Is the 2021 Honda Ridgeline a Good Truck? 6 Things We Like and 5 Things We Don’t

With the launch of the first Honda Ridgeline mid-size pickup in 2006, Honda took a clean-sheet approach to truck design. The result was unlike anything on the market: a unibody pickup with car-like handling, four doors, seating for five, lots of clever storage ideas and quirky styling. Only one powertrain was offered: a 3.5-liter V-6 paired with an automatic transmission.

Related: 2021 Honda Ridgeline Review: Looking the Part Without Losing the Innovation

While some Honda fans and others embraced the original Ridgeline for its innovation, utility and comfort, traditional pickup drivers stayed away in droves due to the reduced payload and towing capacities of its unibody design, as well as its somewhat curious proportions.

When the second generation arrived in 2017, Honda ditched the funky styling, but kept the unibody design and clever features. With more traditional proportions and a familial, Pilot-esque face, the current Ridgeline has a more mainstream look and broader appeal. One indication of its success is the recent launch of the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick pickups, both unibody designs that prove, once again, that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

For 2021, the Ridgeline got a midstream refresh with a new, more aggressive front-end look. We recently tested one in Sport trim, and came away impressed overall. But not all is perfect. Here are six things we like about the 2021 Honda Ridgeline, and five that could be better. 

Check out the link above to read the full review of the 2021 Ridgeline from Cars.com’s Mike Hanley. For a quick rundown of what works and what doesn’t, read on.

Things We Like 

1. Ride and Handling 

With a four-wheel independent suspension and unibody construction in place of the body-on-frame design of a conventional pickup, the Ridgeline rides and handles more like a crossover than a truck. The ride is firm, but there’s none of the jiggling over bumps that’s common in an unladen traditional truck. Bumps and potholes are absorbed without jostling occupants too much.

2. Smooth and Powerful Powertrain

Traditionalists may bemoan the lack of an available V-8 or diesel engine, but the standard 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine is refined and more than up to the job of moving the Ridgeline; there’s plenty of power for easy acceleration, and highway merging and passing. The engine is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission that shifts smoothly.  

3. Comfortable Cabin With Room for the Gang 

Getting into the Ridgeline is easy, thanks to a seat height that’s neither too low nor requiring a stepladder or running boards like so many new trucks. The front bucket seats are big and comfortable, and there’s more than adequate head and legroom. The raised, stadium-style rear bench seat aids passenger visibility, and there’s useful storage space under the seat cushion, which can also flip up for more cargo room.  

4. Clever Storage Solutions

The Ridgeline was the first pickup to offer a concealed trunk beneath the cargo bed, a clever solution that’s large enough for golf bags or large coolers, and is equipped with handy drainage for wet gear. The bed and trunk are easily accessed by a dual-action tailgate that swings open or drops down. Cabin storage includes tiered front door pockets, a large covered storage bin between the front seats and a smaller cubby in the center of the dash. 

5. Rugged Bed With No Need for a Liner 

Made of reinforced composite, the Ridgeline’s bed is scratch and dent resistant, which eliminates the need and expense of an aftermarket bedliner. The bed also includes lighting in the sidewalls and is free of wheel-well intrusion that you see in most pickup beds, which makes it easier to maximize the available space. Another bonus is a tailgate height that makes for an ideal workbench, something increasingly rare in modern pickups. 

6. Strong on Safety 

Standard active safety features include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and lane-centering steering. Options include automatic high-beam headlights and blind spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert. The Ridgeline earned the top safety score of good in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests except the passenger-side small overlap test, where it rated acceptable. 

Things We Don’t Like

1. Less Than Stellar Fuel Economy 

Part of the Ridgeline’s update for 2021 is standard all-wheel drive, something that was previously an option. While AWD is a reasonable feature for a pickup, the standard V-6 drivetrain and AWD don’t do the Ridgeline any good in the fuel economy department. With an EPA rating of 21 mpg combined, the Ridgeline’s fuel economy trails not only some mid-size competitors, but also that of some diesel and hybrid full-size trucks.  

2. Lifeless Steering and Brake Feel

While the Ridgeline handles well for a pickup, the steering and brakes don’t do much to add to the fun. The steering is abundantly assisted and has a largely lifeless feel. The brake pedal is similarly disappointing, with a soft and spongy feel. 

3. Clumsy Multimedia System

Honda is crawling back from the depths of its worst multimedia system designs, aided by the return of a volume knob to the Ridgeline for 2021. Standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are welcome connectivity features of the 8-inch touchscreen system, but the lack of a tuning knob is disappointing, and the onscreen menus make some simple tasks more complicated than they should be. The screen’s graphics could also use an update. 

4. Modest Towing and Payload Capabilities

A trade off of the Ridgeline’s unibody design is less towing capacity than its body-on-frame competitors: With a 5,000-pound maximum towing capacity, the Ridgeline trails some competitors by more than 2,000 pounds. The Ridgeline’s 1,583-pound maximum payload capacity is competitive, but the truck doesn’t feel as composed when loaded as its traditionally built competitors. 

5. Then There’s That Price

Good as it is, the Ridgeline is no screaming deal. Its $37,715 base price is more than $10,000 higher than the starting price of a Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma. The cost of entry includes a crew cab and AWD, two things that cost extra in most of the competition, but not necessarily $10,000 more. Despite the Ridgeline’s high starting price, some features, like a power-adjustable driver’s seat, aren’t standard. 

More From Cars.com:

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• 2022 Ford Maverick Vs. 2021 Ford Ranger: How Do Their Interiors Compare?
• 2021 Ford Ranger Video: Tremor Package Shakes Up Off-Road Offerings
• Research Pickup Trucks
• Shop for a 2021 Honda Ridgeline

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