2019 Honda Ridgeline

The 2019 Honda Ridgeline is available in six trim levels, which are RT, Sport, RTL, RTL-T, RTL-E, and the range-topping Black Edition. The range starts from just under $30,000 and goes all the way up to $43,420 for the all-wheel-drive Black Edition. The base RT trim comes with keyless ignition, Bluetooth connectivity, a 5.0-inch display, a fold-up rear seat, and intelligent traction management. Go up on the ladder, and the Sport trim will treat you with triple-zone climate control, 18-inch Gray Painted Alloy Wheels, and Microsuede Upholstery. 

Furthermore, the RTL trim gets a 10-way power driver's seat, front heated seats, and also leather upholstery. The RTL-E and Black Edition are the top-of-the-line trims and come with Blind-Spot Monitoring System, Exclusive Leather Upholstery, Trunk Bed Audio System, Heated Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel, a 540-Watt premium sound System, and a lot more. The Base RT trim does not have an AWD option, while the RTL-E and Black Edition have only AWD as the standard drivetrain.

Which trim should you buy?

The best value for money offering is the RTL trim which comes with leather upholstery, a quieter cabin, power-adjustable heated front seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel for $35,865. Though sadly, it skips on active safety features like blind-spot monitoring and automatic emergency braking. One also gets the option of opting for RTL trim with AWD for better stability and grip on the troublesome surfaces. 

Under the hood, you’ll find the same 3.5L V6 motor from the Pilot, which produces 280 hp at 6,000 RPM and 262 lb-ft at 4,700 RPM. It is paired with a very efficient 6-speed automatic transmission which sends power to the front wheels or all wheels depending on the trim you go for. The 2019 Ridgeline accelerates from 0-60 mph in 7.2 seconds, which is just 0.2 seconds faster than Colorado. The payload and towing capacity of the Ridgeline are the lowest in the class. On the other hand, the Ranger has the highest payload capacity in the segment, but in terms of towing capacity, Ranger is the runner-up. 

The Canyon is the one here with the biggest engine, and it also produces the most power along with its twin Colorado. But when it comes to torque, the Ranger, which is the only cab with the turbocharger and has the smallest engine, offers the highest torque. The highest towing capacity is offered by the Canyon. When comparing the price tag, Honda is the most expensive option in the segment. 

How well does the 2019 Honda Ridgeline Crew Cab handle?

The 2019 Ridgeline is built on a unibody platform, unlike the body-on-frame structure of other trucks. This means that it is not very good for offroading unlike other trucks, but it handles corners relatively better than any other truck in the segment. The Ridgeline Crew Cab drives far more like a family hauler than a pickup truck, with a more controlled ride and better handling. The ride has much less bouncing and shaking than a body-on-frame vehicle.

Braking Performance

The 2019 Honda Ridgeline is a moderately heavy vehicle and comes with quite a decent braking hardware. The Ridgeline comes with 12.6-inch rotors at the front and 13.0-inch rotors at the back, which are the largest in the class and offer exceptional braking power. Further, it is aided by brake assist and some models also come with automatic emergency braking. The truck takes 128 feet to reach a halt from 60 mph, which is not the best performance in the segment.

GMC is the lightest of the lot at 3,974 lbs and has a braking distance of 122 feet. Meanwhile, Chevrolet has the worst braking power as it takes 11 feet more as compared to GMC to go from 60-0 mph. The Ford Ranger is the second heaviest cab in the segment at 4,354 but still comes to a complete halt at 127 feet. 

The 2019 Honda Ridgeline returns a fuel economy of 19 mpg in the city, 26 on the highway, and 22 mpg combined. Adding all-wheel drive drops 1 mpg across the board. That said, there are plans that Honda will bring hybrid powertrain options to the Ridgeline later, and that would certainly help the car with fuel efficiency.

GM twins come equipped with the largest fuel tanks and average fuel economy, resulting in driving a range of 500 miles on a fuel tank. Meanwhile, the Ford Ranger is the most efficient pickup truck in the segment, but it possesses the smallest fuel tank capacity, which translates into a poor range of 378 miles in the city, 468 miles on the highway, and 414 miles combined..

The similarities between the Pilot and Ridgeline aren’t just limited to the outside, but they continue to be there inside as well. The quality of materials used is decent. The surfaces are quite nice, soft, and smooth, and soft-touch plastic is used on the dashboard and door panels. Honda has stretched the dimensions a bit to make the cabin more spacious and roomier. The seats are covered in standard cloth upholstery, which can be upgraded to leather-trimmed seats on higher trims. 

Heated front seats and the leather-wrapped steering wheel are given on the higher trims. The driver seat has a 6-way adjustment, which can be upgraded to a 10-way power adjustment, while the passenger seat has a 4-way manual adjustment, which can be upgraded to 4-way power. The rear seats can split into a 40/60 pattern for convenience. Some other standard features given on the base trim are single-zone front air conditioning, manual tilt and telescopic steering column, rear-seat heater ducts, rear-window defroster with timer, front row power windows, push-button ignition, two 12-v power outlets, and four cup holders.

The Ridgeline has the widest cabin among all, which translates into more shoulder room on offer. Though the legroom in the first row is a bit on the lower side when compared with other cars here, the Ridgeline definitely has an advantage in terms of rear-seat space. The Colorado and Canyon have the leading front legroom. Meanwhile, the Ranger has the least rear legroom space. That said, the Ford Ranger offers better cargo capacity as compared to the Ridgeline. Some standout interior features include:

• Cloth upholstery
• Single zone climate control
• Leather upholstery
• Heated front seats
• 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
• Heated leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Tri-zone automatic climate control
• HomeLink Remote System
• Automatic-Dimming Rearview Mirror

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The entry-level trims of 2019 Ridgeline come with a very basic 5-inch LCD infotainment display, but as you move up the line, the upper trim gets an 8.0-inch touchscreen display. A 7-speaker sound system, two USB ports, Bluetooth, aux jack, and Speed-Sensitive Volume Control are some standard features on the base trim, but as you move up, features such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Pandora Compatibility, SiriusXM, In-built Navigation, HD radio, Voice commands, Bluetooth compatibility, Wifi Hotspot, and 8-speaker sound system are also given. Some standout infotainment features include: 

• 7-speaker sound system
• 8.0-inch touchscreen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 
• Navigation system
• SiriusXM satellite radio
• Pandora Compatibility

Honda has shown that pickup trucks shouldn’t always be bulky and boxy-looking, and the Ridgeline is a prime example of that. There are LED running lights up front with chrome work on the grille and fog lights which are housed on the lower part of the bumper. The Black Edition gets all the chrome bits blacked out, and even the headlamps and taillamps get some smoked effect with alloys being painted black as well.

The rear has vertical LED taillights, Integrated Class III Trailer Hitch, and a big plastic bumper. The side profile is rather sleek, and the body line just flows through it. One-Touch Power Moonroof with Tilt Feature, Acoustic Windshield, Power sliding rear window are given on RTL and higher trims. The 2019 Ridgeline runs on 18-inch silver-painted alloy, which can be replaced with gray-painted or machined-finished wheels. Multi-reflector halogen headlights are given on the base trim, which can be upgraded to LED headlights on higher trims. 

*5.1 ft. WT trim dimensions taken for reference

In terms of exterior dimensions, the Colorado and Canyon are twins. The Ridgeline is the widest of all but has the shortest wheelbase. After comparing the height, the Ridgeline and rivals are in a similar ballpark, but if put under a microscope, the Ranger is the tallest with the highest ground clearance. Standout exterior features include:

• 18-inch Alloy wheels
• Multi-Reflector Halogen Headlights
• Smart Entry
• Power moonroof with Sunshade
• Cargo lights
• Automatic high-beam headlights
• Integrated Class III Trailer Hitch
• Rear Privacy Glass
• Remote Entry

A very few pickup trucks get tested for safety by both the IIHS and NHTSA, and thankfully the 2019 Honda Ridgeline is among them. IIHS gave ‘Good’ ratings to 2019 Ridgeline in the majority of crash tests and also crowned it with the “Top Safety Pick” award. The NHTSA awarded the Ridgeline with an overall “5-star” rating except for the rollover test, as being a truck with a high center of gravity, there are fair chances of a rollover. 

Advanced safety features and driving assistance aids are only given on the higher trims such as RTL-E and Black Edition. These trims come with the Honda Sensing Safety Suite, which includes Collision Mitigation Braking System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, and Lane-keep Assist. The lower trims come with basic safety features such as cruise control, a multi-angle rearview camera with guidelines, brake assist, and hill start assist. Some standout safety features include: 

• Cruise control
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Honda LaneWatch
• Forward collision warning
• Automatic emergency braking
• Lane keep assist
• Lane departure warning

2019 Honda Ridgeline Crew Cab vs 2019 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab

The 2019 Chevrolet Colorado comes with two engine options- a 2.5L inline-4 and a 3.6L V6 engine. Now unlike the Honda, which is more like a family SUV with a flatbed, the Colorado is a hardcore offroad pickup truck. The Honda is much more comfortable to drive and is also better equipped in terms of features. Therefore, the Colorado is a better choice if payload and towing capacities are concerned. 

2019 Honda Ridgeline Crew Cab vs 2019 GMC Canyon Crew Cab

Just like the Colorado, the GMC Canyon is the best option against the Ridgeline when you are looking for a truck that can perform its duties as a truck, i.e., can carry a higher payload and has an exceptional towing capacity. That said, if interior space and fuel economy are concerned, the 2019 Honda Ridgeline has the edge.

2019 Honda Ridgeline Crew Cab vs 2019 Ford Ranger Crew Cab

The 2019 Ford Ranger might have a smaller engine as compared to the Ridgeline, but its output is not disappointing. Not only does it slaps the Ridgeline with better cargo space, fuel efficiency but also with better cargo, payload, and towing capacities. However, in terms of features and safety, the 2019 Ridgeline has the lead.

The thing is that the Ridgeline tilts more toward an SUV rather than a truck. If you want a truck for major family usage and want some extra place to keep your stuff while going for a family trip or just a recreational vehicle, then the 2019 Honda Ridgeline Crew Cab is just the right pick for you. However, if you want a hardcore crew cab, Ford Ranger is the best alternative you can go for.