2020 Honda Ridgeline: Model overview, pricing, tech and specs
The 2020 Honda Ridgeline now includes a nine-speed transmission and a driver assistance package, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, all standard.
The Honda Ridgeline has always put daily utility and practicality ahead of towing power and off-road capability. And that's what makes it so likable. While the Ridgeline may not have the sturdy, body-on-frame design necessary for heavy-duty towing, it still has many of the things the average pickup truck owner will actually use. Every 2020 Ridgeline now comes with Honda's new nine-speed automatic transmission, a suite of safety and driver assistance technology, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay .
Click here to read our most recent Honda Ridgeline review.
Powertrain and specs
The Ridgeline's 3.5-liter V6 engine produces 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, yet still manages to stay efficient with its direct fuel injection, variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation. Those engine technologies, paired with the nine-speed transmission, help the front-wheel-drive models achieve an EPA-rated 26 miles per gallon combined, while for all-wheel drive models that rating drops to 24 mpg. Those numbers are up over the 2019 models by a significant margin: 4 mpg for the FWD Ridgeline and 3 mpg for the AWD model. The addition of three forward gears has indeed resulted in noticeable improvements.
Despite having a nontraditional unibody construction, the Ridgeline can still do a lot. The 2020 Ridgeline has a payload rating of 1,584 pounds and a maximum towing capability of 5,000 pounds when equipped with AWD. A heavy-duty transmission cooler is available for the Sport and RTL trims, but is standard on the RTL-E and Black Editions.
Interior
Honda has done a lot to set the Ridgeline's interior apart from the rest of the pickup class. While other manufacturers have caught up a bit with tailgate technology, Honda still manages to set a high bar with its standard dual-action tailgate, in-bed trunk and upward-folding rear bench seat.
The Ridgeline's interior design is clean and simple.
The leather interior, acoustic windshield, power-sliding rear window, moonroof, heated and power front seats are standard on all trims but the Sport. Seat memory is only available on either the RTL-E or Black Edition, in addition to more USB ports and a selection of ambient LED lighting.
All 2020 Ridgelines feature an updated, wider-opening second-row door design that makes entrance and egress less of a hassle. Three-zone automatic climate control and push-button start are also standard. The RTL-E and Black Edition trims get a 150/400-watt truck bed power outlet, automatic headlights and parking sensors.
Technology
The Ridgeline boasts more driver assistance and safety technology than ever. Honda is throwing everything and the kitchen sink at this truck with its Honda Sensing suite as standard equipment, which includes forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, as well as lane- and road-departure warning systems, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control. Blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic assist come standard on the top-end RTL-E and Black Edition models.
As previously mentioned, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are fully integrated into every Ridgeline's 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Paired with the infotainment system comes a 200-watt, seven-speaker audio system, but if you want the 540-watt, eight-speaker system, in-car navigation, satellite radio or the Ridgeline's truck-bed audio system, you'll have to opt for either the RTL-E or Black Edition models.
It's pretty obvious why this one is called the Black Edition.
Pricing
Honda moved to simplify its trim offerings for 2020, and the new base Ridgeline model, Sport 2WD, is priced at $34,995. All-wheel drive with the Sport trim brings the suggested retail price up to $37,235. An RTL 2WD will set you back $37,765. The AWD versions of the RTL and RTL-E are set at $39,915 and $43,115, respectively. The Black Edition comes standard with AWD and is the most expensive model, starting at $44,615. All prices include Honda's $1,095 destination charge.
Availability
The 2020 Honda Ridgeline is on sale now.