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New Models
DRIVEN: Honda’s Unique Pickup Truck
The unibody Ridgeline offers some benefits and some disadvantages compared with more-durable traditional pickups. But it does have a trunk.
Honda Ridgeline's new Sport model includes unique blacked-out grille and trim, foglights and 18-inch alloy rims. (Photo: Honda)
Honda likes doing things its own way, so when it came to building a pickup truck, Honda produced the unique Ridgeline, a unibody crossover with a pickup bed.
Maybe not as rugged as the classic box-on-frame pickups produced by Ford, Chevy, GMC, Ram, Toyota or Nissan, but Ridgeline holds its own as a family-friendly vehicle that can also carry a thousand-pound load.
Ridgeline would never be confused for a heavy-duty work truck, and macho truck guys may consider it a weak also-ran. But Honda carries on with a pickup that can be used as an all-around, four-door vehicle for commuting, road trips and occasional chores, with drivability that’s as good as any midsize crossover SUV.
There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach. The minuses include lesser size, ruggedness and capability, while the pluses include improved drivability and comfort, and added versatility.
I found the Ridgeline’s handling and stability to be pretty solid, the all-independent suspension and responsive steering providing a composed ride and capable cornering. There are none of the drivability compromises that are inherent in traditional, live-rear-axle pickups, especially on rough surfaces.
One appealing feature unique to Ridgeline is the deep, locking trunk space under the floor of the bed, where the spare tire is also stowed. There’s 8.5 cubic feet of open space in there for items that are protected from theft and the weather.
The tailgate is also a bit different, opening downwards like a regular pickup’s as well as opening to the side, which gives you unobstructed access to the bed and the latch that opens the trunk.
The bed is not particularly long at five feet, but that’s what extendable bed rails are for; I recently saw some guys with a couple of dirt bikes loaded in the Ridgeline bed with length-extending rails deployed.
One area where the tradition-truck guys feel that Ridgeline falls short is V8 engine power, although that’s gradually falling by the wayside as more-powerful V6 engines, some turbocharged, make a dent in V8 sales in recent years as gas prices rise.
Maybe not as rugged as the classic box-on-frame pickups produced by Ford, Chevy, GMC, Ram, Toyota or Nissan, but Ridgeline holds its own as a family-friendly vehicle that can also carry a thousand-pound load.
Ridgeline would never be confused for a heavy-duty work truck, and macho truck guys may consider it a weak also-ran. But Honda carries on with a pickup that can be used as an all-around, four-door vehicle for commuting, road trips and occasional chores, with drivability that’s as good as any midsize crossover SUV.
There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach. The minuses include lesser size, ruggedness and capability, while the pluses include improved drivability and comfort, and added versatility.
I found the Ridgeline’s handling and stability to be pretty solid, the all-independent suspension and responsive steering providing a composed ride and capable cornering. There are none of the drivability compromises that are inherent in traditional, live-rear-axle pickups, especially on rough surfaces.
One appealing feature unique to Ridgeline is the deep, locking trunk space under the floor of the bed, where the spare tire is also stowed. There’s 8.5 cubic feet of open space in there for items that are protected from theft and the weather.
The tailgate is also a bit different, opening downwards like a regular pickup’s as well as opening to the side, which gives you unobstructed access to the bed and the latch that opens the trunk.
The bed is not particularly long at five feet, but that’s what extendable bed rails are for; I recently saw some guys with a couple of dirt bikes loaded in the Ridgeline bed with length-extending rails deployed.
One area where the tradition-truck guys feel that Ridgeline falls short is V8 engine power, although that’s gradually falling by the wayside as more-powerful V6 engines, some turbocharged, make a dent in V8 sales in recent years as gas prices rise.
2014 Cadillac CTS
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