Used 2022 Honda Ridgeline

The Honda Ridgeline returns for 2022 in unchanged form. It remains a midsize pickup with a spacious 4-door cab and seating for five. Unlike most pickups, the Ridgeline is built on a unit-body chassis. Its body and frame are one.

Most pickups have a body-on-frame chassis. Though seen by some as crude, that old-school design is durable, and it works well for towing and off-roading.

Because the Ridgeline is closely related to the Honda Pilot, it feels like that SUV from the driver’s seat. In other words, the Ridgeline is comfortable and composed like a crossover SUV, but with a handy bed and a standard all-wheel-drive (AWD) system. The unibody chassis has also been strengthened for truck duty.

Indeed, the 2022 Ridgeline is a highly capable pickup, and the AWD system benefits from a multi-mode terrain response feature designed to keep this Honda moving on a variety of slippery surfaces.

At the same time, the 2022 Honda Ridgeline can tow up to 5,000 pounds, which is more than you’ll need for a good-size tent trailer. It also has a respectable maximum payload of 1,580 pounds, in a bed that boasts a handy built-in trunk and 4 feet of space between its wheel wells.

The only thing new for the 2022 Ridgeline is Sonic Gray Pearl exterior paint, which becomes available as an option in December.  Other than that, the Ridgeline continues with its generous safety suite, top scores in crash tests, and Honda’s fine reputation for reliability.

We’re fans of the Ridgeline’s 280-horsepower V6 and 9-speed automatic transmission. While this powertrain does not have the hauling or towing abilities of domestic pickups — such as the Ram 1500, Chevy Silverado or Ford F-150 — it does come standard with a tow hitch and a 7-pin connector. What’s more, the transverse engine is smooth and has a car-like refinement.

Honda’s pickup is quiet and easy-going, a fine everyday machine that can be enjoyed on pavement and dirt alike.

While the 3.5-liter V6 won’t overwhelm with its 280 horsepower, it does have good torque. What’s more, power is sent to the wheels via a 9-speed automatic transmission with shift paddles that work well when you want to grab a downshift or two on steep mountain grades.

The suspension tuning of the Honda Ridgeline is excellent. It’s firm enough to support a payload of 1,583 pounds but without destroying the ride quality. Indeed, this Honda soaks up bumps well, helping to make the Ridgeline a great long-distance companion, aided by standard adaptive cruise control.

You can also enjoy the Ridgeline on, say, that dirt road leading up to a remote campsite. Assisted by an i-VTM4 AWD system that can send as much as 70 percent of the power rearward, the Ridgeline keeps moving forward, even in very tricky conditions. Clutches on both sides of the rear differential automatically send power to the wheel (or wheels) getting the best traction.

Driver-selectable modes include Normal, Snow, Sand, and Mud. From the driver’s seat, you sometimes have to remind yourself that you’re not in an SUV and in a vehicle with a handy 64-inch bed. It’s a squeeze to get two motorcycles back there, but it can be done. Tailgate down, of course.

Many of the Honda Ridgeline’s significant interior updates took place for the 2021 model year.

These included a volume knob for the audio system. Moreover, the 8-inch infotainment screen became easier to use, thanks to clearer icons and better graphics.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard in the 2022 Ridgeline, and all trim levels still have attractive contrast stitching on their seats. The Sport, RTL, and RTL-E models get special accents on their dash, steering wheel, and center console.

More significant, all 2022 Honda Ridgelines have a spacious 4-door cabin that accommodates five adults comfortably. And the 60/40 split rear seat — with foldaway bottoms — makes it much easier to fit awkwardly long items inside the cab. You can even put a bicycle in the back with ease.

Apart from the new optional color (Sonic Gray Pearl) for 2022, the Honda Ridgeline is unchanged. That’s a good thing because the Ridgeline was dramatically restyled just last year. Honda, to our eye, made the Ridgeline look more like a traditional pickup.

It was a successful update. All-new sheet metal is used from the windshield pillars forward, highlighted by a hood with a power bulge, an upright grille, and a squared-off nose.

Helping the Ridgeline look tougher and more muscular are 18-inch wheels, a slightly wider track, and tires with an aggressive sidewall and shoulder.

The Honda Performance Development Package (HPD) is still available. In addition to fender flares, the HPD Package adds a sport grille and bronze-colored wheels.

IN-BED TRUNK
The Ridgeline continues to have a lockable storage compartment in the floor of its bed that can be used for holding gear. Or, thanks to a removable drain plug, it can serve as an ice-filled cooler at your next tailgate party. It’s not new, we know, but we continue to enjoy this hidden trunk.

DUAL-ACTION TAILGATE
The tailgate of the Ridgeline folds down like that of a conventional pickup. But it also opens like a gate thanks to hinges on the driver’s side of the vehicle. Opening the Ridgeline tailgate this way allows you to get closer to whatever it is you might be trying to reach in the bed — perhaps that last A&W root beer you hope is still there below all that ice.

The entry-level Ridgeline, the Sport, is remarkably well equipped. In addition to active noise cancellation, a trailer hitch, and tri-zone automatic climate control, it has keyless ignition, 18-inch alloy wheels, and all-wheel drive, plus the Honda Sensing safety suite and adaptive cruise control. The Ridgeline Sport also has an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a 7-speaker sound system.

As an RTL model, the Ridgeline gets a leather-trimmed interior with heated front seats and blind-spot monitoring, while the RTL-E model gets a navigation system, a wireless smartphone charger, a 540-watt sound system, and an in-bed audio system.

The top 2022 Honda Ridgeline, the Black Edition, distinguishes itself with a black leather interior, black 18-inch alloy wheels, red ambient LED interior lighting, and a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel.

In addition to upgraded paint colors, all trim levels of the 2022 Honda Ridgeline offer a $2,800 HPD Package, and a $1,465 Utility Package that includes running boards and a black roof rack with crossbars.

As in the 2021 Ridgeline, a 3.5-liter V6 is found underhood this year, again sending 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels via a 9-speed automatic transmission with shift paddles. The torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive (AWD) system can send up to 70% of the power to the Ridgeline’s rear wheels for added stability and composure in slick conditions.

Although Honda’s V6 has fuel-saving cylinder deactivation and an automatic stop/start system, the Ridgeline isn’t especially fuel-efficient. It returns only 18 mpg in the EPA city test. On a positive note, regular gasoline works just fine.

3.5-liter V6
280 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
262 lb-ft of torque @ 4,700 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/24 mpg