The Honda Ridgeline is the most practical, value-packed midsize truck available on the market today.
Why I Chose the Honda Ridgeline
The Honda Ridgeline is the most practical vehicle for people who don’t need a full-size truck, but would benefit the most from a pickup bed.
I bought my Ridgeline in 2022 to replace a sedan after getting tired of car-topping canoes and kayaks, a bike rack for my mountain bike, and putting fishing gear and tackle in the passenger seats. A pickup bed was a much simpler solution for my gear-hauling needs.
What Makes the Honda Ridgeline a Great Pickup Truck?
The Honda Ridgeline comes loaded with practical features that makes hauling outdoor gear easier. It is also a great value, being fuel efficient and having luxury features that can be had for less than $50,000 MSRP.
Beyond the spacious bed, which is made of a durable composite material, its most unique feature is a bed trunk which allows you to store even more gear, with weather sealing and a drain plug that opens up tons of possibilities for use.
The rear passenger cabin features folding seats, with a flat, unobstructed deck that allows you to easily transport bulky items like gear bags and cargo totes.
Why is the Honda Ridgeline a Great Value?
The RTL Trim level with leather seats, a rear-sliding window, and power sun/moon roof can be bought for less than $50,000 MSRP! Compare that to most mid-size and full-size trucks where trim levels with leather seats can start as high as $70,000 or more.
What are Common Problems With the Honda Ridgeline?
The most common issue I have with my Honda Ridgeline is with the Apple CarPlay integration and head-unit. The touchscreen is very unresponsive. Worse, the CarPlay is prone to disconnecting randomly, or the sound will cut out.
This is usually fixed by turning off the car and turning it back on. In my 3 years of ownership, this still occurs from time to time, but it’s sporadic enough that it’s not too big of an issue for me.
Other than the issues with CarPlay, the Honda Ridgeline has been a very reliable vehicle for me. In 50,000 miles I have never had to bring the car in for service other than for a recall and standard maintenance.
Is the Honda Ridgeline Fuel Efficient?
Compared to most midsize trucks, the Honda Ridgeline is very fuel efficient. I average 22 MPG City and 25 Highway in normal driving conditions. The highest MPG I ever recorded was 28, while driving the speed limit on the highway with Eco Mode turned on.
The Ridgeline has an ‘Eco Mode’ button which lowers the RPMs and climate control to save gas mileage even further, as well as an automatic start/stop system, which I only like to use at long red lights. The auto-stop/start can be turned off easily using a button on the console.
The best part about the Honda Ridgeline’s fuel efficiency is that it takes regular gas! With a 19.5 gallon fuel tank, It costs me around $60 to fill up my Ridgeline from empty to full on regular gas.
Adding to the Honda Ridgeline’s practicality, it comes with a capless fuel filler, which is also more secure.
Can you Tow a Trailer with a Honda Ridgeline?
Yes! The Honda Ridgeline comes with a Class 3 trailer hitch and 7-pin Connector from the factory, and is rated for up to 5,000 pounds maximum.
I have towed a Triton snowmobile trailer with two snowmobiles in it, a total weight of around 2,000 pounds, without any issues. I even hauled the trailer through some shallow snow. My MPG while towing dropped to about 13 while driving on the highway.
Can You Drive a Honda Ridgeline On The Beach?
I have driven my Ridgeline on both rocky beaches and loose sand with no problems at all. On loose sand, it is important to air-down your tires to reduce your chances of getting stuck. The Honda Ridgeline features a ‘sand’ mode that helps with driving on soft sand beaches, and I have never gotten stuck while driving my Ridgeline on the beach.
Can I transport a Kayak on a Honda Ridgeline?
The primary reason I wanted to buy a pickup truck was to easily transport my kayak instead of car-topping it. The Honda Ridgeline is the perfect vehicle for this task, however the bed might be too short for a kayak longer than 12 feet. If you’re trying to haul a kayak longer than 12 feet, I would recommend a hitch extender like the Yakima LongArm Bed Extender.
You can find my review on the Yakima bed extender here: The Best Truck Bed Extender: Yakima LongArm Bed Extender Review
How much weight can a Honda Ridgeline Hold?
The Honda Ridgeline is rated up to 1,583 pounds payload capacity. I have accidentally exceeded the limits of this while transporting topsoil for a friend, putting around 2,000 bags worth of dirt in there without realizing it. While the vehicle was visibly squatting, the suspension handled it fine in the short drive to my buddy’s house.
I have also hauled two kayaks stacked on top of eachother in my Ridgeline’s pickup bed. The top-and-bottom tie-down points on each side of the bed allowed me to secure the kayaks easily using cam straps.
Can you Sleep in a Honda Ridgeline?
Yes, I’ve slept in the back of my Honda Ridgeline while surfcasting on the beach. With the rear seat folded up, plus a mattress that can fit back there, you can sleep semi-comfortably in the back of your truck.
There are also other Ridgeline owners who have slept in the bed area with a Softopper cover.
What are the Pros and Cons of the Honda Ridgeline?
Pros of the Ridgeline:
- Bed trunk + plenty of back seat cargo space
- Fuel Efficient – 20-25 MPG on average
- Great value – Leather seats, rear-window, and sunroof for less than $50,000 MSRP
Cons of the Ridgeline:
- CarPlay sometimes cuts out
- Unresponsive touchscreen
- Old electronics/head unit
- Factory tires wore-out quickly