Anyone else cross shop a Nissan Frontier vs Honda Ridgeline?

S

shake&bake

New member
Hey folks,
I’ve been debating between a Nissan Frontier and a Honda Ridgeline as a daily driver and weekend hauler. Curious if anyone else has gone through this same decision and what tipped the scales for you? I like that the Frontier feels more like a traditional truck—body-on-frame, rear-wheel drive, good towing numbers. But I also can’t ignore the Ridgeline's smooth ride and more car-like handling, plus all the smart storage Honda packs into it. One thing that’s had me hesitating though: I’ve come across some scattered reports about transmission issues in both. Nothing too alarming yet, but it seems like they’re not totally immune to problems.

Anyone have first-hand experience with either? Especially around long-term reliability, transmission behavior, or which one ends up being cheaper to live with? Leaning Ridgeline. Thanks!
 
Wow! I've never owned either, but I love this comparison. It's honest and to your needs. Please keep us informed as to how it goes. I deal with a lot of people who want cars and trucks that I don't dig deep into so your insight is educational to me.
 
My brother had three Honda Ridgeline. two from the previous generation and one from the latest generation (which he replaced three years ago). He drove over 150,000 miles with all of them, as they were company pickups constantly on the road.

He really liked all three, but he did mention a few drawbacks:
  • They rust easily (so annual rustproofing is a must if used in salted conditions) - maybe better now.
  • The paint was somewhat fragile.
  • The seats became uncomfortable on very long driving days (he now prefers the comfort of his Silverado).
  • The latest one had several electrical issues (one wasn't found before letting it go), though the two earlier models were trouble-free in that regard.
Mechanically: No major issues with any of them.
 
Einstein said:
My brother had three Honda Ridgeline. two from the previous generation and one from the latest generation (which he replaced three years ago). He drove over 150,000 miles with all of them, as they were company pickups constantly on the road.

He really liked all three, but he did mention a few drawbacks:
  • The seats became uncomfortable on very long driving days (he now prefers the comfort of his Silverado).
Click to expand...

Glad I'm not the only one...
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I keep leaning Ridgeline. I test drove one over the weekend and I like it. Seats seemed fine, and enough room in the back for my 5 year old son. On Reddit I saw a handful of complaints about auto high beam. But overall that seems to be the only real consistent problem with the 2035 models. Going to test drive the Nissan this weekend.
 
If serious and I mean serious off-road does not come to mind on how you plan to use your truck, or if a 6 foot bed is mandatory, you will probably be better off in a Ridgeline.

It has more space, it's better on gas, much better ride and handling and has a very good AWD system for everyday on road driving.
 
I'd see if you can do a longer than ordinary test. I recently had the Ridgeline as a test vehicle and drove it for three hours straight. The seat comfort thing didn't hit me until about an hour and half in. But if it does everything else you need/want (that in-bed storage is clutch), then there are aftermarket solutions for bad seats.
 
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