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The Honda Ridgeline is one of the highest-rated pickup trucks on the market. It may not be the first thing that pops into your head when you think about trucks, but nevertheless, it’s one of the best ones we got. Thankfully, the 2022 Honda Ridgeline is finally getting some respect. It’s time we talk about one of the Honda truck’s greatest features, the tailgate. 

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline may be a mid-size truck, but it does have some off-road capability
2022 Honda Ridgeline | Honda

What kind of tailgate does the Honda Ridgeline have? 

All Ridgelines come standard with a dual-action tailgate, just as the truck gods intended. Dual-action means that it can open the traditional (proper) way with hinges along the bottom, allowing the door to fold down, and it can open left to right like a normal door. According to MotorTrend, Ford pattened this feature for the 1966 Ford Country Squire station wagon calling it the “Magic Door Gate.” 

What makes the dual-action tailgate so special?

The coolest part of this tailgate style is that the Honda downplays the feature. If you didn’t already know about the dual-action tailgate, chances are, you’d never know. The latch is sort of hidden along the side of the tailgate. 

Another thing that makes Honda so cool in this regard is that the Honda Ridgeline was an early adopter of the modern world of tailgate options, except this one comes standard. 

You might be wondering, “why would I want to open my tailgate like a door?” As the MotorTrend reviewer who used the Honda Ridgeline as a long-term loaner pointed out, not having to lean over the tailgate to access the bed is handy. He also mentions that the side action tailgate saves on pant stains (a benefit I didn’t even think of.) 

Honda keeps it simple 

2017 Honda Ridgeline with open tailgate and bed storage section
2017 Honda Ridgeline tailgate | Wikimedia Commons

The best part of the Honda Ridgeline tailgate is that Honda didn’t load it down with all kinds of silly steps, fold-out do-dads, and ladders. The evolution of modern tailgates has been a boon to the pickup truck world, but some manufacturers have taken it a step too far. Take the Chevy Silverado 1500 Multi-Flex tailgate, for instance. It has more flip-outs and folds than an origami transformer. I digress. 

The Honda Ridgeline tailgate, however, is simple. It only does two simple moves. Both tailgate positions are both practical and convenient. This is the true genius of not only the dual-action tailgate but of the Honda Ridgeline overall. 

Is the Honda Ridgeline a good pickup truck? 

The Ridgeline is the highest-rated pickup truck on Consumer Reports. As for the rest of the major review sites, the Honda kept getting showered in compliments. 

The Ridgeline is a strange truck, though. It is unibody, short, all-wheel drive, and can’t tow more than 5,000 lbs. These are not typical truck stats. However, the Honda pickup truck is reliable, comfortable, nimble, and all-around worthwhile for any truck customers that don’t actually need to do heavy work. 

Despite the world’s hangups with the Ridgeline, it is one of the most useable pickup trucks on the market. And, I appreciate that the Honda Ridgeline tailgate is finally getting a little well-deserved love for its simplicity. 

RELATED: The Real Reason the 2021 Honda Ridgeline Should Be More Popular

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Staff Writer

Peter Corn

Peter Corn joined MotorBiscuit as an Autos Writer in 2020 and brings his quippiest Southern drawl to our table. Having, in his words, “helped” rebuild his dad’s 1959 MGA as a small child, Peter grew up loving vintage cars and trucks, adding motorcycles and all things 4×4 as he went.

Peter earned a Bachelor of Archeology and Creative Writing from the University of Alabama and has since melded his love of driving with storytelling. His voice, full of pleasantries and witticisms, can be enjoyed in The Gentleman Racer, The Vintagent, Gear Patrol, Iron & Air Magazine, and Classic Car Club Magazine.

Peter is a co-founder of both The Colloquial Magazine and The Fire Escape, the official podcast of The Colloquial. In an effort to increase his abilities in “ramping anything with wheels,” Peter has taken track training from Classic Car Club Manhattan and attended Rally School at Monticello Motor Club, where he was coached by eight-time Performance Rally motorsport champion Chris Duplessis.

On a lucky day, we get to hear Peter tell the story of his first car, a jewel of a 1958 Ford Fairlane, into which he dumped more time and money than made sense, but he has no regrets.