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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  Love it - despite the gas mileage - 2008 Honda Ridgeline
  By Scott King - June 3 - 6:32 pm

  Recently purchased a 2008 Ridgeline and love it. We actually were looking at replacing our 2005 CR-V with a new one, but discovered we could get the Ridgeline at a much cheaper lease rate. After considering the gas mileage, we went for it and dont regret it. This truck is fantastic, great ride, excellent interior design and the trunk below the box is wonderful. We have used it to haul items from Lowes and bring other things to the dump and forgot how nice it was to have a truck. If you are not commuting long distances to work and want a nice work truck with style, this is for you.

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  Towing - 2007 Honda Ridgeline
  By lucas - May 24 - 11:51 am

  Bought my truck specifically for a cross-country relocation. Refused to let me down going through the mountains in Colorado. Stayed strong towing a 5x8 trailer (@11-14 mpg!) average almost 18 mpg city/highway combined, which is pretty good for a pick-up truck.

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  SUV with awesome cargo ability - 2007 Honda Ridgeline
  By farnorth - May 19 - 4:56 am

  Used for long (7 hour) commute with tools and gear. The head rest is kind of a pain in the neck, but everything else excels for this class. Full size rear passengers prefer my truck over the Dodge ram 4 door. Visibility is great, and most importantly, the rough northern roads I drive on can not kick the rear end out on corners and ruts, even when driving on packed snow. Around town I have used it to haul .5 yard of gravel, also filled the box with bedding sand. It handled better than my Silverado did with the same weight... but I did have to spend some time washing sand out of the trunk lid seams and double operating tailgate. Keeping it around 55 to 60 miles per hour gave me avrg. 18 mpg

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  Woeful gas mileage, fun to drive - 2006 Honda Ridgeline
  By albert - May 5 - 2:46 pm

  Bought a Ridgeline RT June06 and very satisfied with the features and driving experience. But the gas mileage is awful. Drove to vegas back and forth for 300 miles and got just over 18 miles/gal. In our area where there are lots of driving up and down the hills - 12 miles/gal. I may have to install a bed cover, hopefully it can minimize drag and saves fuel.

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  Great truck, could use more power - 2006 Honda Ridgeline
  By Woby - March 23 - 8:16 pm

  Used as a commuter and family trips. Occasional off road use at the beach or back roads. Great in the sand. Ride is excellent. Power is lacking - slightest hills on the highway cause downshift. No maintenance issues after 36,000 miles. Very comfortable for 4 adults. A little tight for 5 or with a baby seat installed and 4 adults. In bed trunk is awesome, dual action tailgate is very convenient.

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  Perfect Retirement Vehicle - 2008 Honda Ridgeline
  By Apexshot - March 16 - 9:48 pm

  We purchased this vehicle as our last retirement vehicle. We needed a light duty pickup that has a 5000 lb. towing limit. I am 55 years old and wanted to be able tow our sports car around to shows and races. My bride had a few things that she wanted for her 1) comfort 2) passenger ability 3) resale 4) durability. So far we got it all from Honda Ridgeline

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  Ridgeline Needs a couple of changes - 2007 Honda Ridgeline
  By Madjd - March 9 - 11:20 am

  We just purchased a 2007 RTL with Nav. And we had to make a trip from Montana to California, the Navigation was great, wont buy another vehicle without it, Everything is great about this vehicle except for the front seats, they are way too hard for long trips, we just couldnt get comfortable(we had to buy cushions to put on the seats)Honda Company should consider putting Acura MDX seats in this truck and make the steering column telescopic. I had trouble getting close enough for the steering without my knees hitting the dashboard, and Im only 55". If those two things were corrected this truck would be a definite 10 all the way!

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  Great Package Overall - 2007 Honda Ridgeline
  By Don - February 17 - 9:49 pm

  Honda built a vehicle that meets 95% of a truck owners needs. Weve received quite a bit of snow this year in Chicago, and the truck has handled it amazingly. My family feels very safe and comfortable in this truck. As for rearward visibility, buy a couple of $2 1.5" convex mirrors for the exterior mirros - helps a lot. The vehicle is extremely versatile - can haul 1500 lbs of rock during the day and take 5 adults out for the evening. Tows pretty well for occassional use. Gas mileage is as expected given the stance/aerodynamics. Corners pretty well given its size/height. Great summertime vehicle too (all windows go down all the way, and with sunroof/rear window almost convertible like).

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  Pros and Con - 2007 Honda Ridgeline
  By steve villarreal - February 10 - 4:25 pm

  Easy to drive and manuever in traffic, enjoy the trunk space underneath. Very poor on gas mileage, Engine has a hesitation problem when taking off fast. Radio fades out but otherwise OK for this 07 Ridgeline.

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  Best Snow Vehicle - 2007 Honda Ridgeline
  By rgreenberg - January 12 - 11:46 pm

  I live in Montana. Over 20 years, I have owned Audi A8, Audi A6, BMW 328xi,Yukon XL, Toyota Landcruiser. The Ridgeline is the best snow vehicle of the bunch. The combination of long wheelbase, traction control, front weighting and front-biased all wheel drive makes it very stable and very difficult to lose control of the vehicle. I run with Toyo Open Country A/Ts summer and winter.