Why 2018 Honda Ridgeline is the highest rated midsize pickup truck in North America

2017 Honda Ridgeline road trip
Honda reinvents the midsize truck segment. Photo attributions Parks McCants 2017

True enough, when looking to the midsize truck segment, none of the contenders, Chevy, GMC, Nissan or Toyota beat Honda Ridgeline for overall comfort, utility, and drive performance. Granted, the midsize pickup truck segment in North America is overshadowed by full-size Ford F150 and Chevrolet Silverado pickup sales. After all, why go midsize? We find up to $10,000 manufacturer’s rebates available on full-size truck models, with retail gasoline priced cheaper than 5 years ago. Again, why buy a midsize truck?

Consumers much like my self, prefer the compact maneuverability of a midsize pickup truck when commuting to the job site, or searching for that viable parking spot in town. There’s also the general appeal of a midsize pickup truck that handles and seats more like a car — that’s where 2018 Honda Ridgeline comes to play. Torque News drives Honda Ridgeline down to Fort Umpqua Days.

From my lifetime truck driving experience, I find Ridgeline to be the most comfortable pickup truck offering on the market today. And according to bellwether automotive publication Car and Driver, Edmunds.com and others, Ridgeline, when measured against the competition, is the best overall ownership value in the segment today.

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Out to the Ranch with Honda Ridgeline Black Edition

Granted, for those of you looking to a midsize pickup truck for maximized boat and trailer hauling, Ridgeline may not be your best option. However, if your occasional towing and hauling needs run secondary to interior cab space, comfort, quiet, and standard featured active safety, Honda’s only pickup truck offering is for you.  True enough, Honda Ridgeline is truck-tough enough.

The auto writers and consumer accolades keep rolling in for Ridgeline

This week the qualified journalist of Road and Track bestow “Top 10” honors on 2018 Honda Ridgeline. A carryover from 2017, 2nd generation Honda Ridgeline, now in its 3rd model year of production, comes to a growing truck segment with several unique features proprietary to Honda.

Ridgeline is the only unibody constructed pickup truck in North America — Ridgeline is primarily front wheel drive, or, select drive-mode all-wheel-drive — Ridgeline features the largest (by volume)cab in the segment — offering the only lockable truck-bed trunk in the auto industry. Read what I like about Honda Ridgeline.

2018 Honda Ridgeline comes to market with a beginning MSRP of $29,630 (front-wheel-drive, standard trim. This V6 powered midsize truck averages 19 city/26 highway and can tow up to 5,000 lbs when optioned with AWD.

 

 

We head on down to Fort Umpqua Days in 2017 Honda Ridgeline Pickup

Fall is a great time for driving the back roads of western Oregon. The weather borders on perfection and is generally dry, cool in the mornings, warm in the afternoon, and breezy. Last Labor Day Weekend, we headed down to “Fort Umpqua Days,” with Ms Nancy King. Frankly, she wasn’t eager to vacate the driver’s seat of 2017 Ridgeline, and headed south on the old Territorial Highway toward Drain, Oregon.

V6 powered, fuel-efficient, easy handling

In talking with Ridgeline development engineers, as shared with Torque News, Honda’s only pickup truck offering is designed with the part-time pickup truck user in mind. Our 2017 Ridgeline Black Edition comes fully equipped with every bell and whistle in Honda’s arsenal, including HondaWatch ™, active safety suite, standard multi directional back up camera, power adjusted, cooled and heated driver and front passenger seat, leather trim, and black anodized exterior trim details. You will find full specifications here.

For night driving, our Ridgeline comes equipped with LED self dimming headlights, high visibility running and tail lights. Sinister by day, congenial by night, Ridgeline proves an exceptional multiple task master, tough yet accommodatingly posh — in a pickup truck sort of way.

The best seats in the Honda lineup

I realize that what constitutes “best” is a very personal assessment. Yet, our Ridgeline pickup with just a bit under 4,000 miles showing on the odometer, presented the most comfortable seat that I’d encountered behind the wheel of a Honda or Acura for that matter, over several years of short and extended vehicle drive review.

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It may simply be relative to my personal size, weight, body condition, etc, I don’t know, but I’m very impressed, so was Nancy! In short, 6 foot 5 inches tall, and 5 foot 6 inches tall, both found 2017 Honda Ridgeline infinitely adjustable, medium soft as to ride quality, without being squirrely, and powerful enough as to engine performance.

Interior sensory perception

Ridgelines interior is pleasing to the eye and touch, and while a bit plastic-rich, does present a nice balance of utility meets refinement. I  further appreciate the ergonomically correct layout of Ridgeline’s center stack touchscreen monitor, instrumentation and i-MID. We both found Ridgeline personal electronic connectivity to work seamlessly, as did the Garmin based navigation.

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And of course, the backup camera as displayed through the monitor produced images of clarity, although a bit grainy at night!  The leather seating in our black edition is nicely detailed with muted red piping seating surface inserts,   and perforated for heating and cooling. I further found the fit and finish as to material interface exceptional.

Engine exhaust tone, shift patterns, cab noise, and more

I truly appreciate the throaty exhaust tone of Honda’s mechanically bulletproof 3.5 Liter V6. Our Ridgeline test mule is equipped with “Econ mode.” and at the touch of the button will seamlessly transition to 3 cylinders when driving at speed on the highway.

Honda employs the 6 speed automatic transmission across the lineup with torque transfer duty relegated to either a FWD ( front-wheel-drive) differential or optional “Intelligent Variable Torque Management,” VTM 4, AWD (all-wheel-drive.)

For 2017 all Ridgeline trucks come equipped with a push button “dedicated traction mode,” We discovered it initially in the all new Honda Pilot. Bottom line: Ice, Mud, Snow, no problem! But for us on this mostly dry day (we did encounter a raindrop or two,) Ridgeline proved a no fatigue drive and ride experience, despite an 8 hour, 400 mile drive day, on mostly two lane rural roads. Like I said, Ridgeline is quiet, smooth and fun to drive.

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23.9 MPG combined real world fuel efficiency

On a day rural two lane, highway and gravel road transitions, on the flat and through the mountains, our 2017 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition, as fully loaded as you can find one, averaged 25.7 MPG combined on regular unleaded gasoline — we didn’t baby it!  And yes, we did encounter more than one conventional pickup truck owner that appreciate the almost sinister look of Honda’s latest and greatest offering.

In conclusion

I recommend 2017 Honda Ridgeline Pickup to anyone considering a new truck purchase, or wishing to eliminate a car or two from the stable, while opting for a vehicle that presents truck toughness, crew cab, SUV-like utility and premium Accord-like interior comfort and quiet. For those of you living in regions that don’t require AWD traction, take a look at the all new FWD(front wheel drive) Ridgeline with a beginning MSRP of $29,475 to $42,870 +.

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What I’d change

Truthfully, not much. However, for dedicated off-road use, I’d personally like to find a bit more ground clearance, specifically up front. I talked a bit with Honda engineering as to a possible air-suspension option, it could be done. Also, a few more inches in truck bed length and rear door seat access  would be appreciated. But then it wouldn’t be a Honda Ridgeline.

2017 Honda Ridgeline is the makers greatest achievement to date on the road to reinventing their entire line.

Reinvention of A.H.M.C. continues with Detroit debut of 2017 Honda Ridgeline pickup

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Honda Ridgeline

 

I can’t think of a more appropriate launch pad for the all new 2017 Honda Ridgeline pickup than Motor City.

Coming off of an all time record sales year in 2015, American Honda Motor Company will debut the much touted reinvent of Honda’s only North American pickup truck, 2017 Ridgeline, January 11 in Detroit.

Honda promises a surprise or two

We already know that Ridgeline’s body design cue follows 2016 Pilot very closely. That next generation Ridgeline comes on to market with a more conventional pickup-truck look, greater horsepower, fuel economy and expanded rear seating area comfort. Will die hard Ridgeline fans like it?

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As to mechanical and electronic upgrades and changes for 2017, your guess is as good as ours. Honda remains very tight lipped as to Ridgeline specifications. I speculated a bit here as to a hybrid, or diesel powered Ridgeline in 2015, it’s now doubtful.

But with Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Dodge Ram 1/2 ton pickups averaging better than 25 mpg highway, Nissan and Toyota compact pickups coming to market with diesel power, Honda must step up its fuel economy now to grab a measurable portion of the industries best selling segment. and do so at a comparable MSRP.

Historically Ridgeline has been a niche vehicle for Honda fans wishing to experience pickup utility while enjoying a car-like ride and drive environment.

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2016 Honda Pilot Elite

looking to the latest Ridgeline teaser image from Honda, a major change or two is in store for Honda Ridgeline, we look to 2016 Pilot for a clue or two as to engine, power train, towing capability, dial-traction off road capability and superior personal device connectivity.