2012 Honda Ridgeline NH

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For 2012 the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck receives a new Sport model, and all models feature a new grille design, aerodynamic improvements and reduced engine friction. Everything else on the Ridgeline stays the same as on 2011 models.  The Ridgeline comes in RT, RTS and RTL trim levels, and in 2012, a new Sport model is available. Safety equipment is comprehensive. It includes multi-stage front airbags and side-impact airbags for front passengers, front and rear side curtain airbags for head protection, active front head restraints, and LATCH child-seat anchors for the three rear seats. Anti-lock brakes (with Electronic Brake-force Distribution and Brake Assist), traction control, vehicle stability assist, and a tire-pressure monitoring system are standard. Overall the 2012 Honda Ridgeline is an excellent multi-use truck, from its styling to its tailgate and storage innovations to its combination of body-on-frame isolation and unibody stiffness.

Trim Levels of the 2012 Ridgeline

Ridgeline RT comes standard with black door handles; 17-inch steel wheels; six-way manually adjusted driver's seat; air conditioning; power windows, mirrors, and locks; cruise control; outside temperature gauge; a trailer hitch; and a 100-watt, six-speaker, CD/MP3/WMA-capable stereo.

Ridgline RTS adds power front seats with power lumbar support; a160-watt, seven-speaker stereo with six-CD changer, auxiliary input and steering-wheel mounted controls; dual-zone automatic climate control; security system; body-color door handles; wiring for towing, and 17-inch machine-finish alloy wheels.

Ridgeline RTL upgrades to leather upholstery, heated front seats, power lumbar support for the driver, power moonroof, compass and HomeLink remote integrated into the rear-view mirror, heated side mirrors, 115-volt power outlet, XM Satellite Radio, and 18-inch machine-finish alloy wheels.  The RTL is available with Honda's DVD-based navigation system with voice recognition, Bluetooth, and a rear-view camera.

The Sport model is geared toward four-wheel-drive fans and comes with a host of exterior and interior changes, but nothing that actually gives the vehicle better off-road performance other than black alloy 18-inch aluminum wheels.

2012 Honda Ridgeline Cabin

The Sport's cabin features all-weather floormats and a black leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls for the entertainment system, which also has auxiliary audio input jacks and darkened rear privacy glass. The Ridgeline offers as much comfort, space and convenience as any half-ton pickup available. Bucket seats come standard in front with a center console. The cabin is nice, with even seams throughout, good quality soft plastics, convenient switch placement and large, easily readable instrument graphics. All models feature illuminated vanity mirrors for the driver and front-seat passenger.

Powering the '12 Honda Ridgeline

The Ridgeline is pleasant to drive in all circumstances, and as much truck as many buyers will ever need. The drivetrain, the combination of engine, transmission and all-wheel drive, is impressively smooth and quiet. All 2012 Ridgelines are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine generating 250 horsepower, with a five-speed automatic transmission and Honda's VTM-4 all-wheel-drive system. This full-time all-wheel-drive normally proportions 60 percent of the power to the front wheels, but if conditions indicate it will automatically send as much as 70 percent of the engine torque to the rear wheels. Ridgeline also incorporates a limited-slip differential with lock feature.  With four doors, five seats, all-wheel drive, and independent front and rear suspension, the Ridgeline is a relatively heavy vehicle, but the 250-hp V6 engine is generally up to the task.

2012 Honda Ridgeline Exterior

The Ridgeline doesn't look quite like any pickup before it. The grille, the front end, the cab shape, the buttresses coming down off the rear of the roof to join the integrated pickup bed, all seem to have been deliberately designed to be different. The cargo bed is made of steel-reinforced SMC plastic, not steel with a sprayed-on or slipped-in liner. The bed is five feet long with the tailgate up, and six and a half feet long with the tailgate down, enabling it to carry two dirt bikes or a large ATV. A tubular aluminum cargo bed extender is available for longer loads. There are four large retaining chocks, one in each corner of the bed, to help secure large pieces of cargo; and a total of eight cargo tie-down points. Honda's new Sport model adds some features to the RT, including black alloy 18-inch aluminum wheels and a black honeycomb grille with black surround. The headlight and taillight housings are also black, and a set of fog lights are included.  The RT, RTS and RTL models feature a new grille design and slight improvements to the Ridgeline's aerodynamics, allowing it to cut through the wind easier and help improve fuel economy.

Summary

For more on this model, visit the official Honda Ridgeline website!  The Ridgeline's interior is spacious and feels like you're in a full-size pickup rather than a midsize. This four-door, five-passenger truck breaks away from traditional truck design with its unitized body construction rather than body-on-frame design used by other truck manufacturers.

Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com