2024 Honda Ridgeline Review

Honda’s Ridgeline isn’t your typical pickup truck—and that may be a good or bad thing, depending on who you ask. We’re here to take a thorough look at this vehicle, inside and out, to cut through the noise and help you determine whether it’s a proper fit for your driving needs. 

MotoPickers Rating: 7.5/10

The 2024 Honda Ridgeline, starting at $39,750, is a mid-size pickup truck with crossover design elements. These components include unibody construction and independent rear suspension, both of which help form its solid handling.

This model’s interior, which can accommodate up to five passengers, emphasizes comfort through ample space and smooth handling. Like all pickup trucks, the design is also practical, with features like the versatile tailgate, which we’ll explore more in-depth later, helping with tasks on and off the clock. 

Fresh additions for the 2024 model include a new trim, a larger central display, extra storage, and more. Our review will also mention potential cons to owning the truck by including information like long-term owner feedback (relative to the model’s release date).

Explore the 2024 Honda Ridgeline below.

Exterior design spotlight

Drivers looking to upgrade the 2024 Ridgeline’s exterior design can opt for the new TrailSport trim, which includes an exclusive front grille with a sleek matte finish and distinctive orange badging. TrailSport grades also come with all-terrain tires, reinforcing the trim’s rugged appearance. Still, Honda balances this ruggedness with some sharp exterior lines. 

Selecting the available Honda Performance Development (HPD) package delivers sleek darkened fender flares, 18” Shark Grey machined wheels, and a sport grille that appears ready for off-road adventures.

While LED headlights are an upgrade within the 2024 Ridgeline, spending extra on the feature means receiving auto on/off functionality during night drives to accommodate oncoming traffic, LED fog lights, and daytime running lights. 

Standard exterior features

This model’s rear is well-balanced with dual exhaust outlets and a higher-placed bumper for increased ground clearance. However, lower underbody ground clearance compared to competitors is a common complaint regarding the 2024 Ridgeline, detracting from the rear bumper’s elevated positioning. Each Ridgeline receives a standard tow hitch receiver. 

Drivers can choose between the following seven Ridgeline colors:

• Crystal Black Pearl
• Lunar Silver Metallic
• Modern Steel Metallic
• Diffused Sky Blue Pearl
• Platinum White Pearl
• Radiant Red Metallic II
• Sonic Gray Pearl

The 2024 Ridgeline’s dent and scratch-resistant bed features up to 33.9 cu. ft. of cargo space. If you run out of bed storage, a class-exclusive lockable in-bed trunk supplies an additional 7.3 cu. ft. of cargo space that’s creative and secure. You’ll access the bed area using the tailgate’s traditional vertical or swing-door opening style.

Interior analysis 

Like most vehicles in today’s market, the 2024 Ridgeline features 60/50 split lift-up rear seats. Raising these seats involves pulling a release left and lifting the seats’ cushions. The available gray leather-trimmed seats fit seamlessly into this cabin’s overall design but remain somewhat plain. For better interior looks, we suggest opting for a Black Edition trim with dynamic red and black-colored seats. 

Heated front seats are standard, but the 10-way power driver seat with lumbar support and two-position memory would be better off as standard, given that many mid-size truck manufacturers include it as such. The Ridgeline’s available one-touch power moonroof is also somewhat small. 

Redeeming interior qualities include a roomy center console area with a USB port, wireless smartphone charging, and tri-zone automatic climate control.

Accessories rooted in practicality. 

Roof rails on the TrailSport and Black Edition trims make opting for a higher 2024 Ridgeline tier more appealing. These aerodynamic rails benefit from a kayak attachment with an adjustable saddle and reinforced straps. Equipping the roof rails or kayak attachment with cargo is easy thanks to available black running boards with a non-split coating made from rugged die-cast aluminum.

While the 2024 Ridgeline has received some criticism for its underbody’s clearance that’s lower than some competitors, like the Chevrolet Colorado and Nissan Frontier, it slightly compensates with an oil pan guard made from black steel. Available cargo bed dividers help organize your lockable in-bed storage space, while the optional bed extender supplies an additional 16” of storage.

Technology and infotainment 

The 2024 Ridgeline isn’t packed with technology but contains several capable features, like a 7” gauge cluster with a physical speedometer and digital tachometer.

Available Honda Satellite-linked navigation beats the average smartphone GPS with 3D projections of road elements like terrain, signs, and buildings via the 9” display. We appreciate how Honda equips the navigation system with fewer menus and improved graphics. Still, the 9” display is smaller than mid-size rivals, like Toyota’s Tacoma. 

Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, but you’ll have to upgrade to a better sound system to optimize audio from these two platforms. This enhanced sound system, standard within the Black Edition trim, features a 540-watt eight-speaker design. 

The base audio system produces 215-watt audio with seven speakers. However, the lower-tier version borrows from the pricer version with additions like a subwoofer. Honda has designed each Ridgeline to include a subwoofer and speed-sensitive volume compensation, meaning your audio will automatically increase or decrease based on factors like road noise.

The Ridgeline also has a multi-angle rearview camera, displaying wide, normal, and top-down perspectives for increased environmental awareness. Like most vehicles nowadays, the Ridgeline features remote engine start but ups the ante by automatically locking doors once you’re eight feet away after exiting. Ambient lighting is standard within TrailSport and Black Edition trims in orange and red, respectively.

Performance and handling 

Smooth and refined handling is the 2024 Ridgeline’s primary performance draw. Its direct-injection V6 produces 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque across all trims, facilitating a 5,000-lb maximum towing capacity. This capacity is competitive, but it’s worth noting that it falls short of Chevrolet’s Colorado and Toyota’s Tacoma. Honda complements this pickup’s towing capacity with a 7-pin tow hitch connector for reliable trailering connections and a nine-speed automatic transmission.

It’s nice to see that Honda has made the 2024 Ridgeline’s i-VTM4 all-wheel drive (AWD) standard across all grades. This AWD system works in tandem with the Intelligent Traction Management system in Snow, Sand, Mud, or Normal modes. Your current drive mode will be displayed on the updated 7” digital instrument cluster.

Most elements supporting a vehicle’s performance are unseen, and this truck’s unibody construction is no exception. The unibody frame, made from high-strength steel, fosters a smooth ride and a quiet cabin without adding excessive weight. Fuel economy for the 2024 Ridgeline is 18 MPG in the city and 24 MPG on the highway, which is less than we were expecting due to its crossover-like design and use of idle stop.

The Ridgeline features Hill Start Assist, which is vital for a pickup. However, Honda’s decision to add paddle shifters to this truck is questionable, given its solid but slightly underwhelming performance.

Safety overview 

Four key standard features helping define the 2024 Ridgeline’s safety include:

• The Collision Mitigation Braking System
• Road Departure Mitigation System
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Lane Keeping Assist System

The Collision Mitigation Braking System can detect and warn you of impending collisions with pedestrians or other cars. However, it reserves automatic braking for when it determines that a crash is unavoidable. Ridgeline rivals, like Toyota’s Tacoma and Ford’s Ranger, contain more proactive collision prevention technology, which will provide automatic braking, possibly helping you avoid an accident altogether instead of simply mitigating damage from impacts.

Honda does a better job with the 2024 Ridgeline’s Road Departure Mitigation system, which keeps you centered within lane lines with automatic steering or braking inputs if necessary. This pickup truck’s Adaptive Cruise Control also meets industry standards by helping drivers maintain a safe distance from other vehicles using a pre-set following interval and automatic braking. The Lane Keeping Assist system mirrors the Road Departure Mitigation System’s functionality but is intended for highway use.

The Blind-Spot Information System comes standard within higher grades, which will likely disappoint those seeking optimal value regarding a base trim purchase. Still, opting for the feature additionally yields a cross-traffic monitor for peace of mind during reverse driving.

The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) gave Honda’s 2024 Ridgeline its top crash protection grade of five stars, but the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) did not label it a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+, the organization’s highest grades.

Pricing and trims 

Let’s briefly take a closer look at the 2024 Ridgeline’s four trims by noting their starting prices and top features. 

Sport (base model) – $39,750

Selecting a base 2024 Honda Ridgeline Sport means you’ll receive the Honda Sensing Suite, a solid 280-horsepower engine, and Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

TRL – $42,580

A TRL trim delivers a leather-trimmed interior, the Blind Spot Information System, and a power moonroof. 

TrailSport – $44,980

Unique styling helps define the TrailSport. Distinctive TrailSport logo stitching sits on each front row seat’s headrest, while ambient lighting, all-terrain tires, and all-season floor mats expand driving possibilities.

Black Edition – $46,350 

While the TrailSport boasts some quality style, the Black Edition is our favorite 2024 Ridgeline trim. Its darkened exterior accents give this pickup’s conservative exterior design some much-needed flair.

Owner feedback 

When scanning for recurring themes from 2024 Honda Ridgeline customer feedback, we encountered a Ridgeline owners’ club forum with complaints about the audio system.

Username saytheenay wrote on the forum: “I got a 2024 Black Edition a couple weeks ago and noticed the stereo doesn’t sound balanced, as in the rear speakers are much quieter than the front speakers by almost half volume. I played with the balance/fader, but the rear is still much quieter than the front.”

Another Black Edition customer, username ShadowAero, said, “I just picked up a 2024 BE a couple of days ago. I just assumed the BE has a subwoofer. It says Premium Audio System with 8 speakers. In my sound menu, I only have bass, midrange, and Treble. I can’t find a separate subwoofer adjustment.”

Other 2024 Ridgeline owners echoed that they couldn’t locate a subwoofer adjustment feature, with one driver suggesting it’s lumped into the bass adjustment setting. However, most 2024 Ridgeline customers seem satisfied with their purchase on the forum.

Final verdict 

We’re rating the 2024 Honda Ridgeline at 7.5/10, and if you think this score is low, it’s primarily attributed to its design, which strays pretty far from a traditional pickup. In all fairness, this dynamic may suit drivers given that it fills a niche in the mid-size pickup market. 

Honda’s 2024 Ridgeline is ideal for drivers seeking a pickup truck with balanced, smooth handling. While the model contains drive modes designed to assist in areas like off-road performance, its lower underbody ground clearance means those who enjoy traveling off the beaten track might be better off with a pickup like Toyota’s Tacoma.

Our Toyota Tacoma review made it clear that we love the vehicle’s design and capabilities. In this case, the Honda Ridgeline’s design is a bit plain, making TrailSport and Black Edition trims best suited for those prioritizing exterior aesthetics. The competing Toyota Tacoma also has a more affordable starting price of $31,500, which is over $8,000 less than the base Sport model’s starting cost.

We feel that Toyota’s Tacoma offers a better safety design, culminating in a Top Safety Pick designation from the IIHS, which its Ridgeline counterpart did not receive. Noteworthy differences between the 2024 Tacoma and Ridgeline standard safety suites include the Tacoma offering a Road Sign Assist feature keeping you in the now and more comprehensive lane support technology.

To its credit, the 2024 Ridgeline’s 5,000-lb towing capacity is competitive, and the interior contains wireless offerings like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and smartphone charging, reducing cabin clutter. We suggest evaluating a standard and upgraded 2024 Ridgeline sound system on two test drives to better determine the right technology for your desired driving experience.

Ultimately, if your trips primarily consist of standard on-road driving via smooth areas like highways and town or city roads, the Ridgeline’s balance of form and function, especially in its TrailSport and Black Edition trims, could prove an ideal fit.