2025 Honda Ridgeline review
The Honda Ridgeline is a midsize pickup truck that competes against rivals like the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado, and Nissan Frontier. What separates the Ridgeline from the pack is its car-like steering agility, independent front and rear suspension, spacious and airy cabin, and unique storage features, including a lockable in-bed trunk that’s ideal for keeping cargo away from prying eyes. With this generation arriving for the 2017 model year, the Ridgeline is starting to show its age against newer competitors. It also doesn’t have the sheer towing capacity or off-road prowess that many competitors offer. Yet when it comes to day-to-day driving, the Ridgeline remains a comfortable partner. Under the hood is a 280-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 paired to a nine-speed automatic and all-wheel drive.
Explore the evolution of the Honda Ridgeline
Get our expert take on used Honda Ridgeline models, or view year-by-year changes.
Second generation Honda Ridgeline
The 2025 Honda Ridgeline enters its latest model year with no notable changes. That’s OK because this truck still has plenty to offer, especially when it comes to how easy it is to drive. From behind the wheel, you might think you’re piloting a family-friendly sedan or SUV. That’s partly correct because the Ridgeline uses the platform of the previous-generation Honda Pilot SUV as its base. With the Pilot having been updated for the 2023 model year, a new version of the Ridgeline appears imminent.
Still, for truck shoppers who don’t need the last word in stump-pulling grunt or rock-crawling ability, the Ridgeline is a solid pick. Its starting price is high for midsize pickups, though it’s worth noting that Honda packs even the base model with loads of comfort and tech features. This includes the Honda Sensing® suite of active driver aids like automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot warning.
While the cabin is starting to look a little behind the times, there’s an impressive amount of headroom and legroom in either row. Standard touches like tri-zone climate control and wireless device charging add an upmarket feel, too. There are four available trims: Sport, RTL, TrailSport, and Black Edition. The TrailSport gives the Ridgeline a little more go-anywhere ability with its underbody skid plate, all-terrain tires, and beefed-up suspension.
Model highlights
280-horsepower V6 and standard all-wheel drive
Fully independent front and rear suspension
Two-way tailgate with lockable in-bed trunk
Smooth ride and car-like handling
Max tow rating of 5,000 pounds and 1,583-pound payload capacity
Nine-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™
Changes by year
Latest generation from 2017 - present
2025 Honda Ridgeline
2024 Honda Ridgeline
Highlights
TrailSport trim added, featuring revised suspension tuning, all-terrain tires, and underbody skid plate
Standard seven-inch digital instrument cluster
Larger nine-inch touchscreen standard
Wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ standard
Larger center console storage
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2023 Honda Ridgeline
2022 Honda Ridgeline
2021 Honda Ridgeline
Highlights
Restyled front and rear bumpers with dual exhaust
Standard all-wheel drive
Volume knob added to updated infotainment system
Available Honda Performance Development package
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2020 Honda Ridgeline
Highlights
Nine-speed transmission replaced six-speed
Honda Sensing® bundle of driver aids became standard
Wired Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ became standard
Revised trims: Sport, RTL, RTL-E, and Black Edition
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2019 Honda Ridgeline
2018 Honda Ridgeline
2017 Honda Ridgeline
Highlights
All-new second-generation Ridgeline
280-horsepower V6
Available front- and all-wheel drive
Two-way tailgate with lockable in-bed trunk
Increased passenger and cargo space
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Reliability
RepairPal gave the Honda Ridgeline an overall reliability rating of 4 out of 5 stars, which RepairPal describes as Above Average. This rating ranks Honda Ridgeline 5th out of 8 among Midsize Trucks.
RepairPal reports that the average total annual cost for repairs and maintenance on a Honda Ridgeline is $429, compared to an average of $460 for Midsize Trucks and $591 for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
According to RepairPal, Honda Ridgeline owners bring their vehicles into a repair shop for unscheduled repairs an average of 0.9 times per year, compared to an average of 1.3 times for Midsize Trucks and 1.3 times for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
RepairPal reported that the probability of a repair being a severe or major issue is 16% for the Honda Ridgeline, compared to an average of 15% for Midsize Trucks and 14% for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
Nick Kurczewski has been writing about cars for more than 20 years, and his enthusiasm for journalism has led him to cover auto-related stories around the world. From blasting down the German autobahn to covering every major auto show, his stories have appeared in the New York Times, Car and Driver, U.S. News & World Report, Kelley Blue Book, Cars.com and the New York Daily News, where he served as head editor. Having once aspired to be a Formula One racer, Nick discovered sharing his passion for cars as a journalist is just as thrilling as dreaming of pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix.
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Statements of fuel economy or EV range are based on EPA and other third-party estimates for vehicles when new. Fuel economy and EV range will degrade with time and vary based on age, driving conditions, vehicle history, and other conditions. See fueleconomy.gov for more info.
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