The freshly restyled 2021 Honda Ridgeline has a sharp new look. It also has some great high-tech features, a multifunction tailgate, and a versatile bed with a built-in trunk. It still offers the most car-like ride in its class and good fuel efficiency to boot. One of its biggest rivals is Chevrolet Colorado. How does the latest Ridgeline match up with the Chevy Colorado in sales? What does the Colorado offer that the Ridgeline lacks?

Comparing the sales

Looking at U.S. sales figures for 2021 so far at GoodCarBadCar, you see the latest Honda Ridgeline has sold 21,564 units as of the end of May. That’s an average of just over 4,300 units per month. Those aren’t terrible numbers and certainly not the lowest figures for the truck since its launch in 2005.

But the 2021 Chevrolet Colorado sold 24,084 units by the end of March 2021 according to GoodCarBadCar. That’s an average of just over 8,000 units per month. That’s nearly double the sales of the latest Honda Ridgeline.

What’s going on? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each truck.

Pros and cons of the Honda Ridgeline and Chevrolet Colorado

The 2021 Honda Ridgeline starts at $36,000. For the sticker price, you get a crew cab standard that has plenty of room and a smooth ride that’s more like a car than a truck. It’s got a new look and a new torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive.

The Ridgeline runs on a 3.5-liter V6 engine that gets 280 hp. It’s paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and gets a front-wheel-drive configuration on the base models. The torque-vectoring AWD is available as an option. Either way, the Ridgeline jumps off the line and offers good acceleration.

It also benefits from some innovative Honda goodies that help it make an impression like the standard Honda Sensing safety suite. The collection of driver-assist features includes adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking system with forward collision alerts, lane-keeping assist, and more.

In the con column, while the Ridgeline is off-road capable, it doesn’t shine there and performs better on the pavement. It has decent towing chops, but it’s not leading the class.

The 2021 Chevy Colorado starts at $26,395. You can easily customize the Colorado, which offers a selection of three powertrains including a diesel option. It also has the best towing numbers in its class with the 2.8-liter Duramax diesel engine.

The array of powertrains available with Colorado is enough to make any truck enthusiast happy. There’s a 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a 3.6-liter V6 aside from the Duramax with two-wheel and four-wheel drive configurations. 

When it comes to off-roading, Colorado easily wins the round. With the Z71 off-road package, you get an automatic locking rear differential, all-terrain tires, hill descent control, and a specially tuned off-road suspension.

You can even take it a step further with the ZR2 that handles rough terrain of all types. It gives you a full-locking front differential, 4WD, off-road front fascia, off-road rocker protector, and Multimatic shocks. The truck is also wider and taller for better command on roads less traveled.

Why is the Honda Ridgeline losing to the Chevy Colorado?

The first thing that catches your attention is the price difference in this matchup. The Chevy Colorado costs almost $10,000 less than the Honda Ridgeline, although it’s not the lowest price in the segment. That would be one explanation for the difference in prices, particularly as the U.S. economy recovers from the global COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Chevrolet Colorado may not have been the truck consumers wanted, but it was what they could afford.

With the continuing popularity of off-roading, Colorado has a lot more to offer those enthusiasts. It’s off-road capable and offers two performance packages to better equip the truck for off-the-pavement adventures. While the Ridgeline can go off-road, it doesn’t excel there and doesn’t have the same features to offer.

Finally, while the Ridgeline often ranks higher than the Colorado according to industry experts and reviews. You’d think it would be the more popular truck. But Colorado is a Chevy and that name recognition still means something to consumers.