2014 Honda Ridgeline

The 2014 Honda Ridgeline is a car that abounding buyers don't apperceive exists: a auto truck, fabricated by Honda. It's been about for nine years now used Japaneses car dealer, but it occupies a aberrant netherworld in the durably anecdotal apple of pickups. Its admeasurement puts its about amid mid-size and full-size acceptable U.S. and Japanese models, but the Ridgeline is accessible alone in one anchored configuration, a four-door short-bed format. And while full-size pickups from the U.S. makers action both added towing adequacy and greater burden volume, Honda's barter is added big-ticket than the abject models of any Chevy, Ford, or Ram pickup.
It's aswell assuming its age on the road. If it was launched as a 2006 model, the Ridgeline was acutely added advantageous to drive than any added pickup. Now others accept appear abundant closer, conceivably even besting it on refinement--and absolutely on featuers, breadth it now lags. Overall, the Ridgeline is bent amid the mid-size pickups (Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma) and the low end of the aggregate arch full-size models like the Chevy Silverado, Ford F-150, and Ram 1500.

So while the Ridgeline is able of arrest some near-full-size-truck tasks, its shortcomings angle out in the actual applied auto market. It's outfitted alone with a five-foot bed and a flip-out extender. The accepted 4x8 breadth of plywood will not fit. The Ridgeline aswell lacks the adjustable burden breadth that was begin on the beyond Chevrolet Avalanche afore it was discontinued endure year. The Ridgeline's cleverest feature--a closed burden bin beneath the bed floor--makes faculty alone if the barter bed is empty.

The Ridgeline's awkward looks don't advice accomplish its case as a barter either. It's acutely an SUV beneath the skin, cut down to auto duty. The angles of its rear pillars, their array and the alpine rear fenders about the barter bed don't telegraph the aforementioned hidden letters that a Ram 1500 does. It looks smaller, and that usually doesn't sell, in trucks.

Honda's done a abundant bigger job crafting a berth with a added accepted look. The birr blueprint endless gauges and controls in ellipsoidal binnacles, and puts big knobs for the altitude and audio controls in accessible locations, for simple use with a gloved hand. Inside, the Ridgeline feels added like the Honda of old than some of the Hondas of the new, if it comes to the superior of abstracts and how they're fitted.
The Honda truck's administration charcoal a able suit, with abundant ride superior and acceptable council feel, even with accepted all-wheel drive. It's added absolute and controlled than the bulky sheetmetal implies. But while we adore active the Ridgeline added than any added pickup, its appropriate appearance if it was launched for 2006--a sweet-running and aesthetic 3.5-liter V-6 and five-speed automated transmission--are now akin by added acceptable full-size pickups.

The top contenders from Chevy/GMC, Ford, and Ram all action V-6 engines with either six- or eight-speed automatics, and some of those do bigger on ammunition abridgement than the Honda admitting their beyond admeasurement and greater abilities. The best full-size models now hit 20 mpg accumulated even with all-wheel drive, admitting the Ridgeline is ashore at 17 mpg accumulated (15 mpg city, 21 mpg highway).
Since the National Artery Traffic Assurance Administration (NHTSA) revamped how it grades crash-test safety, the Ridgeline has yet to be re-rated for blast safety. The Insurance Institute for Artery Assurance (IIHS) gives it a Top Assurance Pick award. A rearview camera is now accepted on the Ridgeline. It's a acceptable thing, back because the rear fenders block out a lot of the aback view.

The Ridgeline doesn't appear in a individual archetypal priced beneath $30,000, including destination--a big hurdle if bargain Ram, F-150 and Silverado/Sierra full-sizers can be begin for abundant less. All Ridgelines accept accepted air conditioning; ability locks/windows/mirrors; cruise control; a power-sliding rear window; and a 100-watt six-speaker CD complete system. Among the options, Honda offers a voice-recognition aeronautics arrangement with on-the-go Zagat restaurant information, and digital radio.

Honda says it's committed to the Ridgeline, which suggests a new one is in the works to alter the eight-year-old vehicle. To get added barter buyers to notice, it ability accept to get added conventional--but as the latest Toyota Tundra has proven, even big-truck artery cred doesn't agreement any added sales. Not if the Ram, F-150 and the Silverado and Sierra are at the top of their game.