2017 Honda Ridgeline | Why Buy?

A truck for the rest of us.

Jake Holmes

By: Jake Holmes

Jul 21, 2016 at 9:00am ET

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– Detroit, Michigan

Americans love pickup trucks. We brought home 2.5 million of them last year alone. But for every one of those trucks that was bought by someone who hauls, tows, or off-roads, many more were purchased by someone who wants a pickup because they think it’s cool, not because they actually need the capability. It’s those latter shoppers that Honda wants to lure with the 2017 Ridgeline.

On the heels of the arrivals of the new Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon and Toyota Tacoma, the 2017 Honda Ridgeline is here to cater to drivers who don’t need the size and capability of a full-size truck. It still has a cargo bed and can tow 5,000 pounds, but its car-like unibody construction makes the Ridgeline more civilized in everyday use.

While the first-gen Honda Ridgeline had a slightly dorky design and didn’t lure too many buyers away from the segment mainstay Tacoma, the new version has a more traditional shape, improved utility, and more create comforts than ever before. Will the 2017 Honda Ridgeline become a hit in the re-energized compact-truck market? Find out as we subject the new truck to our Why Buy? tests in the video below.