- Available in Sport, RTL, RTL-E, and Black Edition trim levels
- All but the Sport have leather upholstery
- Dual-action tailgate adds versatility
- Pricing starts at $37,640 plus destination | Price it your way
- On sale now | See Honda Ridgeline models for sale near you
The 2022 Honda Ridgeline resides in a class by itself. It’s the only midsize pickup on the market with a transverse engine and a unibody chassis – albeit a stout one supported by integral frame rails that are fully boxed.
As such, Honda’s pickup is built to work. Powered by a 3.5-liter V6 with 280 horsepower, the all-wheel-drive (AWD) Ridgeline can tow a 5,000-pound trailer. A Class III trailer hitch and a 7-pin connector are standard. What’s more, the Honda pickup can carry over 1,500 pounds of payload in its compact 5-foot-4-inch bed.
Also notable: The Ridgeline’s full-time AWD system seamlessly keeps this Honda pickup moving in muddy or snowy situations. With automatic torque-vectoring and driver-selectable Normal, Snow, Mud, or Sand modes, the Ridgeline’s AWD system can send as much as 70% of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels when needed. It’s also able to direct power to individual rear wheels, further improving the chances of you getting to your local ski resort on a wintry day.
Clearly, this Honda is a truck. But the Ridgeline is also known for feeling like a roomy and refined 5-seat crossover SUV from the driver’s seat. With that in mind, let’s look at the Honda Ridgeline interiors, which differ with each of the four available trim levels: Sport, RTL, RTL-E, and Black Edition.
Ridgeline Interior
If you end up selecting a 2022 Honda Ridgeline Sport ($37,640), the entry-level model, don’t worry. This Ridgeline has a handsomely styled cabin that’s by no means sparse. All Ridgelines, in fact, come well-equipped, even sporting standard tech features like adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking.
The Ridgeline Sport interior is distinguished by black cloth upholstery and slightly revised trim on the dash and center console. Additionally, the Sport has a standard 8-inch infotainment display (with a volume knob!) and a respectable 215-watt audio system with seven speakers.
Other standard Sport interior fare includes tri-zone automatic climate control, tinted privacy glass, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and illuminated controls on the steering wheel.
In back, you’ll find heating ducts and a 60/40 split-bench seat. While the Ridgeline accommodates full-size adults in the back fairly well, the Passport SUV does have a bit more rear legroom. On a positive note, the base of the Ridgeline’s rear seat can be swung up and stored against the seatback, creating enough floor space for you to roll in your mountain bike. And when the rear seat is in its usual lowered position, the Ridgeline has a handy under-seat storage well that’s large enough for a set of golf clubs.
Stepping up to the 2022 Honda Ridgeline RTL ($40,620) means you get leather seat upholstery in black or gray, plus a one-touch power moonroof and SiriusXM satellite radio. While you lose about a half-inch of headroom with the moonroof, the Ridgeline RTL also gets heated power front seats with memory for the driver.
Other notable RTL interior upgrades include a power sliding rear window, a sound-absorbing acoustic windshield, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The Ridgeline RTL also comes standard with blind-spot monitoring, a safety technology strangely absent from the Sport trim.
As a Honda Ridgeline RTL-E ($43,570), the moonroof and heated leather seats are like those of the standard RTL. The leather, though, comes in just one color: gray.
What, then, makes the RTL-E worth the extra coin? A significantly better audio system, for starters. It’s a 540-watt system with eight speakers. That’s complemented in the RTL-E by a wireless smartphone charger, a heated steering wheel, and slick ambient interior lighting in a pleasing blue hue.
Rounding out the standard RTL-E features is a satellite navigation system with voice recognition and turn-by-turn directions. Not located in the cabin but certainly notable are the RTL-E’s LED bed lighting, four in-bed speakers, and bed-mounted power outlet.
Capping the 2022 lineup is the Honda Ridgeline Black Edition ($45,070). Available in Crystal Black Pearl (or Platinum White Pearl or Sonic Gray Pearl for an extra $395), the Black Edition essentially is a well-equipped RTL-E sporting black exterior accents and gloss-black 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, though, the Ridgeline Black Edition commands extra attention with perforated black leather seat upholstery and ambient interior lighting in red.
Favorite Features
Thanks to a recent design update that has made the Ridgeline look beefier and more like a traditional pickup, sales of this Alabama-built Honda shot up more than 28% in 2021. This, in a year with severe supply constraints.
We suspect these buyers are learning something we’ve known all along: The Honda Ridgeline is one of the rare vehicles that deftly blends the utility of a midsize pickup with the people-hauling practicality of a refined midsize Honda SUV. And it does so while possessing two of our favorite features, both of which are Ridgeline hallmarks: its novel in-bed trunk and its dual-action tailgate.
The dual-action tailgate can be lowered conventionally, which allows this Honda truck to carry a couple of dirt bike motorcycles (or an ATV) with the gate down. But the Ridgeline’s tailgate also can be swung open via a hinge on the driver’s side, allowing the owner to get closer to gear in the bed or reach the hidden in-bed trunk.
Yes, we know the Honda Ridgeline’s in-bed trunk isn’t new. But this lockable 7.3 cubic-foot cargo box, cleverly integrated into the floor of the bed, remains an ideal place to stash your power tools or other gear. You might also want to fill it with ice and beverages for your next tailgate party. After all, it does have a drain.
More 2022 Honda Ridgeline
Build and price your own 2022 Honda Ridgeline to see this week’s Fair Purchase Price, 5-Year Cost to Own, and more, or see Ridgeline models for sale near you.
