The balance between styling and functionality is what results in a great vehicle, at least this holds true in case of trucks. This is why automotive engineers from all corners of the sphere are working hard to find the perfect balance between styling at functionality. In some trucks the styles is a clear winner, while for some others the functionality triumphs the style. But in case of 2010 Honda Ridgeline functionality is the clear winner.

The 2010 Honda Ridgeline might not have the style and attitude that we’ve seen in many of its current rivals, but the truck definitely is loaded with practicality. This is what makes it a well-rounded pickup with exclusive amalgamation of strengths.

What’s New for 2010 Honda Ridgeline?

The only change for the 2010 Honda Ridgeline is that, now you can get the vehicle is some more colors. But apart from this the entire 2010 Honda Ridgeline returns unchanged for the model year 2010.

Body Styling and Features:

The 2010 Honda Ridgeline is a midsize pickup truck available in a single four-door crew-cab body style with seating capacity for five passengers.

The pickup is available in three trim levels: the base RT, the midrange RTS and the line topping RTL.

The base RT trim comes loaded with standard features including the 17 inch steel wheels, air-conditioning, a power-sliding back window, complete power accessories, a 60/40-split rear seat having under-seat storage, a trip computer, a six-speaker CD/MP3 stereo having an auxiliary audio jack and cruise control.

The midrange RTS comes with 17 inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, and back privacy glass, an advanced seven-speaker audio system having a six-CD changer, an eight-way power driver seat and steering wheel with mounted audio controls.

Go for the top-of-the-line RTL and you’ll get 18-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, Foglights, heated front seats, leather upholstery, satellite radio and a 115-volt AC power outlet.

The factory option list for Honda Ridgeline is limited, and you only get a navigation system package which includes a back-up camera and hands-free Bluetooth compatibility for the cell phone. But all these options can only be availed only in RTL model.

Under The Hood:

The 2010 Honda Ridgeline has a 3.5-liter V6 engine pumping under its hood. The V6 engine here generates maximum power of 250 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of maximum torque. The V6 engine here is paired with a five-speed automatic transmission, which takes the generated power to the all-wheel-drive system of the truck. In our sprint testing the Ridgeline sprinted form 0 to 60 mph in 9 seconds flat, which clearly is slower than most of the V6 powered trucks and almost all the V8, powered trucks.

Verdict:

The 2010 Honda Ridgeline might not be stylish or bulky like the conventional trucks in the market, but the pickup utility and carlike ride of the truck makes it’s just everything that many of pickup buyers will ever need.

The 2010 Honda Ridgeline priced at MSRP $28,450 – $34,430 is designed to cater to the needs of all those buyers who are looking at road friendly truck and need sporadic heavy hauling ability. Price is another feature in which this edition gains an edge as it is priced lower than other sports utility  trucks but expensive in comparison to a full size pick up truck.

What’s on offer?

The 2010 Honda Ridgeline does not offer any major changes in this edition except for the introduction of three new exterior shades Crystal Black pearl, Alabaster Silver Metallic and Polished metal metallic.

Silhouette

The 2010 Honda Ridgeline offers a very masculine styling which is impressive but not very new. Its front fascia enhances the overall look of this edition. The new headlights and tail lamps on its exterior along with a new grille make it a very appealing vehicle.  The rear end offers a very neatly designed layout.

This edition has a very tarnished styling with hardly any gap between the bed and the cab.

The 2010 Ridgeline edition offers a unibody frame. Its bed liner can accommodate 4×8 construction material. However this edition does not have slots to enable two tier loading or vertical dividers to enable cargo control. The main highlight of the 5 foot cargo bed are dual action tailgate that opens up and down to offer easier access to the cargo, lockable in bed trunk, and four  cargo area lights.

The main drawback that was noted in its body style is its wide body style limits the rear view clarity to the driver.

Inside the cabin

The 2010 Honda Ridgeline cabin has picked up styling cues from a mini van to design its interior cabin. The front seats are very comfortable and can seat five passengers.

There is ample of seating space and offers adequate headroom and leg space to seat taller passenger with comfort. However the interiors are designed using hard plastics.This edition offer abundant storage possibilities. The rear seats fold down to offer extra back seat cargo room and can easily store large items in the cab. The interiors have been designed to offer ample of storage inside the cabin.

Features of 2010 Honda Ridgeline

The 2010 Honda Ridgeline is available in three trims: RT, RTS and RTL. The base RT trim is well equipped when compared to other trucks from the same segment. The base trim is equipped with power sliding rear window, cruise control, tilt steering wheel, standard audio system with auxiliary input jacks. The midlevel trim or the RTS trim nets upgraded wheels and door handles, and 160 watt sound system.

The upper trim RTL includes power moon roof, leather upholstery, heated front seats and satellite radio. The RTL trim can optionally add 18 inch alloy wheels, a rear view camera, Bluetooth connectivity, and power lumbar support. Other options which are available with the Honda Ridgeline are back up camera with nav system and full size spare and cargo adapters.

2010 Honda Ridgeline Powertrain

The 2010 Honda Ridgeline is powered by 3.5 liter V6 engine which generates 250 horsepower and 247 pounds feet of torque. This powerful engine is teamed with five speed automatic transmission and is available in four wheel drive.

This robust engine offers a fuel economy of 15 mpg city level and 20 mpg on highway which is very disappointing for a full size pick up truck.

When fully equipped this edition offered a maximum towing capacity of 5000 pounds.

We noted that this edition offered a very refined and comfortable ride and handling. While riding the 2010 Ridgeline it gave a feeling of riding a luxury car which is quite remarkable.

2010 Honda Ridgeline Safety

The 2010 Honda Ridgeline is equipped with safety features such as front airbags, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, antilock disc brakes and electronic stability control. During the various crash tests that were conducted to check the efficiency of this edition it scored five stars for both driver and front passenger protection in frontal crash test and four stars for rollover tests.

The main drawback that was noted was that the rear roof design and thick roof pillars hinder the rear visibility to the driver. Hence a rear view camera which is available as optional feature is highly recommended.

Conclusion

The 2010 Honda Ridgeline is a masculine truck with various advantages like comfortable ride and refined handling. The main drawback that was noted are bed is too small and styling is not too novel.