2024 Honda Ridgeline

The 3.5L direct-injected V6 with VCM is the only engine for 2024 across Sport, RTL, TrailSport and Black Edition; 2024 is a refresh year (new TrailSport trim, larger touchscreen) but the powertrain carries over unchanged.

Naturally aspirated V6 peaks late at 4,700 rpm and trails turbocharged mid-size rivals (Colorado/Canyon 2.7T at 430 lb-ft, 2024 Tacoma i-Force at 317).

Car and Driver's instrumented 2024 TrailSport ran 6.0 s; the volume RTL shares the same 280-hp V6 / 9AT / AWD drivetrain, with independent estimates placing it at 6.0–6.5 s.

The naturally aspirated V6 is consistently praised as smooth and linear with no turbo lag, and cylinder deactivation is unobtrusive. It lacks the low-rpm shove of the turbo and hybrid powertrains in the 2024 Tacoma and Colorado.

The 9-speed automatic (shift-by-wire, paddle shifters) is generally smooth and quick to respond in daily driving; it can be busy hunting gears on grades or when towing.

Every 2024 Ridgeline is rated at 5,000 lbs, behind body-on-frame mid-size rivals (2024 Tacoma up to 6,500, Ranger up to 7,500, Colorado up to 7,700).

The volume RTL trim carries 1,544 lbs; Sport is highest at 1,583 lbs, TrailSport 1,521 lbs and Black Edition 1,509 lbs. Lower half of the mid-size class.

Standard integrated Class III hitch with 7-pin connector, trailer stability assist via VSA, and multi-angle rearview camera help with hookup. No factory integrated trailer brake controller, no trailer backup assist and no trailer camera system.

i-VTM4 torque-vectoring AWD is standard on every 2024 Ridgeline with Intelligent Traction Management (Normal, Snow, Sand, Mud; Trail Torque Logic on TrailSport). No low-range transfer case keeps it out of the top band.

2024 introduced the TrailSport, with off-road-tuned suspension, all-terrain tires, steel underbody protection and Trail Torque Logic. Unibody construction, 7.6-in clearance, no low range and no lockers keep it well short of the Tacoma TRD Pro or Colorado ZR2.

One powertrain only: 3.5L V6, 9AT, AWD on every trim. No turbo, hybrid, PHEV or EV option, versus the Maverick (hybrid and turbo) and the 2024 Tacoma (i-Force and i-Force Max hybrid).

EPA combined rating for the AWD 3.5L V6 / 9AT volume trims (Sport, RTL, Black Edition); the TrailSport is 1 MPG lower on all-terrain tires.

EPA city rating is the same across the 2024 lineup, TrailSport included.

EPA highway rating for the volume Sport/RTL/Black Edition; the TrailSport drops 1 MPG.

fueleconomy.gov lists a 388-mile total range for the volume AWD configuration. Simple tank × combined-MPG arithmetic gives ~410 mi, but the EPA figure is the one used here.

EPA's annual fuel-cost estimate at its standard 15,000-mile, 55% city assumptions on regular gasoline, as currently published for the volume AWD configuration.

Every trim runs on regular 87-octane unleaded, with no premium recommendation and no charging needs.

The 2024 Ridgeline (second generation, 2024 refresh adding TrailSport) carries NHTSA's 5-star overall rating, among the best in the mid-size truck class.

Good in driver small overlap, original moderate overlap and the updated side test, but only Acceptable in passenger-side small overlap and no 2024 IIHS award (Marginal headlights also disqualify it). The updated moderate overlap rear-passenger test was not run for 2024; when IIHS ran it on the unchanged 2026 truck it scored Poor.

Honda Sensing is standard on every 2024 trim including the volume Sport: CMBS AEB, FCW, LDW, Road Departure Mitigation, LKAS, adaptive cruise, Blind Spot Information, Cross Traffic Monitor and auto high beams. Held back slightly because the ACC lacks low-speed follow and there is no traffic sign recognition.

IIHS publishes no front crash prevention rating for the 2024 model year; the system is an older-generation Honda CMBS carried over. When IIHS tested the mechanically similar 2026 Ridgeline under its tougher current protocols it rated both vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian front crash prevention Poor, so effectiveness is at best average.

Blind Spot Information and Cross Traffic Monitor are standard on every 2024 trim, but both are alert-only, with no active steering or braking intervention and no trailer-length blind-spot coverage.

LKAS and Road Departure Mitigation are standard and center the truck on gentle highway curves, but the older Honda system only works at highway speeds and owners and reviewers describe it as prone to wander and ping-ponging on tighter curves.

Adaptive cruise is standard, but the 2024 Ridgeline's system lacks Low-Speed Follow, so it cancels at low speed rather than handling stop-and-go traffic. Owners frequently complain about it, and rivals such as the Tacoma and Ranger offer full-speed-range systems.

No hands-free highway driving system is offered on any 2024 Ridgeline trim.

IIHS rates the headlights Marginal on every 2024 trim: LED projector low beams with halogen reflector high beams and no curve adaptation. Auto high-beam is standard, which helps a little.

Unibody proportions, a lower beltline and a shorter hood give better sightlines than body-on-frame mid-size rivals. A multi-angle rearview camera is standard and front/rear parking sensors come on upper trims, but there is no 360-degree camera.

The crew-cab-only Ridgeline has full LATCH hardware in all three rear positions, a rare feature in the class, plus wide rear doors and a flat floor. IIHS rates LATCH ease of use Acceptable overall.

The 2024 Ridgeline (second generation, 2024 refresh year) is sold only as a five-passenger crew cab across Sport, RTL, TrailSport and Black Edition.

The volume RTL gets a standard power moonroof for 2024, which trims front headroom to 39.5 in; the moonroof-less Sport has 40.1 in. Middling for the class.

40.9 in of front legroom is just under the bottom of the truck band; Tacoma, Colorado and Frontier all quote more.

Second-row headroom of 38.8 in is adequate for adults but in the lower part of the truck band.

36.7 in of rear legroom is competitive among mid-size crew cabs but far short of full-size crew cabs, which define the top of the truck band. The flat floor and wide 61.5-in rear shoulder room help it feel roomier than the figure suggests.

One bed length only, 64.0 in floor with the tailgate up; there is no long-bed option.

The open bed holds 33.9 cu ft. The lockable in-bed trunk adds 7.3 cu ft below the floor, but it is not counted toward bed volume.

This is where the Ridgeline stands out in its segment. It has a lockable, drainable in-bed trunk, a dual-action tailgate, and a 4-ft-wide flat bed floor between the wheel wells. The rear seat cushions flip up to leave a flat floor and expose underseat storage, and the console is deep. The 400-W bed outlet is only on Black Edition for 2024, so the volume RTL goes without onboard power.

The RTL has leather front seats with a 10-way power driver's seat (including power lumbar) and a 4-way power passenger seat. Reviewers find them supportive on long drives. The rear bench is flat-cushioned but has adult-usable room.

The unibody structure and fully independent suspension, shared with the Pilot and Passport, give the smoothest unladen ride among mid-size trucks. Even the 2024 TrailSport's off-road tuning keeps that composure on pavement.

It is quieter at cruise than body-on-frame rivals, but the V6 turns vocal at high rpm. An acoustic windshield is fitted only from TrailSport up.

Tri-zone automatic climate control and rear heater ducts are standard, and heated front seats come from RTL up. The volume RTL lacks a heated wheel, which arrives on TrailSport. Ventilated front seats and heated rear outboard seats are Black Edition only.

Every 2024 Ridgeline is AWD with a 280-hp V6, so the entry price sits above the 2WD four-cylinder starting points of body-on-frame rivals.

RTL is the volume trim, sitting between Sport and the new 2024 TrailSport; leather, heated seats and the full Honda Sensing suite are included.

Naturally aspirated J35 V6 with a conventional 9-speed and a Pilot-derived unibody keeps projected upkeep moderate for the truck class.

Honda's reliability reputation supports solid residuals, but the Ridgeline trails Tacoma's class-leading retention.

Honda's 3/36 matches Toyota, Ford and GM but trails Hyundai's 5/60 on the Santa Cruz and Nissan's 5/60 on the Frontier.

5/60 powertrain coverage is the segment baseline, well short of Hyundai's 10/100k.

Honda includes 3-year/36,000-mile roadside assistance and a HondaLink trial, but no complimentary scheduled maintenance on the 2024 Ridgeline. Toyota's 2-year ToyotaCare on the Tacoma beats it.

$43,955 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (59% retained, or about $25,933) leaves about $18,022 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,170 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $24,192 in total.

Consumer Reports rates the 2024 Ridgeline about average for reliability against other 2024 vehicles, a step down from the above-average marks earlier second-generation years earned. Owner-reported trouble spots center on in-car electronics (CarPlay, navigation, Bluetooth pairing), which fits 2024 being the year Honda swapped in a new infotainment system alongside the TrailSport trim, rather than on mechanical faults.

Honda placed fourth of the brands in Consumer Reports' 2024 brand reliability rankings, behind Lexus, Toyota and Subaru, and beat the industry average in J.D. Power's 2024 Initial Quality Study at 181 PP100 against a 195 average (10th overall). It is a consistently strong brand, just short of the Toyota/Lexus tier.

The 2024 model year has only one NHTSA campaign: the shared 2020–2024 rearview-camera tailgate harness that can fatigue and break, a low-severity fault fixed by replacing the harness. None of the later 2G campaigns (seat weight sensor, brake master cylinder fastener, rear subframe corrosion) list 2024, so for a recent model year the record is clean, with complaint volume that is modest for the segment.

The 2024 Ridgeline carries over the 280-hp 3.5L J-series V6, 9-speed automatic and i-VTM4 AWD. The J35 family is routinely documented past 200,000 miles, and iSeeCars ranks the Ridgeline among the trucks most likely to reach 200,000 miles. Two things keep it out of the top band: the Variable Cylinder Management system's known oil-consumption and spark-plug-fouling history across the J35 family, and the ZF-derived 9-speed, a transmission family with a mixed record industry-wide even though Ridgeline failure data is benign.

The Ridgeline's cabin is derived from the Pilot, so its materials sit above the mid-size truck norm: soft-touch surfaces at the main touch points, with hard plastics kept low in the cabin. The 2024 update added a larger, higher-quality center display and tidier dash trim, though the cabin architecture itself is aging next to the redesigned 2024 Tacoma and Colorado.

The unibody structure produces a notably quiet, rattle-free cabin by pickup standards, and reviewers and owners consistently describe assembly as solid. Honda beat the industry average in J.D. Power's 2024 IQS, but the Ridgeline did not win a segment initial-quality award, so it stays below the top band.

Honda runs about 1,000+ US franchise dealers, one of the densest mainstream service networks in the country, so warranty and recall work is reachable almost anywhere. Service satisfaction is solid but mid-pack rather than class-leading in J.D. Power's Customer Service Index.

Running costs are below the segment norm. RepairPal puts average annual Ridgeline repair cost at about $502, against $548 for mid-size trucks, and heavy parts sharing with the Pilot, Passport and Odyssey keeps mechanical parts plentiful and cheap. What it lacks is the deep lift, body and accessory aftermarket a Tacoma enjoys.

The 2024 refresh replaced the 8-in Display Audio unit with a 9-in touchscreen across the whole lineup. That is still small next to the 2024 Tacoma (up to 14 in) and Colorado/Canyon (11.3 in).

The new 9-in system is quicker and simpler than the pre-2024 unit and keeps a physical volume knob and hard shortcut buttons. Its graphics look dated next to Toyota's and GM's latest systems.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto became standard on every 2024 trim with the new 9-in screen.

Voice control is command-based, and native satellite navigation comes only on TrailSport and Black Edition. The volume RTL relies on phone projection.

Sport, RTL and TrailSport have a 215-W, 7-speaker system with a subwoofer. Only Black Edition gets the 540-W, 8-speaker premium system, and there is no branded audio option.

Every trim has analog gauges around a 7-in color TFT driver information display. No full-digital cluster is offered.

HondaLink provides telematics and map updates, but there is no whole-vehicle over-the-air update that adds features.

The HondaLink app covers remote start, lock/unlock and vehicle locate, but the richer remote features need a paid subscription after the trial. There is no phone-as-key.

A Qi wireless charger is standard on every 2024 trim, and the front row has USB-A and USB-C. Rear USB-C ports and the 400-W bed outlet are Black Edition only, so the volume RTL is thin in the back row.

Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock, push-button start and remote engine start are standard on every 2024 trim. There is no phone-as-key, and the tailgate is manual.

A multi-view rear camera is standard, but front and rear parking sensors are limited to TrailSport and Black Edition, and no trim offers a 360-degree camera.

No 2024 Ridgeline trim offers a head-up display.

Every Ridgeline is a crew cab, and its wide rear doors, flat floor and low step-in make it easier for kids and car seats than body-on-frame mid-size trucks. IIHS rates LATCH Acceptable rather than Good.

It earns 5 stars overall from NHTSA, and Honda Sensing, Blind Spot Information and Cross Traffic Monitor are standard on every trim. There is no 2024 IIHS award: headlights are Marginal and the small-overlap passenger rating is Acceptable.

The class-best ride, tri-zone climate with rear heater ducts and the lockable in-bed trunk make long family drives easy. Rear USB-C ports and heated rear seats are limited to Black Edition, and there is no rear entertainment.

It drives like a crossover, with a smooth V6, a compliant ride and good sightlines. Adaptive cruise without low-speed follow makes it less useful in stop-and-go traffic.

At 21 MPG combined on regular fuel, it is average for a mid-size gas truck and well behind hybrid options. No efficient powertrain variant is offered.

Its 43.4-ft turning circle is tight for a truck and visibility is good. Still, a 210-in length is a lot to park, the volume RTL has no parking sensors and no trim offers a 360-degree camera.

It tows 5,000 lbs, carries about 1,544 lbs of payload (RTL) and has a short 64-in bed, all toward the light end of the mid-size class. The bed floor is 4 ft wide between the wheel wells, and the naturally aspirated V6 lacks low-end torque under load.

The J35 V6 and 9-speed powertrain are proven, but the unibody chassis and independent rear suspension are less abuse-tolerant than body-on-frame rivals. It is not a fleet staple.

It has a composite bed, a lockable in-bed trunk, a dual-action tailgate, tie-down cleats and a standard Class III hitch with 7-pin connector. The 400-W bed outlet is Black Edition only for 2024, and the upfit ecosystem is smaller than the Tacoma's.

The highway ride is excellent and the cabin is quiet at cruise. EPA range is 388 miles. Adaptive cruise without low-speed follow and inconsistent lane-keeping limit how much the driver-assist systems reduce fatigue.

Standard i-VTM4 AWD with Snow/Sand/Mud modes and 7.64-in clearance handles trailheads easily. The new-for-2024 TrailSport adds A/T tires and steel skid plates, but there is no low range and no lockers.

The 7.3 cu ft lockable in-bed trunk, dual-action tailgate, flip-up rear cushions and standard hitch make it unusually flexible for gear. The bed itself is short.

The unibody chassis, independent rear suspension and torque-vectoring i-VTM4 AWD make it the most composed-handling mid-size truck. Body roll is modest and grip is predictable.

The electric power steering is accurate and nicely weighted for a truck, but light on feedback.

The pedal is firm and progressive. Car and Driver measured 180 ft from 70 mph on a 2024 TrailSport, which is average for the class, and 15 ft shorter than the Black Edition C/D tested earlier, which C/D credits to the tires since Honda made no brake changes.

The 280-hp V6 is smooth and linear and cylinder deactivation is unobtrusive. The 9-speed automatic can hunt on grades, and low-end torque trails turbo rivals.

The V6 is well isolated and has a pleasant note at cruise, but it grows loud near its 6,000-rpm power peak.

A 43.4-ft curb-to-curb turning diameter is tight for a crew-cab pickup.

The seating position is car-like, with good sightlines, easy step-in and a 10-way power driver's seat on RTL. Climate and audio keep physical controls.

It is competent and refined rather than exciting. The new TrailSport adds a little character but nothing like the Tacoma TRD Pro or Colorado ZR2.

For 2024 every trim gets i-VTM4 torque-vectoring AWD, the 280-hp V6, the full Honda Sensing suite, and a new standard 9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Rivals keep that content for higher trims, though the ~$41K entry price reflects it.

Value is fair: standard AWD, V6 refinement, the in-bed trunk and the dual-action tailgate offset a higher entry price. Body-on-frame rivals still offer more towing and off-road capability per dollar.

There are four trims (Sport, RTL, TrailSport, Black Edition) on a single configuration: crew cab, 64-in bed, 3.5L V6, 9-speed and AWD. The new TrailSport adds an off-road flavor, but there are no other cabs, beds or powertrains.

A steady mid-pack seller that got a lift from the 2024 refresh and the TrailSport launch. It still sits well behind Tacoma and Colorado and generally behind Frontier and Ranger in mid-size truck volume.

Honda's reliability, resale and satisfaction halo carries over to the Ridgeline, though the unibody layout still draws skepticism from traditional truck buyers.

Honda ran modest lease and APR offers on the 2024 Ridgeline, and dealers negotiated more than on the near-MSRP Tacoma. Discounts were less aggressive than GM's or Nissan's factory cash.

This is the second generation (from MY2017) in its eighth year. 2024 brought a refresh with a new 9-in screen, revised interior tech and the new TrailSport trim, but the platform and powertrain date to launch.

Reviewers praise the ride, refinement, cabin space and clever storage. The generation won 2017 North American Truck of the Year, but it rarely wins comparisons against body-on-frame rivals on capability.