2022 Honda Ridgeline

Hondas are generally affordable, reliable, and fuel-efficient, with intuitive controls and good driving characteristics. Its SUVs and sedans are usually near the top of Consumer Reports’ ratings for road tests and predicted reliability. Many Hondas have earned Consumer Reports recommendations. Used Hondas also score near the top of our reliability rankings for 5- and 10-year-old vehicles, making it a brand worth considering for options under $20,000. Honda’s SUVs include sub-compact models like the HR-V and compact CR-V, one of the best-selling SUVs in North America. The two-row Passport and three-row Pilot are larger options. Honda’s sedans include the compact Civic and the midsized Accord. Honda also makes the Odyssey minivan and the Ridgeline, a midsized pickup truck. For buyers seeking fuel efficiency, several of the most popular models are available with hybrid powertrains that get competitive mpg figures and are pleasant to drive.

Honda's smart pickup is built on a reinforced version of the Honda Pilot platform and looks more conventional than the previous generation. Thanks to unibody construction and a fully independent suspension, handing approaches that of a good family sedan and the ride rivals some luxury SUVs. Clever features like a tailgate that opens downward or sideways and a lockable trunk space below the bed floor carry over from the original. Power comes from a slick 3.5-liter V6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, returning an impressive 20 mpg overall in our tests. Towing capacity is modest at 5,000 pounds, and while the bed is longer this time around, it is shallow. Front- and all-wheel-drive versions are available, as is a nine speed automatic. The quiet cabin is well-designed, with comfortable seats, but rear seat room is modest and the back doors don't open very far. The available Honda Sensing safety system includes forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. Updates for 2020 include a new nine-speed automatic transmission, standard forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, and standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. The 2021 model gets a refreshed exterior and interior, standard all-wheel drive, and the updated touch-screen infotainment system with a rotary volume knob. For 2024, blind spot warning and rear cross traffic warning are standard, and a 9-inch infotainment screen is standard as well.