Midsize Pickups

Honda Ridgeline tops other crossover trucks

If you mostly use your pickup for hauling people -- plus the occasional load of firewood, Home Depot purchase or U-Haul trailer -- experts say a full-size pickup is overkill. Instead, the midsize 2009 Honda Ridgeline (*Est. $28,000 to $36,330) is the safest, most reliable and practical choice.

"The Honda Ridgeline is the perfect utility vehicle for a soccer dad," Cars.com says. This four-door pickup seats five with a roomy backseat, high-quality interior and car-like ride, reviews say. Its lockable, weatherproof trunk provides plenty of luggage space beneath its 5-foot bed. The Ridgeline's maximum payload (1,546 pounds) and towing capacity (5,000 pounds) are far less than any full-size pickup's, but more than enough for many users. Experts say the Honda Ridgeline is the most reliable pickup truck on the market, and it's also one of the safest. It aces every independent and government crash test, and the Honda Ridgeline is almost as rollover-resistant as the average sedan. Its full-time all-wheel-drive system kicks in as needed, which reviews say is a big help in sloppy weather.

Consumers have named the Honda Ridgeline the most appealing midsize pickup in J.D. Power and Associates' survey for four years running. It's the only non-full-size pickup that makes Car and Driver's 2009 Editor's Choice list -- the vehicles editors would most like to drive themselves. But its unusual unibody construction makes for a unique look that buyers haven't warmed up to.

The Ridgeline "still suffers a wussy image," even though it really is strong and capable, Car and Driver says. The Honda Ridgeline does get a tougher-looking, more truck-like nose for 2009.

A more conventionally styled truck, the 2009 Dodge Dakota (*Est. $21,075 to $31,280) offers the biggest payload (1,720 pounds) and towing capacity (7,200 pounds) of any midsize pickup, and several reviewers recommend it. However, this aging model can't match the Ridgeline for safety, reliability or resale value, and testers say it suffers from a rough ride and cheap interior. Although the Dodge Dakota was the first midsize pickup truck, reviewers say almost all of its newer competitors now surpass it. The 2009 Mitsubishi Raider (*Est. $21,135 to $29,425), which is based on the Dakota, was never accepted by buyers and will be discontinued after 2009.

Similar in style to the Honda Ridgeline, the 2009 Ford Explorer Sport Trac (*Est. $27,460 to $35,145) is essentially a Ford Explorer SUV with a short, 4-foot bed in the back. Payload is smaller than the Ridgeline's (maximum 1,390 pounds), but the Sport Trac is able to tow heavier loads than the Honda Ridgeline can (7,160 pounds when fully equipped). However, reviews say the Ford Explorer Sport Trac falls short in terms of comfort, quality and reliability.