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The 2023 Honda Ridgeline is a midsize pickup with a twist. It’s based on an SUV, which enhances refinement. Pricing starts at $38,800. Sharing a foundation with the excellent Honda Pilot midsize SUV, the 2023 Ridgeline pickup has a unibody (or one-piece) construction. Most rivals employ the time-honored body-on-frame approach. That’s great for towing and for rugged off-road antics, not so good on an everyday basis when there’s the school run and/or the commute to tackle. A lot of midsize trucks are bought for work; the Ridgeline is more for play. The bed isn’t tremendously big, but it can hold surfboards, camping gear, ski gear… all that kind of stuff. As such, the 2023 Ridgeline has its own special appeal with a pleasant, SUV-like driving experience. The fact that it’s made by Honda brings reassurance to the decision-making. 2023 Honda Ridgeline PricingThe 2023 Honda Ridgeline starts at $38,800, plus a destination charge. That’s for the basic Sport trim. At the top end of the range, the Black Edition comes in at $46,230. This is really a cosmetic treatment, with the meaningful extra equipment coming in at the RTL-E level, from almost $45K. Options could add another $4K or so to all four trims. These prices put the Ridgeline at the upper end of its class. For example, the Chevy Colorado starts at about $37K, the Jeep Gladiator at roughly $37.5K, the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma closer to $28K, and a Hyundai Santa Cruz (smaller, admittedly) with all-wheel drive is around $27K. But the Ridgeline is a slightly different species in its own little sub-category. Before buying a new Ridgeline midsize pickup, check the KBB.com Fair Purchase Price to see what others in your area paid for theirs. The more traditional contenders enjoy strong resale values, especially the Tacoma, but the solid build of the Ridgeline will hold it in good stead. Honda’s new-vehicle warranty is for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. The powertrain is covered for five years or 60,000 miles. The 2023 Ridgeline also comes with free scheduled maintenance for two years or 24,000 miles. Driving the 2023 Honda RidgelineCivilized and easy to live with during the week, ready for road trips and adventures come the weekend, the 2023 Ridgeline could easily be the sole family vehicle. As long as it’s a family that’s going to use and appreciate the pickup bed behind them. It’s easy to forget the Ridgeline is a midsize truck and not an SUV, because it sure drives like an SUV. An independent rear suspension means a much better ride quality than old-school leaf springs. Yet the Ridgeline can still cope with a maximum payload of 1,583 pounds, roughly the weight of a cow. Fortunately, the engine’s 262 lb-ft of torque is sufficient to get things moving. And the transmission has shift paddles mounted behind the steering wheel, for those times when the driver wants to change gears instead of just leaving the automatic setup to its own devices. Standard all-wheel drive, snow/sand/mud modes, and ground clearance of 7.64 inches also contribute to off-road ability. A dirt road should present no problems. Interior ComfortThe Ridgeline’s classy SUV roots come through in this roomy and refined 5-seater cabin. Standard active noise cancellation helps keep it nice and quiet. Rear legroom of 36.7 inches is probably adequate for younger family members. These rear seats also have extra tricks. They can provide under-cushion storage, or flip up to create enough space for a bicycle. All 2023 Ridgeline trims have an 8-inch high-resolution infotainment touchscreen. We’d still be more inclined, however, to stretch at least to the RTL version (almost $42K) for the heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, blind-spot monitoring, and a few other extras. Exterior StylingAvailable only as a crew cab with the usual four doors, the 2023 Ridgeline midsize truck also has one bed length of 5.3 feet. That might just take a couple of dirt bikes — as long as the tailgate stays down, which stretches accommodations to 6.9 feet. The distance between the rear wheel wells is a whisker over 4 feet. A spray-in bed liner is unnecessary, as the cargo area floor is made of a scratch-resistant/dent-resistant composite. It also houses eight heavy-duty tie-down cleats. Every version of the 2023 Ridgeline pickup runs on 18-inch alloy wheels. The mid-range RTL and RTL-E trims have them finished in Pewter Gray, and the top Black Edition goes for gloss black (unsurprisingly). Favorite Features1. Tri-zone automatic climate control 2. Apple CarPlay/Android Auto 3. Convenient 2-way tailgate 4. Lockable in-bed trunk 5. Truck
bed audio system 6. Truck bed power outlet Engine & TransmissionHonda deploys a smooth-running 3.5-liter V6 in every 2023 Ridgeline truck. It makes 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque on a supply of regular gasoline. This output goes to all four wheels through a 9-speed automatic transmission. To help save a little fuel, the engine has a stop/restart function and can also deactivate a cylinder or two when possible. Maximum towing capacity is 5,000 pounds. If we were talking about a midsize SUV here, then that amount would be normal. Midsize pickups, though, are a different ballgame. The Ford Ranger can tow 7,500 pounds, the Jeep Gladiator can pull 7,650 pounds. 3.5-liter V6 KBB Vehicle Review and Rating MethodologyOur Expert Ratings come from hours of both driving and number crunching to make sure that you choose the best car for you. We comprehensively experience and analyze every new SUV, car, truck, or minivan for sale in the U.S. and compare it to its competitors. When all that dust settles, we have our ratings. We require new ratings every time an all-new vehicle or a new generation of an existing vehicle comes out. Additionally, we reassess those ratings when a new-generation vehicle receives a mid-cycle refresh — basically, sprucing up a car in the middle of its product cycle (typically, around the 2-3 years mark) with a minor facelift, often with updates to features and technology. Rather than pulling random numbers out of the air or off some meaningless checklist, KBB’s editors rank a vehicle to where it belongs in its class. Before any car earns its KBB rating, it must prove itself to be better (or worse) than the other cars it’s competing against as it tries to get you to spend your money buying or leasing. Our editors drive and live with a given vehicle. We ask all the right questions about the interior, the exterior, the engine and powertrain, the ride and handling, the features, the comfort, and of course, about the price. Does it serve the purpose for which it was built? (Whether that purpose is commuting efficiently to and from work in the city, keeping your family safe, making you feel like you’ve made it to the top — or that you’re on your way — or making you feel like you’ve finally found just the right partner for your lifestyle.) We take each vehicle we test through the mundane — parking, lane-changing, backing up, cargo space and loading — as well as the essential — acceleration, braking, handling, interior quiet and comfort, build quality, materials quality, reliability. More About How We Rate Vehicles Is Honda redesigning the Ridgeline?Yes! The 2021 Honda Ridgeline will be redesigned both inside and out, from nose to bed, with a design concept that meets at the intersection of rugged and modern. While Ridgeline still sports a contemporary style, its reimagined front fascia provides a more traditional, pickup truck look.
Is Honda Ridgeline more capable than Tacoma?The new Toyota Tacoma can tow up to 6,800 pounds1 and has a payload of 1,685 pounds. The Honda Ridgeline comes up short with a 5,000-pound towing capacity and 1,583-pound payload (when properly equipped), which is less than the new Toyota Tacoma.
Is Honda going to make the Ridgeline a hybrid?The Ridgeline will likely get a mild-hybrid powertrain as part of a 2024 freshening and then undergo a full redesign in 2028. Pilot: The three-row crossover will get a redesign for the 2023 model year.
Is the Honda Ridgeline selling well?Thanks to a significant mid-cycle redesign that made it look bolder and more like a traditional pickup, the Honda Ridgeline has enjoyed a solid bump in sales. Honda sold 41,355 of the Alabama-built Ridgelines in 2021, an increase of 28.6% compared to 2020.
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