See Photos of Our Long-Term 2019 Honda Ridgeline
Seriously, drop the nonsense that the Ridgeline is a weeny pickup.
Just over a year and 40,000 miles ago, we welcomed a 2019 Honda Ridgeline into our fleet with the clear-sighted goal of proving its worth as a pickup truck. Like every other vehicle we put through our long-term-test regimen, the Ridgeline would be used for hauling our families on trips both short and lengthy. By virtue of its cargo bed and trailer hitch, it would also be pressed into trucky service, lugging and tugging stuff of all sorts. The Ridgeline did that and more, and it did those things generally quite well.
Mid-size trucks are supposed to be more every-day friendly than today's gargantuan full-size pickups. Placed in that context, rather than in comparison with burlier mid-size trucks that can tow 7000 pounds or more (reaching for full-size territory), the Honda is class leading.
Throughout the Ridgeline's stay, our staffers repeatedly praised its segment-best ride and handling, both of which are direct results of the unibody construction, which allows for the class-exclusive independent rear suspension and a relatively light curb weight.
Nothing can touch the Honda's refinement, not the new Ford Ranger, nor Toyota's Tacoma, Chevrolet's Colorado, or GMC's Canyon.
The fancy suspension—by pickup standards—seemingly had no effect on the Ridgeline's towing and hauling capabilities.
After fully loading the Honda's back seat and bed with a workshop's worth of tools in New Jersey and nosing the Ridgeline west toward our Ann Arbor, Michigan, headquarters, technical assistant Harry Granito remarked, "The return trip with the extra weight of the equipment felt the same as the trip out empty."
Given how the pickup-truck playbook typically calls for stiff rear springs to handle heavy loads, which can result in a firm, bouncy ride when the truck is empty, the Ridgeline's deft management of weighty cargo while delivering a cushy ride is noteworthy.
Without a beefy frame in the way, the Ridgeline offers a roomy, well-packaged interior with space for five, as well as a weather-resistant, seven-cubic-foot trunk in the floor of the pickup bed.
Inasmuch as we believe the Ridgeline to be a real truck, most of our staffers—and other observers—felt it could do more to look the part. As it sits, the Honda's reserved styling too closely resembles that of the inoffensive Pilot SUV with which the Ridgeline shares some mechanicals.
Fuel economy proved a high point, as expected: The Honda averaged 20 mpg during its 40,000 miles with us. That figure is 1 mpg shy of the EPA combined fuel-economy estimate and 2 mpg higher than the Ridgeline's 18-mpg city rating.
In every metric, the Ridgeline is a top performer among mid-size pickups—more so when judged subjectively. It remains a smart buy for truck shoppers looking for a right-sized, capable, everyday comfortable, efficient pickup.
2019 Honda Ridgeline
2019 Honda Ridgeline
2019 Honda Ridgeline
2019 Honda Ridgeline
2019 Honda Ridgeline
2019 Honda Ridgeline
2019 Honda Ridgeline
2019 Honda Ridgeline
2019 Honda Ridgeline
2019 Honda Ridgeline
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