Pros
- Well-judged dimensions
- Muscular and refined engine
- Under-bed storage area
- Impressive payload capacity
- Exemplary Honda build quality
Cons
- Off-roading & towing talents eclipsed by rivals
- No choice of cab size
- Starts out pricier than the competition
What’s New This Year?
- Infotainment system gains a dedicated volume knob
- Styling revisions inside and out
- New HPD package brings cosmetic additions
KBB Editors’ Overview
KBB Overall Rating: 4.3 out of 5
The 2021 Honda Ridgeline is a midsize pickup with a spacious 4-door cab and two rows of seating. Or it’s a refined SUV with a truck bed.
This dual nature comes, paradoxically, from a one-piece body. Most pickups have a body built on a ladder-frame chassis. It’s an unsophisticated old-school recipe, but it’s rugged, works well for off-road adventures and for towing. The Ridgeline isn’t like that.
It deploys a unibody construction, like the Honda Pilot SUV. The upside is that it can ride and handle like the Pilot, which is composed and comfortable.
Another area where the Ridgeline breaks with tradition is that its base model has front-wheel drive instead of rear-wheel drive. But that does bring better traction in snowy conditions.
And the Honda Ridgeline is still a highly capable truck. It offers an all-wheel-drive system with a multi-mode terrain response feature that can tackle slippery surfaces and give the truck some off-road talents. It will tow up to 5,000 pounds or handle a maximum payload of 1,580 pounds. And the space between the wheel wells allows users to load sheets of plywood or drywall that are four feet wide.
The 2021 Ridgeline also comes with several advanced driver aids as standard. In some rivals, those features are either optional or not available at all. It has taken top scores in crash tests. And the Ridgeline has a fine reputation for reliability, in common with every other Honda.
How Much Does the 2021 Honda Ridgeline Cost?
We expect the 2021 Honda Ridgeline to start at around $35,000 for the entry-level Sport trim and go up to around $45,000 for the range-topping Black Edition model. All-wheel drive will probably be about $2k.
Entry-level alternatives like the Toyota Tacoma SR, Ford Ranger XL, and Chevrolet Colorado Work Truck are in the mid-to-high-20s. But none of those have a V6 engine like the Ridgeline. A closer competitor could be the Jeep Gladiator, with a V6, all-wheel drive, and wonderful off-road abilities, starting at around $35k. But chances are that a potential Ridgeline buyer is looking for something a little more refined.
Before buying, check the KBB Fair Purchase Price to see what others in your area paid for their new Ridgeline. The Honda Ridgeline’s resale values aren’t as strong as the Toyota Tacoma, the class leader in this respect.
Driving the 2021 Honda Ridgeline
There’s no downside to being a weekend warrior. The Honda Ridgeline can handle the school run or the weekday commute with civilized ease, then head off to the lake when Saturday comes around.
The advantage of the unibody build is that the Ridgeline has precise steering and an independent rear suspension. So it can soak up freeway bumps and handle corners with far more composure and grace than a typical midsize pickup with rear leaf springs and a solid rear axle. Anyone used to driving a classy SUV will find the 2021 Ridgeline just as pleasant.
The 280-horsepower V6 has the right amount of thrust even when there’s a load on board. And the all-wheel-drive system has its own set of tricks. It can send up to 70 percent of available torque to the rear wheels. It can also direct every bit of that force to either rear wheel, according to which one has the most traction at the time. This is known as torque vectoring, and it brings benefits in on-road handling as well as off-road grip.
Favorite Features
BED ROCK
The bed of the Ridgeline is much more than just somewhere to throw a couple of mountain bikes. As well as a lockable compartment and a drain plug, the bed in the top two trims also has a power outlet and a special audio setup.
INTELLIGENT TRACTION DYNAMICS SYSTEM
Different surfaces require different approaches, adjusting transmission shift points, throttle responses, torque distribution, traction control settings, etc. The Ridgeline’s Intelligent Traction Dynamics System adapts to tricky on-road and off-road conditions. Models with all-wheel drive have Snow, Mud, Sand, and Normal modes. Front-drive versions — less likely to venture off-road — have a Snow mode.
2021 Honda Ridgeline Interior
Sharing many components with the Pilot SUV, the cabin of the 2021 Ridgeline can make its occupants forget that there’s a pickup bed behind them, it’s so refined and roomy.
Honda keeps the cheaper-quality plastics to the lower reaches and puts the good stuff in better view. This year adds satin silver accents to the instrument panel, steering wheel, and transmission shifter buttons. There’s no traditional shift lever. This arrangement keeps the center console clean, but it takes some familiarization.
Sport trim also has new fabric seat inserts this year, and all trims receive contrasting stitching. The seats themselves are comfortable and well-shaped. And the Ridgeline’s occupant space is exceptional for the midsize pickup class, in both seating rows.
The lower cushions of the rear seats flip up, making enough space for a bicycle. And since the rear doors were made to open wider last year, accessing and utilizing that space has been made easier.
The 8-inch infotainment screen has been updated this year with crisper graphics and clearer icons, making it more user-friendly. The infotainment system also receives a physical volume control. In almost any other vehicle, that wouldn’t be news, but many of Honda’s creations have required the driver to adjust the volume using up/down functions, much to the annoyance of virtually everyone.
2021 Honda Ridgeline Exterior
Honda has tweaked the front end of the 2021 Ridgeline. A new grille sits more upright than before, with new LED headlights on either side and a thick chrome strip running across the top. Behind that is a revised hood with a power bulge.
Subtler changes include a slight widening of the Ridgeline’s track, so it looks even more stable. And a fresh rear bumper houses new twin exhaust tailpipes.
The clever “truck section” stays the same, thank goodness. The bed itself is made from a scratch-resistant and dent-resistant composite, so there’s no need for a spray-in liner. It’s accessed by a dual-action tailgate that either opens down (where it can withstand 300 pounds) or opens to one side. And there’s a lockable compartment underneath.
2021 Honda Ridgeline Standard Features
Sport trim is the entry-level version of the 2021 Ridgeline, and it’s packed with equipment more frequently seen in SUVs than pickups, including some leaning more toward the luxury bracket. Like active noise cancellation, for example, and tri-zone automatic climate control. Also included are 18-inch alloy wheels and keyless entry/ignition.
The Honda Sensing set of safety features (itemized in our Safety Technology section) is also included, along with hill start assist and the Intelligent Traction Dynamics System.
The truck aspect entails the ingenious dual-action tailgate, eight tie-down cleats, bed lighting (LED in the two higher trims), and a lockable 7.3-cubic foot in-bed trunk.
An 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, two USB ports, an auxiliary audio input, and a 200-watt/7-speaker sound system are also standard.
2021 Honda Ridgeline Options
The main way to cram more features into a new Ridgeline is to ascend the trim level ladder, but Sport and RTL trims are eligible for all-wheel drive. We recommend the RTL over the Sport since it adds heated front seats, leather seating surfaces, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power-adjustable front seats (10-way for the driver, 4-way for the passenger), and a powered moonroof.
The RTL-E has blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (something that could sway us to this trim level), plus all-wheel drive, automatic high beams, heated steering wheel, self-dimming rearview mirror, satellite radio, a 540-watt sound system, and that truck-bed audio setup. The Black Edition is really just an RTE-L with some visual changes.
The new Honda Performance Development (HPD) package brings a special grille treatment, bronze-finished wheels, and black fender flares. Other options include a protective film for the front end, door edges and handles, and door sills. Plus roof rails, crossbars, running boards, tonneau cover, cargo net, and a first aid kit.
2021 Honda Ridgeline Engine
A 3.5-liter V6 endows every 2021 Ridgeline variant with a muscular 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. In the two lower trims, a 9-speed automatic transmission (with paddle shirts mounted beneath the steering wheel) directs that energy to the front wheels (FWD). All-wheel drive (AWD) is optional in those trims, standard in the top upper trims.
This V6 also has a cylinder deactivation feature and a stop/restart function to optimize fuel consumption. Speaking of fuel, regular gasoline is fine.
Front-drive versions of the 2021 Ridgeline can tow up to 3,500 pounds. Those with all-wheel drive are rated to pull 5,000 pounds.
These EPA figures are from 2020, but we expect the 2021’s to be the same.
3.5-liter V6
280 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
262 lb-ft of torque @ 4,700 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/26 mpg (FWD), 19/24 mpg (AWD)
Which Model is Right for Me?
2021 Honda Ridgeline Sport
Honda Sensing driver aids
18-inch alloy wheels
Tri-zone automatic climate control
8-inch infotainment display
Dual-action tailgate
In-bed trunk
Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
2021 Honda Ridgeline RTL
Leather seating surfaces
Powered moonroof
Acoustic windshield
10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
Heated front seats
Powered sliding rear window
2021 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E
Blind-spot monitoring w/rear cross-traffic alert
All-wheel drive
LED daytime running lights
Heated side mirrors
Heated steering wheel
Front/rear parking sensors
Upgraded 540-watt audio system
Truck-bed audio
Automatic high beams
2021 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition
Black Edition exterior trim
Black Edition leather interior
Black-finished 18-inch alloy wheels
Red ambient LED cabin lighting
2021 Honda Ridgeline Safety Technology
Honda Sensing
Every 2021 Ridgeline has a set of driver assistance features referred to collectively as Honda Sensing. It includes forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance/lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and road-departure mitigation.
Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
This system, standard in the RTL-E and Black Edition trims, keeps a virtual eye on any vehicles that may be in the Ridgeline’s blind spots and warns the driver if necessary. Rear cross-traffic alert is really useful in situations like reversing out of a parking spot when other vehicles might be approaching from either side.
Automatic high beams
High beams are activated when the road is clear. If oncoming vehicle lights or taillights up ahead are detected, they dip automatically. It’s one less thing to worry about while driving at night. Standard in the RTL-E and Black Edition versions.
January 12, 2021 at 07:12AM
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2021 Honda Ridgeline Review: - Kelley Blue Book
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