2025 Honda Ridgeline Trailsport review: Senior discount

Mitchell Weitzman
5 days ago
4 min read

2025 Honda Ridgeline Trailsport review | The Road Beat

2025 Honda Ridgeline Trailsport review by The Road Beat

Words and pictures: Mitchell Weitzman

Honda’s Ridgeline is not a truck that excites upon first greeting, but instead grows on you over time. I haven’t exactly given glowing reviews of Ridgelines in the past, but a reintroduction to Honda’s midsize pickup was welcome after recent drives in Toyota’s new Tacoma—a truck that has ballooned in price with its latest generation. Honda, on the other hand, has kept things simple for another year, which is both good and bad. What still stands out most to me is how easy the Ridgeline is to drive and use, as well as the sheer value it continues to bring in 2025.

Picks

Easy drivability and comfort remain at the forefront of the Ridgeline’s strengths. On the road, it never feels like a traditional pickup, instead shrinking itself down into an easily maneuverable crossover. Handling and steering both impress, too, as this is a truck that never really drives like a truck and can carry alarming speeds down country backroads.

On the highway, it’s remarkably civilized with low wind and road noise, paired with a plush ride quality that rarely feels anything less than composed. Too many SUVs and trucks bounce around endlessly as if riding on blown shocks, or they’re tuned too stiffly to chase payload and towing bragging rights. True, the Ridgeline doesn’t boast headline-grabbing figures in terms of utility, but the tradeoff is a beautifully smooth ride across any surface—far better than the overly firm Toyota Tacoma.

2025 Honda Ridgeline Trailsport exterior front three quarter

This TrailSport trim adds some useful features and performance attributes, including suspension tuned for mild off-road use and knobby tires to match. It also gets unique trim pieces that pair nicely with certain colors (though this flat blue isn’t one of them, in my opinion). Inside, it’s fully loaded with all the bells and whistles, along with nice leather seat coverings, yet still retails for about $47,230. That may sound steep, but a TRD Sport or Off-Road Tacoma with faux-leather seats will cost at least $5,000 more.

Unlike the Passport TrailSport SUV, where I noticed powertrain hiccups and sluggish throttle response, the Ridgeline has none of those concerns. Its V6 is a smooth operator at all times and speeds, and the automatic transmission rarely feels lost when accelerating or needing it to kick down. My observed fuel economy was 21 MPG, which matches Toyota’s new turbocharged four-cylinder Tacoma, a fair result for an old big V6. Put your foot down from a standstill, and the Ridgeline’s sonorous V6 will launch you to 60 mph in a surprisingly brisk 6.5 seconds.

2025 Honda Ridgeline Trailsport interior

Another clever touch is the dual-action tailgate, which can swing open sideways as well as drop down. It makes bed access easier depending on your needs and circumstance, and the built-in storage bin adds real utility with an additional 7 cubic feet. You could even use it as its own cooler.

Nicks

The drawbacks, unfortunately, are familiar. The interior is heavily dated, with a small screen angled awkwardly upward. In simpler terms, this cabin feels very much from Trump’s first term rather than his second. Many of the knobs and buttons look bulky and old, not befitting a brand-new 2025 truck. And even though the Trailsport is the off-road oriented of the range, it only has 7.6 inches of ground clearance, a frankly abysmal figure that is less than a basic Toyota RAV4.

Most annoying is the transmission’s operation. The slow-reacting PRND buttons always introduce a delay that gets in the way of progress when leaving a parking stall or at home. Adding to that is another lingering Honda issue: The absence of strong engine braking from the nine-speed automatic transmission. For example, when descending even a moderate slope, there’s a pronounced lack of engine braking, compounded by lethargic downshifts. That becomes especially unsettling if you’re towing its maximum 5,000 pounds downhill.

Styling is subjective, but the Ridgeline is not the most attractive truck, lacking the purposeful stance and classic proportions of its rivals. A major design flaw is the obscenely high bed height. For a truck that’s supposed to be approachable, you end up lifting cargo higher than normal into its bed, not to mention the short surrounding walls that don’t offer much protection for keeping your cargo.

As for that clever tailgate, while I like the functionality, the hinge panel gaps are god awful—lopsided and asymmetrical. Before realizing the tailgate swung out, I honestly thought it was just bad manufacturing. Chances are, most people following you on the road will think the same.

A crossover that happens to be a truck

Despite complaints, I still find myself liking the Ridgeline. Its strongest points are clear, especially the standout chassis performance when driven like a normal car. Other trucks simply aren’t as easy to live with, and that’s the single biggest factor in the Ridgeline’s success.

It doesn’t demand the same level of commitment as other pickups, because this is a Honda—and it behaves like one at all times. It’s also a terrific value in an age of inflation and increasingly expensive Tacomas. Sure, it’s old inside, but that very datedness may help explain the attractive price point. At the end of the daily commute, it's best to think of the Ridgeline as a crossover that happens to have a truck attached behind, offering a useful alternative to the common SUV, but is also compromised as such. After a week behind the wheel, though, I cam to enjoy its simple and good-willed demeanor.

2025 Honda Ridgeline Trailsport

As-tested price: $47,230

Key Specs