[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

People are like that all the time. I've had losers in EVs and Priuses get mad that inwas driving a truck by myself. People should just shut up and let people make the choices they want lol.

Yeah, the whole "empty pickup truck" rage thing makes me laugh. Like you have to drive around with a bed packed full of shit or else you are wasting "resources". LOL.

I'm like the worst of the worst, Small Block Hummer H3T. It barely gets more offensive than that!

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Pretty sure a Ridgeline would get a pass. If they made me get rid of all my cars and said I can only have one, the Ridgeline would be my first choice.

Especially if you have the bed trunk cooler stocked with ice cold beers for the boys, lol. That's how you make friends right there, lol.

Honda Ridgelines are like pontoon boats to me
It's realistically all 98% of people need, has a ton of perks that make it realistically better for most people... But you'd rather have a buddy with one than own one lol.

[jaffles]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

No lie, that's one of the things BMW did best. Made some of their EVs look normal. The average consumer doesn't want their EV as a statement, they just want a normal car, and if it's an EV and that works for them, great. BMW having modular platforms for ICE, EV, PHEV and whatever else is genius and the correct way to do things for the foreseeable future.

Son and I were killing time down the dealer the other day, loitering around the M section of course. The M5 V8 hybrid 3.2lt/100 with a lazy 737hp. Not sure I'd need that much punch in the sleeper touring wagon. Not sure I'd drop 300k on it either. Small details suggested something special, not big look at me sPisHul.

[jaffles]

Originally Posted by Davil

Meanwhile in NSW we will be charged for having solar panels that produce energy during the time the sun is out. No charge at night though. And yes I have solar panels. Colour me impressed.

You can get around this with a battery system. A decent one that doesn’t catch fire with enough capacity is about $20k. Well out of the reach of most people.

However, if you have a battery system and the mandated smart meter then your power is out of your control and not so useful during a blackout.

Diesel sounds appealing.

We have to be the luckiest nation in the world for renewable energy for house holds. The hope/dream/eventual reality of charging the car from a battery that the sun filled is hear. And we can run the house day or night on a battery that can be sorted for 5-8K AU.

If the house doesn't run off solar when there is a black out its been wired wrongly. Same if it doesn't charge the battery (day light) to run the house in a black out. And its only time before the car can power the house. Sure if you want to run everything on 400sm house you need a whoppa system.

I still have a generator as where I am its possible to have a week of rain/cloud, but that's no reason to not do renewables. And to date no extreme weather event has taken my solar panels away either. But like generators, if people want to run the 400sm house on full capacity in a extreme weather event like nothing happened, you're not running a small generator either. Your dropping 20-25K.

Sure boof-head has subsadised batteries, but bozso is offering middle class tax cuts, Australians pay regardless for the duopoly clown show. At least one side of the circus is moving in some direction after 30 years, rather than same ol same ol.

I googled house fires from house hold solar batteries, 4. Then googled number of houses with solar batteries, 300,000+ and rapidly increasing. Solar battery fires are like shark attacks, fear at its best and fish mongers peddling fear for gain. Even so we are mandated to have a fire alarms in every room anyway so who cares.

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

Especially if you have the bed trunk cooler stocked with ice cold beers for the boys, lol. That's how you make friends right there, lol.

Honda Ridgelines are like pontoon boats to me
It's realistically all 98% of people need, has a ton of perks that make it realistically better for most people... But you'd rather have a buddy with one than own one lol.

So I'm not a truck guy (even that's a huge understatement), and while I'm aware of the whole Ridgeline thing, what actually is the problem with them? I've never understood it, but I know next to nothing about truck culture so maybe I'm missing something.

At first I thought it was just because it was a Honda, but no one seems to make fun of Toyota trucks so I guess that's not it. So what is it?

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

So I'm not a truck guy (even that's a huge understatement), and while I'm aware of the whole Ridgeline thing, what actually is the problem with them? I've never understood it, but I know next to nothing about truck culture so maybe I'm missing something.

At first I thought it was just because it was a Honda, but no one seems to make fun of Toyota trucks so I guess that's not it. So what is it?

Agree. I really like the current Ridgeline, it is much better looking than the Gen 1. If I had to go to a single vehicle, the Ridgeline would be my choice and I'd definitely take it to the dump!

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

So I'm not a truck guy (even that's a huge understatement), and while I'm aware of the whole Ridgeline thing, what actually is the problem with them? I've never understood it, but I know next to nothing about truck culture so maybe I'm missing something.

At first I thought it was just because it was a Honda, but no one seems to make fun of Toyota trucks so I guess that's not it. So what is it?

Two parts I figure. One is that it's a Honda. In some.parts, being a Japanese truck at all was looked down on, I had some buddies who would call Tacoma's and Tundra Toy trucks because they were Toyotas (keep in mind, this was all in 80% jest, one guy had owned a Tacoma).

The bigger issue I think for most boils down to design. The Ridgeline is basically a Pilot underneath, and so.it has a unibody design. Up.until the Maverick and Santa Cruz, it was the only pickup in the US that was not body on frame. Being a unibody comes with some great perks, that's why it rides, drives, and handles more like a car or crossover than any of the other midsize trucks. But it has drawbacks in robustness, ease of repair, and the general abuse that you can put it through.

Again, this comes back to the "better for most people" reality of the Ridgeline. Most people aren't going to beat up a truck to the point that it matters, and would enjoy the improved road handling characteristics of the Ridgeline. But trucks sell on things that you're probably not gonna do "but you COULD". Like you don't have an RV, but you could pull a big one of you wanted, so you buy the 12k pounds max tow package with power extending tow mirrors. The bed in the Ridgeline also is a little smaller than others, and so again it's easy to sell someone into a Tacoma or Frontier by saying "you can carry 30% more mulch back there, that's making one trip to Home Depot instead of 2" whether that's true or not.

At the end of the day, it being a Honda doesn't help. I have no doubts that Chevy, Ford, or Ram could design, market, and sell a.u.obody truck without issue. But Honda as a brand just doesn't speak to truck buyers the same way. Honda is associated with cheap economy cars overall, and they're not going to get considered by most truck buyers, and a Honda salesman isn't going to be able to articulate to a truck buyer why their offering is better
But if Ram had a unibody midsize truck, they could EASILY make the benefits practical for people, and cut to whether you really need a BoF truck,.or if a "sport lifestyle truck" or whatever they market it as would be better for them.

All that said, I wouldn't buy a Ridgeline, not because of anything to do with it being unibody or less of a truck or whatever... But because there's just not a realistic path to make it fast and sporty. Of there was a realistic path to make like, 450-500hp in one I would absolutely consider it, but you just can't, and frankly, they're not fun enough to drive for me stock. The same cannot be said about the other trucks, with almost all of them offering upgrade paths to decent power.

[jaffles]

Downunder twin cab ute as we call them, are very popular. Do nothing great but do all things ok.

Seems the super sized Ram, Ford, Chevy in that order has presence in the market with certain customers. These larger, menacing in looks, and perhaps phallic symbols that take up the road and don't fit in car parks, have become almost a statement of FU to renewables with their owners. Very popular with builders who mod them to look even more menacing and park them outside the job but never put anything in the back, preferring to just get it delivered. And ones who like to tow things that make the car look small (super sized boat or caravan). Ram and Mustang for that matter are heavily subsidized down under so I guess you blokes are paying for that back home. Donny's big idea to make American manufacturing looks good on one hand, but not so goo don the other. Toyota's tundra is too expansive and rarely seen hear.

The Japanese and to some degree the growing Korean twin cabs (all ICE) rule the market, but Fords Raptor has to be the most popular. Of which owners often try and make them look Ram like. BYD (build your dreams) the Chinese hybrid is growing in presence with growing positive reviews. As are all their cars. They will never skull drag a shark cat boat to the top of Frasier Island, but less than .01% of the market want to do that anyway. But if you save $300 in fuel for the camping trip or $50+ a week around town then they are starting to appeal.

[gonzo]

Ranger Raptor.

Dealer tune. CalPower or something.
Front leveling kit.
Scoots comfortably and can run through really rough shite if zombies attack and stuff.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

All that said, I wouldn't buy a Ridgeline, not because of anything to do with it being unibody or less of a truck or whatever... But because there's just not a realistic path to make it fast and sporty. Of there was a realistic path to make like, 450-500hp in one I would absolutely consider it, but you just can't, and frankly, they're not fun enough to drive for me stock. The same cannot be said about the other trucks, with almost all of them offering upgrade paths to decent power.

It's a truck... basically the complete opposite of fast and sporty. I guess as a non truck guy who only owns a truck to tow an RV and haul stuff, I just don't get the appeal of "fast and sporty" trucks. It's like making a fast and sporty minivan. As the great Dr. Ian Malcolm once said "they're so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should".

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

It's a truck... basically the complete opposite of fast and sporty. I guess as a non truck guy who only owns a truck to tow an RV and haul stuff, I just don't get the appeal of "fast and sporty" trucks. It's like making a fast and sporty minivan. As the great Dr. Ian Malcolm once said "they're so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should".

Because I don't want to drive a boring daily driver, but I also need the size of a truck or SUV in a daily. I really don't understand how it's so hard for people to understand lol. I got kids, I can't daily drove a small sports car anymore. It doesn't need to be the fastest thing around, but I don't want to drive some big, slow, boring car daily. I've done it before and I HATED it.

[jaffles]

Down hear we have this hardware chain called Bunnings, they dwarf all competition and have very large stores every 5th suburb. Lots of car parking. They are part of a group of companies or which sells groceries, of which one is the major player of the three in the country. This company also own Kmart, Target, Officeworks and various alcohol outlets.
These groceries stores however run deals with oil companies for discounts on fuel to attract customers to shop there.

All these stores have massive roofs, car parks, and potential for shaded parking that could accommodate solar.

I'm surprised these players don't talk to energy companies and car manufacturers. Perhaps its coming but the possibility to trade energy, attract customers, and charge the car is low hanging fruit I think.

If car manufacturers moved to plate charging, so its little more than parking a car over a plate sitting on a surface. Be it city street, business car park, or anywhere a car parks for 30 minutes, it would be possible to trade. The account is simply your cars Vin No.

But just say you take your full car that charged from your house battery that was charged the day before from the sun, down to the hardware store. You can either sell a % of your charge or get a discount on items purchased, as they trade that energy. If you are running short on charge and you agree to the rate, you charge while doing you thing or shop elsewhere. Perhaps trade registration, rates, or parking fees if parking on public streets with the State or local council.

No stupid leads like a 50s drive in, or stupid plug varieties like Apple, just pull up and park and your connected. Sounds a bit easier then going to the gas station. Sounds like a free market. Sounds like a better use of energy.

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by jaffles

Down hear we have this hardware chain called Bunnings, they dwarf all competition and have very large stores every 5th suburb. Lots of car parking. They are part of a group of companies or which sells groceries, of which one is the major player of the three in the country. This company also own Kmart, Target, Officeworks and various alcohol outlets.
These groceries stores however run deals with oil companies for discounts on fuel to attract customers to shop there.

All these stores have massive roofs, car parks, and potential for shaded parking that could accommodate solar.

I'm surprised these players don't talk to energy companies and car manufacturers. Perhaps its coming but the possibility to trade energy, attract customers, and charge the car is low hanging fruit I think.

If car manufacturers moved to plate charging, so its little more than parking a car over a plate sitting on a surface. Be it city street, business car park, or anywhere a car parks for 30 minutes, it would be possible to trade. The account is simply your cars Vin No.

But just say you take your full car that charged from your house battery that was charged the day before from the sun, down to the hardware store. You can either sell a % of your charge or get a discount on items purchased, as they trade that energy. If you are running short on charge and you agree to the rate, you charge while doing you thing or shop elsewhere. Perhaps trade registration, rates, or parking fees if parking on public streets with the State or local council.

No stupid leads like a 50s drive in, or stupid plug varieties like Apple, just pull up and park and your connected. Sounds a bit easier then going to the gas station. Sounds like a free market. Sounds like a better use of energy.

The problem with wireless charging, as it exists today, is that it's pretty inefficient, losing approximately 30-50% of energy in the transfer. EV charging speed is a big enough barrier to adoption as it is, so even with the improved ease of use adding charging time isn't going to help. In the end, until/if the technology improves it'd be a much worse use of energy. Though it certainly would be easy.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

Because I don't want to drive a boring daily driver, but I also need the size of a truck or SUV in a daily. I really don't understand how it's so hard for people to understand lol. I got kids, I can't daily drove a small sports car anymore. It doesn't need to be the fastest thing around, but I don't want to drive some big, slow, boring car daily. I've done it before and I HATED it.

at the same time people be talking about how rubicons are great DDs...

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

Because I don't want to drive a boring daily driver, but I also need the size of a truck or SUV in a daily. I really don't understand how it's so hard for people to understand lol. I got kids, I can't daily drove a small sports car anymore. It doesn't need to be the fastest thing around, but I don't want to drive some big, slow, boring car daily. I've done it before and I HATED it.

First let's clear one thing up. I'm not in the SUV = Truck camp. Like the people on rennlist referring to their Cayenne as their truck. That's not a truck buddy.

So with that out of the way I think it's fine to have a sporty SUV. I had a Cayenne for like 3 years and it was great (apart from the Porsche tax). Ideally I would still have an actual sporty car, but I get not everyone wants to deal with multiple cars.

Now an actual truck, like an F150, F350, RAM, Silverado etc fuck no. My F350 has plenty of power, I think it has like 450hp and almost 1000ftlbs. It's not fun to drive, not in any way. Maybe if you're into off roading and all that it could be fun for that. I don't know, I'm not into that, but I also never see big trucks doing that kind of stuff and it's usually very slow anyways.

So I stand behind my statement and still don't see the point of trying to make a TRUCK sporty.

[jaffles]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

So I stand behind my statement and still don't see the point of trying to make a TRUCK sporty.

Define sporty though, is a Cayenne sporty to a 911.

Its all just marketing to appeal to different peoples identity. Shit down hear dealers put RAPTOR stickers on Ford Rangers and suddenly they becomes some weapon of prehistoric strength and ?. Dare say why "Wildtrack" was also used, its to stimulate the imagination of where this acquisition could go.

M, AMG, RS, GT its all just marketing. No one needs 700HP for the road, no one needs a 6.5lt petrol to tow, no one needs a diesel that does 5 seconds, but they sure as hell appeal to peoples wants. And that equals sales which is all the company is interested in.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by jaffles

Define sporty though, is a Cayenne sporty to a 911.

Its all just marketing to appeal to different peoples identity. Shit down hear dealers put RAPTOR stickers on Ford Rangers and suddenly they becomes some weapon of prehistoric strength and ?. Dare say why "Wildtrack" was also used, its to stimulate the imagination of where this acquisition could go.

M, AMG, RS, GT its all just marketing. No one needs 700HP for the road, no one needs a 6.5lt petrol to tow, no one needs a diesel that does 5 seconds, but they sure as hell appeal to peoples wants. And that equals sales which is all the company is interested in.

No. But a Cayenne is sportier than a RAV4. Can the same be said about a Raptor vs a regular F150? Sure, it might be faster, but is it sportier?

[jaffles]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

No. But a Cayenne is sportier than a RAV4. Can the same be said about a Raptor vs a regular F150? Sure, it might be faster, but is it sportier?

Apple with apples, if your shopping for a Cayenne experience you don't go check out the Ravs. And I would not say if your shopping Raptor, a F150 is in you bag of apples, where HiLux is. Every dealer is having a crack in that specific sector. Faster, sportier, tougher you name it, its just marketing generally. Doesn't matter if its BS.

Got a mate who's had about 30 911s in their various forms. He bought some super charged 6.5lt V8 petrol Ram that drinks fuel like it has a hole in the tank. Goes like a scalded cat he reckons and he drives it to work every day. But its highway speeds on average backcountry roads at night with Kangaroos a plenty. He'll tell you it corners like a pig, and probably not too flash on brakes or anything else. But its better then the F150, F250, or Silverado he has had. I presume because it more sportier (faster), io is it just Dodges version of marketing. Would he drive his GT4RS Porsche to work that rails corners, na, to noisy, rough, stone chips, service costs etc, but its known as sporty in its marketed sector.

I agree marketing a 2.5T lump of steel 400+mm in the air as sporty of utter crap. But if ol mate who buys it feels its sporty for his interpretation of sporty, who are we to say. Sale done. Then to think people pile on EVs.

[Alfisti]

Reading Jaffles replies is hilarious, he has no idea most north american readers can barely understand half of what he is saying and the half thy do understand triggers them anyway. "Mandated to put a fire alarm in each room" .......... Communist!

[jaffles]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Reading Jaffles replies is hilarious, he has no idea most north american readers can barely understand half of what he is saying and the half thy do understand triggers them anyway. "Mandated to put a fire alarm in each room" .......... Communist!

hahaha yes we live in a nanny nation down hear. But that might explain why no one responds generally. Good thing I'm along way from the guns hey.

I have looked around for European based forums as we very slow moving ones down hear, but as usual all the ones that bubble are American. So it is what it is.

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

I know that some day, before I die, I'm going to read a reasonable discussion about EVs that doesn't degenerate into wild conspiracy theories, ill-informed social media regurgitation, and an understanding that different people have different wants and likes.

But today is not that day.

Perhaps this:

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

First let's clear one thing up. I'm not in the SUV = Truck camp. Like the people on rennlist referring to their Cayenne as their truck. That's not a truck buddy.

So with that out of the way I think it's fine to have a sporty SUV. I had a Cayenne for like 3 years and it was great (apart from the Porsche tax). Ideally I would still have an actual sporty car, but I get not everyone wants to deal with multiple cars.

Now an actual truck, like an F150, F350, RAM, Silverado etc fuck no. My F350 has plenty of power, I think it has like 450hp and almost 1000ftlbs. It's not fun to drive, not in any way. Maybe if you're into off roading and all that it could be fun for that. I don't know, I'm not into that, but I also never see big trucks doing that kind of stuff and it's usually very slow anyways.

So I stand behind my statement and still don't see the point of trying to make a TRUCK sporty.

There's a HUGE difference between a F350 and even an F150. Let alone a Ridgeline that has more in common with a pilot or odyssey than a f150.

Having driven sport trucks before like the Lightning, Silverado SS, Ram SRT10, Tacoma X Runner, etc. I can confidently say tht you can get the same place driving wise in a sport truck as a sport SUV.

Before I bought my Trailblazer SS, I had a Colorado ZQ8 (sport suspension) with the 5.3L V8. It was a riot. Not super fast, and the chassis wasn't amazing, but it was a blast to drive for a truck. Super useful too because it wasn't designed to be able to haul fat chicks around and not bottom out.