Honda Ridgeline: Perception Versus Reality

By Ian Wright - July 3, 2018

There’s a perception that the Honda Ridgeline isn’t a real truck. This particular truck guy isn’t buying it.

In any kind automotive enthusiast circle, or even just general area of an automotive segment, there is inevitably going to be snobbery. Here in America, a truck is as much an image as it is a tool, and a lot of people seem to think every tool should be a hammer. The sentiment being that if it’s not a V8 truck with the body mounted on the frame, then it’s just a toy. Well, Honda simply doesn’t think like that. Honda has a long history of thinking about what the vehicle actually needs to do and applying engineering to create the best product for the intended market. In this video from the Big Truck Big RV, it’s refreshing to see someone into trucks get that the Ridgeline is a tool designed for a job and not just a big swinging…Hammer.

Not only that, but the man behind Big Truck Big RV has some real insight into Honda’s mid-sized truck. He’s identified that a lot of the reason the Ridgeline gets dismissed by “truck guys” is in the aesthetic. The Ridgeline definitely doesn’t have the aggressive slab of a grill common in the trucks dominating the market. He also identifies the demographic Honda is seeking to please with the Ridgeline. It’s a true utility vehicle for the family or for anyone that needs something for light to medium duty whether it’s for work or play.

The payoff for keeping the Ridgeline’s capability realistic for the segment isn’t just in having the comfort of an SUV. It also leaves room for the technology and convenience features you lose in something more hardcore for the same money. It’s an accurate statement to say the Ridgeline isn’t the best pickup truck for everybody. However, we believe that for those people it’s designed to serve, it’s the best pickup truck on the market. Oh, and it’s also one of the most America-made vehicles on the market.