2008 Honda Ridgeline Exterior Review
Based on analysis of 51 Ridgeline reviews and test drives.
Exterior - What the Auto Press Says
Opinions of the 2008 Honda Ridgeline's exterior are split. Reviewers like the Detroit News writer hate it -- "the Ridgeline reminds me of the old Rodney Dangerfield joke about how he was so ugly as a kid his parents had to tie a pork chop bone around his neck so the dog would play with him." In contrast, the Los Angeles Times finds the Ridgeline "sleek, sophisticated … the thing looks like a Heckler & Koch assault rifle."
Despite mixed emotions on the Ridgeline's attractiveness, reviewers unanimously appreciate its functional design. Its cargo bed is 60 inches long with the tailgate up and 49.5 inches wide between wheel wells -- "one of the shortest around," as U.S. News reviewer Rick Newman notices, but it "means that unlike many other pickups, it will fit in most garages." The bed's tailgate is dual-action, meaning it not only swings down, but swings out, similar to a car door. Consumer Guide calls this feature "nifty," while Kelley Blue Book thinks it's "handy."
However, reviewers' favorite Ridgeline feature is the in-bed trunk. "It's a relatively simple thing -- so simple, you wonder why Honda's rivals did not think of it ages ago," the Washington Post says. The trunk is 8.5 cubic feet and is "big enough to hold a huge 72-quart cooler or three sets of golf clubs," the Chicago Tribune explains. However, the same reviewer has other ideas for the trunk's use: "You can fill the trunk, which has drainplugs, with ice to cool the pop for the family or company picnic. The trunk is big enough to fill with warm water to bathe the kids after the picnic so they don't soil the cabin … only your imagination limits what you can do."
Others are impressed but note that the trunk is "not so useful if the cargo bed is loaded," as Cars.com finds. Truck Trend adds that "we learned you don't want to get a flat tire when you're carrying a load of gravel in the bed -- it covers up the trunk that holds the spare tire."
