WASHINGTON — After a few years away Honda is giving its midsize truck another go. The first one was a bit odd looking compared to the competition and didn’t really fit in. So how does this new 2017 version fare in a more crowded market place this time?
I spent a week with a loaded RTL-E version of the new Ridgeline and it has dropped its strange looking bed design that sloped down from the cab and made it look altogether different that the rest of the trucks on the market.
It might appear like a normal truck with a separate cab and bed but it’s really just for show. This is still not the most macho-looking machine on the road and it has the front end styling of the Pilot crossover. There are large 18-inch wheels that help a bit. The lower body is in a darker color, and there is some space in the wheel wells to give this a bit more of a truck look.
Being a Honda, there are some differences in the back, like a tailgate that opens as a normal fold down and a swing open door. There is also a bed trunk. Simply open the door on the floor and there’s water tight storage and a drain plug so it can be used as a cooler at tailgates. Speakers also come in the bed so you can crank up the sound system to play in the truck or outside the vehicle. I wish the bed floor was lower and the sides a little higher to make loading easier.
The Ridgeline drives like a crossover so you don’t get any of that bounce feeling over bumps with an empty bed. Front wheel drive is standard so that’s a big difference. My tester was AWD and not the part-time 4WD and rear wheel drive like most trucks on the market.
Payoff is good if you prefer crossover carlike handling as it’s very smooth for a truck. A trade-off for a more compliant ride is a lower tow rating of only 5,000 pounds, lower than the competition in this class. Power is from V6 and good for 280 hp and teamed with a six speed automatic. The combo moves the Ridgeline well. I had no problem filling the bed with heavy items and it never felt underpowered and the transmission was smooth. Fuel economy was 21.6 mpg about what the sticker says for mixed driving.
The interior isn’t really what you’d think of a truck and is more crossover-like inside. The biggest absence is knobs for the radio and HVACs controls. The radio has touch controls that don’t seem to always work at first touch. Luckily, the climate controls are a simple push up or down with an actual control. The rest of the interior seems lifted from the Pilot — a smart move. The seats are comfortable with leather-heated seats and the rear bench is good for three, with nice head room and adequate leg room for most passengers. This RTL-E, the top-of-the-line trim level, has nicer accents and a decent amount of soft touch materials in plain sight.
The 2017 Ridgeline combines the best of both worlds of a truck and crossover in one package. With more of a crossover feel and look, you can comfortably drive it every day and still use as a truck when you need it. Headed to a game, concert or that stale get together? Go ahead, fill up the bed trunk with goodies and provide the music with those outdoor speakers and then people will start to get this crossover of trucks.
