2007 Honda Ridgeline

A Kinder, Gentler Pickup

Honda's midsize pickup rides like a car and has clever storage features. Though plenty tough, it's not as rough and ready as some American pickups.

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The midsize Ridgeline is Honda’s first pickup truck and is based on a car-like unibody structure that it shares with the Pilot SUV and Odyssey minivan. This gives it superior driving dynamics on the road yet still allows a maximum tow rating of 5,000 pounds thanks to the addition of robust crossbeams to the frame.

While it’s far from being a full-size domestic pickup fighter like the Nissan Titan and Toyota Tundra and lacks the sheer ruggedness of more-traditional “built like a truck, not like a car” midsize pickups, the Honda Ridgeline carves out its own niche. It features a five-foot-long cargo bed and a four-door cabin with seating for five — like other so-called “crew cab” pickups — which makes it suited to more than just work duty.

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In typical Honda fashion, the Ridgeline pleases with a number of thoughtful storage features, including an innovative, weather-proof, locking trunk under the rear cargo bed. The tailgate is also useful in that it can either lower or swing to the side for access to the cargo bed. It and the trunk are unique in this class of vehicle. What’s more, the Honda Ridgeline’s split rear seat can fold and tumble forward to accommodate additional cargo and includes hidden storage underneath.

Also typical of Honda, Consumer Reports rates the Ridgeline as having much better than average reliability.

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For 2007 the Honda Ridgeline is available in a new, mid-level RTX trim that comes with a standard trailer hitch, alloy wheels, a unique front-grille treatment and body-color door handles. The top RTL model gets a power moonroof and XM satellite radio capability as standard equipment; its leather interior treatment is now monotone, rather than a two-tone design. All versions, including the base RT and almost top-of-the-line RTS, now come with a driver’s-side illuminated vanity mirror. New exterior colors include Aberdeen Green Metallic, Dark Cherry Pearl, Formal Black and Nimbus Gray Metallic.

Whether the Ridgeline’s blocky styling suits you or not, it’s definitely unique. Honda markets the vehicle to active individuals, families and tradespeople who might otherwise choose an SUV or full-size four-door pickup for its versatility, but who don’t really need true heavy-duty capabilities and prefer not to be saddled with a traditional truck’s rougher demeanor, higher ride height and ponderous driving dynamics. Having what amounts to a small pickup bed grafted onto the back of a midsize SUV just behind the rear seats is a boon to those who need to transport sports equipment and other items that might otherwise soil the interior of a closed vehicle.

The only engine offered is a gusty and reliable 247-hp V6 that the Honda Ridgeline shares with the Pilot and Odyssey. It’s mated to a smooth-shifting, five-speed automatic transmission and gets an estimated 16 mpg city/21 mpg highway, which seems low for a V6 engine, but on par with other trucks.

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Honda’s Variable Torque Management full-time all-wheel-drive system is standard. Honda refers to this as a “four-wheel drive” system, though it lacks the low-range gearing that enables a traditional 4WD truck to tackle off-road trails and free itself from extreme mud and snow impediments. Stability control, an important safety measure that maintains traction and directional stability on slippery surfaces and during emergency maneuvers, is standard. Ride and handling characteristics are as supple and nimble as advertised and are on par with the Pilot and Odyssey.

Honda Ridgeline Vehicle Summary

The Honda Ridgeline offers a spacious and well-thought-out interior, though the rear seats’ thin cushions might prove uncomfortable for longer trips. The truck comes well-equipped even in its base form, with a long list of standard features; the top RTL adds amenities like automatic dual-zone climate control, a CD changer and heated leather seats.

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One area where the Honda Ridgeline shines compared to most midsize pickups is safety. Not only are front side and side-curtain airbags for both rows of seats standard, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives it a perfect five out of five stars for both frontal and side-impact crash protection and four stars for rollover resistance.

Is the Honda Ridgeline for You?

Did You Know ...

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Honda is not the first automaker to produce a car-based pickup truck. Ford offered the Fairlane sedan-based Ranchero from 1957 through 1979; it was followed by Chevrolet’s popular El Camino, which was initially derived from the Impala and ran from 1959 until 1987. Unlike the Ridgeline (but like most cars of that era), those models rode on a standard body-on-frame configuration with rear-wheel drive. Volkswagen also produced a pickup truck variation on its front-drive Rabbit in the early 1980s, while Chrysler spun Dodge Rampage and Plymouth Scamp pickups off of its front-drive compact Omni and Horizon coupes in 1983. And Subaru has been offering the Baja, based on its Legacy sedan and wagon line, since 2003.