Toyota FJ Cruiser or Honda Ridgeline? (vehicle, truck, mileage, buy)

[riveree]

I think we have the next vehicle narrowed down to these 2:

Toyota FJ Cruiser

Honda Ridgeline

We've never owned a Toyota, but we do have a Honda Pilot and love it. The Ridgeline seems to have everything we'd want and more, but at $30k+, it's a little pricey for what we'd like to spend (though it's in our range).

The FJ Cruiser looks attractive due to it's design and off-road abilities (though we'll rarely use them). The lower price is attractive too.

We don't do a lot of hauling, though a small boat may happen down the road. We will be using the vehicle for transporting large dogs (2) and material from Lowes/Home Depot, but otherwise it will serve as a day-to-day commute vehicle (gas mileage not too important - commute is short).

Does anyone have any experience with either? Do you prefer one over the other?

[rd2007]

Never driven either, but off looks alone I'd get the FJ. I love that retro look and the Ridgeline is not attractive at all, to the point of I'm always surprised to see people that actually bought one...

[BovinaCowHateWindTurbines]

Surprised that no other opinions on this - Hands down the FJ - even you do not need the off-road capabilities of the FJ IMO the ridgeline is a fairly useless truck if you can actually call it that. Also with the price and Toyota FJ legacy and reliability it is a no brainer.

The engine is the same as the Tacoma as well as the base chassis. It has a better suspension system than the Tacoma and more options. I looked at it (Honda) and besides the swing out tail gate I thought it was a fairly undefined vehicle. I do think Hondas are very good but not in the soft Truck category.

I would buy one in a second for its capabilities but a little too flashy for me. I will add that A LOT of very serious off-road junkies have fallen in love with the vehicle, and the ridgeline is kind of a joke as a truck in general.

[DowntownJerseyCity]

I am going to have to pick the Ridgeline for the sole reason that the FJ has absolutely horrid blind spots with regards to the B & C pillars and the huge rear spare tire.

I drove an FJ and was stunned that Toyota would actually let this thing hit the roads with those blind spots.

[riveree]

Thanks RD and Bovina .

We're coming out of a Jeep Cherokee (never again !), so some of our hesitation is with the complications that can arise with four-wheel drive systems.

We found the Jeep to be incredibly expensive with some repairs (we keep our cars a long time), especially anything related to suspension, etc., so we'd like to avoid that again. Though a four-wheel drive Toyota product should be far less problematic.

Looks-wise we like them both, but for different reasons. The Ridgeline seems to have a more subdued look to it, while the FJ looks fun (but maybe attracts attention? Not a plus with us). So, for us, looks are about even. We care much more about the interior and the functionality that how it looks anyway (the Pilot is pretty boring-looking, but it has so much else going for it, I don't care).

I'm also wondering about Toyota's pricing structure. Honda makes it very easy with their trim lines - there's not much to think about and that makes it easy to pick a trim level and know what you're getting into $-wise. How is it with Toyota? Is it dificult to figure out the pricing? Do they load up the lot models with upgrades? We visited one Toyota dealership and they did not even have prices on the cars......you had to ASK for the prices (we turned around and left).

[riveree]

Originally Posted by HobokenGuy

I am going to have to pick the Ridgeline for the sole reason that the FJ has absolutely horrid blind spots with regards to the B & C pillars and the huge rear spare tire.

I drove an FJ and was stunned that Toyota would actually let this thing hit the roads with those blind spots.

I heard that too......I think it's why Consumer Reports would not give it a thumbs-up on safety.

I don't think we'll rule it out due to that though. My husband has years of professional driving miles under his belt and feels comfortable dealing with the blind spot issues. I've heard too that the big side mirrors make up for it. We'll have to see for sure when we test drive, but I think he'll be fine with that. (it is a good safety point though and some might want to rule it out due to that flaw )

What else did you think of the FJ, HobokenGuy? Blind spots aside?

[rd2007]

Jeeps suck, I found that out the hard way..

[Beretta]

We have a Ridgeline and love it more now than when we bought it. It is so versatile and so safe.

Whatever you choose have fun and enjoy!

[DowntownJerseyCity]

Originally Posted by riveree

I heard that too......I think it's why Consumer Reports would not give it a thumbs-up on safety.

I don't think we'll rule it out due to that though. My husband has years of professional driving miles under his belt and feels comfortable dealing with the blind spot issues. I've heard too that the big side mirrors make up for it. We'll have to see for sure when we test drive, but I think he'll be fine with that. (it is a good safety point though and some might want to rule it out due to that flaw )

What else did you think of the FJ, HobokenGuy? Blind spots aside?

Well I did love the room. Being 6'5" I found tons of headroom and very ample legroom. Other than the blind spots, my only gripe with that truck is the tacky plastic diamond pattern on the interior, but this is a Toyota and the other is a Ridgeline so you are going to get great service and reliability either way.

[rd2007]

That's very true. both of them definitely offer superior quality to a Jeep and the resale value isn't even a competition