick it, right? The Toyota gets 19 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway four-cylinder engine, which is nearly comparable to a sedan. If you were to upgrade to the V6 engine, you’d get 19 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway for the V6. Strangely enough, the V6 is better than the four-cylinder engine.
Regardless of if you choose the front-wheel drive or the all-wheel drive, the Ridgeline is surprisingly fuel efficient. This truck is equipped with a V6 engine that gets 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway with front-wheel-drive. If you were to purchase an all-wheel drive (which increases the MSRP), you’d get 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.
Reliability
What killed the Ridgeline? Some people would argue that it wasn’t very reliable. According to CarComplaints.com, the Honda Ridgeline has a slew of issues that customers are more than happy to voice.
It seems like Honda took all the complaints and worked to make a better truck. Consumers have given the Ridgeline a 4.5 out of five stars. Unfortunately, J.D. Power and Associates haven’t had the ability to review the Honda.
The Toyota Tacoma has a similar score for this year’s model, with 4.5 stars. Since these cars are so new, it’s probably best to take consumer reviews with a grain of salt, but they can help give you a place to start when looking at reliability. Especially since J.D. Power and Associates haven’t yet reviewed the new Tacoma, either. (Last year’s Tacoma received a score of 3.5 out of 5 stars.)
