The Honda Ridgeline is a mid-size pickup truck manufactured and marketed by Honda since the 2006 model year, over two generations in a unibody, crew–cab, short-box configuration with a transverse-mounted engine.
First generation (YK1; 2006) The first-generation Ridgeline went on sale in March 2005 as a 2006 model year vehicle. The Car Design Yearbook called it "Honda's first foray into the true heartland of the American automotive way of life—the pickup truck." An engineering team from Honda R&D Americas, led by Gary Flint, designed the vehicle. According to the author of Driving Honda, the automaker wanted to target buyers who were looking to move to a pickup from sedans, minivans, and sport utility vehicles (SUV).
The development started in 2001 with a development mule using an extended version of a first-generation Acura MDX with a competitor's pickup bed integrated into the rear structure.50 Years of American Dreams, The Challenging Spirit (page 151) , Honda North America, dated June 2009, last accessed October 20, 2019 After four years of development, a Sport Utility Truck Concept was shown at the 2004 North American International Auto Show. Later that same year, Honda unveiled a revised version at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show and announced the official name of the vehicle, the Ridgeline. The production version of the Ridgeline was unveiled the following year at the 2005 North American International Auto Show.
Honda's publications claim that the first-generation Ridgeline shared only 7% of its components with other Honda vehicles. Its powertrain resembled the one used in the first-generation Acura MDX but was "extensively calibrated and strengthened" for heavier hauling and towing duties.
Production of the first generation Ridgeline ended in early 2015."Honda 2026 Digital FactBook", by Honda Corporate News, dated June 2026, last accessed 24 July 2026
Second generation (YK2/3; 2017)
After a one-year hiatus in Ridgeline production, the second-generation went on sale in June 2016 as a 2017 model year vehicle.Honda 2019 Digital FactBook , Honda News & Views, dated 17 July 2019, last accessed 17 July 2019 The second-generation Ridgeline took a different approach in design from the first generation Ridgeline by sharing Honda's new "global light truck platform," used for the third-generation Honda Pilot as well as other large Honda vehicles.2017-2018 Honda Ridgeline, Honda's pickup for the non-pickup types, TopSpeed.com, by Mark McNabb, dated 24 July 2017, last accessed 2 March 20192019 Honda Passport already rolling off the assembly line in Alabama , c/net, by Andrew Krok, dated 7 December 2018, last accessed 2 March 2019 Honda modified the Pilot platform, including extending the wheelbase and various parts to support hauling, towing, and off-road use. Honda reported that 73% of the second-generation Ridgeline's components remain common with the third-generation Pilot. Major changes included a 17% stronger front structure, a 31% sturdier rear,2017 Honda Ridgeline First Drive Review Car and Driver, by Jared Gall, dated 9 May 2016, last accessed 21 July 2019 and 50% of the chassis' components changed or were strengthened for the second generation Ridgeline.Honda Ridgeline Carries Over for 2019 With 2 Minor Upgrades , TorqueNews, by Parks McCants, dated 5 March 2018, last accessed 9 November 2018 The second generation Ridgeline's new structure gives it an average reduction in weight from the first generation pickup. The C-pillar and rear subframe were strengthened giving the second generation 28% more torsional rigidity over the first generation Ridgeline.Mid-Size Trucks Don't Need Frames , Jalopnik, by David Tracy, dated 25 August 2016, last accessed 5 September 2016
Third generation On July 23, 2026, Honda confirmed a third-generation Ridgeline midsize pickup, to be released within the next two years, featuring a more rugged design and a new, high-efficiency platform. The next-generation pickup is styled at Honda’s Southern California design studio and engineered at Ohio's Auto Development Center. Production of the current model will pause for 18 months at the Alabama plant to facilitate this transition.
Marketing The design of the unibody pickup with a transverse-mounted engine and a crew-cab short-box configuration makes the Ridgeline unique.Honda Ridgeline Pickup Truck Makes Canadian Debut in Montreal , Auto123.com, dated 13 January 2005, last accessed 8 March 20192017 Honda Ridgeline Named North American Truck of the Year in Detroit , The News Wheel, dated 10 January 2017, last accessed 8 March 20192017 Honda Ridgeline Only Pickup Truck to Achieve Top Safety Pick+ Rating , The News Wheel, dated 8 December 2016, last accessed 14 March 2019 Some in the automotive press that have studied the first-generation Ridgeline, such as PickupTrucks.com, consider it "one of those odd vehicles". They wrote, "The Ridgeline can't really do what most people who like trucks need it to do."What's Going on With the Honda Ridgeline? , PickupTrucks.com, by Mark Williams, dated 8 October 2011, last accessed 12 November 2016 Others in the automotive press had differing views, such as The Driver's Seat TV, who called the Ridgeline "the Swiss Army knife of trucks". They also described the Ridgeline as "the anti-truck" and summarized their view by stating, "The Ridgeline scores high on practicality but very low on image."In The Driver's Seat of the 2008 Honda Ridgeline , YouTube, by The Driver’s Seat TV, dated 12 June 2008, last accessed 3 June 2019
Compared to the first-generation Ridgeline, Honda's second-generation Ridgeline has the automotive press changing its tune, yet it still has an image problem. Gearheads.org wrote the "2017 Honda Ridgeline still won’t get respect but should" stating, its "downside is going to be looks."2017 Honda Ridgeline Still Won’t Get Respect But Should , Gearheads.org, last accessed 7 October 2016 Car and Driver wrote, "The company [Honda] readily admits that the problem with the first generation pickup was that the styling was off-putting, but then it went ahead and made the next iteration of the truck just as unconventional as before."2019 Ford Ranger vs. 2020 Jeep Gladiator vs. 2019 Chevrolet Colorado vs. 2019 Honda Ridgeline , Car and Driver, by Jared Gall, dated 1 May 2019, last accessed 24 August 2019 "The Ridgeline’s roomy cabin, ample storage, smooth ride, and innovative touches make its rivals seem outdated. ...it not only has cargo space, but also the makings of a great tailgate party..."Medium Done Well: Mid-Size Pickups Ranked-#1 Honda Ridgeline , Car and Driver, last accessed 15 August 2016
Karl Forster, an SAE trailer towing group member who was vehicle dynamics project leader on Honda's unibody Ridgeline pickup and Pilot SUV described studies of pickup usage and "found out that 84 percent of truck buyers tow 5000 pounds or less."
Production and sales According to Honda, the Ridgeline was not designed to take sales from the traditional trucks marketed in North America, but was developed to "give the 18% of Honda owners who also own pickups a chance to make their garages a Honda-only parking area." Despite the first generation Ridgeline's poor sales,Honda 2018 Digital FactBook , Honda News & Views, dated 31 July 2018, last accessed 1 August 2018 according to the author of Driving Honda, this mid-size pickup was one of the more profitable vehicles for Honda with reported sales in over 20 countries.Honda Appeals After Chile Disqualifies Pickup for Tax Credit , Bloomberg BNA, by Tom Azzopardi, dated 19 January 2017, last accessed 12 February 2017
The second generation Ridgeline sales appeared to start strong2017 Honda Ridgeline sales show good momentum for August , TorqueNews.com, by Parks McCants, dated 1 September 2016, last accessed 3 September 2016 but comparing sales in the US between 2017 and 2018 shows a 12% decline overall.Trucks Drive New Records and Acura Turns a Corner as American Honda Posts December Sales Increase , Hondanews.com, dated 3 January 2019, last accessed 3 January 2019 A 2018 Autoline Daily report stated the Ridgeline is the only mid-size truck in North America whose sales are down in a market that "suggests there’s room for more players."AD #2493 – FCA Retools Engine Plant for Jeeps, Mid-Size Pickup Segment Soars, How the Jeep Gladiator Got Its Name , Autoline TV, dated 7 December 2018, last accessed 28 December 2018 +Ridgeline sales and productionHonda Ridgeline Sales Figures , GoodCarBadCar, last accessed February 3, 2019 (Note: 2016 sales numbers include a few Gen1 Ridgeline sales—three in the US and eight in Canada—that were taken into account when posting the sales figures for this article. Additionally, February 2012 sales figures on GoodCarBadCar's website are in error, according to Honda's press release , and have been adjusted accordingly.)CalendaryearSalesProductionUSACAN2004199200542,5933,51260,679200650,1934,98856,866200742,7954,51955,150200833,8753,98725,264200916,4643,54616,180201016,1423,20020,18020119,7591,71313,356201214,0682,22621,361201317,7232,12219,557201413,3891,80310,0152015520229154201623,6682,62234,599201734,7494,63239,282201830,5924,09446,123201933,3343,40529,246202032,1683,36934,055202141,3553,49141,822202242,7623,13550,434202352,0013,11454,934202445,4213,43555,843202548,4483,31450,221
Awards North American Car of the Year for 2006 and 2017.Honda 2017 Digital FactBook , Hondanews.com, dated 22 May 2017, last accessed 5 January 2019 Canadian Car of the Year and Best New Pickup for 2006Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, 2006 Best New Pick-up , Previous Winners (Vehicle Comparisons)/Canadian Car of the Year, last accessed 11 October 2015Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, 2006 Canadian Truck of the Year , Previous Winners (Vehicle Comparisons)/Canadian Car of the Year, last accessed 11 October 2015 MotorTrend's 2006 Truck of the Year Car and Drivers #1 mid-size truck for 2006,2006 Honda Ridgeline RTS, First Place: Do-It-All Compact Pickups , Car & Driver, by Larry Webster, dated June 2005, last accessed 26 November 2016 and 2017–2019Unique and Highly Capable Honda Ridgeline Named to Car and Driver Magazine List of the 2018 10Best Trucks and SUVs , Hondanews.com, dated 10 January 2018, last accessed 5 March 2018Honda Ridgeline Named to Car and Driver Magazine List of the 2019 10Best Trucks and SUVs , Hondanews.com, dated 16 January 2019, last accessed 19 January 2019 Autobytel's 2006 Truck of the Year2006–2007 Honda Award List , hondanews.com, dated 29 August 2006, last accessed 6 August 2017 Sobre Ruedas (On Wheels, a Latin American automotive magazine) 2005 Best Pick-up Truck Auto123.com's 2017 Pickup of the Year2017 AUTO123.COM AWARDS: MEET THE WINNERS! , Auto123.com, dated 23 November 2016, last accessed 7 January 2018 J.D. Power and Associates' Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Award for 2006–2008, 2017,Honda CR-V and Ridgeline J.D. Power & Associates “2017 APEAL Award” Winners; Honda Brand Places Highly in APEAL Study Rankings , Honda Media Newsroom, dated 23 August 2017, last accessed 26 August 2017 and 2018Honda Accord and Ridgeline Named as J.D. Power & Associates "2018 APEAL Award" Winners with CR-V and Odyssey Also Highly Ranked , hondanews.com, dated 27 July 2018, last accessed 1 August 2018 Green Car Journals 2017 Green Truck of the YearSan Antonio Auto Show Green Car Awards , Green Car Journal, dated 15 November 2016, last accessed 28 July 2018 Consumer Guide Automotive's Best Buy Award for 2017–20192018 Honda Ridgeline Best Buy Review , Consumer Guide Automotive, last accessed 18 January 20182019 Honda Ridgeline Best Buy Review , Consumer Guide Automotive, last accessed 8 December 2018