The Honda Ridgeline is embarking upon round two of its unique social experiment, looking to clearly demonstrate the amount of beefy looks do or don't matter to pickup truck buyers. The soft appearance (and Honda's irritating infotainment system) is really the only knock contrary to the Ridgeline — it's a tremendously well-executed utility vehicle. The ride is smooth and forgiving without being roly-poly, the cabin is quiet and cozy and Honda's V6 feels particularly strong in such a application, probably caused by well-chosen transmission ratios. Out back, their bed is wide but shallow; could be odd to regular truck buyers at first, but consider what (and just how) you haul from the bed and you'll quickly realize the resulting deep, lockable underfloor storage warrants the tradeoff.

That face, though … it's so damn wimpy, and that's originating from someone who's neither a hardcore truck guy nor saddled with any domestic brand allegiance. Hopefully it's just me and I've got some type of complex to work through since the Ridgeline approximately ideal for the everyday-driver/light-duty pickup buyer.

–Andrew Stoy, digital editor

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Car Reviews

Gallery: 2019 Honda Ridgeline interior

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In the near future, all Hondas shall be some variation over the Pilot. The Odyssey already is really a Pilot with sliding doors, the CR-V is a smaller Pilot, the Civic Type R could eventually simply be a much smaller Pilot which has a fart-can exhaust in addition to a wing, and many others through the model range.

The Ridgeline may be the Pilot which has a pickup bed. It works, first, considering that the Pilot is usually a perfectly serviceable, perfectly comfortable, perfectly competent starting point, and second because it’s designed to meet the needs of what the majority of truck owners make use of their trucks most of the time. That’s, they often use them as being a crossover that has a bed during the back. Yes, even you, dear reader who is yet another hobby horse-rearer — I'd bet the spine doors to your crew cab see more use compared to in-bed gooseneck trailer hitch.

That doesn’t mean the Ridgeline, which consists of puny 5,000-pound towing capacity, will take the location of your respective dually 3500 HD on your sprawling Clydesdale ranch. If you’re moving into the suburbs doing more-than-occasional home improvement work, it’s absolutely worth an appearance, so if you can put aside your body-on-frame prejudice for a specified duration to check on out.

I been able to line up the Ridgeline a couple of week following a stint from a GMC Canyon. Together with a considerable amount of time spent doing run-of-the-mill commuting (it feels just like a Pilot … surprise!), This breadmaker an entire pile of basement-framing supplies composing of 13 sheets of mildew-resistant half-inch sheetrock, 15 two-by-four framing studs, three pressure-treated two-by-fours (those suckers weight too much), two pre-hung doors (hollow-core, to my chagrin), assorted ductwork, screws, nails.

Car Reviews

2019 GMC Canyon Denali quick take: All-weather pickup, luxe edition

What might it be: The GMC Canyon Denali is actually a midsize vehicle run by a 308-hp gasoline V6 or possibly a 2.8-liter Duramax diesel with 181 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque.Key Competitors: Toyota Tacoma, …

All told, I’m probably in the ballpark in the 1,499-pound total payload capacity. Neither the three.5-liter V6 nor the independent rear suspension gave the impression to mind the load, i always feel is quite associated essentially the most you’d wind up carting around for any weekend’s work.

When I’m not carting around that redecorating stuff, I need to be as comfortable as possible, and I derive relatively little utility from rolling around during the biggest, baddest truck on the market. Really the only individuals who are more likely to deliver any flak for arriving in a very Ridgeline are true Truck Guys, we can’t say I seriously care much about the subject.

One aspect to note: That convenient in-bed storage compartment is a touch less convenient if you want so you can get whatever’s inside while there's a baker’s dozen of drywall sheets, etc., over it. So always remember that when you’re loading it down.

But what with the competition in this slowly expanding corner of your market? Like I said, Recently i drove the GMC Canyon, which looked and felt (for better or worse) more like a regular pick up truck. Priced slightly beyond this Ridgeline, it absolutely was also parked within spitting distance, subject to configuration, on the full-size GM offering. And let’s keep in mind the Toyota Tacoma, if you’re not wedded to an all-American offering.

These are generally certainly more trucklike in this particular they’re constructed in the old-fashioned manner, as well as the Chevrolet/GMC pair can tow a fair ton more when properly equipped (the Tacoma bests the Ridgeline by 1,500 pounds). They do ride a little more such as an old-school body-on-frame pickup compared to the Ridgeline, since they are.

However — which is worth noting — given how overall comfortable modern body-on-frame trucks are actually, that’s somewhat less of a gigantic win for the Ridgeline than you would possibly expect.

As to looks, the top end of the Ridgeline does betray several hints of its Pilot lineage; the Chevy Colorado doesn’t exactly boast a lantern jaw, nevertheless the GMC Canyon does an even better Big Boy Truck impression, if that’s what you’re on the lookout for.

–Graham Kozak, associate editor

• Honda Ridgeline
  

• MSRP

  $29,475

  RT

  MPG

  19 / 26

  City / HWY

• Research Honda Ridgeline >

On Sale: Now

Base Price: $42,270

As Tested Price: $42,270

Powertrain: 3.5-liter SOHC V6; AWD, six-speed automatic

Output: 280 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 262 lb-ft @ 4,700 rpm

Curb Weight: 4,515 lb

Fuel Economy: 18/25/21 mpg(EPA City/Hwy/Combined)

Options: None

Pros: Enough pickup for 80 percent of buyers

Cons: Pilot-based softroader looks