Honda has made a range of updates to the Ridgeline for the 2021 model year. It all starts with refreshed styling, including a squared-off nose, a new hood with a distinct power bulge, new LED headlights, new wheels, and numerous other small updates. Here is a full Honda Ridgeline review you should read to learn more about this vehicle.
Honda Ridgeline Review
1. Price
For 2021, the Honda Ridgeline truck has a high starting price of $36,490 for the Sport, although it’s worth noting that all versions now have an AWD system as standard. Following this is the RTL with an MSRP of $39,470 and the RTL-E at $42,420. Finally, the Black Edition tops the lineup at $43,920. These prices exclude a destination and handling fee of $1,175. The Honda Ridgeline will cost over $50,000 when fully optioned.
2. Styling
Though it’s still not as beefy-looking as its rivals, the updated 2021 Honda Ridgeline has more of a broad-shouldered look to its front end than before. This year, its grille is oriented vertically and is topped with a chrome brow that slices into upsized LED headlights. That’s enough for a 7 on our scale.
The look works to convey a trucky look, at least until you hop inside. There, a dash largely shared with the Pilot and Passport crossovers has more graceful, flowing lines than we typically see from a truck. The upside: controls, such as the updated infotainment system, are easy to locate, and storage bins are all over the place.
3. Performance
The lone powertrain is a 280-hp 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 262 lb-ft of torque and hooks up to a nine-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. The engine feels smooth, and the throttle response is especially receptive when you call for hard acceleration. An untraditional pickup in many ways, the Ridgeline surprises from behind the wheel. On the road, it is well-mannered and feels extremely competent. Its coil-sprung independent rear suspension contributes to a carlike ride quality not available with the leaf-sprung, solid-axle setups used by the competition. Body lean in corners is minimal, and small bumps are barely noticeable. The electrically assisted steering feels appropriate. The Ridgeline’s braking performance stands out as its lone dynamic blemish. Its braking distance from 70 mph to zero in on the long side, and we thought the brake pedal felt soft and had too much travel during normal use.
4. Interior
The Honda Ridgeline has an accommodating interior, even with five people packed inside. Kids and adults alike will appreciate the back with its 36.7 inches of legroom and 38.8 inches of headroom compared to the front’s 40.9 inches and 40.1 inches, respectively. The base cloth-covered Sport trim’s seats are comfortable and supportive over long stints and rough ground. Forward and side visibility is excellent, but the camera comes in useful for reversing. Topping off the convenience, a low step-in height makes the Ridgeline easy to slip in and out of, and the rear doors have been updated to open wider.
The Ridgeline Sport comes only with black cloth upholstery, so unless you’re happy with that, you’ll have to look at one of the other trims for more variety. Spending extra on the RTL introduces a leather-wrapped steering wheel and leather upholstery in either Black, Grey, or Beige. The grey and beige color schemes are also applied to the lower dashboard and the door panels for a much airier ambiance. However, your choice of exterior color will influence the availability of the interior color; for instance, the beige cabin can only be chosen in combination with Platinum White Pearl exterior paint. The RTL-E is given a lift with blue ambient LED lighting in the cabin, while the Black Edition gets the same lighting but in red. Uniquely, the Honda Ridgeline Black Edition comes with Black/Red leather upholstery.
5. Safety
Honda provides among the most comprehensive crash-test gear of any pickup as standard fare. Look for automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and adaptive cruise control on every Ridgeline.
Crash-test scores have been good in the past, but there’s nothing recent on which to base a score. The NHTSA rated last year’s truck at five stars overall. The IIHS granted it mostly “Good” scores, aside from the right-side small-overlap evaluation.
In conclusion, we hope that you find this Honda Ridgeline review helpful.
