MotorMouths

The 2012 Honda Ridgeline doesn’t have the muscle that serious truck buyers demand, but its combination of a carlike ride and pickup utility makes it all the pickup many buyers will ever need.

The Ridgeline still offers what Honda buyers like: sport/utility interior and trucklike bed, in a well-executed package. The styling is not universally liked, the engine could use more power, and it could certainly benefit from a six-speed automatic.

For 2012, Honda gave the Ridgeline a bit of attention, coaxing another 1 mpg out of the powertrain and adding the Sport trim level. But pickup buyers like their trucks big, and unless Honda can make the Ridgeline a more compelling alternative, it appears likely to remain an outlier.

The 2011 Honda Ridgeline doesn’t have the muscle that serious truck buyers demand, but its combination of a carlike ride and pickup utility make it all the pickup many buyers will ever need.

While the Ridgeline cannot do the work of a full-size pickup, we’ve found the Honda to be one of the nicest pickups to drive when measured by comfort and ease of use. It’s smooth, quiet and very maneuverable, with a load of useful features.

The 2010 Honda Ridgeline isn’t just a tribute to Honda off-road recreational enthusiasts as a car built for towing all-terrain vehicles. It serves as a focused alternative for drivers not committed to a bigger or more traditional truck.

The Honda Ridgeline is a four-door, five-passenger, four-wheel drive, mid-size truck that’s agile for everyday driving and comfortable for outdoor getaways on less-aggressive off-road terrain.

The Honda Ridgeline is a truck capable of being a “truck” in every sense of the domestic definition—it’s just a little lighter and less rugged than what we typically expect in this segment.

If you need a heavy-duty work truck, you should probably look past the Ridgeline. But if you are looking for a compromise between the convenience and utility of an open pickup bed and the comfort of a car, Ridgeline might fit the bill.