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In the 2022 J.D. Power truck rankings of Best Small and Midsize Trucks, the Jeep Gladiator and the Honda Ridgeline score last. But just barely. The midsize pickup market is hot, and very, very, competitive. Not many rankings can show how competitive the market is like the new J.D. Power rankings that show the last-place truck finishes just three points shy of the first place truck in the segment.

The Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado (and GMC Canyon), Honda Ridgeline and Jeep Gladiator all finish within a few points of each other.  While the virtues of the Ranger, Tacoma and Colorado/Canyon are well known, what sets them apart from the fourth-place Ridgeline and fifth-place Gladiator?

The 2022 Ford Maverick isn’t rated yet, as it’s still a new model. J.D. Power also ranks trucks differently than Consumer Reports.

The Honda Ridgeline’s non-truck stuff lets it down

2019 Honda Ridgeline by the water
2019 Honda Ridgeline | Honda

The Honda Ridgeline is unique in the midsize truck space. It’s a unibody truck, meaning that it’s not built on a frame like a traditional truck. Instead, it’s all one piece like a car. But that doesn’t mean it’s not as capable as other trucks. In fact, the Ridegeline acquits itself well for truck stuff. For J.D. Power, it’s the non-truck stuff that brought the Ridgeline down.

Owners didn’t like the voice assistant in the truck. The truck’s performance (including braking), brought it down. Also owners didn’t score it well on the “How your vehicle makes you feel when you start it up,” category.

But the Ridgeline has several features you can’t find on other trucks.

Overall, it scored fourth with 80 points in the J.D. Power truck rating.

Jeep stuff lets the Jeep down in J.D. Power truck rating

2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon side
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon side | Jeep

The 2022 Jeep Gladiator also scored fourth in the category with 80 points. The Jeep is a traditional Jeep, which means it’s off-road biased with off-road tires, off-road suspension, and the doors come off. All of the things that make a Jeep a pain on your commute make it awesome when you’re on the trail.

Not surprisingly, all of those things brought the Jeep down in J.D. Power truck ratings. Owners didn’t like how loud it is. Off-road tires, flat glass, and doors with hinges out the outside all contribute to lots of noise. Owners didn’t like the fuel economy, either. Jeeps are bricks, and that’s part of their charm, but also part of the penalty you pay at the pump. Also, owners said they didn’t like how the vehicle handed in normal conditions. That’s not a surprise, either, as Jeeps are made to shine off road, not the Starbucks drive through.

The Ford Ranger finished first, but it’s not perfect

The Ranger finished first in the J.D. Power truck rating.
The 2020 Ford Ranger pickup truck in a forest | Ford

How did J.D. Power rank the trucks? The company surveys owners to ask them about their experiences. Power ranks quality, reliability, driving experience, dealership experience and resale value.  A score between 70 and 80 is average. A score between 81 and 90 is great. No midsize truck ranked in the best category, which is 91-100.

The Ford Ranger scored first, but it’s not perfect. It scored 83 in the J.D. Power truck rating. Owners reported liking its handling and its fuel economy, but hating its rear seats and ease of entrance to the back.

RELATED: J.D. Power Surprises: Best New Cars, Trucks, and SUVs of 2021

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.