Today's News by Jack Nerad for Driving Today

Honda Ridgeline: Unconventional Pickup Truck

Monday, August 16, 2010

Honda is an engineering-based company, so it’s not surprising that when its executives decided to build a pickup truck, the company’s engineers decided to take a very unconventional approach. Instead of a separate-body-and-frame that has been the basis of virtually all pickup trucks since the beginning, the Ridgeline uses a closed-box, unitized body structure that has much in common with typical modern cars.

Frankly, that approach has its pluses and minuses. The Ridgeline doesn’t offer the bed space or towing capacity of a full-size pickup, but its interior and driving dynamics are much more carlike than those of today’s giant pickup trucks.

Despite the fact that the Ridgeline is more a midsize vehicle than a full-size pickup, it seats five in comfort, and it offers a 60/40 split flip-up rear seat for handy lockable storage. More storage is available in its unique in-bed trunk, which lies under the cargo floor of the pickup bed -- although having to unload the stuff you have in the bed to get at it isn’t all that convenient.

The Ridgeline is powered by a 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter VTEC V-6 engine, backed by a five-speed automatic transmission and a Variable Torque Management four-wheel drive system. Again, it’s not the big V-8 of a full-size truck, but it acquits itself well, and the EPA rates combined fuel economy at 17 mpg. 

The Ridgeline is not the workhorse that the conventional pickups are, but it is significantly more fun to drive, with serious all-around capabilities. If you need to haul big loads on an everyday basis, shop elsewhere. But if you want a vehicle that handles much like a car but features a reasonable amount of open cargo space, the $37,000 Ridgeline is the only game in town.

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