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:

• 

  Ridgeline Owner - 2007 Honda Ridgeline
  By Anthro - June 7 - 4:53 pm

  I purchased this vehicle in late 2005 due to its extensive safety features and fuel economy within the price point. I have now put less than 2K miles on it and am ready to sell. Why? Gas mileage running 12-13 mpg rather than the 16-21. Blind spots make the vehicle difficult and dangerous to drive for a petite driver. Significant blind spots occur in right rear due design and rear headrest configuation. The headrest design should be abolished. The curvature forward makes it very uncomfortable and many people turn them around defeating the purpose. Impossible to judge distance when backing up due to blind spots.

• 

  Dont believe all the great reviews - 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  By Jason - January 19 - 10:47 pm

  I had really high hopes for this new Ridgeline, but after driving this vehicle for the last 8+ months I can say that its a real disappointment especially compared to the previous generation. I had a 2008 Ridgeline that I really liked, but the new one is nothing like the previous generation. The new Ridgeline just doesnt have that nice solid feel that the previous generation did. The biggest issue with the new Ridgeline is stability. The steering is over-powered and light feeling as well as being overly sensitive to the road surface. This leads to a lot of road vibration in the steering wheel. Some reviewers have stated that there isnt much feedback from the road. Since driving this vehicle for 8+ months, I can say that its not that you dont get much feedback. Its that you get the wrong feedback, and too much of it. Small insignificant road imperfections (small bumps, small cracks, etc) cause feedback into the steering wheel where you would expect to not even notice. I will concede that some of the steering issues that Ive stated could be due to the lousy Firestone tires that come on the truck. The suspension is just on the edge of being bouncy, so when driving it feels a bit like floating around on the highway. This leads to the truck being very sensitive to even light breezes making driving on windy days very difficult. Other poor design issues: When coming to a complete stop, the truck rocks back and forth about 10-12 times before becoming motionless (which is weird as Ive never experienced this on any other vehicle), the heated seat switches look and feel like they came out of a vehicle from about 20 years ago, many of the safety features are intrusive (such as the Collision Mitigation Braking System...if it worked better it would be ok), the entertainment system is a bit clunky (its running a VERY old version of Android), the rear hvac controls are located with the main hvac controls (this doesnt even make sense especially in the RTL-E which is the trim level that I have). The biggest build quality issue that Ive noticed is that both front doors are not mounted straight (its not noticeable on mine unless you look closely, but once I noticed it I see it every time I get in the truck); however, there were a couple of others that have been corrected by the dealer (including something that was broken). On the positive side, the truck has a comfortable ride, the seats are comfortable, the technology is much better than previous gen, the look is much more truck-like, the brakes are pretty good, the engine is pretty good (although it could use a bit more low-end power), the transmission is pretty good, better fuel mileage than the previous Ridgeline.