Ridgelines: Reliable Travel Vehicles?

The Honda Ridgeline is a midsize pickup truck that offers a smooth ride and a spacious interior. Its carlike design and unibody construction make it stand out from traditional body-on-frame pickups. While it may not be the best option for off-roading or heavy towing, the Ridgeline excels in daily-use driving scenarios and is perfect for those who need a comfortable and fuel-efficient vehicle with ample storage space. Its standard features include a powerful V6 engine, all-wheel drive, and advanced driver-assistance technology, making it a top choice for buyers seeking a practical and well-equipped truck.

Ridgeline's smooth ride and ample storage

The Honda Ridgeline is a highly functional midsize pickup truck that offers a smooth ride and ample storage. Its unibody design and carlike ride make it a perfect choice for buyers looking for a comfortable and refined driving experience.

The Ridgeline's independent suspension and coil-sprung rear suspension contribute to a smooth and comfortable ride, absorbing bumps in the road and providing good body control. Its handling is agile and responsive, with minimal body lean in corners and excellent steering feel. The Ridgeline's ride quality and on-road manners are superior to its competitors, making it a pleasure to drive both on paved roads and light off-road conditions.

When it comes to storage, the Ridgeline excels with its innovative features. It offers a spacious crew cab with ample legroom and a low step-in height, making it easy to get in and out. The rear seat has a 60/40 split and can be flipped up to reveal a flat floor, providing ample space for storing bulky items. Additionally, the Ridgeline features a large lockable storage compartment under the bed with drain holes for wet gear. The bed also has a two-way tailgate that can open down or to the side, making loading and unloading more convenient.

The Ridgeline's cabin provides plenty of storage options, including a deep storage bin in the center console, cupholders, and power outlets. The center console is large enough to hold two smartphones side by side, with one side doubling as a wireless charging pad. The Ridgeline also offers innovative bed and tailgate ideas, such as a large, lockable storage compartment and a unique two-way tailgate.

Overall, the Honda Ridgeline is an excellent choice for those seeking a midsize pickup truck with a smooth ride and ample storage. Its comfortable cabin, innovative features, and superior ride quality make it a top choice for buyers who value comfort, functionality, and practicality in their vehicles.

Ridgeline's off-road capability

The Honda Ridgeline is a midsize pickup truck with a carlike unibody construction and a reinforced version of the Honda Pilot platform. While it is not intended for hardcore off-roading, Honda introduced the TrailSport trim in 2024 to give its pickup truck a touch of off-road capability.

The TrailSport model includes General Grabber A/T Sport all-terrain tires, additional underbody protection, and exclusive Diffused Sky Blue paint. However, it does not have the low-range gearing and true off-road wheel articulation that allow other 4WD pickups to venture into rockier territory. The Ridgeline also lacks the underbody clearance of typical trucks.

The Ridgeline's 5000-pound towing capacity is a couple of thousand pounds shy of the best in the segment, but it is still enough in most cases. Its coil-sprung independent rear suspension contributes to a carlike ride quality not available with the leaf-sprung, solid-axle setups used by competitors. Body lean in corners is minimal, and small bumps are barely noticeable.

The Ridgeline's 3.5-liter V6 engine is quiet, smooth, and responsive. It has a nine-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. In testing, the 2024 Ridgeline TrailSport accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds, and 7.0 seconds in another test.

Ridgeline's cabin comfort

The Honda Ridgeline is a midsize pickup truck that offers a comfortable and spacious cabin. While the interior may not be flashy, it exceeds expectations with its quality and comfort. The Ridgeline's cabin provides a remarkable degree of versatility and comfort, with ample room for five adults.

The front row is the most comfortable, offering supportive and cushiony seating with plenty of head and legroom for adults. The rear cabin area is also roomy and functional, with wide seat cushions and angled seatbacks that provide more comfort on long trips than traditional truck seating. The rear seats also feature adjustable headrests and 3-point seat belts for added safety and comfort.

The Ridgeline's cabin offers a range of convenient features, such as heating and air-conditioning vents at the rear of the centre console, allowing rear-seat passengers to adjust the direction and flow of air to their liking. It also includes a fold-down centre armrest with cup holders and additional beverage holders in the door armrests. The rear seats can be easily folded up to create a large, flat storage space, perfect for bulky items.

The Ridgeline's cabin also boasts a user-friendly infotainment system, with a 9-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and a premium sound system. It also features a range of standard driver-assist features, such as adaptive cruise control, forward collision mitigation, and lane-keeping assistance.

Overall, the Honda Ridgeline's cabin provides a comfortable, spacious, and well-equipped environment for both drivers and passengers, making it a highly functional and versatile midsize truck.

Ridgeline's safety features

The Honda Ridgeline has been designed with safety in mind. The Ridgeline's carlike unibody construction and fully independent suspension give it a lower centre of gravity than a traditional truck, making it less likely to roll over.

• Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure
• Advanced front airbags (i-SRS)
• SmartVent® front side airbags
• Side curtain airbags with rollover sensor
• Anti-lock braking system (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist
• Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with traction control
• Three-point seat belts at all seating positions
• Front three-point seat belts with automatic tensioning system
• Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH) system in all second-row seating positions
• Driver’s and front passenger’s seat-belt reminder
• Child-proof rear door locks
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
• Multi-angle rearview camera

In addition to these standard safety features, the Honda Ridgeline also offers a host of driver-assistance technologies, including:

• Standard forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking
• Standard lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
• Standard adaptive cruise control
• Blind Spot Monitoring
• Lane Departure Warning
• Pre-collision safety system
• Post-collision safety system

Ridgeline's value for money

Ridgelines: Value for Money?

The Honda Ridgeline is a midsize pickup truck that offers a smooth ride, a spacious interior, and a host of innovative features. But is it good value for money?

Performance and Capabilities

The Ridgeline is built on a unibody design, giving it a carlike ride and handling that is more responsive than traditional pickup trucks. Its 3.5-litre V6 engine produces 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, resulting in a quick acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds. The Ridgeline's towing capacity is 5,000 pounds, which is modest compared to some rivals but sufficient for most cases. Its payload capacity is also decent, at around 1,500 to 1,600 pounds.

Comfort and Convenience

One of the Ridgeline's standout features is its versatile bed. It has a unique two-way tailgate that can swing out like a door or open straight down, and a lockable in-bed trunk provides secure storage. The bed is also the only one in its class that can accommodate 4-foot-wide plywood sheets flat on the bed floor. Additionally, the Ridgeline has a spacious and comfortable cabin, with ample legroom and a quiet interior.

Technology and Safety

The Ridgeline comes with a range of standard driver-assist features, including forward-collision warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. Its infotainment system includes an 8.0-inch or 9.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. However, some reviewers note that the interior technology looks and feels dated compared to competitors.

Price and Value

The 2024 Honda Ridgeline has a starting price of around $41,000, which is higher than some competitors. The price can go up to almost $47,000 for higher trim levels. While the Ridgeline may not be the most capable truck for off-roading or heavy-duty tasks, it offers a comfortable ride, innovative features, and good performance for its size. It is a sensible choice for those who want a functional and refined midsize truck without sacrificing comfort and convenience.

Customer Perspective

Ridgeline owners seem to appreciate its versatility, smooth ride, and ample storage. Some customers chose the Ridgeline over other trucks due to its V6 engine, comfortable cabin, and unique features like the two-way tailgate and in-bed trunk. However, others have noted issues with transmission, stability during towing, and dated interior technology.

The Honda Ridgeline offers a good balance of performance, comfort, and innovation. While it may not be the best choice for heavy-duty towing or off-roading, it provides a pleasant driving experience and ample features for its price range. Therefore, for buyers seeking a midsize truck that prioritises comfort, convenience, and daily driving capabilities, the Ridgeline can be a good value proposition.

Frequently asked questions