2009 Honda Ridgeline

Only the optional RamBox on the new Dodge Ram 1500 (*Est. $21,270 to $43,240) offers anything similar to the Honda Ridgeline's under-bed trunk, says Thom Blackett at PickupTrucks.com. Testers are very impressed with the trunk, although they point out it would be impossible to access if the bed were loaded with something like dirt or mulch. The spare tire is buried in the trunk, too, so "you'll have to schedule those flat tires for times when you're traveling light," Blackett says.

The Honda Ridgeline comes in a single body style: a crew cab with a 5-foot bed. Testers say the Ridgeline offers plenty of backseat room for two or three adults, with a high-quality interior. Most reviewers say the seat cushions are comfortable, but testers at Edmunds.com and ConsumerGuide.com find the backseat too thin, flat and upright for comfort.

The Ridgeline outclasses its main midsize competitor, the Ford Explorer Sport Trac (*Est. $27,460 to $35,145), in most ways, according to reviews. PickupTrucks.com says the Ridgeline delivers the best ride of any pickup -- smoother than even the much-talked-about coil-spring suspension on the Dodge Ram 1500 -- and more than one tester is pleasantly surprised by the Ridgeline's off-road efforts. It smoothes out a washboard road nicely in one review, and it gamely clambers up muddy and rocky hills in others. Car and Driver finds it "shockingly capable in the dirt," although it's not designed for hard-core off-roading. The Honda Ridgeline pickup's full-time all-wheel drive helps, reviews say; most trucks offer only part-time four-wheel drive.

Towing, hauling a weak point

All-wheel drive makes for poor fuel economy, though. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates the Ridgeline will deliver 17 mpg in mixed-use driving (15 mpg city and 20 mpg highway), and some real-world testers see only 15 or 16 mpg. That's no better than a full-size pickup truck, and it doesn't even come close to the most fuel-efficient compact pickups, including the rear-wheel-drive, four-cylinder version of the Toyota Tacoma (*Est. $15,170 to $27,075) at 22 mpg combined.

Towing and hauling aren't among the Honda Ridgeline's strong suits, either. It's rated to tow 5,000 pounds -- enough for a jet ski, pop-up camper or a loaded U-Haul trailer, according to Cars.com. Critics like the Ridgeline's steel-reinforced composite bed, which won't rust or dent, and its wheel well-free shape is wide enough to hold a sheet of plywood. Maximum payload ranges from 1,486 to 1,546 pounds. So the Honda Ridgeline pickup can tow and haul about half as much as the brawniest full-size pickups, such as a maxed-out Ford F-150 (*Est. $21,565 to $44,355). For the most part, even the best-equipped compact pickup truck models will still provide more muscle for less money.

Excellent safety scores for the Honda Ridgeline

Only one other pickup truck -- the rear-wheel-drive version of the smaller Toyota Tacoma -- can match the Honda Ridgeline's excellent safety ratings. Both pickup trucks earn the highest possible scores in all government and independent crash tests, and unlike most pickups, they're nearly as rollover resistant as the average sedan. The Honda Ridgeline even has a smaller rear blind spot than most trucks in one test, and a backup camera is optional on the top-level Ridgeline.

Finally, there's the Ridgeline's styling. It's unique -- the cab and bed are all one piece, with thick C-pillars that slope into the chunky bed sides -- and it's not to everyone's taste, based on reviewer feedback. "It's not ugly, but neither is it pretty," concludes Mathews at TheCarConnection.com. "Perhaps 'curious' is the word."

Although it costs much more than other pickups' entry models, reviews note that the entry-level Honda Ridgeline RT (*Est. $28,200) comes nicely equipped with a locking rear differential, trailer hitch, power accessories (including a power sliding rear window), cruise control and more. The Ridgeline RTS (*Est. $31,305) adds more standard features such as dual-zone automatic climate control, an upgraded stereo with MP3 jack and alloy wheels. The top-level Ridgeline RTL (*Est. $34,180 to $36,530) includes luxurious touches such as heated leather seats, a moonroof and the ability to purchase an optional in-dash navigation system.

A 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine powers the Honda Ridgeline, together with a five-speed automatic transmission. Experts say it accelerates fine, but it's not powerful enough for heavy-duty use. The Ridgeline is a very reliable pickup truck, according to two major owner surveys. It carries a three-year, 36,000-mile basic warranty and five-year, 60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

We found expert reviews covering nearly every aspect of the Honda Ridgeline at ConsumerReports.org, Edmunds.com, ConsumerGuide.com, TheCarConnection.com and PickupTrucks.com (an affiliate of Cars.com). Reviews at Kelley Blue Book and Car and Driver are shorter but just as consistent in their findings as the more detailed reviews. Crash-test results at both the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are good. Fuel-economy estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency and owner ratings from J.D. Power and Associates add to the Ridgeline's reputation as an excellent pickup truck value.