Revscene Car Review: 2017 Honda Ridgeline Touring
 

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Pros: Structure rigidity, More than enough Power, impressive Fuel Economy

Cons: Rear access is a bit tight, have to explain to people it's a real truck

TL;DR: Solid truck with truck-like features while feeling a car, with tons of toys.

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The 2017 Ridgeline is here to change the mid-size truck market, by offering a unique chassis and upscale features. For the 2017 model year, the Ridgeline has been completely redesigned from the ground up. Though still keeping with its unibody roots this truck is more Accord then F-150.

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Most cars these days are designed via unibody construction, its light, simple and makes the car strong. And on the other side, we have trucks using generally a ladder frames with a cab and box stuck on top. Ladder frame is strong and provides the overall truck a great platform to build from, but with a frame underneath there are limitations like legroom additional weight from having two structures and not being able to utilize the space between the frame. Upon seeing the Ridgeline it's evident that Honda engineers have worked hard to create such a vehicle. The cabin is spacious and rock solid with no chassis creeks, under the bed there's a trunk for in bed storage that's both lockable and weather sealed. To get access to the trunk the rear tailgate has a trick hinge where it can fold down like a regular tailgate but also swing out to have easier access.

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On the road, the Ridgeline is quiet and smooth. Even with no load out back, the ride was sublime, behaving similarly to an Accord and it's able to soak up bumps and ruts. Steering is light, making maneuvering the longest vehicle in Honda's lineup a breeze.With the multilink suspension in the back rather than and axle like most trucks, handling is tight. Steering around objects and driving the truck aggressively doesn't hinder the performance aspect. Behind the wheel, it feels though the truck is a lot smaller than it actually is. On the touring model, there are a few toys to keep the journey nice and safe. Honda calls it Honda Sensing technologies, it includes a few sensors and cameras which can aid the driver in all sorts of situations. Starting with Forward Collision Warning System, it's able to sense any approaching objects in front of the Ridgeline and cue an audible and visible warning on the dash. Following that is the Collision Mitigation Braking System which will brake for you when those said objects come too close. The same sensors aid the Adaptive Cruise Control where it's able to keep a safe distance behind the vehicle in front and reducing speed when needed. In addition to those the Ridgeline also includes Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, and Road Departure Mitigation System. These three help the Ridgeline stay in lane and even brake the opposing wheel to steering the truck back when needed.

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Powering the Ridgeline is Honda's trusted J-series V6 making 280hp and 262lb-ft of torque, it's not class leading but because of the overall weight, it does make it one of the fastest accelerating trucks in its class. And with the v6 it's able to match and beat it's competitors when comparing fuel economy. There was never a time while driving the truck that it felt it was down on power, the smooth powertrain paired with the 6-Speed automatic pulled nicely up hills and is able to even tow up to 5000lbs when properly equipped, and have a payload of 1500lbs.

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Inside the Ridgeline is no work truck, it's a very pleasant place to be and a lot more upscale than one might suspect. In fact, if there's an Acura badge in front no-one would be the wiser. Seats are supportive and comfortable, providing the front driver and passenger with heated and cooled seats and even the rear seats are heated. A three zone climate control is available giving everyone in the cabin a nice dose of whatever temperature they feel like. On the Doors and throughout most of the cabin the Ridgeline is filled and lined with soft-touch materials and leather. In the back, the seats are also spilt folding, and with the seats up it creates an enormous area where your dog or bike can be. Also because of the low floor thanks to the construction, it's easy to let your dog jump on up into the cabin.

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Overall the Ridgeline is a great balance for people who's looking for a Pilot but just needs that versatility of a truck, it has similar in cabin space and has similar toys and features. The bed with it's in bed audio exciters and power outlet can make the Ridgeline one heck of a tailgate party vehicle. And when you just need to go to work, the Ridgeline proves that it's able to handle everyday roads and even backroad with confidence.

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This is amazing the little window helps with foward visibitly

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Car play works well, minimum lag but no volume button

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rear HVAC control, with USB for charging

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Great "truck" but expensive...

And the lack of off-road capability is a bit disheartening but oh well.

NICE ODYSSEY WITH THE ASS CUT OFF

You mean a Pilot?

Hideous looking :(

why do ever model need to have the same headlights designs? Why cant it be distinguish from each other?

Prob saves on design $$$

Every car from individual manufacturers looks almost looks identical. Especially Mazda and Hyundai, all their cars front ends are the same. Boring, but keeps costs down no doubt.

yea, the long wheelbase and minimum ground clearance makes it tough to crawl rocks but across mud, snow, sand there shouldn't be any problems.

Behind the lights there's a lot of tech and because of that and certifications chances are it's easier to make the same lights for different vehicles.

side note: Pickups fall short in headlight testing

Ridgeline with the LEDs is the only new truck that passed IIHS headlight test.

While driving on the highway, the truck can sense if theres any on coming cars and turn on the high beams as needed.

What i love most is that the in bed trunk actually has a drain plug so you can fill it up with ice and use it as a cooler for camping/fishing etc

Don't forget. I believe this model and the black edition also has an in-bed speaker system. great for tailgating

It's surprisingly loud

Kinda cool to know the Ridgeline was top3 of MotorTrend's truck of the year.

Drain plug and in-bed speaker system? Thats sweet!

I kind of like this truck!

that is not a truck

To some, a truck has to have a frame but to a lot of buyers this is the perfect light duty truck. for the odd times you need a bed but has all the convenience

It is difficult for me to associate "unibody" and "truck" in the same sentence. Having said that, the utilitarian nature is quite astonishing. If gravels roads are your heaviest off road duty and you need the bed for bikes, lumber, camping, etc yet prefer the comfort of an SUV/Car then this could be a great vehicle for you.

liking the older body style alot more.. way more rugged and adventurous looking. Especially the facelifted sport model like this one

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I'm sure it looks that way but the new one is much more rigid. Tho the looks make it a lot softer than it should be.

Except GM fans were complaining it's just a Chevy Avalanche knock off.

Looks like a step up from the previous one, but it costs the same as an equivalent Tacoma which can tow more, has a low range box, and will have better resale.

But if interior space, creature comfort, and toys are your things the older chassis of the taco can't compare.

Sounds like it's really more of a crossover ute, I'm sure there's a market for that but I can't imagine it's very large.

Also is that spare tire a space saver?

^ yea it is a space saver. Under the trunk.

You forgot the all important "Will the bed fit two bikes test".