2026 Honda Ridgeline Tested: Class-Leading in Many Ways

The next Ridgeline has big shoes to fill

A front three-quarters image of a 2026 Honda Ridgeline driving on a closed track

written by Cameron Rogers
edited by Kirk Bell
8/12/2026
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What's new: We brought a 2026 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition to our test track to find out if it can still hang with its latest and greatest rivals.
Why it matters: The Ridgeline is the only midsize pickup with a car chassis, which gives it unique driving characteristics. And Honda is about to end production.
Edmunds says: This unibody pickup truck remains one of our favorites, even if its payload and towing capabilities aren't class-leading. The new third-gen Ridgeline can't come soon enough.

Full disclosure: I'm not a truck guy. I don't like their rough rides, subpar fuel efficiency or ponderous handling, and I don't tow or haul tons of stuff unless Lowe's has a 5-for-$10 sale on mulch. So if I need a pickup, it's natural that I gravitate to the compact Ford Maverick that we purchased for our One-Year Road Test fleet. With a small footprint and a car-like unibody platform that provides a relatively comfortable driving experience, the Maverick is just right for what I need.

But the Maverick might not exist if Honda hadn't already proved there was a market for modern car-based trucks. The second-generation Honda Ridgeline has long been a great alternative for people who need the space of a midsize like the Ford Ranger or Chevy Colorado but want a cushier ride. On sale since 2017, the Ridgeline is — by a significant margin — the oldest vehicle in its segment, and 2026 looks like it might be the final model year before a new Ridgeline debuts. We brought a 2026 Ridgeline to our test track to find out if this decade-old pickup can still go toe-to-toe with the whippersnappers in the segment.

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An image of the dashboard of a 2026 Honda Ridgeline

Down but not out

Even though it was the lightest of these trucks, the Ridgeline's torque deficit contributed to an acceleration time that was slower than most of its rivals'. That said, a 7.1-second run from 0 to 60 mph is respectable enough, and few people are drag racing family-friendly plywood haulers anyway. However, if you do have the need for speed, know that some other trucks in this class offer upgraded engines that absolutely dust the Honda in a straight line. The Ranger's optional turbocharged V6, for instance, rips from 0 to 60 in just 6.2 seconds.

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	Honda Ridgeline Black Edition	Ford Ranger Lariat w/ FX4	Chevy Colorado Z71	Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road
Powertrain	3.5-liter V6	turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four	turbocharged 2.7-liter inline-four	turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four
Power	280 hp	270 hp	310 hp	278 hp
Torque	262 lb-ft	310 lb-ft	430 lb-ft	317 lb-ft
Weight	4,499 pounds	4,627 pounds	4,654 pounds	4,685 pounds
Tire type	all-terrain	all-terrain	all-terrain	all-terrain
0-60 mph	7.1 seconds	6.7 seconds	6.7 seconds	7.4 seconds
Braking 60-0 mph	136 feet	136 feet	136 feet	129 feet
Lateral grip (200-ft skidpad)	0.79 g	0.74 g	0.76 g	0.75 g

The Ridgeline also took 136 feet to stop from 60 mph. This was a decent showing, and in line with most rivals. Note that all four trucks wore all-terrain tires, which don't provide as much grip as traditional all-seasons. All would stop in a shorter distance with more street-appropriate rubber. As an example, a previously tested Ridgeline with all-season tires took 126 feet to come to a stop.

However, the Ridgeline's car-based unibody platform benefited performance on our skidpad, where it pulled 0.79 g of lateral acceleration — best of the group. Compared to its body-on-frame brethren, the Ridgeline also exhibits far less body roll around our handling circuit. Not only does this give you the confidence to drive around corners more quickly, but you also feel less queasy when doing so.

A rear three-quarters image of a 2026 Honda Ridgeline driving on a closed track

Establishing priorities

The Ridgeline's unibody construction does have some disadvantages compared to body-on-frame pickups in this class. For one, its towing and payload limits are lower. Every version of the Ridgeline can tow up to 5,000 pounds. That means you can pull a pretty sizeable travel trailer, but something closer to a house on wheels is out of the question. All of the Ridgeline's direct competitors can tow more, with the Colorado/GMC Canyon twins leading the class at 7,700 pounds when properly equipped.

The Ridgeline's payload capacity (that's the amount of weight you can load into the bed) ranges between 1,509 pounds and 1,583 pounds, depending on which trim you select. This is also not quite as robust as others. The Chevy leads the pack here, with a max payload figure of 2,046 pounds. It's also worth noting that while the Ridgeline's bed is pretty wide (it's one of the only trucks in this class that can fit a slab of drywall between the wheelwells), it's a little shallow. That means you can access gear with ease from the bed side, but there's not a lot of room for stacking gear before it peeks over the box.

If you need a hardcore rock-crawler, the Ridgeline is not your truck. The car-based construction that pays dividends on-road also limits the Honda's off-road performance. The Ridgeline can easily tackle dirt and gravel, however, especially in TrailSport trim. This version of the Ridgeline sports all-terrain tires, protective skid plates and unique suspension tuning — perfect for entry-level adventuring. But other trucks have light to moderate off-roading covered via special packages and trims, such as the Ranger FX4 and Colorado Trail Boss and Z71. And then there are models specially tuned for conquering the great outdoors, such as the Colorado ZR2, Tacoma TRD Pro and Jeep Gladiator Rubicon.

Is the Ridgeline the right truck for you?

If you're looking to crawl over rocks, jump sand dunes, or haul your 25-foot boat to a launch ramp, a truck with a body-on-frame platform offers much more versatility. Or maybe you want a reasonably sized pickup with the latest safety and tech features. After all, the Ridgeline is a decade old at this point. While Honda updated the infotainment system a couple years ago, the interface is nowhere near as spiffy or as easy to use as the touchscreens in the Colorado/Canyon, Tacoma or Ranger. This class isn't exactly on the cutting edge of advanced driving aids, but even with these modest expectations, the Ridgeline's set of driver assistance features is rather basic.

However, if you need a comfortable truck with enough payload capacity, enough bed space for home projects, and enough room for a couple kiddos in the back, the Ridgeline remains the undisputed champ.

A front, head-on static image of a 2026 Honda Ridgeline

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by Cameron Rogers

Cameron Rogers has worked in the automotive industry since 2013. He has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. As a manager of written content, he writes and edits the reviews that help consumers find their perfect car. Favorite cars that he's driven during his tenure at Edmunds include the 991-era Porsche 911 Turbo S, Rolls-Royce Ghost and several generations of Honda Odyssey (really).

edited by Kirk Bell

Cars have been an important part of his life since Kirk learned to identify them by their headlights as a toddler. He grew up helping pit crew for his dad’s highly unsuccessful drag racing escapades, and he turned his knowledge of the car culture into a career when he became an editor at Scale Auto Enthusiast magazine starting in college. Kirk has been writing about full-scale cars for more than 20 years and was named to the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury in 2014. He was most recently senior editor at Motor Authority, where he specialized in luxury and performance cars. Kirk also authored and edited several car books, including the award-winning Hot Rod & Custom Chronicle and NASCAR Chronicle when was managing editor at Consumer Guide Automotive. Kirk enjoys nothing more than a track day, but he’s also a Wisconsin sport fan and he enjoys spirited drives in his 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

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