I’m a Northern Ontario boy living in the land of Dodge Ram 2500s, Ford Super Dutys and GMC Sierra HDs. People up here love their diesel-powered torque, low-range gearing and tens of thousands of pounds of towing capacity.

The Honda Ridgeline is a truck with none of these attributes -- and one considered “less” of a truck by many of my misinformed, diesel-burning friends.

Face it, guys: Driving a Ford Super Duty to the grocery store, baseball game or mall is a massive waste of fuel. At least it’ll make quick work of towing that utility trailer a few times a year, eh?

Photo: Justin Pritchard

The Ridgeline only comes with a V6. It’s decent on fuel and as powerful as anyone needs. It’s 4x4 system is, usually, front-wheel drive. It’s got a small-ish box.

However, if you don’t regularly need the services of a great, big towing rig, it’s a truck that makes plenty of sense. Moreso if you have a family, love camping, own a four-legged friend or two, or like to partake in outdoor sports.

A clever, flexible design ideology lies at the Ridgeline’s functional core.

The large rear seats offer heaps of room for 2 or 3 full-size adults and have a generous storage space beneath them -- helping occupants stay organized. And those rear seats flip up and out of the way in about 3 seconds, creating a large cargo area that’ll securely accept a bike or two, a flat-screen TV, a few golden retrievers, or a load of groceries, or even some of the above and a passenger if you leave one of the seats in its “seat” position.

The box is short but adequate for a dirt bike, motorcycle or a small quad. The firewall at the front of the bed has built-in notches for holding tires in place, which work with tie-downs to make securing two-wheeled toys a breeze.


The tailgate opens out, like a door, or downwards like a tailgate, too. Four lights illuminate the bed as needed. It’s full of clever, thoughtful touches.

Underneath, Ridgeline’s famous “under-bed compartment” adds a trunk similar in capacity to that of a midsize car. It’s lockable, waterproof and is illuminatedand drainable.

If you’ve got, say, three buddies and two dirtbikes along for the ride, other gear can be kept out of the way in this “truck trunk” without chewing up interior space or being tossed around in the box. Soggy lifejackets, groceries, ice and beverages, coolers, firewood, sandy beach towels and the like all found a home in here on my test dive. Hose it out at the coin-wash when you’re done.

Ridgeline is also comfortable, rides like a big car, and isn’t a giant, imposing, clumsy, thirsty thing to drive. It’s almost like a minivan -- but cooler, more capable and without the jokes. That’s a good thing for many.

Honda’s hit the mark here with a truck that’s perfect for what 99% of pickup owners use their trucks for 99% of the time. I came away from my test wondering if I’d ever driven a vehicle so purely handy and flexible.