Honda Ridgeline Offers Truck Features in a Smaller Package

Imagine for a moment that pickup trucks are computers.

Most of the big ones from Ford, Chevy, Ram and Toyota would be desktops.

Then, there's the Honda Ridgeline, which would be more like a laptop -- a little more portable, perhaps not quite as powerful, but very functional nonetheless.

Just as laptops are very appealing to their owners, Ridgelines can be very appealing to their drivers because of their versatility and ease of operation.

The Ridgeline is comfortable on the inside, and rather nicely styled.

Under the hood, you've got a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that makes 250 horsepower and is linked to a five-speed automatic transmission.

Honda says the Ridgeline tows up to 5,000 pounds, which isn't nearly as much as the big guys listed earlier, but certainly adequate for people who might only have a small, lightweight trailer.

Fuel economy isn't too bad, with EPA ratings of 15 mpg city, 20 highway.

Honda touts the Ridgeline's 5-foot bed, 8.5-cubic-foot lockable in-bed trunk and dual-action tailgate that assists in hauling longer pieces of cargo.

Also convenient are the eight tie-downs in the bed and the integrated trailer hitch.

The Ridgeline comes in three trim levels: RT, RTS and RTL.

The highest, RTL, features standard leather seating and navigation system with voice recognition.

The rear seats split 60/40 in all models and can lift up to haul large stuff.
Honda says the Ridgeline is among the safest in the half-ton pickup segment, with its Five-Star ratings in government crash tests for frontal and side impacts.

Standard safety features include side-impact airbags for the front seats, antilock brakes and electronic brake distribution.

The Ridgeline is priced from around $28,500 to around $34,500.

While it might not have everything big trucks have, that might be a good thing for some buyers.