Honda vs Toyota truck loyalty is a real thing. One week with both changed my mind.

I drove my buddy's 2019 Honda Ridgeline for a week and loved how smooth it was. Then I spent a week in a 2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD and hated the stiff ride but it felt tougher. The Ridgeline hauled 1200 pounds of mulch no problem but scraped on a dirt road. The Tacoma went over the same road like nothing but shook my tools loose in the bed. Which brand do you stick with for real work and why? Has anyone else jumped between these two?

3 comments

3 Comments

rose_hart12d ago

My buddy Steve bought a 2022 Tacoma for his landscaping company after running a Ridgeline for three years. He said the Ridgeline was nicer for his daily commute but the Tacoma didn't get stuck or scrape once when he had to back his trailer into a muddy client's backyard. He still complains about the Tacoma's stiff seats on long drives though (go figure).

troyreed12d ago

Man I gotta say the_jenny kinda nailed it but also missed the point. I've been through this exact swap, Ridgeline to Tacoma and back. The Ridgeline is hands down better for everyday stuff like hauling furniture or bags of concrete from the hardware store. That trunk in the bed is genius for keeping tools dry and secure. But if you're doing real off road work like hauling gear up a muddy construction site or pulling a trailer through a rutted field, the Tacoma wins every time. My Ridgeline scraped on a gravel driveway I drive weekly, and the transmission overheated pulling a small camper up a mountain pass. The Tacoma just chugged along. So honestly, it depends on what your "real work" looks like. If it's mostly paved roads and Home Depot runs, get the Ridgeline. If you're actually bouncing through job sites or hitting trails, get the Tacoma and bolt down your loose tools.

the_jenny13d ago

Real work? Hauling 1200 pounds of mulch once or twice a summer and scraping on a dirt road isn't "real work" to me, that's a weekend chore. The Tacoma shook your tools loose, so which one is actually tougher on a job site? People act like a truck is a personality trait, but both of these are just mid-size trucks with different compromises. What kind of "real work" are you actually doing every day, or is this just about which one feels cooler in the driveway?