2024 Honda Ridgeline a worthy outlier
The Honda Ridgeline debuted 20 years ago as a mid-sized pickup truck unlike anything else in the marketplace. It’s still a unibody vehicle and it’s the only pickup offered by the manufacturer. The 2024 model remains the same generation although plenty has changed.
What’s new is the reviewed TrailSport trim level as well as a larger center touchscreen, new digital instrument panel display and larger center console storage.
Overall, the vehicle is still based on the second-generation Ridgeline introduced in 2017. Technology upgrades include a 9-inch screen (1-inch larger than 2023). It’s more efficient than last year’s offering and includes wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration.
What remains is Ridgeline’s signature quiet ride, confident handling, two-way tailgate and a substantial and lockable in-bed trunk.
Also standard in the TrailSport trim are all-terrain tires and a revised off-road-leaning suspension. A protective underbody skid play and a new, more rugged front grille design give the Ridgeline a boost of masculinity. The word Ridgeline is now spread across the back of the tailgate in big block letters.
Offered in Sport, RTL, TrailSport and Black Edition, all Ridgelines are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine with 280 horsepower, a nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The Ridgeline’s signatures are its quiet ride, confident handling, two-way tailgate and a substantial and lockable in-bed trunk.
Gas mileage averages are 18 miles per gallon in city driving, 24 mpg on the highway. Acceleration from 0 to 60 miles per hour takes 6.0 seconds, a quick effort in the segment. The starting MSRP for the TrailSport is $46,375.
All trims have four doors and a 5-foot-4-inch bed, Honda-proud quality. It’s the one bed in the class that can hold 4-foot-wide plywood sheets without wheelwell interference. The Ridgeline has a 1,583-pound payload, a satisfactory limit but not as much as some competitors. Towing capacity is 5,000 pounds, an acceptable tally but again, not as much as the segment’s top-sellers.
Building on the Sport and RTL trims, the TrailSport upgrades trim and features front and rear parking sensors, a heated steering wheel and synthetic upholstery with orange stitching inside. The interior is additionally impressive with superior front and rear seat comfort and an efficiently designed cabin. Small and large storage areas abound and there’s a large, flat storage area under the rear seats.
There’s also a larger padded armrest, massively sized cupholders and enough space to store a tablet or a small laptop.
The Chevy Colorado, Jeep Gladiator and Toyota Tacoma offer more power and better off-road capabilities. But the Ridgeline outdoes its rivals with superior comfort, fuel economy, handling and versatility.
Heated front bucket seats, a 10-way adjustable driver’s seat, lumbar support and 2-position memory and passenger’s seat with four-way power adjustment are all standard.
Honda’s diverse lineup includes some of the most enduring and top-selling vehicles in history. Still, the Ridgeline has had repeated recall problems — fuel pump failure to rust issues, extreme oil consumption to electric system malfunctions. Its future may not be too dissimilar from the Honda Fit.
It was a highly rated little sedan and it may have the unofficial title of Best of Design Efficiency. But when sales fell, the Fit was gone.
The Ridgeline has distinguished itself as something different among the long-time medium-sized pickup truck leaders. Sales have fluctuated greatly in the truck’s two decades.
But recent-year increases have finally reflected the pickup’s long-standing innovation. It doesn’t have the same reputation for longevity as the Toyota Tacoma. But style and versatility matter as does the 2024 Honda Ridgeline. It deserves to remain in the carmaker’s lineup.
James Raia, a syndicated automotive columnist in Sacramento, also contributes sports, business, lifestyle and travel articles to several print and online publications. Email: james@jamesraia.com.