Review Of 2009 Honda Ridgeline Truck

Introduction of 2009 Honda Ridgeline

The 2009 Honda Ridgeline priced at MSRP $28,200 – $34,180 is an American styled truck with car like features. The 2009 edition has been updated with more power, added features, and a mild facelift making this a worthwhile contemplation for all light duty truck buyers. The 2009 Honda Ridgeline edition dares to be different from the other trucks in the same segment.

What’s on offer?

The Honda Ridgeline receives quite a number of useful updates for the 2009 edition. The exteriors and the interiors have received styling tweaks. A trailer hitch and active front head restraint (safety trait) is now available as a standard feature on all models. The premium RTL trim adds features such as Blue tooth and back up camera.

Silhouette

The 2009 Honda Ridgeline is styled with a fresh look and is wide enough to accommodate 4×8 construction materials. The most impressive feature about this edition is lockable in bed trunk, four cargo lights and a dual action tailgate that opens up and down to assist long items, or from the side for easier approach to items at the bed’s front.

However we noted some problems with its design and styling. We noted that there is limited selection of tonneau cover, visibility is obstructed in some angles and a traditional bed cap or bed mounted crossover toolbox does not fit comfortably. It is also designed in such a way that it does not offer slots for two tier loading or vertical dividers for cargo control.

Inside the cabin

The 2009 Honda Ridgeline interiors has a very practical design and have borrowed many designing cues from the minivans. The front bucket seats are well shaped and supportive. The rear split bench offers more legroom than any other mid size pick up truck like Nissan Frontier or Toyota Tacoma. The rear seats folds up neatly to allow storage of large items in the cab. There is abundance of storage space and there is a lockage trunk space beneath the 5 foot bed which acts as a storage compartment for ice filled food or beverage cooler.

The interiors also feature improved control switches for the sunroof, cruise control, climate control and headlights.

Features of 2009 Honda Ridgeline

The 2009 Honda Ridgeline is available in three trim levels viz.RT (base level), RTS (mid level), and RTL (premium level). The RT trim is equipped with 17 inch steel wheels, remote keyless entry, air conditioning, power sliding window, a tilt steering wheel, cruise control, an integrated trailer hitch and a six speaker CD stereo with MP3 playback capability.

The mid level RTS trim adds 17 inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, privacy glass, eight way power driver seat, and an upgraded seven-speaker audio system with a six-CD changer, an audio input jack and steering-wheel-mounted controls.

The luxurious RTL trim gains 18 inch alloy wheels, a moon roof, leather upholstery, heated front seats, fog lights, a 115-volt power outlet and satellite radio. It additionally includes a navigation system with Bluetooth and an integrated back up camera.

2009 Honda Ridgeline Powertrain

The 2009 Honda Ridgeline is equipped with 3.5 liter V6 engine which produces 250 horsepower and 247 pounds feet of torque. It is teamed through a five speed automatic transmission to a AWD system called VTM-4(Variable Torque Management four wheel drive).

When fully equipped this mid size crew cab pick up truck can tow up to 5000 pounds and handle payloads of up to 1,550 pounds which is sub par in comparison to other V6-powered compact, midsize pickup truck.

This edition offers a fuel economy of 15 mpg city levels, 20 mpg highways and 17 mpg combined.

We noted that this edition offers a smooth and refined ride, though the off road trails are not as exemplary in comparison to other pick up trucks.

2009 Honda Ridgeline Safety

The 2009 Honda Ridgeline is equipped with antilock disc brakes with brake assists, stability control, front-seat-mounted side airbags and full-length side curtain airbag and active front head restraints.

During the various crash tests that were conducted the Honda ridgeline scored a perfect five star rating for passenger protection in both frontal and side impact crashes.

Conclusion

The 2009 Honda Ridgeline is a mid size crew cab truck with various advantages like functional and comfortable cabin, high safety ratings, and innovative cargo management system. The main disadvantages that were noted are only one engine type, and limited off road capability.