Just about done with upgrades. Installed Mr Taillight kit to keep fogs with high beams on. A must if you live in the country.

 

If they are that much better as another poster notes they could save a lot of lives. Ford just erased all the good will I had for them after the money borrowing from Obama. We know the price difference is like a hundred bucks on a bad day. Look at this way............would you pay an extra $1600 for seat belts?

I sat in a Ridgeline last night and picked up a brochure. Time for a test drive.................................really sad Ford................really sad!

 

Umm, you realize Ford didn't take any bail out money, right? GM and Chrysler took the bail out, Ford was able to stay afloat without any help.

No offense, but there is a huge difference between comparing seat belts vs. no seat belts to a slightly higher output headlight with a nicer looking cutoff. The LED headlights are more about status and style than they really are about safety. Yes, they light up the road a little better, but it's barely a safety concern. And if you look into LED technology and consider R&D, I guarantee it costs Ford more than $100 extra for a pair of LED headlights. If you want to talk safety, consider the F150's 5-star crash test rating from every angle in every cab and its IIHS Top Safety Pick award.

90% of new vehicles are still using halogen headlights, at least in the lower trim levels because the technology is still expensive to actually engineer to be better than halogen free-form. I had halogen headlights in my old truck and have the LED headlights on my '16 Lariat and while I like the LEDs better, I don't consider them any "safer" than my old headlights.

But if you're honestly comparing a Honda Ridgeline to an F150 (which by the way don't even claim to be in the same class), I think you have some bigger equipment/capability/performance concerns to worry about than headlights.

 

My good will toward Ford was because they didn't take any money..................although I think Ford credit did..............not sure.............and were forced to by Obama...........also not sure. How could you not get that from my post? Why would I have good will for a company that stole money from my child's future to buy off the UAW vote and not let the free market run it's course?

Cree is right down the street from me and I have a lot of friends that work there. Believe me................they don't cost what Ford or anybody else is charging for them. It's clearly a marketing move which is fine in most things but not when it comes to safety and overcharging for it. I could care less what they want to charge for it to be a factory option but if they are purposely designing them to make it very expensive and difficult for the aftermarket companies to offer a much cheaper swap out that's BS That would be like only offering decent safe tires on higher models but designing the rims so they fit no other tires of good quality and at a fair price without $1600 very hard and expensive to engineer $1600 adaptors.

Your comments on the Honda are baseless as I'm considering a daily commuter and occasional under 5000 pound boat tow vehicle and dead deer hauler and am not comparing a 1/2 ton Chevy to a 1/2 ton Ford. I'm comparing the only 1/2 ton truck I would have considered based on not taking the bailout money and the safety ratings I already knew about and take very serious ( and why this light issue pizzes me off ) to a new vehicle I just found out about that may or may not better fit my needs. Test driving both for a full 24 hours will tell. If I can't bring it home and return it in the morning I'll not consider it. The fact that people buy based on a ten minute drive around the dealership astonishes me. One of the things I'll be closely evaluating is your claim on the low degree of safety improvement the new lights provide to my personal night vision with 55 year old eyes. I could care less about if they were cool and didn't even know they were not standard in all cars these days that shows how important that factor was to me. I wouldn't own a flashlight without them and thought only cheap throw aways flashlights were the only thing left not using the same. I figured the same for cars. Live and learn..........hence my reason for joining this forum.

 

You're right, the LED chips themselves do not cost Ford $1600 or anywhere close. And yes, the profit margins are exponentially higher on the higher trim levels than they are on the XL/XLT. However, much of the cost of the LED headlights on the F150 is the development of the optics, the design of the housing to protect the circuit board and chip to ensure a long service life, and testing to ensure it meets the glare requirements and holds up to extreme weather/temperatures. Halogen free-form lights are a proven technology and they can be easily and relatively cheaply developed to perform quite well. Personally, I would have rather seen an articulating projector style headlight like we have in our Buick and Cadillac. I'm sure Ford's approach cost them more than a projector, but they're on the cutting edge of the technology by doing things in new ways, and executing them quite well I might say.

I would suggest pulling said boat on your 24-hr test drive to really see the difference that a real body-on-frame truck makes. And also consider how useful the Ridgeline's trunk would be when your bed is loaded. Furthermore, I urge you to consider the implications of sending your hard-earned money overseas rather than supporting the domestic economy, and even consider checking out the Canyon/Colorado mid-sizes. Because while GM did take bailout money, they paid it off in short order. And technically speaking, Honda was among the many companies who benefited from the gov't programs on the credit side (not justifying, just saying).

 

Not sure of my facts but a quick google search for Honda picked up this

American manufactured transmission for 2017 Honda Ridgeline - Torque News

and for Ford picked up this

With move to Mexico Ford no longer Made in USA

And once again it's actually the UAW that is to blame for both of the above links and for your belief all the money was paid back to my 12 year old son

It's Official: Taxpayers Lost $16.6 Billion On The Auto Bailout - Conn Carroll


I have no idea why getting to the trunk is relevant since Ford has no trunk at all so that's a plus for the Honda the way I see it. My rifles or other rarely needed but valuable items will be even more protected than in the Ford while camped for the night.

I'm sure if I did a lot of towing or heavy towing or needed to haul farm sized loads everyday the Ford would be no contest but I'll be towing on flat interstate and for no more than 100 miles with the boat twice a month if I'm lucky. On the other hand I commute 44 miles a day on interstate

"Most midsize pickup owners don't actually tow with their trucks, according to Honda, which published its own research during the launch of the new 2017 Ridgeline. According to Honda's research, fewer than 3 percent of midsize truck owners tow with their trucks, and of those buyers, fewer than 6 percent tow more than 5,000 pounds. On the other hand, 95 percent of midsize trucks are apparently used for on-road commuting duties. So why not create a truck that can do all of that, even if the market is small?"

I suspect the figures for 1/2 ton truck owners are not a lot higher----at least around where I live from what I see daily. If I was in rural Wyoming I sure it would be the opposite. Mostly what I see is woman at the grocery store trying to park the family four door very short bed 1/2 ton Ford with great difficulty. The new Honda can carry a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood, haul five people, and gets 30 MPG on the highway from all the accounts I'm reading and if I understand this correctly ( which I might not ) all four wheels are always pulling where as that's not always the case in a 4 x 4 full size Ford but correct me if I'm wrong on that.

I will admit it looks a little whimpy up beside a 1/2 Ford and it will be a real test of my manhood if I can get past that which I might not be able to. Laffin'

 

Also I'd appreciate your advice on something.................given what I said I would be using it for what rear end ratio would you think would work best for me if I got the 4 x 4 3.5 EB and gas costs are very high in NC given how we finance our roads. One hour north in VA gas is always 20-22 cent cheaper.

 

Well it looks like Honda is doing the same thing with only giving you the hi tech lights on the more expensive models but these things read like they have artificial intelligence built into them

LED Lighting
The 2017 Ridgeline incorporates a wide range of available light-emitting diode (LED) exterior lighting features, including LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), LED low-beam projector headlights, LED side marker lights and LED taillights.

LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
The Ridgeline RTL-T, RTL-E and Black Edition have bright, distinctive LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL). A signature design feature of the new Ridgeline, the DRLs utilize a wing shape positioned above and beside the available LED projector low-beams. Shaped to match the rugged, purposeful stance of the new Ridgeline, the LED DRL array is wider at the side and thinner on top, gradually tapering as it moves toward the inside of the headlight lens. Stylistically, the DRLs strongly and clearly define the front corners of the Ridgeline.

LED Projector Headlights with Auto On/Off
Exclusively on the Ridgeline RTL-E and Black Edition, LED low-beam projector headlights provide improved nighttime illumination and visibility compared to contemporary high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights. The low beams reach approximately 460 feet compared to approximately 360 feet for traditional halogen low beams, and the beam width is approximately 100 feet compared to approximately 65 feet for halogen low beams.

Besides improving driver confidence and passive safety, the LED headlights use less energy, helping to enhance fuel efficiency by reducing engine loads. In addition, the LED headlights last up to three times longer than HID headlights and up to six times longer than halogen headlights – contributing to less frequent replacement and the associated cost savings. An auto on/off function is included, and the low-beams are also keyed to the remote key fob operation.

Auto High Beams
A crucial feature that should help the Ridgeline achieve a top Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the auto high beam feature on the RTL-E and Black Edition uses a camera located on the rearview mirror mount to continually scan for oncoming traffic and for traffic ahead of the vehicle in the same lane. The system illuminates the high beams except when oncoming traffic is detected. In this case the headlights automatically switch to the LED low-beams until the traffic has passed, then automatically switch back to high beams. Requiring no intervention or action from the driver, the auto high beam feature significantly improves nighttime illumination for enhanced active safety. The system functions when the headlight switch is in the Auto position, and may be disabled and reactivated by a quick pull on the high-beam stalk. An HSS icon appears on the instrument panel when the system is functioning.

LED Taillights
All 2017 Ridgeline trims feature large LED taillights, bolstering the substantial truck-like appearance. Laffin'

Fog Lights
The Ridgeline RTS and above trims are equipped with halogen fog lights to enhance visibility and safety in inclement weather.


They never say if the hi beams are halogen or LED if I'm reading it right.

 

Without getting much in to the argument of USA made or not, just keep in mind that the F150 is still made in one of two assembly plants. Kansas City Missouri and Dearborn Michigan. The % domestic content is over 70%, which is the highest in the class, and among the highest of all vehicles. The engines and transmissions are US (some engines from CA), and the ultimate profit and proceeds of the company stay here in the US to support among the highest number of American jobs per vehicle sold for any given company (GM is ahead here).

10 Most American-Made Cars of 2016

I retain my suggestion to tow your boat as part of your test drive. 100 miles round trip may not be a substantial percentage of your time on the road, but it's plenty of time to notice the safety difference between driving an undersized tow vehicle that's steered by the trailer and a properly planted body-on-frame vehicle that has things under control. Plus the trailer pro backup assist is top notch for backing a boat straight down a ramp without even thinking about it, and having the smart connector that keeps tabs on your lights and everything else is handy.

To me, the 2.7L EB sounds like the right engine choice for you. It's still a peppy, impressive engine but you'll benefit from the maximum fuel savings and overall economy, and you'll still have 2600lbs of overhead over the Ridgeline. Go with 3.55 gears if you get the 2.7L (7600lbs towing). If you've decided on the 3.5EB, keep in mind that it is generally known to get poorer mileage than the 5.0 V8 in real world testing. The 3.31 gear set would be more than adequate for you while maximizing economy on the 3.5L EB (10,700lbs) as well as the 5.0 (9,100lbs).

With regards to the headlights, based on the pictures I would say the high beams on the Ridgeline are halogen. Which, again, isn't really a bad thing.

Auto-high-beam is also an available feature on the F150 when you step up into the LED headlights on the 502a Lariat (what I have), which also has LED tail lights (also available on XLT, along with rear cross traffic alert) and LED DRLs, as well as a plethora of other LED flood lights and spot lights available as perimeter lighting. The headlights are also turned on with the rain-sensing wipers if you get this package. Between the puddle lights under the mirrors, the puddle light on the tail gate, the bed lighting, and the headlights and tail lights, the lighting package on the F150 is very impressive.


BTW, telling the consumer they're saving gas by using LED headlights instead of halogen is laughably negligible.

 

Why are there always justifications and arguments. Buy the Honda and enjoy it. You're on a Ford site. The owners of 2015/16 trucks seem to be very happy because there are very few complaints here relative to ither forums. So expect most here to bang the Ford drum.

Go a Ridgeline forum and see what those owners have to say about their trucks. Don't post, just read. My advice ro everyone is buy what you like best and don't feel like you have to justify what you drive to anyone.

BTW, my lowly base halogen headlights are some of the best I've had. They perform very well.

 

I actually sent a dealer a request for a walk off the lot price on one they had in stock. 72 months at zero percent is pretty good and if I can get the thousands off some of you guys claim is possible I might pull the trigger. I expect they will call or email today. I too noticed that stupid line about saving gas on the lights.....................hate being mistook a fool like that.