Bob99b5

Despite what I said when I ordered my car in April, I decided last month that I didn't really want to put it through a New England winter. I've driven my last three Mustangs year-round, 18,000 miles per year but they were all hard top. I intended to use this one the same way - in fact, I even ordered heated seats to keep me warm - but in the end I came across a great deal on a new Honda Ridgeline 4x4. Plus, who can't use a pickup?? So now the Stang will get to hibernate for the winter once the snow starts to fall.

About the Ridgeline....I looked at a lot of trucks (Tacoma's, Tundras, Rangers, F-150s, and Chevy Colorado) and I think this one was the best choice for me BUT I'm really surprised about the poor quality of the finish on the Honda. The bumpers are way off in color from the body and I really expected more. The dealer gave me the old "they're all like that" line. They haven't heard the last of me yet. In comparision, this Mustang and the others before it, have all had excellent paint.

Here's the winter ride, all waxed up and ready to go:

steevr

Bob, how's it going? Nice second ride. Honda suffers from the body/bumper paint difference across their whole line. Look at the rear bumper of a current generation white Acura TL the next time you see one. All the TL's suffer from that, with white being the worst. Unacceptable for any $30K plus car. On the TL message boards I can't begin to tell you how many dealers have paid to have the bumpers repainted.

I'm just getting ready to put the Vert away too. My daily drivers are an '02 RX300 and a '97 Lincoln Continental w/32K miles that I inherited. I've had nothing but SUV's lately, but with having the Lincoln and the Mustang this past year, I'm really back into cars again. I'm at the point where I like driving the Lincoln more than the RX because of the 32V 4.6L V8. Only downside is that it's FWD (good for the winter though).

lmunz22

No F-150 Lightning?

Northwest GT

You guys have brought up an interesting point. Japanese cars are not necessarily the pinnacles of perfection the advertisements would lead you to believe. On the other hand, this S197 Mustang is about as close to perfect as I've ever seen (and I'm an old guy who has owned a bunch of cars).

In a year and a half all I've seen in my '05 GT was a leaky brake fluid reservoir cap. No shakes rattles or rolls. The paint was A-1 from the factory and it still feels like a brand new car. The Insurance Institute rates it highly because it's easy to fix after an accident. If Ford, and the other two of the Big Three, built all their cars as well as this Mustang, there would be no Japanese cars on the road (or in the parking lots of Ford plants).

Bob99b5

That one made me smile! Wouldn't that be nice! But I think after buying two new cars in three months I needed practicality, not another toy! The funny thing is that the Mustang is now the "economy" car in our family - it's getting a solid 20+ mpg overall (the Ridgeline has been struggling to get 17, and my wife's Lexus RX330 SUV (the smallest they make) gets around 18.

Hey Steve, everything's good! I never noticed the problem on white but I'll take a look at the Acuras, and other honda's too. I too like driving cars much better too but the Ridgeline is a good cross for me - it rides nicely and handles well. I don't particularly like the RX we have...it's really smooth (which I suppose they want it to be) but I find it too soft and uninvolving to drive. On the other hand, my wife absolutely loves it.

I completely agree with your point about the Japanese, they're not as perfect as people make them out to be....but the Ranger that I compared the Ridgeline to was an archaic POS. Ford really needs to bring that car up to date, retire it, or drop the price significantly to make it stand out in value. The nicely equipped ranger I was looking at was going to cost me $22,000 on X plan!

karman

By the way, the Ranger is a Japaneese truck....MAZDA.
I have winters which are even worse than yours. The past 3 years I have been driving a 2WD Ranger with 200+lbs. of sand in the back. I never brought it in for warranty service and I really am comfortable in it. It cost me under 11K including sand and it gets 27mph on the highway.

Zastava_101

Why Ridgeline, its not even a real truck. And they are way overpriced.

Bob99b5

You know, I have to agree with you, this ISN'T a truck and I think that's probably why I liked it so much. It's a true five passender double cab with tons of room, it rides great and handles well, its got great innovative features (like the in bed truck that's locked, alarmed, and completely dry inside just like a car's trunk), it's got all the safety features (traction ctrl, stability control, front and side air bags, and curtain airbags) but I think the thing that did it most for me was the prices (I got nearly $7,000 off MSRP -and that was a real $7,000 off, all they added was $198 for paperwork) AND, in the end, I think the resale value will be there if I decide to sell it early. All I really wanted was something to use in the winter and this just turned out to be practical and a great deal to boot. In the end, this cost me $2,000 more than a Ranger and I think it's just a much better vehicle all around.

Evil_Capri

Other way around . . . the Mazda is a Ford. It has been some time since Ford has used a Mazda truck in their lineup (Ford Courier ~1970's early 1980's).

Little Black Pony

Wonder if they discounted it $7k, cos it got damaged in the lot or on a test drive. Hence the missmatched paint on the bumpers. My last new Honda had a crappy factory paint job but the color still matched. I'd check to see if the serial number tag on the bumper is the original factory # or has "R" and the "H" Logo for a replacement part. If the tag is covered in paint then they repainted the bumper. Just something to check for that big of a discount.

Hmmm, you probably could have got an Ford Explorer Sport Trac 4WD for about the same money. It gets 21mpg Hwy. We have an '07 4WD on our lot for $27k. Most all of the Ridgelines MSRP at $29k.

Bob99b5

[quote=Little Black Pony;765459]Wonder if they discounted it $7k, cos it got damaged in the lot or on a test drive. Hence the missmatched paint on the bumpers. My last new Honda had a crappy factory paint job but the color still matched. I'd check to see if the serial number tag on the bumper is the original factory # or has "R" and the "H" Logo for a replacement part. If the tag is covered in paint then they repainted the bumper. Just something to check for that big of a discount.
quote]

My brother has a body shop and he checked it out thoroughly and said neither bumper was a repaint or replacement, then I went up to the dealership and all the other silver Ridgelines have the same mismatched paint. Today I went back on Steevr's suggestion and took a look at the white ones and, sure enough, the mismatch on those is even worse.

Zastava_101

If you weren't looking for a truck, why didn't you go with SUV?

If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for Ridgeline?

Tony Alonso

I am somewhat disappointed that I have the squeaky A-pillar issue mentioned by others in the previous model years with my new '07 GT. That small detail mars what is an almost perfect experience, much like what the major Japanese manufacturers are noted for currently.

I do agree that Ford and GM have improved in the past 5 years, and that this Mustang's fit and finish are much better. However, the rattle is quite noticeable on this car. It was present after just 150 miles.

I am sure getting some dampening material installed will eliminate it.

The most telling story will be in 3 more years. I hoping for the best with this vehicle.

Bob, enjoy the Ridgeline. It is an interesting vehicle, similar in concept to the Chevy Avalanche. A $7000 discount is great!!

steevr

Bob, I saw a white Acura TL in the parking lot today and thought of what I told you. Sure enough, when I looked at the rear bumper from the side, the white bumper was way darker than the rear quarter panel.

Enjoy the Ridgeline. I sat in one at the Chicago Auto Show and it was very comfortable inside. I also liked all the locking compartments in the back. If it rides anything like a Pilot, that's a sweet ride.

Little Black Pony

Yikes, I guess the Canadian Plant Quality Control isn't as strigent as some of the other Honda plants.

metroplex

Japanese cars are more American than American cars. They are being built, designed, and engineered in the US (Toyota in Ann Arbor, MI and California, etc...)

Toyota Avalon: Over 73% domestic parts content
S197 GT: 65% domestic parts content

07ShelbyWanter

Personally, I'd love me a nice FX4 F-150 SuperCab, black with black leather to match my s197 GT - i'm just not the Ridgeline type. But enjoy regardless

Vermillion06

Picking one model out from each manufacturer doesn't tell you as much as comparing the brands as a whole. You can pick the highest domestic content model for an import and put it up as poster child for that import's "American-ness"

Here's what it looks like when you compare the brands as a whole:

Ford (domestic brands) : 78% domestic content
Toyota: 48% domestic content
source

metroplex

That will slowly change. Just wait and see. With $5.8 billion in loses, Ford is going to slash costs and move more operations overseas to China and Korea instead of relying on Mexico.

Just as a comparison, the Jeep Wrangler, the icon of American utility vehicles, had a 83% domestic parts content rating in 2004.

I'm not sure where that 35% of the Mustang went, but a Mexican transmission (TR-3650) certainly doesn't help the numbers.

Toyota and Honda are moving more and more operations into the US. Someone here bought a new 2006 Accord and everything but the transmission was made in the US/Canada.

mrkabc

I'd rather have my toenails torn out than buy a Honda. Just my $0.02. Enjoy your ride.