There are more pickup trucks on the market than just F-150s, Silverados, and Ram 1500s. They’re great trucks, but there are strong contenders from other automakers, too. The Honda Ridgeline is one of these trucks, and there’s one big reason why Americans shouldn’t ignore it.

The Honda Ridgeline is the No. 1 mid-sized pickup truck

According to Consumer Reports, the Honda Ridgeline is the best mid-sized pickup truck on the market today. Of course, it is a mid-sized truck, which is a smaller vehicle class than full-sized trucks like the F-150. But this doesn’t take anything away from this accomplishment. It wasn’t even a close race, either. 

Consumer Reports listed seven 2019 mid-sized pickup trucks and it tested six of them. These trucks were the Ridgeline, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Jeep Gladiator, Toyota Tacoma, and Nissan Frontier. (The Frontier was the only pickup truck the Consumer Reports hadn’t tested.)

The Ridgeline ranked first of those trucks, with an overall score of 74 out of 100. Second place belonged to the Ranger, with a score of 58. The rest of the trucks scored in the 40s. Clearly, Consumer Reports saw the Ridgeline as the standout truck.

The Honda Ridgeline’s car-like comfort

Reviewers rave about the Ridgeline, and its reviews by regular people are stellar, too. There are many reasons for this, but the ride quality of the Ridgeline is one of the biggest ones. Due to the unique unibody chassis, the Ridgeline provides its occupants with a very car-like ride. 

Furthermore, despite being a mid-sized pickup truck, the cabin has a good amount of room. Consumer Reports, in particular, mentioned that it has plenty of headroom to accommodate even the tallest people. Furthermore, the rear-seats are spacious. Consumer Reports mentions that, of course, a full-sized pickup will have more room than the Ridgeline. 

The seats themselves are also well-constructed and comfortable. In total, five people can comfortably ride in a Ridgeline, which is about average for a pickup truck.

The Honda Ridgeline’s practicality

A truck is still a truck, and the Ridgeline can do anything a truck can do. It has a large truck bed as well as an in-bed trunk for more storage. Furthermore, the Ridgeline’s tailgate — it can open normally or swing outward — is fancier than a usual tailgate. This allows for easier access to the truck bed.

Well-constructed and build to last, the truck bed has a payload capacity of about 1,300 pounds. Consumer Reports says that its composite material will not rust and is resistant to scratches. 

That said, one area where the Ridgeline falls short is in towing capacity. Consumer Reports says the Ridgeline can tow a maximum of 5,000 pounds, which is below what other trucks in its class can tow. Despite this, Consumer Reports explains that Honda made it easy for owners to set up a tow with various convenient features.

Outside of towing, the Ridgeline is also a very fuel-efficient truck. In fact, Consumer Reports said it was the most fuel-efficient gas-powered truck of its class that was tested. The Ridgeline’s modest 3.5-liter V6 gets a 20 combined MPG fuel economy. It generates 280-hp and 262 lb-ft of torque.