2017 Honda Ridgeline: Edmunds Death Valley Shock Test

It's called Death Valley for a reason, with triple-digit daytime temperatures and punishing dirt roads. Can the 2017 Honda Ridgeline survive Edmunds' torture test in this brutal landscape? Our truck experts put Honda's car-based pickup through its vibrating paces on a washboard dirt road, along with the off-road package-equipped Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Titan XD. Watch to see which truck was the last one standing. You'll be surprised.

Edmunds Death Valley Shock Test Time Jump
0:01 Introduction
0:27 "It's called Death Valley for a reason."
1:23 New shock absorbers on the 2017 Honda Ridgeline
2:03 Meet the trucks: 2017 Honda Ridgeline, 2016 Toyota Tacoma and 2016 Nissan Titan XD
2:26 "If you have a four-wheel-drive truck ... then this road is nothing."
3:26 Examining Toyota Tacoma and Honda Ridgeline shocks
4:20 Examining Nissan Titan's shocks
5:13 "I like to test vehicles at full pressure."
5:54 At the Racetrack Playa
6:51 "It's been a long day on a brutal road."
7:48 Final thoughts

Have questions for our editors? Leave them in the comments.

[drj]

I really appreciate you guys performing this test. While the average consumer would not punish their vehicles by putting all of the stress on the shock absorbers, it was still very interesting to see the results.

[rkalla]

Man Edmunds you guys really kill it with these complex/expensive/intensive shoots. Really enjoy watching these episodes and know it must be 10x the work that the in office or at the track shoots are.

[ldawson]

WOW 😳 Extremely eye opening. 👍 Honda!

[DumbledoreMcCracken]

This video shows that the engineering behind "Off Road" is just badge engineering. Honda does real engineering.

[EricCamachat]

We drove a Subaru Outback with 5 people and a Toyota Highlander with 8 people on this road without any issue. I think independent suspension helps a lot. That's why Tacoma and Titan broke rear shocks not front.

[Julian-dobv]

That is just crazy to watch I would love to see a lot of videos tested this way

[jthor]

These dirt or washboard roads may not push your truck's suspension to the limit from an articulation perspective but it does work the shocks hard. Great test to see how durable a vehicle's shocks are. Just don't go alone when testing.

[kellyfontes]

I always see these truck videos and their run through a puddle off road tests. I always say, bring them out to the southwest and a plain ol off road washboard road for at least 100 miles and see what happens. There it is... lol Sure the Taco is king but the Ridgeline for the casual camper and off roader is awsome. Put some 16 inch wheels, level it out so you can get a good air down on those tires on you have a awsome little truck. Now you can go 50 down those roads all day.

[barrybishop]

I'm impressed with the Ridgeline. Most pickup owners seldom venture off paved or well graded dirt roads, myself included. The Ridgeline looks to be a good daily use vehicle. Where I live I Canada, the AWD system would be beneficial in the varied driving conditions of snow, ice and slush. I am definately interested in checking them out this fall when I shop around for a new truck.

[antichrist]

Best review and reviews so far thank you

[jerrybromenshenk]

118k, 2007 Ridgeline. Lots of roads like this in MT, tens of thousands of miles on gravel, washboard. Still on original shocks. Did replace bushings recently.

[phall]

I really appreciate this video as my wife and I are seriously contemplating a 2017 Honda Ridgeline as our next vehicle. I currently drive a 2010 Nissan Xterra Off Road that has proven itself very capable off road, and then I also have my billy goat, a 2003 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon that I have heavily invested in to the point it has much more off road ability than I do. Anyway, it's good to see that the Ridgeline can take the kind of punishment you gave it on those dirt roads. I'd be interested to hear what Honda says about the rear blown shock as they certainly touted them as being much more heavy duty than the Pilot's. Patiently waiting for Part 2. Thanks again guys.

[ExtremeWassabi]

I just wish Honda offered a slightly more rugged version of this, like 2 inches higher, all terrain tires, smaller wheels and better bumpers.

[kambo]

you guys have the best job in the world.

[Cabezon]

My wife and I were crazy (or dumb) enough to drive to race track playa on our rental Toyota Camry, we made it back and forth without a flat tire, but it was probably the most stressful drive I've ever done, definitely need to have the right vehicle and tires for it, the rocks on that road are very pointy and sharp.

[paulayala]

Driving down washboard dirt road in a 80 - 100 heat can be brutal, it looks smooth and easy but it takes a toll on the shocks and other equipment. It would have been interesting to take a thermal reading of the shocks before, during and after the drive.

[ricdood]

The fox racing shocks on the trd pro would be perfectly suited for high speed desert running. The bilsteins are made for low speed off roading. Still a bit disappointed though.

[Offshore]

Great video. Would love to see more comparison videos like these. Thanks for the video

[BRollOffroad]

damn, that was a cool test. just goes to show how much temperature changes things. this might be a good test for a Raptor since it's more high speed, i offroad a lot but i'm going so slow it's not too hard on the truck.

[billk]

Wow, this was a real "shocker" for me. I just sold my 08 Ridgeline after 13 years to my son. He has been harassing me for several years to sell him the truck. I had a really hard time deciding, just like in 08. Almost got a TACO or Ranger. But in the end I got another RL, a 21 model. But this test of shocks is a real surprise, both in the amount of damage and that the RL had the least. I used to drive on AZ washboard all the time, though probably never for 25 miles straight. But back in the 70s and 80s I would do so even in Ford cars! Because that is all I had. Usually very slow, because it would feel like the car was going to fall apart. Though I would go at pretty high speed in a 4WD S10 blazer, but probably always way less than 25 miles. Also on the very 1st generation Toyota 4 Runner(solid front axle), but I could not go as fast and maintain control as I could on the S10 with independent front suspension. But, I never burned up a shock on any vehicle.(though I probably shortened their life) I figure that for decades there are all kinds of vehicles using this washboard Death Valley road to get to the race track. Are they all destroying their shocks? How are they surviving? Is it just a matter of driving slower? I'm guessing most of the trucks most of the time don't burn up their shocks. So what do they do different? Maybe airing down will help, but I didn't even know to do this with my cars back in the 70s, unless I got stuck in sand. Any opinions on how most trucks don't burn up their shocks?