Released early this summer, the all - new Honda Ridgeline didn't take long in building an established fan club out of commuters and professional journalists alike.
Craig Fitzgerald: I'm with Nicole Wakelin on this one: The Honda
Ridgeline did absolutely everything that I wanted it to do, and then some.
(Heck, if
the Ridgeline did get better fuel economy, I'd be highly tempted to buy a used one, since the Ridgeline will tow and haul just about anything that I or most people could throw at it.)
The Ridgeline does a lot of trucklike things well, such as towing up to 5,000 pounds.
The Honda
Ridgeline does offer a decent ground clearance which also makes the step up for getting into the cab a little higher.
With unibody construction, rather than conventional body - on - frame construction, the Ridgeline doesn't pretend to be a hard - edged pickup truck.
Hill descent control allows you to creep down hills safely and controlled but the Ridgeline doesn't offer this feature.
The Ridgeline does offer the technology and it is rated «Superior» by IIHS.
The Ridgeline does not have very good gas mileage, averaging about 13 mpg in the city and 16 or more on the highway.
While both the F - 150 and Silverado 1500 have add - on bed liners, the Honda Ridgeline doesn't seem to need one.
The Ridgeline doesn't have a towing mode to help with engine braking, or a trailer brake controller to utilize brakes installed on a trailer.
Not exact matches
They
did the same thing last year to pay for
Ridgeline High.
During the year that we had our 2006 Four Seasons
Ridgeline, I kept meaning to fill that handy underbed trunk with icy brew, but I never
did it.
The
Ridgeline also doesn't require the huge climb up that regular 4 × 4 pickups
do.
Though I was beyond sick of driving by the time I reached AUTOMOBILE HQ the next afternoon, those negative feelings
did not extend to the
Ridgeline.
If the drainable trunk and power outlets in the bed don't already make the 2017 Honda
Ridgeline perfect for tailgating, the new built - in bed speakers are sure to convince you.
With un-trucks like the
Ridgeline, specs matter even more because they need to
do what trucks
do while taking a different route to the final result.
The 2012 Honda
Ridgeline Sport is a practical and useful pickup truck, but it doesn't have the level of capabilities on offer from real full - size trucks.
Honda
did not introduce any new vehicles at this year's Detroit auto show, but the company
did give a bit more information on its future plans concerning turbocharged powertrains and impending redesigns for the Honda Pilot SUV and Honda
Ridgeline pickup truck.
We wouldn't have expected the hot pickup market to reach the
Ridgeline, but it
did, as that model was up 68 %.
I don't know anything about a Honda
Ridgeline, so I trust the techs that work on it.
There doesn't appear to be much of a difference in size between the old and new trucks, either, suggesting that the new
Ridgeline will still be based on the same platform as the Honda Pilot SUV, which is also set to be redesigned this year.
Cargo beds in 4 × 4 pickups have gotten pretty high off the ground, and although Honda's underfloor storage doesn't raise the
Ridgeline's much farther, owners would need telescoping arms to reach over the dropped - down tailgate to get anything out of that new trunk.
It's no wonder the 255 - hp V - 6 doesn't send the
Ridgeline charging onto the freeway, although Honda claims it will get to 62 mph in 9.5 seconds, which would put it about on par with a V - 8 Dodge Dakota but behind a V - 6 or a.
For a light - duty truck that actually
does exactly what you plan to use it for, keep the 2018 Honda
Ridgeline — and Charleston Honda — in mind the next time you buy.
With things like a two hinged rear tailgate, which can not only come down like a normal truck, but swing out to make loading easier, Honda's easy entry to both sets of seats, which are wide, comfortable and make getting to the job relaxing instead of taxing, the
Ridgeline provides such a higher quality of a driving experience that it easily out
does the Frontier.
Realistically, many truck owners — even those in the biggest - «n» - baddest 4x4s — never use their vehicles anywhere close to capacity, and the
Ridgeline can handle most of the tasks they actually
do.
«If you're looking for an open bed to occasionally haul stuff, but don't require significant towing capability (or the perceived baggage that comes with driving a pickup), the
Ridgeline is - at this point - the only game in town.
Okay, given that the 2017 Honda
Ridgeline is all - new vehicle that's only been on the market since June 2016, it obviously doesn't have the same history of dependability as other reliable pickup trucks.
Even in double cab body style, rear passengers are more cramped than those in a GMC Canyon or Honda
Ridgeline would be while the Access Cab is best left to those who don't intend to have many rear passengers.
Rumors have been flying around about Volkswagen
doing a car - based pickup (i.e. Honda
Ridgeline).
However, if you
do decide you want to go with a V6, you can see that the power differences between the two are not that great, and that the
Ridgeline's engine is the far more efficient option.
If you want a new car near Dallas, don't just look at the 2018 Honda
Ridgeline, Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma and the GMC Canyon; also check out the dapper 2018 Chevrolet Colorado.
The
Ridgeline's 5000 - pound maximum towing capacity and 1580 - pound payload rating are good enough for an expensive trip to a home - supply store or for lugging a decent - size boat to the lake, and the Honda has the best balance of practicality and everyday usability even if it doesn't out - tow the diesel - powered GMC Canyon or conquer off - road trails as well as the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro or the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.
To
do so, Honda performed the same rock drop into a
Ridgeline's standard composite bed.
Celebrity - designed vehicles, such as various new Fords customized by DJ Funkmaster Flex, or a Honda
Ridgeline with a paint scheme conceived by former Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice,
did not look any better than regular - folk custom vehicles but attracted more attention.
The 2007 Cadillac Escalade EXT doesn't have many competitors in the auto marketplace: the Chevrolet Avalanche and the Honda
Ridgeline at least put up some argument for being utility vehicles, whereas the Caddy struggles to come across as anything but sheer vehicular excess for its own sake.
We all know you don't contemplate between an F - Series and a
Ridgeline when it comes to «truck things» like towing.
«We'll
do something better than the Navara,» he said, adding that the Navara is a bit more of a lifestyle vehicle, «like a Honda
Ridgeline.»
Why
do we say the
Ridgeline is unusual?
Unless you're looking to
do serious off - roading or towing, the
Ridgeline will likely provide all the hauling versatility you'll need, along with everyday driving manners and all - around sophistication that are a cut above its class competition.
The Honda
Ridgeline is the best used truck for those who don't really want to be driving a pickup.
Nor
does the
Ridgeline come with the V - 8 engine that American truck owners prefer — Honda doesn't even sell a V - 8 — and it doesn't offer a manual transmission.
Or use the Pacifica platform for a pick up like Honda
does with
Ridgeline.
The
Ridgeline's rear axle unit
does not use a conventional differential.
We didn't have much wear - and - tear on the
Ridgeline beyond the expected scratches in the bed liner.
The Honda
Ridgeline also has its fans, as
does the Hummer H3.
With seven high - tensile strength and reinforced cross members creating a closed box ladder frame, the
Ridgeline's unibody construction
does have a lower frame like a traditional body - on - frame truck.
As much as we enjoyed having the
Ridgeline for a year, we
do have a few quibbles.