The Honda Ridgeline mixes comfort and utility. With fierce competition in this segment from the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Fe, is it still a good buy? 

What’s New for the 2024 Honda Ridgeline?

The 2024 Honda Ridgeline goes its own way in the midsize pickup truck segment by blending Honda SUV ride and handling with a 5.3-foot cargo bed. Part of the second generation that arrived in 2017, the Ridgeline receives a mild cabin update, more technology, and the addition of a TrailSport model to the lineup.

Like the Passport and Pilot, the Ridgeline in TrailSport trim adds rugged styling and all-terrain tires to the mix. Though the Ridgeline doesn’t tow as much as traditional pickups or have classic pickup looks, it does offer ample utility and busts the myth that pickups ride rough, which some buyers may prefer.

2024 Honda Ridgeline - automobiles.honda.com

2024 Honda Ridgeline – automobiles.honda.com |  Shop 2024 Honda Ridgeline on Carsforsale.com

Carsforsale.com Score
8.25/10
Powertrain
Score
8.5/10
Interior
Score
8.5/10
Technology
Score
8/10
Value
Score
8/10
Body Style

Starting Price

MSRP $41,145

Drivetrain

Drivetrain

AWD

Drivetrain

Fuel Economy

18 City / 24 Hwy

Number of Seats

Seating

Seats 5

The Breakdown

Naturally aspirated V6 power

Standard AWD

High level of standard tech

TrailSport doesn’t add ground clearance

At the low end of the towing spectrum

Crossover styling

Pilot with a pickup truck bed

2024 Ridgeline Specs

Trims & Pricing

Sport - $41,145
RTL - $43,975
TrailSport - $46,375
Black Edition - $47,745

2024 Honda Ridgeline Powertrain 8.5/10 

2024 Honda Ridgeline 3.5L V6 - carsforsale.com
2024 Honda Ridgeline 3.5L V6 - carsforsale.com

The Honda Ridgeline has been running a naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 since it arrived back in 2006, a history we cover here. Back then, the motor was good for 247 horsepower and was paired with a 5-speed automatic. The 2024 Ridgeline now makes 280 hp along with 262 lb-ft of torque and works with a 9-speed automatic.

2024 Honda Ridgeline - automobiles.honda.com
2024 Honda Ridgeline - automobiles.honda.com

A torque vectoring AWD system is standard across the lineup, enabling drive modes for Sand, Snow, and Mud. However, even in off-road-leaning TrailSport guise, the 2024 Honda Ridgeline only offers 7.6 inches of ground clearance, so don’t get too far afield.

The EPA puts fuel economy at 18 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined. As far as hauling stuff, payload maxes out at 1,583 pounds on the 2024 Ridgeline, while all models are rated for 5,000 pounds of towing. That’s well off the mark of 7,700 pounds set by a Chevy Colorado, but drivers get the ride comfort benefit of a fully independent suspension in exchange.

2024 Honda Ridgeline Interior 8.5/10 

As with the exterior, Honda isn’t trying to fool anyone by crafting a cabin for the Ridgeline that looks like a rugged pickup truck. Instead, you might confuse it for a Pilot, which is in line with this truck’s mission of blending comfort with pickup utility.

There is room for 5 passengers in 2 rows of seating and that back row offers a whopping 4 more inches of legroom versus the Toyota Tacoma that we compare to the Ridgeline here. All occupants will appreciate the standard triple-zone automatic climate control, while front-row folks get heated seats on RTL trim and above.

The 5.3-foot cargo bed measures 50 inches wide inside and has the rare ability to haul sheets of plywood flat versus on top of the wheel wells. A locking “trunk” within the bed has a usable 7 cubic feet of space and the tailgate can be flipped down like a conventional pickup truck or swung open like an old-school station wagon.

2024 Honda Ridgeline Technology Features 8/10 

2024 Honda Ridgeline - automobiles.honda.com
2024 Honda Ridgeline - automobiles.honda.com

As part of the updates for 2024, the Ridgeline now comes standard with a 7-inch gauge cluster screen and a 9-inch infotainment touchscreen. Wireless smartphone mirroring is also on hand and the system is said to have faster processing speed. A 7-speaker audio system is standard, but upper trims feature an 8-speaker system as well as navigation and backseat USB ports.

The Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver-assistance systems brings forward collision mitigation, a lane-keeping system, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert to every 2024 Honda Ridgeline. In NHTSA crash testing, the Ridgeline earned a 5-star overall rating, the highest score available.

2024 Honda Ridgeline Trims & Pricing

2024 Honda Ridgeline Sport - automobiles.honda.com
2024 Honda Ridgeline Sport - automobiles.honda.com

Sport – $41,145

The entry-level 2024 Ridgeline Sport features 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, fog lights, taillamps, remote engine start, and passive entry with “Walk Away Auto Lock”. These models come with black cloth upholstery, triple-zone automatic climate control, and a 9-inch central touchscreen. Other tech includes wireless smartphone integration, dual front USB ports, a wireless phone charging pad, and HondaLink connectivity.

2024 Honda Ridgeline RTL - automobiles.honda.com
2024 Honda Ridgeline RTL - automobiles.honda.com

RTL – $43,975

RTL trim focuses on the cabin by adding amenities like a leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated leather front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a power-sliding rear window. These models also feature heated exterior mirrors, an acoustic windshield, and LED map lights.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport - automobiles.honda.com
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport - automobiles.honda.com

TrailSport – $46,375

New this year, the Ridgeline TrailSport has an off-road-tuned suspension, all-terrain tires, steel underbody protection, and an exclusive Diffused Sky-Blue color option. An orange color theme is applied to the exterior badges, cabin stitching, and interior ambient lighting. These models come with a heated steering wheel, illuminated cupholders, navigation, and parking sensors front and rear.

Black Edition – $47,745

Black Edition trim looks the part with black wheels, black exterior trim, and black leather upholstery with red stitching. It also justifies the price tag with household-style outlets in the cargo bed, climatized front seats, heated rear outboard seats, an 8-speaker audio system, and dual rear USB ports.

2024 Honda Ridgeline Overall Value 8/10 

The 2024 Honda Ridgeline is not cheap, starting more than $10,000 higher than a Hyundai Santa Cruz. But it’s worth springing for an RTL model to enjoy creature comforts like heated front seats and a moonroof. That said, Hyundai’s trucky crossover is compelling as the top-spec Limited model is still cheaper than our Ridgeline RTL.

For that money, the Santa Cruz offers more power, better gas mileage, a higher level of advanced driver safety assistance, a 10-year powertrain warranty, and 3 years of complimentary maintenance. Honda’s warranty includes a 3-year/36,000-mile basic term, 5 years or 60,000 miles of powertrain coverage, and 2 years of service on the house.

CarsForSale.com Overall Score 8.25/10 

2024 Honda Ridgeline - automobiles.honda.com

2024 Honda Ridgeline – automobiles.honda.com |  Shop 2024 Honda Ridgeline on Carsforsale.com

The 2024 Honda Ridgeline is the perfect vehicle for buyers who want the utility of a pickup truck cargo bed without the typically harsher ride that comes with a solid rear axle. It definitely leans expensive, but it justifies that expense with a long roster of standard equipment.

This formula has been successful for going on 20 years, but Honda is likely starting to sweat as newcomers to the unibody pickup truck market like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz make waves. After 8 years in its current second-gen form, it may be time for Honda to reinvigorate the Ridgeline.

2024 Honda Ridgeline FAQ

2024 Honda Ridgeline - automobiles.honda.com
2024 Honda Ridgeline - automobiles.honda.com

How much can the Honda Ridgeline tow? 

All 2024 Honda Ridgelines can tow 5,000 pounds.

Are all Honda Ridgelines AWD? 

Yes, AWD is standard across the 2024 Ridgeline lineup.

Where are Honda Ridgelines made? 

Honda produces the Ridgeline at its factory in Lincoln, Alabama.

Related Review Articles

2024 Hyundai Venue Review

2024 Volkswagen Taos Review

2024 Kia Soul Review

Tags:
Niel Stender

Niel Stender grew up doing replacement work on his 1990 Cherokee and 1989 Starion, so it’s not surprising that he would put his mechanical engineering degree from the University of New Hampshire to use in the car world as a vehicle dynamics engineer. Now engineering sentence structures, his writing infuses his auto experience with his time in marketing and his sales experience. Writing about cars for close to a decade now, he focuses on some of the more technical mechanical systems that are found under the hood and throughout a vehicle.

  • 1

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Share
Tweet
Pin