2023 Honda Ridgeline Performance

The Honda Ridgeline has always made use of a 280-horsepower V6. It's more than capable of moving the heavy pickup with gusto, with 0-60 mph sprint times coming in at just over the seven-second mark. Yes, you can find more powerful and quicker trucks out there, but the smooth-shifting nine-speed and comfortable ride quality are what really set the all-wheel-drive Ridgeline apart from the competition.

Crisp and quick throttle responses make it a pleasure to drive, and it doesn't lose too much steam when towing its maximum capacity of 5,000 pounds. However, it lacks the bite of the Ranger or Gladiator, and both can tow substantially more than that. The Ridgeline also can't follow them very far off-road.

Still thrumming under the hood of Honda Ridgeline is a 3.5-liter V6 engine that churns out a healthy 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. As there's no turbocharger, there's no turbo lag and the engine and transmission setup do well with more than enough kick to hustle around town. This is largely due to the smart-shifting nine-speed automatic transmission, which always seems to know exactly which gear is right for the situation. However, you can take a more hands-on approach with the paddle shifters if you prefer.

The powertrain can handle a few off-road trails at low speed, and you may even like to take charge with the paddle shifters along some back roads. However, everywhere else, the auto is the way to go and it offers a straightforward experience overall. All-wheel drive is standard, so the Honda doesn't hesitate when the going gets tough.

The Ridgeline returns decent gas mileage for a V6-engined pickup. With standard AWD, the truck manages an EPA-rated 18/24/21 mpg across the city/highway/combined cycles, which is slightly better than the Toyota Tacoma V6 AWD which lags behind by 1 mpg. Still, Ford's Ranger takes the cake when it comes to gas mileage, easily trumping what the Honda has to offer by a point or two on the city and combined cycles.

The Ridgeline is equipped with a 19.5-gallon fuel tank, meaning that it can travel for up to 410 miles before needing to pull into a gas station.