Honda may be more well known for the slick Civic or the spacious Pilot, but the Japanese automotive brand also has a truck called the Ridgeline. For patrons loyal to Ford, Chevy, and Ram, it may be considered downright blasphemous to buy a Ridgeline, but not everyone is loyal to a particular brand. 

Like all vehicles, the Ridgeline has different trim levels, and the Black Edition is the most expensive Ridgeline available. The question is, is it really worth the hefty price tag that comes with it? MotorTrend believes that it may be overpriced, and here’s why.

Black Edition 

MotorTrend wasn’t exactly thrilled with the Black edition. Chris Walton, a road test editor for MotorTrend, reportedly stated that the Ridgeline was “A little poky from a stop.” While most consumers don’t buy trucks for speed, unless you like racing them, you still want to be able to push the gas and accelerate at a reasonable pace. 

Kelley Blue Book was more favorable towards the Black edition. One of the features that KBB really appreciated was the fact that the Black Edition rides more like an SUV than a truck, but also has the ability to tow. While it’s tow limit tops out at 5,000 lbs, that’s more than enough for many consumers who aren’t interested in towing heavy loads. 

Some great features you may like include an in-bed trunk that locks. This is unique to the Ridgeline, and is perfect for consumers who are carrying goods that need to be locked up. KBB also reports, “A drain plug allows the compartment to serve as mobile cooler, while the 2-way tailgate, A/C outlet and in-bed audio further bolster the Ridgeline’s party persona.” 

For sports fans who love tailgating, the Ridgeline definitely outperforms some of its beefier competitors like the Toyota Tacoma or Chevy Colorado.

Honda reports that some of the features unique to the Black edition include: Black Edition exterior trim, Black Edition leather interior, red ambient LED lighting, and 18-inch black alloy wheels.

RTL-E

The RTL-E has all the same features as the Black edition, with the exception of the features mentioned above. Some of the features included on the RTL-E trim include: 6-speed automatic transmission, 3.5-liter V-6 Engine, heavy-duty transmission cooler and intelligent variable torque management® (i-VTM4®) AWD system, truck bed audio system, cross traffic monitor, auto high-beam headlights, LED headlights with auto-On/Off (low beam), Honda sensing, 540-Watt premium audio system, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, body-colored parking sensors (front/rear), two-position driver seat memory, and a 150-Watt / 400-Watt truck bed power outlet. 

So in reality, the Black edition really only offers four more additional features than the RTL-E trim. 

U.S News seemed to like the Ridgeline overall, and ranked it #1 in the Compact Truck division.

Price difference

According to MotorTrend, the RTL-T starts at $39,945. That’s about $8,000 more than the baseline, which can be purchased for $31,035. 

The RLT-E, which MotorTrend compared to the Black Edition, costs $42,965. The Black Edition begins at $44,465. 

At this point, you have to ask yourself if special leather seats, 18″ black alloy wheels, a black paint job, and red ambient LED lighting are worth more than $1,500. 

It’s important to note that the RTL-E already comes with leather seats, so it’s not like you’re upgrading from cloth seats to leather. MotorTrend reports that the major difference in the leather is that the Black edition trim has red threads, as well as other red interior trims, so it’s not like it’s exactly the same, but is it really worth dishing out extra money for? That’s a decision you’ll have to make for yourself.