The 2020 Honda Ridgeline Completely Dominates the Nissan Frontier
It’s time for a head-to-head competition. If you’re ready to find out which pickup dominates between the 2020 Honda Ridgeline and the 2020 Nissan Frontier, you’ve come to the right place. There are countless expert review sources out there that can be daunting to decipher. There is one clear victor between these two robust contenders, and it’s the Ridgeline. So, what does it bring to the table that, for most, makes it the dominant choice over the Nissan Frontier?
What’s new for the 2020 Honda Ridgeline?
The 2020 Honda Ridgeline is earning a top place among many of the expert review circles. New this year is the nine-speed transmission for ultimate smoothness in shifting. The Honda Sensing suite of features is now standard across all variations. And to make things easier, Honda has streamlined its Ridgeline trim levels to Sport, RTL, RTL-E, and Black Edition.
This pickup continues to offer a superior ride quality in its class, in part due to the independent rear suspension. It boasts a quite sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. Additional bragging rights for Ridgeline include handsome interior material quality and overall comfort. This is a truck that is not only fully capable of all things work and play, but it also brings a plushy refinement to touchpoints and extras.
The 2020 Nissan Frontier is a worthy rival on the pickup stage
The 2020 Nissan Frontier may not be No. 1 with the experts, but it certainly has earned its place on the stage. It is, by all means, a decent truck, especially now with its new V6 engine.
Off-roading is a breeze with the Pro-4X trim level, and every seat in the house is comfortable with great visibility. The tech is up to par and easy to use with a more simplistic approach. For many, it’s the truck that brings precisely what you need and nothing you don’t, usually for less than the competition.
What experts say about both trucks
To be honest, it’s a no-brainer. The Honda Ridgeline is far more truck than the Nissan Frontier, just in the roster of features and extras. In its final year of this generation, the Frontier did get an engine upgrade, but not much else.
Relying on its excellent reliability ratings alone didn’t do much for the Frontier in the overall rankings. In fact, it finishes near the bottom of U.S. News’ compact truck rankings. The MotorTrend gurus said when they first laid eyes on the 2020 Frontier they were slated to evaluate, their first reactions were how aged it looked.
The Nissan Frontier can’t hold a candle to the Honda Ridgeline
When it comes down to choosing, it’s not really that impressive of a face-off. The Honda Ridgeline earns a higher ranking in the midsize/compact truck category, and rightfully so. It comes with a higher MSRP too, though. The Nissan Frontier did get a heart transplant this year, but it could be that Nissan is saving all its best for a redesigned 2021 model.
If you need a basic truck to get things done, starting at $20,000, the Frontier is your winner. But for most consumers, buying a truck means investing in performance, capability, and features. All of these are strong categories for the Honda Ridgeline, and the Nissan Frontier just can’t hold a candle to its Ridgeline competition.
If you need a new truck this year and spending a little more on the added performance and extras is in your budget, the 2020 Honda Ridgeline is a top pick for most everyone. The 2020 Nissan Frontier is a solid contender, but again, it finishes in the lower end of the official expert rankings. It may be worth waiting until 2021 to see just what the new, redesigned Frontier brings to the table anyway.
