The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Crossover-like ride
- Standard AWD
- Good safety tech
- Just enough utility
Dislikes
- Meh infotainment
- Not all that frugal
- Not all that frugal
- Not for towing heavy loads
Buying tip
features & specs
So long as you don’t need to tow a heavy trailer, the 2024 Honda Ridgeline is a low-guilt pickup truck.
What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Honda Ridgeline? What does it compare to?
It’s a light-duty mid-size pickup. Compare it to the Hyundai Santa Cruz, the Ford Maverick, and the Nissan Frontier.
Is the 2024 Honda Ridgeline a good truck?
It’s a solid pickup, at least for the way many folks choose to haul their cargo, light trailers, and passengers. It’s comfortable inside, with a great ride, and it’s full of smart touches. It’s a 6.2 out of 10 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2024 Honda Ridgeline?
A new TrailSport trim level adds a dose of off-road utility to the Ridgeline this year. That trim adds an off-road-oriented suspension, all-terrain tires, and underbody protection, though it’s hardly a rival for the Chevy Colorado ZR2. All trims see an upsized 9.0-inch touchscreen and a new center console design this year.
Ridgelines have crossover-like styling up front, with a proper 5-foot bed out back. Beneath the bed sits a useful lockable storage area.
The crossover look continues inside with comfy front seats separated by a big center console. The rear seat offers up far more comfort than other mid-size pickup trucks—after all, the Ridgeline is basically a Pilot until you reach its bed.
The same’s true underneath, where a 280-hp 3.5-liter V-6 shuttles power to all four wheels via a 9-speed automatic transmission. At 21 mpg combined, the Ridgeline is on the thrifty side for a pickup. It’s at its best on the road, though, where the compliant independent suspension and direct steering stand in marked contrast to the trucky nature of all its rivals. It’s a cinch to hustle it around town and into tight parking spots, at least compared to most pickups.
The Ridgeline is rated to lug up to 5,000 pounds, which is fine for a small utility or cargo trailer. If you’re looking to tow much more than that, check out the competition—or look for a daily rental. Seriously, how often do you really tow?
The comfortable interior has nice materials and plentiful small-item storage. That bed trunk even has a drain hole that lets it function like a cooler.
All Ridgelines have a slew of safety features, including active lane control, adaptive cruise control, and automatic emergency braking, though parking sensors and blind-spot monitors are optional. Solid crash-test results add to its appeal.
How much does the 2024 Honda Ridgeline cost?
Honda wants $41,125 for the base Ridgeline Sport trim, which buys an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, cloth upholstery, active safety features, adaptive cruise control, and gray-finish 18-inch wheels.
We’d spend the $2,800 for the RTL with its heated seats and blind-spot monitors, plus a few other extras.
All Ridgelines are priced right up against truck-based mid-size pickup competitors.
Where is the 2024 Honda Ridgeline made?
In Lincoln, Alabama.
2024 Honda Ridgeline Styling
Rugged but not over-the-top, the Ridgeline is a fairly stylish pickup.
Is the Honda Ridgeline a good-looking truck?
It’s a pleasant enough choice, though it lacks the hard lines and hefty stance of other midsize pickup trucks. That’s fine with us, especially given how convenient its interior is. The Ridgeline lands at a 7 out of 10 on the TCC scale.
The Ridgeline heavily samples the last-generation Honda Pilot up front, where a big badge swims in a wide grille flanked by boomerang headlights. From the sides, most models have a slab appearance, though the TrailSport toughens things up with fender flares. The small gap between the crew-cab body (don’t look for anything else) and the 5-foot bed (again, the only choice) stands in contrast to the huge valley you’ll find in rivals. (That’s because their cabs, beds, and frames are separate units that move a bit over bumps.)
The cabin is lifted directly from the old Pilot, which results in a 9.0-inch touchscreen above plentiful buttons and knobs. Upholstery choices are limited, so don’t look for the fun fabrics and colors found in, say, the Toyota Tacoma or Ford Maverick.
2024 Honda Ridgeline Performance
The Ridgeline makes for a perfect light-duty midsize truck.
Honda’s pickup trades capability for comfort. It can’t haul quite as much as other mid-sizers, but it’s so much more tolerable on a day-to-day basis. It’s a 6 on the TCC scale thanks to its supple ride quality.
Is the Honda Ridgeline 4WD?
All models have all-wheel drive, but no low range for serious off-roading. The new TrailSport has a slightly beefed-up suspension and all-terrain tires, which put it more in line with standard versions of the Ridgeline’s conventional midsize truck competitors like the Frontier and Ranger.
How fast is the Honda Ridgeline?
The 3.5-liter V-6 pushes out 280 hp via a 9-speed automatic transmission. Though smooth, this combination results in somewhat leisurely acceleration, especially given the gearbox’s propensity to upshift to save fuel and the engine’s peaky nature. You’ll need to wind it out.
The fully independent suspension stands in marked contrast to leaf-sprung rear axles typically found in midsize trucks, and it imparts a smooth, compliant ride akin to the related Pilot. The Ridgeline takes big bumps without the side-to-side head toss typical of solid-axle trucks, and its bed feels more planted when unladen. It’s the best-riding midsize truck by far. And it’s a comfy highway cruiser, with good straight-line stability.
Ridgelines can haul better than their compact competitors. Figure as much as 1500 pounds of payload capacity in the bed or a 5,000-pound trailer. If your towing and hauling is mostly a small utility trailer or boat, this is likely all the truck you need.
2024 Honda Ridgeline Comfort & Quality
The Ridgeline is a real-world hauling champ.
Comfortable front seats, a great back seat, and a trick bed elevate the 2024 Honda Ridgeline to an 8 for comfort and quality.
It’s a last-generation Pilot inside, which is no bad thing. You’ll find comfy seats wrapped in fabric or leather, and most versions have power adjustment for the front seats. Rear-seat riders have about 37 inches of legroom, which bests other midsize pickups on the spec sheet. Moreover, those seats are nicely padded and the backrest is at a less-upright angle than a typical pickup. The bench splits 60:40 to fit bigger items in weathertight security, too.
The 5-foot bed is about 50 inches wide, which is small by pickup standards. Still, it’s full of tricks, starting with a tailgate that swings open or flops downward. The bed’s floor has a lockable trunk with a drain, while many versions offer LED lighting, power ports, and a speaker.
2024 Honda Ridgeline Safety
The 2024 Honda Ridgeline comes with good safety tech.
How safe is the Honda Ridgeline?
Honda’s truck has a decent crash-test record, plus plenty of standard tech to help avoid an impact in the first place.
It rates a 7 thanks to a five-star NHTSA rating and because it comes with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and active lane control. Blind-spot monitors and parking sensors are included on most trims, too.
The IIHS gave it mostly “Good” ratings, though an “Acceptable” rating in the passenger-side small overlap test prevented it from getting Top Safety Pick status. Outward vision is good overall, with fairly small roof pillars.
2024 Honda Ridgeline Features
The 2024 Honda Ridgeline is no bargain pickup.
Starting at $41,125, this year’s Ridgeline is the better part of $1,000 more than last year’s model. That’s not a great starting point, especially since similar money buys either a loaded-up compact truck or a similarly (if not better) outfitted mid-sizer. Still, we give the Ridgeline a 7 on the TCC scale thanks to its 9.0-inch screen and its decent array of standard features.
The basic 3-year/36,000-mile warranty earns no points.
The base Ridgeline Sport has cloth trim, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, a 7.0-inch display in the instrument cluster, manually adjustable front seats, and three-zone automatic climate control.
Which Honda Ridgeline should I buy?
While the base model is fine, the RTL’s $2,800 premium buys leather upholstery, heated front seats, power front seats with memory for the driver, blind-spot monitors, and a sunroof. It’s easy to justify.
At $46,355, the new Ridgeline TrailSport is this year’s newsmaker. It builds on the RTL with all-terrain tires, an underbody skid plate, a heated steering wheel, and a few other bits.
How much is a fully loaded Honda Ridgeline?
Figure $47,725 for the top Ridgeline Black Edition, which lives up to its name with blacked-out interior and exterior trim as well as parking sensors
2024 Honda Ridgeline Fuel Economy
The 2024 Honda Ridgeline isn’t as thrifty as its crossover roots might suggest.
Is the Honda Ridgeline good on gas?
If you thought that crossover underpinnings would give the 2024 Honda Ridgeline a fuel economy edge, you might be surprised. Most versions offer EPA estimates of 18 mpg city, 24 highway, 21 combined, while the higher-riding TrailSport checks in at a mediocre 20 mpg combined. The revamped Ford Ranger is estimated as high as 22 mpg combined with four-wheel drive, while even the burly Nissan Frontier’s big V-6 delivers 20 mpg combined.
