Best Reviewed
Pickup Trucks
- Best full-size pickup truck 2011 Ford F-150 *Est. $22790
- Best midsize pickup truck 2011 Honda Ridgeline *Est. $29150
- Best compact pickup truck 2011 Toyota Tacoma *Est. $16365
Get info about new reports and updates
Best midsize pickup
- Smooth ride
- Crisp handling
- Passenger space
- Secure cargo-bed storage
- Two-way tailgate
- Styling
- Not an off-roader
- Blind spots
- Low tow, payload capacities
- Price
- Fuel economy
While reviewers generally agree that the Honda Ridgeline is both ugly and expensive, they have no problems pointing out that Honda's somewhat-unorthodox pickup rides smoothly and handles well. Reviewer consensus is that the Honda Ridgeline is suitable for commuter use, thanks in large part to its pavement-friendly independent rear suspension. Comments on Ridgeline's off-road abilities are mixed, and it's pointed out that low-range gearing is not offered.
Critics like the Honda Ridgeline's passenger space, but Automotive.com notes that there are blind spots over the driver's shoulder. Honda's attention to detail wins over reviewers, who note the lockable storage area in the cargo bed's floor and the two-way tailgate, which swings open or folds down. Power comes from a 247-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6. The Ridgeline's payload and towing capacity fall short of those offered by traditional pickup competitors like the Toyota Tacoma (*est. $14,280 to $26,115). Reviewers are mostly unimpressed with the Ridgeline's fuel economy, which is EPA-rated at 15 mpg city/20 mpg highway.
Edmunds.com has the most-credible, detailed review of the 2008 Honda Ridgeline, covering all aspects in-depth and comparing it with the Ridgeline's closest competitor, the Ford Explorer Sport Trac (*est. $25,400 to $31,320). Consumer Reports magazine focuses on safety and predicted reliability, based on extensive owner surveys. In 2006, the Ridgeline (largely unchanged since then) won Motor Trend's Truck of the Year award. ConsumerGuide.com awards the '08 Ridgeline a "Recommended" rating.
Our Sources
1. Edmunds.com
Edmunds.com describes the Ridgeline as an urban truck that handles smoothly and incorporates some unique features. Editors claim it falters when driven off-road, and that its towing and payload capacities do not compare favorably with those of other midsize pickups.
Review: 2008 Honda Ridgeline Review, Editors of Edmunds.com
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
Consumer Reports' review focuses mainly on reliability, ride quality, handling and safety. A unique aspect of Consumer Reports is its predicted reliability ratings report, based on past-model-year reader-survey data. This review is available to subscribers only.
Review: Honda Ridgeline Review, Editors of Consumer Reports
Automotive.com describes the Ridgeline as a "commuter" pickup and feels it is very close to revolutionary in concept. Writer Jim McCraw praises the Ridgeline's handling, describing it is crisp and sure, and he surmises that it should be plenty of truck for most buyers.
Review: 2007 Honda Ridgeline Review, Jim McCraw
4. Truck Trend
Motor Trend and Truck Trend's annual Truck of the Year competition is limited to trucks that are brand-new or significantly changed for a model year. For 2006, the new Ridgeline (generally unchanged since) was the winner in a unanimous vote.
Review: 2006 Truck of the Year Winner: 2006 Honda Ridgeline, Kim Reynolds
5. Truck Trend
Truck Trend reports that in a yearlong test of the Honda Ridgeline, staff members found it to be surprisingly capable. Williams praises it for pushing trucking boundaries, claiming it is both a "truck for car guys" and a "car for truck guys."
Review: Long-Term Wrap Up: 2006 Honda Ridgeline, Mark Williams
Consumer Guide feels the "Recommended" Honda Ridgeline drives more like a car than a pickup, and concludes that it mixes pickup capabilities and car-like manners. Editors note its light-duty truck design is suitable for family needs but may not be suitable for serious truck use.
Review: 2008 Honda Ridgeline, Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
7. Car and DriverDetails/Subscribe
In its 2008 buying guide, Car and Driver editors claim that the Honda Ridgeline is ugly but drives better than any pickup that they know. They also note that the Ridgeline's truck capabilities are lighter than most, yet they find it quite capable off-road.
Review: 2008 Honda Ridgeline, Editors of Car and Driver
Pickup Trucks Runners Up:
8 picks by top review sites.
7 picks by top review sites.
6 picks by top review sites.
