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Seamus McGowan

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I am in the market to buy aother vehicle and really like the looks of the sport trac. In my research, I have seen lots of quality issues with transmissions. Some of you have said this is not always the case, but they are common. So my hopes are still up. My co-worker is trashing the ST and suggests the Honda Ridgeline. Anyone have any honest advice / opinions / experiences comparing the 2006 Ridgeline RTL to the 2004/5 Sport Trac XLT Prem.?
 
Go with the ST......as you can see with this website, you'll get plenty of support for your new ride.
 
I also say go with the ST. You'll get a wealth of invaluable information here that will save you $$$$ in the long run and you'll make some friends along the way. Next time I purchase another vehicle, it has to have a site like this to go along with it. Sad thing is, I don't think there is any.



My honest opinion....the ridgeline looks like the family station wagon next a sport trac.

Just get the trac and join the club:D
 
Totally depends on need. Ridgeline is not a truck and should not be expected to perform as one, the ST on the other hand is a truck. If you plan to tow, or off-road, the ST is the only option. If it's only going to be a grocery getter when get whatever you want. My ST has 100+k miles will no major issues so far.
 
thanks for the inputs guys, keep em coming. I really want to go with the ST. I had a ranger for several years and miss it. My coworker keeps throwing the Ford quality issues at me compared to the Honda reliability history. It is hard to refute the documented evidence. But in the end, I need to go with the one that makes me like driving it, (and hopefully, I will get a good ST!) The ST I'm looking at is a gold 2004 XLT Prem with hard bed cover and extender, leather, upgraded touch screen JVC stereo w/ sub, and some other stuff. It has 60k miles and no reported problems. He will sell it to me for $12500. Seem reasonable?:unsure:

 
If looks didn't count, the Ridgeline would be the perfect truck for me. It's not too big or too small. I don't go off roading, don't have any toys to tow, and the only thing I haul on a regular basis are groceries and luggage. The Ridgeline has neat storage features in the bed and has a trendy and techie looking interior, and the ride is probably very comfortable too. To top it off, Honda does have a good reputation for quality.



My Sport Trac however, had to have its transmission rebuilt at about 28K miles, and had to be upgraded with aftermarket parts to improve some things. But I gotta tell ya, I love my 04! When I was in the market, the Frontier, Tacoma, S10/Sonoma, and Dakota, all were bested by Ford. Coming from an old Ranger, it was a luxurious upgrade.



I'm almost at 60K miles and she's been running good. People are comfy in it, I've come to the rescue when bulky or messy things needed to be hauled, and it's been a great daily. I love driving it with the moonroof open and the rear window down...it's almost like a convertible. With a premium octane XCal performance tune, acceleration has much improved and so has the mileage. And again, with aftermarket parts, ride quality is much improved over stock!



Nearly five years later and the honey moon still isn't over. I still marvel at how good it looks and I still get excited when I get inside to drive.



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I have to ditto Trac_511 on the fact that it was a luxurious upgrade from an old '91 ranger. I thought I died and went to heaven.. Been there since! :lol:



Seriously though, people will try to bash the Trac every chance they get. Before I bought mine, I heard stuff like "Its so ugly," and "its a girl's truck." Ironically enough the last comment was made to me by my female boss who owns an '02 ST.



Well those nay sayers sure changed their tune when I show up with my black '03 4x4.



All I've heard since have been raving reviews. As soon as people get in my truck I hear "I love your truck!!!" usually multiple times in one sitting. Even my boss thinks its much more aggressive looking than she thought (not realizing I've modded mine a bit)



The Ridgeline seems like a good choice, but I can tell you from experience that you'll never be sorry for adopting up a Sport Trac



 
What JDBoxes says. Apples and oranges.



Do you want a truck or do you want a grocery getter/weekend bicycle hauler?



Ridgeline is nice for what it is. SportTrac is nice for what it is. They are not the same, however.



Drive a nice '08 Ridgeline RLT. Then Drive a nice '08 Limited V8 SportTrac. Then decide.
 
I also was a Ranger driver, then in late 2000 I saw a ST and had to have one, traded in my '98 Ranger for a brand new shiny '01 Island Blue 4X4 ST...loved her, never had any problems with it the whole time I had it...when the gen 2's came out I decided I'd upgrade and got me a brand new shiny '07 Metallic Orange Frost Limited, 4X4 4.6liter V8...so far so good with this one.

























 
I also was a Ranger driver, then in late 2000 I saw a ST and had to have one, traded in my '98 Ranger for a brand new shiny '01 Island Blue 4X4 ST...loved her, never had any problems with it the whole time I had it...when the gen 2's came out I decided I'd upgrade and got me a brand new shiny '07 Metallic Orange Frost Limited, 4X4 4.6liter V8...so far so good with this one.

























 
Does the Ridgeline's rear window roll down? After owning a Trac for 7 years, I could never again own a vehicle that did not include that feature.
 
thanks guys! I am glad to see others also think the Ridgeline is 'ugly as sin':D I think I will take my chances with the ST. I really enjoyed my 2000 Ranger and think I will feel right at home in the ST. I feel like the $12500 he is asking for the gold 2004 XLT Prem (63k miles) is a fair price. Does it sound about right? (new tires, hard bed cover and extender, leather, upgraded touch screen JVC stereo w/ sub, more). After I get this, I will need to get back with you guys to figure out the best mods and upgrades!:cool:
 
Really?! I would love that! but all the '07s I ve seen were $22k and up (way up into the $30s). If you have one for sale 'a couple grand more' thatn the 04... give me the details please.
 
out here in Portland, OR (originally from VA though).

I am trying to limit my budget as well. As much as I would love the new STs, I dont really want to spend that much right now. I could spend 17-18k, but would rather not, unless I found something I just had to have... a deal that I could not pass up. Other wise, a used truck in the 12k range is easy and not so risky in these carzy economic times.
 
Well, mine booked out at over $39k. I bought it when it was 3 months old with 2881 miles for $27,500 Due to the equipment, mine's still worth a good amount, but around here, you can pick up an XLT for under 20k.
 
Its true, I've seen some pretty cheap '07s. I got mine (2003 XLT 4x4) for $17,000 CAD in July 2007. Prices have dropped significantly since then, mind you. I've seen a lot of '04 and '05 going for peanuts up here.



Do some research on autotrader.com or find the black book value of the Trac you have in mind.



I don't think you should be paying for the upgrades that he did to it (i.e. touchscreen & sub etc.)
 

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