Overview & Reviews

Although millions of full-size pickup trucks are sold each year, only a fraction of them actually see an off-road trail, a large travel trailer or a boat ramp. The rest are daily drivers that make an occasional trip to Home Depot for 2x4s and patio furniture. For those consumers who desire a less bulky, less thirsty alternative that can still handle those occasional jobs, there's the Honda Ridgeline. This four-door ("crew cab") pickup truck has a number of distinctive features and, true to Honda's philosophy, it makes sense for smart consumers.

Current Honda Ridgeline
The Honda Ridgeline pickup is available in just one four-door body style. There are five trim levels: RT, Sport, RTS, RTL and top-of-the line SE. The Ridgeline's sole powertrain is a 250-horsepower V6 mated to a five-speed automatic. All-wheel drive is standard.

Standard feature highlights for the base RT include a power-sliding rear window, air-conditioning, a 60/40-split lift-up rear seat, a rearview camera, full power accessories, and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player. Moving up through the other trims adds luxuries such as alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power driver seat, upgraded audio systems, heated seats, leather seating and a navigation system with voice recognition and Bluetooth phone connectivity.

Rather than having a separate cab and bed, the Ridgeline's body unites the two. The Ridgeline's architecture combines the techniques of both unibody and full-frame construction. All Ridgelines include a hidden trunk in the cargo bed that doubles as an ice chest, a dent-proof bedliner, a four-wheel independent suspension (for a smoother ride and more agile handling) and a trailer hitch. Maximum towing capacity stands at 5,000 pounds.

In all but the most taxing situations, performance is respectable, and on the open highway the Honda Ridgeline is an effortless and quiet cruiser. As such, it is an ideal road trip vehicle, especially when said trip involves carrying bulky items. That easy-going demeanor, along with comfortable seats, plentiful storage cubbies, sound ergonomics and a relatively manageable size make the Honda Ridgeline a viable option as the sole family vehicle. While the cabin provides sedan-like comfort, the cargo bed effortlessly transports things such as camping gear or lawn supplies. Criticisms include the Ridgeline's aversion to off-road adventures, where its lack of a low-range gear and a tendency to bottom out don't help when tackling more rugged trails. Fuel economy for a V6-powered pickup is also disappointing.

If these shortcomings are meaningful to you, then you'll want to consider a pickup with true truck DNA. But if all you really need is the passenger space of an SUV and the utility of a pickup truck, the Ridgeline is an excellent choice.

Used Honda Ridgeline Models
The Ridgeline was introduced for the 2006 model year, available in RT, RTS and RTL trim levels. The following year the chrome-accented RTX debuted. There were only minor features updates until '09, when the RTX trim was dropped and the exterior and interior styling was updated.

Things stayed pat until 2012, when a new grille design and a new Sport trim level debuted, the latter slotted between the RT and RTS trims. That year also saw minor aerodynamic improvements and engine tweaks that boosted highway mileage by a single mpg. The following year brought a standard rearview camera for all trim levels.

User Reviews:

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  Disappointing 2014 Ridgeline - 2014 Honda Ridgeline
  By laxlasatl - January 7 - 2:03 pm

  I bought this vehicle because of the large amount of storage and cubbies, and smooth test drive. Im happy to say thats what the purchased vehicle delivers. Unfortunately, it falls short in nearly every other area.

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  Good Specs, no creature comfort - 2009 Honda Ridgeline
  By ralcpa - April 17 - 8:03 am

  Ive owned this truck for approx. 4 years, 60k miles. Like the size, engine is decent (engine started to feel better at around 50k miles), tows fine (im towing just under the 5k lb. limit but not long distances). Heres my main beef..the wind noise is ungodly! Would buy again in an instant if quieter inside. Honda, would it kill you to drop in $150 of sound insulation? Keep the fluids fresh as it affects gas mileage greatly (3-4 mpg). If this were quieter its a 5 out of 5, but dont expect it to replace a full size truck, thats not a beef, just a reality. The Ridgeline was meant to fill a different niche which it does nicely, I just wish it did it with less interior noise.

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  Disappointed With Ridgeline - 2010 Honda Ridgeline
  By cmark60 - January 24 - 9:53 am

  Owned a Ridgeline RTL for 30 months. I loved the vehicle at first until quality issues came to light. Rear sliding window seal would get pinched and leak, wind noise on front windshield due to a the window seal pulling away especially during cold weather, a high pitched "whistle" that I tracked down to a body seam behind the XM antenna that could be silenced by covering the seam with electrical tape, a dash rattle caused by the factory did not tighten the left front speaker screws and the dash had to be removed creating a new rattle, heater temp sensor control problem, door and body panel seams aligned poorly, uncomfortable rear seat

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  Overheating transmission - 2009 Honda Ridgeline
  By Don - August 18 - 7:50 pm

  Transmission warning light comes on, the transmission is overheating, the oil has a burnt smell.

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  My experience - 2008 Honda Ridgeline
  By robbie - August 18 - 2:47 pm

  The interior on this vehicle is extremely easy to get stained. I had to purchase seat covers at over $300.00 to protect the interior.

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  Problem Truck - 2008 Honda Ridgeline
  By Ridgeline - July 15 - 9:41 am

  I have had nothing but issues with this truck, the first problem showed up the day after I bought it. I have owned my truck for about a year and a half and have had numerous seals replaced included a gas cap. Most recently my brakes. They have frozen up on me and the emergency brake stays on. Neither the dealership or Honda know how to fix, they know there is a problem but have told me they can only fix it once I am stranded again. Not looking forward to that. I would never recommend this truck or Honda again, I had better luck with Hyundai.

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  Unique Truck With Lots To Like, But Not Perfect - 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  By chris - July 10 - 3:26 am

  UPDATED 3/20/17: Still like the vehicle, with a few disappointments. Acceleration is good when mashing the peddle, but low end responsiveness in day to day driving is weak. Transmission never seems to be in the gear I want making precise control of speed difficult. A manual mode or a performance mode to flip the computer to a more aggressive dynamic would alleviate, but alas the only option is a lone button to downshift to D4. Steering/handling remains a Honda strength and is exceptional, as the vehicle steers like a car. It also rides like a Honda, which is to say a bit on the stiff side, but tuning makes it handle great on uneven terrain and a worthwhile tradeoff. Storage is great, you really can fit a golf bag under the rear seat, and the rear trunk and bed are both wide and useful. I hate the touch screen interface, after 6 months I still get lost at times as it is not intuitive. The E trim also states "premium" sound, but the frequency dynamics leave something to be desired, as off the shelf components I installed on my old truck beats this new premium stereo (not by a lot, but by enough to note). MPG is underwhelming and exactly as stated on sticker, no more. Others have noted higher than advertised MPG (even up to 30), but that is a myth, as the average MPG calculator on this vehicle (as well as the 2016 Pilots) overstate by ~2 MPG. I have to wonder if Honda did that on purpose? Suggestion, verify your MPG using a calculator at the gas pump, as the info center gets it wrong on this vehicle. Lighting: I keep getting flashed by opposing drivers with dim headlights on. Not sure if they are aimed to too high or what, but never had that problem on any other vehicle. Instrument cluster is average and has the stuff youd expect on a modern vehicle. The real time MPG in info center is completely worthless though, not granular enough, and difficult to read. If anything should have been digital vs analog, its that. Interior lights are weak and narrow (like a spotlight). Cannot see a large portion of the storage areas of the car at night. Chimes from the cluster are tinny. Power rear sliding window and sunroof work great. Mirror defroster works great (less than a minute). Front seat headrests are poorly positioned (they lean too far forward). I actually had to remove my drivers head rest and swap it with a rear head rest (those are not tilted). Felt like my head was tilted forward 24/7. HVAC is strong, heats and cools quickly, and controls are easy to use. Front ground clearance is more light SUV than "truck", however, the front air dam is a flexible rubber instead of hard plastic, meaning you can scrape the ground and it bends instead of breaks. I tested this out through a creek bed and scraped the air dam (not on purpose, haha) and it came out with some grass on it, but no damage. The USB ports only work with car in ACC or ON. Come on Honda, I cant leave my phone in the car to charge without turning on all accessories? The spare tire (while not "full size") is in the trunk and away from the elements. This may not seem like a big deal until years down the road and you have a flat. Trust me when I tell you not being able to remove the spare tire on your rusted out undercarriage of a truck will have you saying a few choice words, been there, done that. Nice design Honda! Rear camera works and has 3 top down viewing angles to choose from which makes hitching up a trailer very easy, however, the resolution on the camera is poor, and, if its raining it gets wet and blurry. The vehicle tows Ok and pulls my 2500 lb boat easily. The driver assist technology is semi-useful, but a bit gimmicky at the same time. Lane keeper will drive the car for you on "level" pavement, even around moderate curves, however it doesnt work well on sloped pavement as it drifts all the way to the line before correcting. On level pavement, its dead true. It also only stays on for 15 seconds before it makes you touch/grab the wheel for a second (then the 15 seconds restarts). Blind spot detection works but not very useful, however, the backup warning of side traffic works great and has great range. This helps when backing out of spots where its hard to see, or if youre not paying attention. It actually helped me avoid a jogger wearing black at dusk when backing out of driveway one night! The single most useful feature is probably the adaptive cruise, which actually works, but I would like to see more configuration options on distance from preceding vehicle. Road departure not very helpful, comes on after youre already heading into the ditch (i.e. too late). Overall, after 6 months, Ive lowered my opinion of the vehicle slightly due it being advertised as a "truck", but missing key "truck" like features like enough ground clearance to hit a curb without damage, not enough low end torque, no "always on" power port, poor interior lighting, and no positive surprises in regards to MPG.

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  Good but Not so Good - 2006 Honda Ridgeline
  By MarylandBob - June 26 - 7:13 pm

  Traded a Titan for this vehicle, Ridgeline much easier to handle and more fuel efficient. Seems well built and interior styling is good, exterior is groundbreaking. Drives like a car, easy to get in/out, locking trunk under bed is the best feature. Not so good-hesitation during acceleration, air leak sounds, interior moisture, windows and now floor board. Moisture causing unpleasant odor like old shoes. Dealer has new replacement windshield on order and others are reporting moisture problems with bad welds. Didnt expect this trouble paying top dollar for top-of-the line truck. Well see how all is repaired.

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  Comfort will be an issue - 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  By D² - December 16 - 9:26 am

  Dead pedal prevents me from extending my left leg whilst driving and there is no room between the dead pedal and the brake to extend my left leg. (Emergency brake is too obtrusive as well.) Arm rests for driver are too small and wimpy...I would have preferred a large ratcheting cushion over the center bin. Rear seat room is very limited when I have the drivers seat set to my liking. No memory features for seats AND mirrors. Center console information system is too unwieldy. EXCELLENT cabin isolation! Why oh why did the Honda marketing/sales geniuses decide that Canada should get the vented front seats and the USA only gets the heated ones???? Common Honda, enlighten the masses on that great call!

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  Deal Breaker - 2018 Honda Ridgeline
  By Mac - November 11 - 9:53 pm

  No locking tailgate ! Also not impressed with the navigation system, I believe it is from 2015, and the rest of the info system. Getting in and out of the rear seats is not good.