We drive the 2017 Honda Ridgeline

2017 Honda Ridgeline

The Honda Ridgeline originally came out in 2014 and it was not a great seller. Rumor was that Honda was just going to abandon it and move on but now there is a new Ridgeline and Honda has been working on many improvements and it has paid off.

The Ridgeline offers customers more choices than ever with a new two wheel drive option as well as lots of options and features. The second generation truck was designed, developed and is manufactured in America using domestic and globally sourced parts.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]Its exterior and interior design was conducted by Honda R&D Americas, Inc. in its Los Angeles design studio, while vehicle development was undertaken at the company's Raymond, Ohio, new-model development center. Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC, in Lincoln, Ala., is the exclusive manufacturing home for the 2017 Honda Ridgeline.

The Ridgeline is slightly bigger than the old version and it is about the same size as a short bed F150 regular cab. The Ridgeline probably will not appeal to the contractors of the world. But what we found is that it is perfect for the person who needs a truck some of the time and a car most of the time.

The Ridgeline drivers and feels like a car. Get behind the wheel and you are greeted by very comfortable seats and a roomy interior. The gauges are perfectly clear with a large digital speedometer and analog tachometer, fuel level and water temperature gauges.

Black Edition with 8" touchscreen

Our top of the line trim vehicle was the Black Edition and it had an 8 inch touch screen navigation and audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The interior was first rate with everything you could want but the 8 inch navigation screen was a little frustrating with slow responses and no volume knob. A volume knob would be so much easier than trying to press a touch screen button that has a delay.

The interior is a great place to be and that is where you will find one of the best features of the Ridgeline compared to other trucks. The Ridgeline is smooth and quiet at speed. It has a very rigid and tightly sealed unibody construction with four wheel independent suspension and Amplitude Reactive Dampers which result in terrific ride and much more precise handling compared to traditional trucks.

The rear seats are terrific for how easily they fold up and out of the way providing a large cargo area if you need more cargo space.

The 2017 Honda Ridgeline is powered by a new 3.5-liter direct-injected V-6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management, mated to a wide ratio 6-speed automatic transmission. Peak engine output is 280 horsepower which is 30 more than before. It is also about 78-pounds lighter than before which results in much better acceleration and good fuel economy.

The motor feels very strong at all times and sounds less like a truck motor and more like a race engine at high rpm. The AWD versions are rated at 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the freeway.

The back seats fold up

The AWD Ridgeline is rated to tow 5000 pounds and we put that to the test with a 3500 pound load which it towed with ease. We actually think that it can tow a lot more than 5000 pounds but even the steepest hills didn’t slow down the Ridgeline much and it was very stable. We even managed to get around 16 mpg while towing.

The Ridgeline is perfect for the family that needs a truck some of the time because of its unique features. The 2017 Ridgeline's new UV-stabilized ultra-high strength glass fiber-reinforced SMC composite bed is longer and wider than in the previous model and is the only bed in the midsize class that can flat haul 4-foot-wide items, such as drywall or plywood panels on the floor between the wheel wells. Importantly, it does not require a bed liner like conventional steel beds.

Then there is the dual action tailgate that opens in two ways and the In Bed Trunk that gives you a huge trunk under the bed. The area is perfect for small items that would normally fly around the bed such as groceries and it even has a drain plug so you can fill it with ice and use it as a cooler. There is a 115 volt power inverter in the bed as well as speakers built in under the bed that are perfect for tail gate parties.

The Ridgeline is just a sweet truck. Yes, it is not as heavy duty as an F150 but sometimes you don’t need that much truck. It rides and drives as smooth as an Accord and has tons of innovative features. It is easy to park and gets good fuel economy. Pricing starts at $29,475 for the 2WD RT model and our top of the line Black Edition AWD goes for $42,870. The Black Edition by the way with its black wheels and trim attracts a lot of positive comments. If you want a truck that can be a car as well, the Ridgeline is perfect.

Specifications