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Honda Ridgeline Review
In 2006, the bigwigs at Honda decided to break into the pickup truck market with the Ridgeline. They ultimately succeeded in breeding a smaller full-size truck with an innovative and unique design based on unibody construction. Featuring such design ingenuity as a dual-action tailgate and a modest trunk found under the bed, the Ridgeline earned Motor Trend's Truck of the Year award in its debut year.
See also the main fact sheets for the Honda Ridgeline.
High Points
Low Points
Performance and Handling
Gas Mileage
As reported by FuelEconomy.gov, the Ridgeline gets 16mpg in the city and 21mpg on the highway. This is the same across all trim levels, as they are all equipped with the same engine and four wheel drive. Autos.com ranks the Ridgeline tied for 5th with the Dodge Ram 1500 in fuel efficiency for the Full-Size Truck category.
Safety
According to the NHTSA, the Ridgeline performed extremely well on safety tests. For all front- and side-impact tests conducted, the Ridgeline received a 5-star rating, and rollover tests earned it 4 of 5 stars. This placed it at the top of the Safety category for Full-Sized Trucks on Autos.com.
Most of the safety features are standard across all trim levels. These include front, side, and side curtain airbags with occupancy sensors; side impact door beams; anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD); vehicle stability assist with traction control; and a tire pressure monitoring system.
Reliability and Maintenance
As the Ridgeline was all new for model year 2006, there is no information on its reliability as of yet. However, critics have praised this debut pickup from Honda highly, and with the company's excellent reputation, time should reveal that they've done just as well with this foray into the truck market as they have with their cars.
Interior and Comforts
Exterior
Styles and Options
The Ridgeline is available in four trim levels, the RT, RTX, RTS, and RTL. Virtually all of the truck's engineering is the same for all versions, including its engine, transmission, drivetrain, and suspension. The differences can be found mostly in minor exterior aesthetics and interior conveniences.
The RT is the base model. It comes with the basic amenities, such as the innovative dual-action tailgate and under-bed trunk, air conditioning, cruise control, and power windows, locks, and rear sliding window, to name a few. It's the only model to have non-body colored door handles and side mirrors, and a chrome grill is an optional accessory.
The RTX steps it up a notch by adding body colored door handles (though the side mirrors remain black), but what sets it apart from the other trim levels is that it is the only one to come with a standard chrome grill and a towing package that includes a hitch and wiring harness.
The RTS and RTL are the top trim levels of the Ridgeline and are set apart from the previous two by several items. They both come with security systems, body colored mirrors, silver alloy wheels, dual zone climate control, 8-way power seats, and a 160-watt, 7-speaker stereo system with an in-dash 6-CD changer. The RTL maxes things out with heated leather seats, ambient console lighting, heated side mirrors, a power moonroof, and standard XM radio.
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