Need yourself a pickup truck, but not one that weighs nearly three tons, is a garage and a half long, gets maybe 15 mpg, and costs way north of $50,000?
Honda’s Ridgeline Trailsport is a solid choice for buyers who enjoy the quiet and comfort of a sedan, aren’t Powerball winners and need a pickup to haul the family while occasionally moving furniture or carrying home and garden supplies, not egos.
Ridgeline isn’t an urban cowboy’s pickup, but a urban handyman’s pickup. You can still sing along to Garth Brooks on the radio, but you can leave the boots and cowboy hat in the hall closet.
If you prefer off-roading to on-road, well, despite its 7.6-inch ground clearance, Ridgeline might not be your preferred mode of transportation.
But for a huge slice of America that wants a pickup for various suburban adventures or practicalities, Ridgeline is the most comfortable pickup on the market and with a 5-foot bed, 2-way tailgate, and an extremely useful 7.3 cubic foot lockable in-bed trunk, it’ll serve as a family vacation hauler or weekend getaway-mobile.
I enjoyed the last Ridgeline I tested and the new 2024 Trailsport is all the former model was, and more. For the occasional off-roader, Trailsport adds 18-inch General Grabber All-Terrain tires and additional underbody protection against rocks and such. Standard is a snazzy Sky Blue paint job, although the test truck opted for a $455 Radiant Red Metallic paint scheme that adds its own bit of spiff. Both look upscale.
Still plenty of power here from a 3.5-liter iVTEC V6 that creates 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. That’s not a growly V8 that’ll cause you to turn up the radio knob, but a smooth quiet powertrain linked to a superb 9-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Despite not cresting $50k this feels more like a luxury sedan’s powertrain than a Big Hoss Mountain Man edition full-size pickup.
Of course it isn’t that. Honda’s Ridgeline is a mid-size pickup with AWD that competes with the likes of Toyota’s new Tacoma, Ford’s Ranger, Chevy’s Colorado, or its cousin the GMC Canyon.
But for gosh sakes, Ridgeline is so darned comfortable.
The independent coil spring rear suspension here (most trucks feature leaf springs) sucks up the bumps and thumps of everyday highway and city moonscape driving as well, or better, than many luxury cars and certainly all SUVs. Couple that with easy light handling and it’s a breeze to park and maneuver in the tightest of parking garages or grocery lots.
I’ve driven quite a few SUVs, and many pickups costing more than $60,000 that don’t features this comfortable a ride.
My only complaint with performance comes down to getting used to the push-button transmission with its console-mounted buttons. Those are easy enough, but one must pull a Reverse toggle back to slip Ridgeline into reverse. I suppose that’s to differentiate it from the other gears, but it felt awkward. One probably would get used to it fairly quickly.
Yet as carlike as the ride and handling of the Ridgeline are, there’s oodles of truck usefulness, if not heft.
Let’s start with a lined pickup bed with bed-side lights and a cavernous trunk or storage box built in. It’s easy to open, and to lock. Easy to get into the bed too as there’s a dual-action tailgate, one that lowers like a traditional gate and the other that allows it to swing open like a door. With a built-in step in the rear bumper that makes climbing into the bed a cinch.
Honda says Ridgeline is the only mid-size pickup whose bed will carry a 4x8 sheet of plywood flat in its bed, but obviously the tailgate needs to be dropped.
There’s an overhead light on the cab in case your loading occurs at night, plus the rear window’s center panel will power open or shut in case a longer item needs to be hauled and can slip safely through the opening.
Inside you’ll feel like you’re in a fine mid-size, mid-priced sedan with heated front seats and steering wheel, plus an 8-inch touchscreen that’s easy to navigate.
Seats are comfy too with black perforated leather coverings featuring orange stitching to add some color. That’s also on the steering wheel and door armrests. The rest of the dash is a soft-touch top with hard plastic facing. Satin chrome finish trims the screen and console. Not fancy, but functional and easy to clean.
Below the center stack is a large opening with textured mat inside for a wireless phone charger.
Overhead is a sunroof and sunshade and in the roomy back seat (more spacious than its competitors) the rear seats will fold up to create additional in-cab storage. Honda tells us even a bike will fit back there, if need be.
Again, just one complaint inside and that’s something that affects us shorter drivers. At 5-5 I power my driver’s seat fairly close to the pedals and find it’s often hard to turn sideways and easily get my feet out of the door frame. The tilt/telescope steering wheel allows for easy entry and exit, but foot well space is tight on exit.
Concerned about a Honda not being made in the US? Fear not, the Ridgeline is assembled in Lincoln, Ala.
Users also can be happy the Ridgeline checks in at just a smidge over 4,500 pounds, yet will still tow 5,000 pounds. That lower weight compared with larger pickups also aids gas mileage, the EPA rates the Honda at 18 mpg city and 23 highway. I got about 25 mpg on the highway and managed 21.9 mpg in a mix of city and highway driving.
Pricing is mid-size sedan level with a base Sport trim Ridgeline listing at $41,145 with delivery. There are three other trims, the RTL with standard leather seats going for $43,975, the tested Trailsport for $46,375, and the top-level Black Edition for $47,745.
The test truck added just the sharp paint job to settle at $46,830. If you go full-size you’re likely to spend $50-60,000 and still not get the top trim or all the available options.
So, economy, comfort, practical truck use (love that tailgate and trunk) and the best pickup ride around? Ridgeline checks all those boxes.
FAST STATS: 2024 Honda Ridgeline Trailsport
Hits: Good power, comfortable car-like ride, quiet interior, smooth shifts, 2-way tailgate, in-bed lockable trunk, lined bed, power sliding rear window. Plus heated seats and wheel, sunroof, wireless charger, in-cab storage under rear seat, easy controls and screen.
Misses: Push-button transmission includes pull-up toggle for reverse, not easy to get feet out door frame when driver’s seat is set for short driver.
Made in: Lincoln, Ala.
Engine: 3.5-liter iVTEC V6, 280 hp/262 torque
Transmission: 9-speed dual-clutch automatic
Weight: 4,503 lbs.
Wheelbase: 125.2 in.
Length: 210.2 in.
Ground clearance: 7.6 in.
Tow: 5,000 lbs.
MPG: 18/23
MPG: 21.9 (tested)
Base Price: $46,375 (includes delivery)
Invoice: N.A.
Major Option: Radiant Red Metallic paint, $455
Test vehicle: $46,830
Sources: Honda, www.kbb.com
