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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  SECOND ONE - 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  By Big Mack - September 18 - 6:44 pm

  The most versatile vehicle on the market. Waited three years to get a new one. Wait was worth it.

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  This is a great all-around rig - 2006 Honda Ridgeline
  By Brent - September 5 - 9:30 pm

  I have had this truck for nearly 2 months now and I like it more with each day that goes by! All upside with this one. I have always purchased American made vehicles, but this purchase has been a great one.

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  2007 Ridgeline Review - 2007 Honda Ridgeline
  By Joe - August 29 - 3:10 am

  Excellent. This truck gives you the best of both worlds. Drives like a raceway Accord, but feels like you can take it anywhere.

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  paying attention - 2018 Honda Ridgeline
  By rich - August 2 - 4:01 pm

  radio control area could definately be improved

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  Will keep for a long time - 2006 Honda Ridgeline
  By HONDA 4EVER - July 18 - 11:10 pm

  I have owned a "traditional" American pickup and they are okay. If you want value and a vehicle that exceeds your expectations then this it. The thought and engineering that was put in this truck should make the big three truck makers wonder why didnt we think of that long ago. This truck is definitely more than an Accord on steroids!

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  The best Hybrid-truck - 2006 Honda Ridgeline
  By Croy - July 17 - 5:33 am

  I call it a Hybrid not because of the engine but because of the design. The inside comfort and room plus a truck bed, trunk and the reliability and engineering make this a great truck. I cannot express how nice it is to drive. I have had mine a month now and I sometime just go out for a drive in my ridgeline just to enjoy the vehicle. I have hauled a diverse payload in the past month from mulch to a ton of concrete. So far this truck has done nothing but please me.

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  Prepare to fall in love it. Incredible comfort - 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  By Andrew Werner - July 16 - 5:33 pm

  The control handles for headlights and wipers do not glow in the dark. Location may at first hard to see & find. Once you get use to it no problem. The engine is a little noisy at first thats because of injectors cutting on & off. Honda made a good product with this truck. Get the AWD makes a big difference on road control.

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  Honda made some great improvements but missed some - 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  By lazerbeam - July 14 - 12:03 pm

  This is my second Ridgeline the first one was a 2007. It many bumps and warts but the 2017 fixed a lot of the issues. The gas mileage has improved significantly where I can easily get 21 mpg around town and 28 on the highway (which beats the EPA estimates). The ride, handling, power and acceleration have improved dramatically. Honda kept the great lockable trunk in the bed that is quite large and can double as an ice chest. The towing capacity has not changed, but I really didn’t buy this vehicle to tow anything other than a light capacity utility trailer. The fit and finish is Honda; quality materials, fit and finish as is always expected from them. But for all of Honda vaunted design and engineering prowess, they in my estimation missed the mark on several things. First off the navigation system is nothing more than a “Mickey Mouse” Garmin that has been bloated to the point of nearly impossible usefulness. First off, there is this beautiful 8” color screen that has these jumbo marquees and icons that reduce the overall useful height to roughly 3 ½”. What a waste of space. The marquees contain the street name/highway you are on or the name of an upcoming intersection. The size of the lettering is so large a blind person might almost be able to read it. Thus the need for the wide marquees. In the bottom corners there are two marquees (one each side) that consume 2/3rds the width of the screen and are about ¾” high. One contains the current altitude and the other the direction of travel. You can swap the data back and forth, but cannot turn them off. As with the marquee at the top of the screen they also contain large letters and numbers that are out of proportion to their usefulness. There are various large icons, some of which can be turned off floating around the map surface as well. The biggest issue with the navigation system is its interface. It is one of the most convoluted, un-intuitive ones I’ve ever had the displeasure of using. The next issue I have with the 2017 Ridgeline is the rear doors. Like many SUVs, the back row seats are more for kids than adults except for short jaunts around town. The problem is the rear doors only open about 65 to 70 degrees at most making entry and exit into the back seat for anyone but a kid an act of gymnastics. I can’t believe Honda could not come up with a better design than this. My final gripe is the lack of locking tailgate. I’m overly concerned that someone could steal the tailgate. There attachment points are somewhat complicated and it would take a highly determined and knowledge individual some amount of time and effort to take it off. The issue for me, and probably many other 2017 Ridgeline owners is installing a tonneau cover and securing contents in the bed. Honda offers, and I might add a rather expensive, folding tonneau cover for the 2017 Ridgeline. No drilling or rail attachments are required, and when the rear third of the cover is folded up the trunk lid opens all the way without any interference. I will admit that it is not 100% watertight but it is good enough for the average person. The tonneau cover as with the tailgate is not lockable. If the tailgate was lockable and with the tonneau cover down and clamped one could not get into the pickup bed without a key. Thus I could go to several shopping destinations, put things in my pickup bed and secure them until I was ready to unload. Pros: Great gas mileage Very good power and acceleration Quality fit, finish and materials Exceptional riding comfort and handling Cons: Poor navigation system and interface Poor rear door entry space Non-lockable tailgate

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  Leave the trucks to people who know them - 2006 Honda Ridgeline
  By Gertrude Morgala - July 9 - 5:50 am

  When we bought this vehicle, the dealer told us it could outpull a ford or dodge, pretty impressive, so we bought it. Not even close. My old Ranger could outhaul it. On top of that, it had cramped interior compared to similar sized trucks and it was one of the ugliest vehicles Ive ever seen. If you want a REAL truck, go with ford, dodge, or even a chev

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  2017 Honda Ridgeline - 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  By makecues - July 6 - 10:52 pm

  The 2017 Ridgeline has nice engineered features , but many aspects are very poor . Ride and handling , as well as performance for what it is are good . Materials are very cheap , poor quality on seats and interior trim . The plastics used in this vehicle are not durable and the finish deteriorates quickly . The exterior trim plastic as well is cheap and fragile ... Less than a year old it has faded and begun to get chalky . Wheel well plastic trim is loose which will top dirt and rot out the panels quickly . Service department explanation was thats the way it is ... hmmm ... working on your own vehicle is a pain , oil filter is in worst position possible , drop anything at the front of engine compartment , say goodbye unless you want to spend hours removing shielding ! Fairly nice concept from Honda but poorly executed and with very little support from the aftermarket . The first impression from many will be to the positive but if you look at the details , its not a good value ...MHO