The Honda Ridgeline is a midsize

pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...

manufactured by

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...

. The Ridgeline is the only pickup truck currently produced by Honda. The Ridgeline is built using a

unibody A vehicle frame, also historically known as its '' chassis'', is the main supporting structure of a motor vehicle to which all other components are attached, comparable to the skeleton of an organism. Until the 1930s, virtually every car ha ...

frame, a transverse-mounted engine, and is only offered in a crew–cab short-box configuration with one

powertrain A drivetrain (also frequently spelled as drive train or sometimes drive-train) is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the drivetrain is the components o ...

.2006 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit (complete document), Canadian version
, Honda Canada Finance Inc., dated 22 March 2005, last accessed 18 January 20182017 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit (complete document)
, American Honda Motor Company Inc., dated 9 May 2016, last accessed 18 January 2018

First generation (YK1; 2006)

The first generation Ridgeline went on sale in March 2005 as a 2006

model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...

vehicle.Honda Ridgeline Truck Unveiled at 2005 North American International Auto Show, All-new 4WD Honda truck will debut as 2006 model
, hondanews.com, dated January 10, 2005, last accessed September 11, 2016 According to the author of ''The Car Design Yearbook'', the Ridgeline was "Honda's first foray into the true heartland of the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

automotive way of life—the pickup truck."The Car Design Yearbook, Issue 4
, Merrell Publishers, by Stephen Newbury, dated 2005, , last accessed August 18, 2018 It was designed and engineered by an engineering team from

Honda R&D Americas Honda R&D Americas, Inc. (HRA) is an American division of Honda Motor Company that develops automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, outdoor power equipment; lawnmowers, boat outboard engines, and jet engines. It develops vehicles for Hond ...

, led by Gary Flint.Driving Honda: Inside the World's Most Innovative Car Company
, by Jeffrey Rothfeder, 1st published 2014, paperback with "afterword" published 2015, , last accessed August 18, 2018Crafting a pickup: Ex-GM engineer designed Ridgeline the Honda way
,

Autoweek ''Autoweek'' is a car culture publication based in Detroit, Michigan. It was first published in 1958 and in 1977 the publication was purchased by Crain Communications Inc, its current parent company. The magazine was published weekly and focused ...

, by Richard Truett, dated June 13, 2005, last accessed November 12, 2016 According to the author of ''Driving Honda'', the automaker wanted to target buyers who were looking to transition out of

sedans A sedan or saloon (British English) is a passenger car in a three-box configuration with separate compartments for an engine, passengers, and cargo. The first recorded use of the word "sedan" in reference to an automobile body occurred in 19 ...

minivans Minivan (sometimes called simply as van) is a North American car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows. The equivalent classification in Europe i ...

, and sport utility vehicles (SUV) into pickups. The development started in 2001 when the engineering team began experimenting with their first development mule, an extended version of a first generation Acura MDX with a competitor's pickup bed integrated into the rear structure.50 Years of American Dreams, The Challenging Spirit (page 151)
, Honda North America, dated June 2009, last accessed October 20, 2019 After four years of development, the final design was revealed to the public as Honda's Sport Utility Truck

Concept Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs. They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by ...

at the 2004

North American International Auto Show The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show as of 2022 and prior to NAIAS, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. ...

.2006 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit (complete document), Canadian version
, Honda Canada Finance Inc., dated March 22, 2005, last accessed January 18, 2018 Later that same year, Honda unveiled a revised version of their pickup concept at the

Specialty Equipment Market Association Sama ( tr, Sema, Persian, Urdu and ar, سَمَاع - ''samā‘un'') is a Sufi ceremony performed as part of the meditation and prayer practice dhikr. Sama means "listening", while dhikr means "remembrance".During, J., and R. Sellheim. "Sam ...

show and announced the official name of the vehicle, the Ridgeline.Honda Names All-New 4-Door 4WD Truck 'Ridgeline'
, Honda Media Newsroom, dated November 2, 2004, last accessed February 19, 2018 The production version of the Ridgeline was unveiled the following year at the 2005 North American International Auto Show.Honda Ridgeline Truck Unveiled at 2005 North American International Auto Show, All-new 4WD Honda truck will debut as 2006 model
, hondanews.com, dated January 10, 2005, last accessed September 11, 2016 Honda's publications state that the first generation Ridgeline shared only 7% of its components with other Honda vehicles. Its powertrain resembled the one used in the first generation Acura MDX but was "extensively calibrated and strengthened" for heavier hauling and towing duties.2006 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit (complete document), Canadian version
, Honda Canada Finance Inc., dated March 22, 2005, last accessed January 18, 2018 Production of the first generation Ridgeline ended in early 2015.Honda 2021 Digital FactBook
Honda Corporate News, dated 6 August 2021, last accessed 30 April 2022

Second generation (YK2/3; 2017)

After a one-year hiatus in Ridgeline production, the second generation of their mid-size truck went on sale in June 2016 as a 2017 model year vehicle.Honda 2019 Digital FactBook
, Honda News & Views, dated 17 July 2019, last accessed 17 July 2019 The second generation Ridgeline took a different approach in design from the first generation Ridgeline by sharing Honda's new "global light truck platform,"2017 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit (complete document)
, American Honda Motor Company Inc., dated 9 May 2016, last accessed 18 January 2018 ''(''Note:'' This early press release has been found to have errors when compared to the production version for the vehicle and the options made available to buyers, such as: the turning radius, RT and RTS interior colors, and exterior color names.)'' found in the third generation Honda Pilot as well as other large Honda vehicles.2017-2018 Honda Ridgeline, Honda's pickup for the non-pickup types
, TopSpeed.com, by Mark McNabb, dated 24 July 2017, last accessed 2 March 20192019 Honda Passport already rolling off the assembly line in Alabama
, c/net, by Andrew Krok, dated 7 December 2018, last accessed 2 March 2019 However, Honda did have to modify the Pilot platform in order to support their next generation pickup, including extending the

wheelbase In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (fron ...

and modifying various parts to support hauling, towing, and off-road use.Great Designs in Steel, The 2017 Honda Ridgeline
; autosteel.org; by Steve Behm, Principal Underbody Design Engineer, 2017 Honda Ridgeline Body Development Leader, Honda R&D Americas; dated 17 May 2017; last accessed 28 May 20182017 Honda Ridgeline Review, the cool stuff with Tips & Tricks
, HondaPro Jason YouTube channel, dated 10 May 2016, last accessed 9 September 2018 Despite these modifications, Honda has stated that 73% of the second generation Ridgeline's components remain common in some way with the third generation Pilot. Honda has stated that nearly every major component has been beefed up with a 17% stronger front structure, a 31% sturdier rear,2017 Honda Ridgeline First Drive Review
Car and Driver, by Jared Gall, dated 9 May 2016, last accessed 21 July 2019 and 50% of the

chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpar ...

' components changed or were strengthened for the second generation Ridgeline.2017 Honda Ridgeline Review, the cool stuff with Tips & Tricks
, HondaPro Jason YouTube channel, dated 10 May 2016, last accessed 9 September 2018Honda Ridgeline Carries Over for 2019 With 2 Minor Upgrades
, TorqueNews, by Parks McCants, dated 5 March 2018, last accessed 9 November 2018 The second generation Ridgeline's new structure gives it an average reduction in weight from the first generation pickup.2017 Honda Ridgeline Press Kit (complete document)
, American Honda Motor Company Inc., dated 9 May 2016, last accessed 18 January 2018 ''(''Note:'' This early press release has been found to have errors when compared to the production version for the vehicle and the options made available to buyers, such as: the turning radius, RT and RTS interior colors, and exterior color names.)''Great Designs in Steel, The 2017 Honda Ridgeline
; autosteel.org; by Steve Behm, Principal Underbody Design Engineer, 2017 Honda Ridgeline Body Development Leader, Honda R&D Americas; dated 17 May 2017; last accessed 28 May 2018 The

C-pillar The pillars on a car with permanent roof body style (such as four-door sedans) are the vertical or nearly vertical supports of its window area or greenhouse—designated respectively as the ''A, B, C'' and (in larger cars such as 4-door stati ...

and rear subframe were strengthened giving the second generation 28% more torsional rigidity over the first generation Ridgeline.Mid-Size Trucks Don't Need Frames
, Jalopnik, by David Tracy, dated 25 August 2016, last accessed 5 September 2016

Marketing

2014 Honda Ridgeline RTL-Dual-action tailgate and in-bed trunk

In addition to being a unibody pickup with a transverse-mounted engine, and a crew-cab short-box configuration, Honda and some automotive journalists have described other noteworthy aspects of the Ridgeline.Honda Ridgeline Pickup Truck Makes Canadian Debut in Montreal
, Auto123.com, dated 13 January 2005, last accessed 8 March 20192017 Honda Ridgeline Named North American Truck of the Year in Detroit
, The News Wheel, dated 10 January 2017, last accessed 8 March 20192017 Honda Ridgeline Only Pickup Truck to Achieve Top Safety Pick+ Rating
, The News Wheel, dated 8 December 2016, last accessed 14 March 2019 Some in the automotive press that have studied the first generation Ridgeline, such as PickupTrucks.com, consider it "one of those odd vehicles." They wrote, "The Ridgeline can't really do what most people who like trucks need it to do."
, PickupTrucks.com, by Mark Williams, dated 8 October 2011, last accessed 12 November 2016 Others in the automotive press, such as The Driver's Seat TV, had differing views and call the Ridgeline, "the Swiss Army knife of trucks." They also called the Ridgeline "the anti-truck" and summarized their view by saying "the Ridgeline scores high on practicality but very low on image."In The Driver's Seat of the 2008 Honda Ridgeline
, YouTube, by The Driver’s Seat TV, dated 12 June 2008, last accessed 3 June 2019 Compared to the first generation Ridgeline, Honda's second generation Ridgeline has the automotive press changing its tune, yet it still has an image problem. Gearheads.org wrote the "2017 Honda Ridgeline still won’t get respect but should" stating, its "downside is going to be looks."2017 Honda Ridgeline Still Won’t Get Respect But Should
, Gearheads.org, last accessed 7 October 2016 ''

Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was f ...

'' wrote, "The company

onda Onda or Ondas may refer to: Places * Onda, Arkansas, an unincorporated community in Washington County * Onda, Castellón, a municipality of province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain * Onda, Bankura, a village in Bankura district, West Ben ...

readily admits that the problem with the first generation pickup was that the styling was off-putting, but then it went ahead and made the next iteration of the truck just as unconventional as before."2019 Ford Ranger vs. 2020 Jeep Gladiator vs. 2019 Chevrolet Colorado vs. 2019 Honda Ridgeline
, Car and Driver, by Jared Gall, dated 1 May 2019, last accessed 24 August 2019 "The Ridgeline’s roomy cabin, ample storage, smooth ride, and innovative touches make its rivals seem outdated. ...it not only has cargo space, but also the makings of a great tailgate party..."Medium Done Well: Mid-Size Pickups Ranked-#1 Honda Ridgeline
, Car and Driver, last accessed 15 August 2016 Karl Forster, a member of the SAE trailer towing group who was vehicle dynamics project leader on Honda's unibody Ridgeline pickup and Pilot SUV, says Honda's ratings come from actual customer usage. "We spent a fair amount of time observing and talking to light-truck customers to understand how they use and load their vehicles and how they tow trailers," he says. "For the Ridgeline, our survey found out that 84 percent of truck buyers tow 5000 pounds or less."

Production and sales

According to Honda, the Ridgeline was not designed to steal sales from the more traditional trucks sold in North America, but was developed to "give the 18% of Honda owners who also own pickups a chance to make their garages a Honda-only parking area."
, Automotive Design & Production, dated 1 April 2005, last accessed 1 December 2014 Despite the first generation Ridgeline's poor sales,Honda 2018 Digital FactBook
, Honda News & Views, dated 31 July 2018, last accessed 1 August 2018 according to the author of ''Driving Honda'', this mid-size pickup was one of the more profitable vehicles for HondaDriving Honda: Inside the World's Most Innovative Car Company
, by Jeffrey Rothfeder, 1st published 2014, paperback with "afterword" published 2015, , last accessed 18 August 2018 with reported sales in over 20 countries.Honda Appeals After Chile Disqualifies Pickup for Tax Credit
, Bloomberg BNA, by Tom Azzopardi, dated 19 January 2017, last accessed 12 February 2017 The second generation Ridgeline sales appeared to start strong2017 Honda Ridgeline sales show good momentum for August
, TorqueNews.com, by Parks McCants, dated 1 September 2016, last accessed 3 September 2016 but comparing sales in the US between 2017 and 2018 shows a 12% decline overall.Trucks Drive New Records and Acura Turns a Corner as American Honda Posts December Sales Increase
, Hondanews.com, dated 3 January 2019, last accessed 3 January 2019 A 2018 Autoline Daily report stated the Ridgeline is the only mid-size truck in North America whose sales are down in a market that "suggests there’s room for more players."AD #2493 – FCA Retools Engine Plant for Jeeps, Mid-Size Pickup Segment Soars, How the Jeep Gladiator Got Its Name
, Autoline TV, dated 7 December 2018, last accessed 28 December 2018

Awards

* North American Car of the Year for 2006 and 2017.Honda 2017 Digital FactBook
, Hondanews.com, dated 22 May 2017, last accessed 5 January 2019 *

Canadian Car of the Year Canadian Car of the Year winners, as chosen by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada: Canadian Car of the Year 2014 :Canadian car of the year: Mazda 6 :Canadian Utility vehicle of the year: Jeep Cherokee :Best New Small Car (under $21, ...

and Best New Pickup for 2006Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, 2006 Best New Pick-up
, Previous Winners (Vehicle Comparisons)/Canadian Car of the Year, last accessed 11 October 2015Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, 2006 Canadian Truck of the Year
, Previous Winners (Vehicle Comparisons)/Canadian Car of the Year, last accessed 11 October 2015 * ''MotorTrend'''s 2006 Truck of the Year * ''

s #1 mid-size truck for 2006,2006 Honda Ridgeline RTS, First Place: Do-It-All Compact Pickups
, Car & Driver, by Larry Webster, dated June 2005, last accessed 26 November 2016 and 2017–2019Unique and Highly Capable Honda Ridgeline Named to Car and Driver Magazine List of the 2018 10Best Trucks and SUVs
, Hondanews.com, dated 10 January 2018, last accessed 5 March 2018Honda Ridgeline Named to Car and Driver Magazine List of the 2019 10Best Trucks and SUVs
, Hondanews.com, dated 16 January 2019, last accessed 19 January 2019 * Autobytel's 2006 Truck of the Year2006–2007 Honda Award List
, hondanews.com, dated 29 August 2006, last accessed 6 August 2017 * Sobre Ruedas ''(On Wheels'', a Latin American automotive magazine'')'' 2005 Best Pick-up Truck * Auto123.com's 2017 Pickup of the Year2017 AUTO123.COM AWARDS: MEET THE WINNERS!
, Auto123.com, dated 23 November 2016, last accessed 7 January 2018 * J.D. Power and Associates' Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Award for 2006–2008,Great Designs in Steel, The 2017 Honda Ridgeline
; autosteel.org; by Steve Behm, Principal Underbody Design Engineer, 2017 Honda Ridgeline Body Development Leader, Honda R&D Americas; dated 17 May 2017; last accessed 28 May 2018 2017,Honda CR-V and Ridgeline J.D. Power & Associates “2017 APEAL Award” Winners; Honda Brand Places Highly in APEAL Study Rankings
, Honda Media Newsroom, dated 23 August 2017, last accessed 26 August 2017 and 2018Honda Accord and Ridgeline Named as J.D. Power & Associates "2018 APEAL Award" Winners with CR-V and Odyssey Also Highly Ranked
, hondanews.com, dated 27 July 2018, last accessed 1 August 2018 * ''

Green Car Journal ''Green Car Journal'' a monthly publication created in 1992, now published as an annual, focuses on green vehicles and environmentally friendly energy and technologies. The founder and editor is Ron Cogan. Co-founder and executive publisher throug ...

s 2017 Green Truck of the YearSan Antonio Auto Show Green Car Awards
, Green Car Journal, dated 15 November 2016, last accessed 28 July 2018 * Consumer Guide Automotive's Best Buy Award for 2017–20192018 Honda Ridgeline Best Buy Review
, Consumer Guide Automotive, last accessed 18 January 20182019 Honda Ridgeline Best Buy Review
, Consumer Guide Automotive, last accessed 8 December 2018 *

Kelley Blue Book Kelley Blue Book is an Irvine, California-based vehicle valuation and automotive research company that is recognized by both consumers and the automotive industry. The company is owned by the Cox Automotive subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Hist ...

's Top Ten Best Resale Value Award for 2017–20192017 Best Resale Value Awards: Top Ten Cars
, Kelley Blue Book, last accessed 7 January 20182018 Best Resale Value Awards: Top Ten Cars
, Kelley Blue Book, last accessed 3 February 20182019 Best Resale Value Awards: Top Ten Cars
, Kelley Blue Book, last accessed 23 January 2019 * The Car Connection's Best Pickup to Buy for 20182018 Honda Ridgeline Named as The Car Connection Best Pickup to Buy
, Hondanews.com, dated 20 November 2017, last accessed 5 March 2018 * Women's Choice Awards in the Eco-Friendly and Safety categories for 2018Seven Honda Vehicles Earn Multiple Women’s Choice Awards
, hondanews.com, dated 29 November 2017, last accessed 15 July 2018 * ''

Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...

2006 Automotive Excellence Award for functionality * Society of Plastics Engineers 2006 Grand Award for the composite in–bed trunk35th-Anniversary Innovation Awards Gala, "License To Thrill"
, Automotive Plastics News, dated January 2006 (Volume 35, Issue 2), last accessed 26 November 2016 *

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" relat ...

's first four-door pickup to earn five-star safety rating * IIHS's first pickup to earn the Top Safety Pick-Plus award (2017) and has also earned the Top Safety Pick award for 2009, 2012, 2013, and is the only pickup to earn the award for 2018 and 2019Top Safety Picks, Large pickup ''(go to "Other years" and select the one you want to view)''
, IIHS.org, last accessed 29 June 2019 *

SCORE Score or scorer may refer to: *Test score, the result of an exam or test Business * Score Digital, now part of Bauer Radio * Score Entertainment, a former American trading card design and manufacturing company * Score Media, a former Canadian ...

Baja off-road race winner in the Stock Mini Class in 2008Honda Ridgeline Grabs First-Ever Baja 1000 Win
, PickupTrucks.com, by Mike Levine, dated 22 November 2008, last accessed 20 September 2015 and 2010Honda Ridgeline Wins Again at Baja
, Honda News & Views, dated 23 November 2010, last accessed 20 September 2015 as well as Class 7 in 2015,Honda Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Conquers Baja 1000
, Hondanews.com, dated 22 November 2015, last accessed 27 November 2015 2016,Honda Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Takes Class Victory at Baja 500
, hondanews.com, dated 7 June 2016, last accessed 5 November 2017 2018,
, PickupTrucks.com, by Mark Williams, dated 15 June 2018, last accessed 23 June 2018 and 2019New Ridgeline Baja Race Truck Debuts With Baja 500 Victory
, hondanews.com, dated 2 June 2019 *

iSeeCars.com iSeeCars.com is an online automotive search engine and research website which helps users find and compare cars for sale using a proprietary computer algorithm. Business iSeeCars analyzes used car listings for a number of factors including rea ...

's longest-lasting truck, most likely to reach 200,000 milesThe Longest-Lasting Cars to Reach 200,000 Miles and Beyond
, iSeeCars.com, by Julie Blackley, last accessed 8 March 2019

References

External links

Honda Ridgeline Owners Club (ROC) forum

The Story Behind The Honda Ridgeline's Wildly, Unusually Detailed Wikipedia Page
{{Honda Ridgeline Pickup trucks All-wheel-drive vehicles Goods manufactured in Canada 2010s cars Sport utility trucks Cars introduced in 2005 Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States