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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  RidgeLine first Hand experience - 2007 Honda Ridgeline
  By TruckMaster - May 17 - 2:30 pm

  I have had the ridgeline for 2 months now and I love it. It is a great mid-sized truck and all the bells I need. It is made by Honda so it comes with all the quality, reliability and consistency Honda is known for decades. I haul my fishing boat every weekend and have had no issues. Ride is smooth and it is great to take camping with the in-bed-trunk. The back seats are very roomy.

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  Honda goes Truck - 2006 Honda Ridgeline
  By Satisfied - May 13 - 7:00 pm

  Excellent vehicle! Perfect for the city family that needs the extra advantage of hauling, towing, and inside room. The quality is felt throughout the vehicle, from comfort to performance. If you prefer the "standard" styling of a pickup, get a Ford or Chevy. If you like thinking "out-of-the-box", get a Ridgeline. Lots of "great" reviews on this vehicle, mine included !! Ill be keeping my eye peeled for the next "new- year" model (07). Thinking about getting a "city-truck"? Give this one a look !! The Honda should retain value as they normally do.

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  More than I expected - 2006 Honda Ridgeline
  By kevin - May 8 - 10:50 pm

  Honda hit the nail on the head. Functionality, yet reliability of a Honda. Plenty of room for 5 adults and enough power to pull a boat or small camper. This vehicle puts the other 4 door Suts to shame. No options available because its loaded with everthing youd need to travel in comfort and style. I get looks everywhere I go.

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  A very nice truck for someone who tows under 5000 - 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  By Raggsie - May 4 - 6:00 am

  very very comfortable vehicle. my buddies comment its like being in a Lexus. love the under bed storage for golf clubs etc... spent a lot of time on logging roads up North hunting and the ride and maneuvering very very good. great climate control and audio. leather seats are very nice on long trips. gas mileage great for a truck. headroom is great and i am 61". i think this is an ideal sportsmans vehicle - hunting, fishing, surfing, biking etc...

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  Love the Ridgeline - 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  By Renae - May 3 - 2:47 am

  My spouse has a new Pilot so this is very similar. Love that car. It is exactly what I wanted. Trunk space is a real plus. It works very well for us.

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  Perfect vehicle for me - 2006 Honda Ridgeline
  By John - April 20 - 7:53 am

  I am a father that coaches his childern in baseball and football, before the ridgeline I had to either worry about leaving the equipment in the back of a poorly secured truck bed or having the often wet equipment in the back of my SUV. I only fully used my truck for hunting trips (again hated to leave my guns in the bed of the truck) and the 4-5 home improvement jobs and 3-4 landscape jobs a year. My SUV had all of the safety features I like and a much better ride. Now I have my safe SUV and truck in one vehicle.

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  If a Ford F150 and a Honda Accord had a baby.... - 2018 Honda Ridgeline
  By Jeff Behm - April 19 - 11:28 am

  ...it would be like this. Overall, the 2018 Ridgeline is an excellent utility vehicle. Lets say you need something more versatile than a typical SUV, but you dont really need a full-on, full-size pickup truck. The Ridgeline may be your perfect choice, as it was for me. I can carry sheets of plywood in the bed, my dog in the crew cab area (comfortably & safely) and the front seat area is very roomy and comfortable. Plus, this "truck" rides and handles way better than any full size pickup Ive driven. It handles & drives pretty much like a larger Accord -- which is to say -- really well. So far I am averaging about 22 mpg on regular gas, but my previous experience with Hondas ( 6 of them) tells me that after break-in, the gas mileage should rise about 10 to 15 %. On the highway, Ive gotten 24.5 with the Eco button on. I just LOVE the lockable, HUGE trunk in the rear of the bed. Its so useful! Gripes? Although the engine has plenty of power, you really have to boot the accelerator to access that power. Not much down low. The lack of a volume knob on the infotainment system is just plain dumb. The touchscreen does not react fast enough, and can be distracting while driving. Honda needs to bring back the volume knob and tuning knob. The infotainment set up on current Mazdas (like my 2017 CX-5) is much better & easier to use. Also the paint job on the vehicle is very mediocre, and not what it should be on a $40K vehicle. Doesnt really have too much shine or depth to it. Paint on current Mazdas & Nissans is MUCH nicer. Finally, I had a serious airbag safety system failure, just ninety minutes into owning the vehicle. Luckily, my originating Honda dealer and my local Honda dealer were wonderful in helping me, but it took a week to fix the vehicle and in the meantime Honda of America was no help at all. Very disappointing. Finally, they came through, but it was really my two dealers that I worked with who saved the day.

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  Great car with many problems! - 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  By throw73 - March 23 - 7:10 am

  This truck has great handling and ride. The interior ergonomics are great and the center console is huge. The cup holders are annoying since anything that doesnt fit perfectly rattles like hell. i love the in bed trunk. I have been averaging 19mpg with a mix of CA highways and city driving. Right from the start i had 2 annoying rattles coming from the dash area which originates from inside the dash where i cannot reach. The rattle comes and goes with the fluctuation of temperatures. After 1000 miles my truck has developed 2 loud pops or bangs from the front when i am in reverse with the wheel turned(parking in reverse). After around 3000 miles my transmission developed a faint 1-click under light acceleration in 4th gear. At 5000 miles that faint click has become noticeably louder and now occurs in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th gear. Along with the clicking the truck has developed very aggressive engine braking while low speed coasting or decelerating to a stop. This is a new car owners nightmare. It seems this truck was assembled on a weekend. I have never had a vehicle with this many problems from the get go. I have done some research and it seems although Honda is recently getting a bad rap for its 9 speed transmission, it has consistently had issues with transmissions in general. Also its JD reliability has dropped out of top 10 when in the past it was always top 3 or so. Be careful future buyers.

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  A must look see for Honda Lovers - 2006 Honda Ridgeline
  By ikudbne1 - March 15 - 12:26 am

  For those of you that have wanted a truck but hesitated because a truck bed is not convienient for day to day around town shopping/groceries type activities, then this is the truck for you! The in bed trunk solves all your problems and it comes with the Honda Quality and attention to detail on top of it all!

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  From 16 Tacoma to 17 Ridgeline - 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  By OldShu - February 20 - 4:57 am

  People ask me why I switched from the Tacoma to the Ridgeline. Well, the Ridgeline just does everything better except for hard core off-roading. The seats are more comfortable, its quieter, handles better, fuel economy is better and is just easier to live with on a daily basis. Having driven 3 VW GTIs for the last 10 years, my bride and I decided we wanted to explore the good ol USA and, after MUCH research we bought a Lance 1475 TT ( 3600 lb GVW) . A GTI is not known for its towing abilities so a pick-up was up next. The Tacoma has a sterling reputation and the refreshed one was just out. Test drive revealed that, yes, it is a pick-up with the appropriate capabilities we needed. It was not particularly comfortable or quiet but it is a pick-up, after all. This past summer, after owning the Tacoma for 4 months I saw that the new Ridgeline was out and was curious about it. Did not really think it was a contender for what my usages are (75% commuting, 300 mi wk, 25% towing). The local dealer finally had one on the lot, so I stopped and took a look-see. Nice, but not the burly styled ride the Tacoma is. A little later another one showed up. I was still curious so I stopped in and took a test drive. Big, BIG mistake! If I had known that this pick-up was coming out at the same time I was looking at the Tacoma, it would not have even been considered. As far as towing goes, they both do a fine job but the Ridgeline is just better in-spite of the lower tow rating. One interesting thing to mention is the Tacoma had a payload rating of 956 lbs while the Ridgeline had a payload of 1397 lbs.