What Makes the 2022 Honda Ridgeline Unique?
When it comes to the pickup truck segment, the 2022 Honda Ridgeline has some fairly unique characteristics. When the Ridgeline was first released for the 2006 model year, it marked a departure from the traditional body-on-frame pickups. In 2022, the Ridgeline is still a unibody pickup and it comes with a standard V6 engine. Plus, this mid-size truck even features a standard all-wheel-drive system.
Is Honda making a 2022 Ridgeline?
Although it is not the most popular mid-size truck, the Honda Ridgeline marches on for 2022. There are not very many major changes when compared to the 2021 Ridgeline, but the pickup does remain fairly practical and comfortable.
Under the hood of each Honda Ridgeline is a 3.5-liter V6. This engine makes 280 horsepower and 262 pound-foot of torque. Because of that, Honda’s truck makes the power of six cylinders standard. In terms of towing capacity, the Ridgeline can handle up to 5,000 lbs. That might be less than some of the competition, but if you don’t tow often, that should be an ample enough number.
Is the 2022 Honda Ridgeline a good truck?
One of the unique features of the Honda Ridgeline is that it comes standard with AWD. While this mid-size truck may not be a solid off-road option, AWD will help it handle things like inclement weather. Plus, because it is a standard feature, you will not have to pay extra in order to benefit from it.
According to Car and Driver, the new Ridgeline uses a coil-sprung independent rear suspension. This helps to contribute to the comfort of this pickup. Of course, some truck drivers prefer to feel more connected to the road. So opting for something with solid axles may seem like the better move.
Is there a Honda Ridgeline Type R?
Recently, there have been rumors circulating that Honda will give more power to its mid-size truck. With the popularity of powerful trucks like the Ford F-150 Raptor, maybe a fast Ridgeline could find more success than the standard model.
It appears that for 2023 Honda will be introducing a Ridgeline that has been beefed up to handle more rugged situations. Plus, additional horsepower is never a bad thing. Especially when it comes to a small pickup truck.
Why isn’t the Ridgeline popular?
When it comes to sales numbers, the Honda Ridgeline has always struggled to keep up with its rivals. While this pickup is comfortable and fairly efficient, it does lack the old-school feel of other mid-size trucks. It uses unibody construction and does not have features like a locking rear differential. Honda does offer something known as the HPD package. This option does give the Ridgeline some more aggressive looks.
There could also be some issues in terms of pricing with this truck. Even the base model starts at nearly $40,000. And that’s not cheap, especially when compared to some of the competition. Even the new Nissan Frontier has a starting MSRP of under $30,000, which helps it to fit into more budgets.
