2026 Honda Ridgeline

The Ridgeline mostly carries over for the 2026 model year, filling a gap for shoppers who want the flexibility of a pickup truck bed without sacrificing the ride comfort of an SUV. A dual-function tailgate and flip-up rear seats, as well as a sliding rear window, optimize the pickup truck vibe, but Honda’s workhorse V6 and standard all-wheel drive (AWD) cap towing capacity at 5,000 pounds, which comes up short of midsize truck rivals such as the Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado, Ford Ranger, and Nissan Frontier.

It’s priced right, starting at $42,090 with destination fee, and comes with the modern convenience and safety features expected in a new car, plus standard extras such as wireless smartphone compatibility and a wireless device charger. A TrailSport model inspires overlanding fantasies with its softer suspension and all-terrain tires, but it’s no TRD Pro or Raptor. For weekend house projects, small business subcontracting, or hauling stinky kids’ sports gear, the Ridgeline is a recommended buy for its dual nature.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of midsize trucks, including the Honda Ridgeline.

Sold in Sport, RTL, TrailSport, and Black Edition trims, the 2026 Ridgeline ranges in price from $42,090 to $48,690, including destination fee. The best-selling Toyota Tacoma is priced about $5,000 less, but it’s offered in an extended cab or crew cab, and has two bed-size options, three powertrain options, and an array of trims and configurations. When you option up to 4-wheel drive and the Ridgeline’s configuration, the price is pretty similar. Same with the Ford Ranger and Nissan Frontier, which also undercut the Ridgeline but start with rear-wheel drive only.

The $44,890 Ridgeline RTL adds comfort features like heated power front seats, leather upholstery, and a sunroof, earning our nod as the best value.

Before buying a Ridgeline, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

There’s nothing fancy about the Honda Ridgeline. It uses Honda’s competent but uninspiring 280-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 that’s been around for years. Power comes on smoothly and expectedly, and every version has all-wheel drive via a 9-speed automatic transmission that quickly flicks through the low gears when not towing.

With a 5,000-pound rating, the towing capacity can’t match more traditional body-on-frame pickups that max out in the mid-7,000-pound range, but the Ridgeline makes up for it with road manners so domesticated you could forget there’s an open bed behind you. An independent multi-link rear suspension with coil springs soaks up road imperfections, so the Ridgeline is an uncommonly composed daily driver — for a truck.

Honda Ridgeline TrailSport

That leads to criticism from truck enthusiasts bouncing around in their cabs. The argument for the traditional leaf-spring suspension in other trucks is greater off-road variability and the ability to tow more. The Ridgeline TrailSport projects an off-road profile, with its General Grabber all-terrain tires and a unique suspension tune with softer, more compliant springs and thinner anti-roll bars that give it a bit more articulation on uneven surfaces. Ground clearance remains the same at 7.6 inches, and the approach and departure angles are the same as other Ridgeline trims.

All of that adds up to a more capable off-road Ridgeline from the factory, good for accessing the hunting grounds or negotiating rutted access roads, but it still lacks the gear for more strenuous off-roading that could be managed by a Tacoma TRD Off-Road or a Colorado Z71.

The 5-seat Ridgeline would technically qualify as a crew cab in truck-speak. From the front doors forward, it’s a doppelganger inside and out for the Passport and Pilot SUVs with which it shares a platform. That applies to the dash setup, which is headlined by a 9-inch touchscreen and a 7-inch digital instrument cluster. They’re both fine to use, with some customizable menu displays via the steering wheel for vehicle info. We expect most users to just wirelessly connect standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and go from there. Dash materials lean to the practical side, and climate buttons and a volume knob keep it simple. An electronic gear shifter in the console might be the biggest departure from other trucks.

A deep center console and good storage pockets help keep it clean. Step over the Sport trim to at least the RTL to get power front seats that are heated. The rear seats lack the same amount of legroom as the Honda Passport, but are still roomier than midsize truck rivals. They flip up for more storage, too. We note that and detail the innovative Ridgeline bed and tailgate in the Favorite Features section below.

Dual-Action Tailgate: The power-locking tailgate on the Ridgeline swings two ways for maximum usability. It flips down like a traditional tailgate, doubling as a great seat and letting you access the bed when hitched to a trailer. It also hinges on the driver’s side and swings open like a door. That way, you can access items further back in the bed. There’s also a lockable storage compartment under the bed floor that has a drain plug. You could fill it with ice, load it up with beverages for the game, then drain it afterward.

Versatile cab: While most midsize trucks market a crew cab and possibly a three-seat regular cab, the Ridgeline comes only as a crew cab. It’s not quite as voluminous as the related Honda Passport midsize SUV, which has 40.9 inches of rear legroom compared to the Ridgeline’s 36.7 inches. You could still fit two adults in back, or when it’s unoccupied, the seat bottoms flip up for more storage or for a makeshift dog run. Dogs will also love the power-sliding rear window that opens above the bed and is standard on all but the base Sport model.

On-road comfort: Like the Pilot and the Passport SUVs, the Ridgeline uses unibody construction instead of body-on-frame like other trucks. Coupled with a fully independent suspension (front struts, rear multilink), instead of bouncy rear leaf springs like on most other midsize trucks, the Ridgeline rides like a typical passenger car. It’s comfy while cruising and lacks the jitters common in unladen pickup trucks.