2012 Honda Ridgeline Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Honda Ridgeline overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Ridgeline, and includes Honda Ridgeline safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The Honda Ridgeline is a midsize, crew cab pickup truck designed for light-duty use. Unlike direct competitors such as the Nissan Frontier, Suzuki Equator, and Toyota Tacoma, the Ridgeline features a unibody structure and a four-wheel independent suspension.

In seeming defiance of pundits who continually proclaim the Ridgeline’s imminent death, Honda has decided upgrade its pickup truck for 2012. Subtle aerodynamic refinements and powertrain friction reductions improve highway fuel economy to 21 mpg, all 2012 Ridgelines get a new grille, and a new Ridgeline Sport model debuts with black-painted 18-inch aluminum wheels, a special black honeycomb grille design, black headlight and taillight housings, fog lights, dark tinted rear privacy glass, an auxiliary audio input jack, all-weather floor mats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls.

With the introduction of the new 2012 Ridgeline Sport, Honda’s pickup truck is offered in four different trim levels. The base model is called the Ridgeline RT, and it includes power windows, power mirrors, power door locks, remote keyless entry, cruise control, a tilt steering wheel, a trip computer, and a stereo with a CD/MP3/WMA player. A power sliding rear window is standard, along with a heated windshield wiper de-icer zone and a trailer hitch with pre-wiring to accommodate a seven-pin trailer harness. Steel 17-inch wheels identify the Ridgeline RT from the outside, and Honda’s Variable Torque Management 4WD system is standard.

For a scant $745 premium, the new Ridgeline Sport slots in just above the Ridgeline RT. This model is equipped with black-painted 18-inch aluminum wheels, a black honeycomb-pattern grille, black lighting element trim, fog lights, and dark tinted rear privacy glass. Inside, the Ridgeline Sport is equipped with all-weather floor mats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, and an auxiliary audio input jack. The Ridgeline Sport is available only with black, white, or silver paint colors.

Next on the menu, the Ridgeline RTS has 17-inch machined-finish alloys, body color mirror housings and door handles, dual-zone automatic climate control, an upgraded stereo with a CD changer, a 10-way power driver’s seat, and a seven-pin trailer harness.

The Ridgeline RTL is the top-of-the-line model, equipped with leather upholstery, heated front seats, heated side mirrors, a power sunroof, a HomeLink universal remote, a 115-volt power outlet, carpeted floor mats, and satellite radio. You can tell the RTL model apart from other Ridgelines by its five-spoke, 18-inch alloy wheels and fog lights. Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, a reversing camera, and a navigation system with Zagat restaurant ratings and a breadcrumb feature are optional on the Ridgeline RTL.

If you’re interested in spending extra money on accessories, Honda dealers will be happy to assist you in liberating cash from your wallet. Among the available features: a roof rack, side step rails, a tonneau cover for the bed, trailering equipment, sports equipment racks, bed and interior storage solutions, reversing sensors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with a compass, satellite radio, and more.

The 2012 Honda Ridgeline is equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine making 250 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 247 pound-feet of torque at 4,300 rpm, driving all four wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission and Honda’s Variable Torque Management four-wheel-drive system (VTM-4).

Under normal driving conditions, VTM-4 delivers power primarily to the Ridgeline’s front wheels. When the system detects wheel slip, VTM-4 sends up to 70 percent of the engine’s power to the rear wheels for added traction. Under challenging circumstances, a VTM-4 Lock setting continually splits power between the front and rear wheels at speeds up to 18 mph.

For 2012, the Ridgeline’s fuel economy is modestly improved through reduced powertrain friction and slight aerodynamic enhancements. The city fuel economy rating remains at 15 mpg, but on the highway the ’12 Ridgeline is expected to get 21 mpg.

The 2012 Honda Ridgeline is equipped with six standard airbags with rollover sensors for the side curtain airbags, a traction and stability control system, and a heavy-duty antilock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not tested the Ridgeline since it overhauled procedures and ratings for 2011. The only rating NHTSA assigns to the Ridgeline is a 4-Star rollover resistance rating.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has not carried the Ridgeline’s safety scores forward for 2012 as this review is written. Last year, the structurally identical Ridgeline received a Good rating (the highest possible) in all crashworthiness assessments except for roof crush strength, for which the truck has not been tested.

Reliability is a Ridgeline hallmark. Both Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates expect Honda’s pickup truck to provide above average dependability over time.

The Ridgeline’s towing rating is 5,000 pounds, it can haul up to 1,100 pounds of payload in its five-foot composite cargo bed, and ground clearance for its four-wheel independent suspension is 8.2 inches. These figures are not as good as the Nissan Frontier Crew Cab 4WD V6 or the Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD V6.

Honda does, however, offer a segment-exclusive in-bed trunk, which measures 8.5 cubic-feet and includes a drain plug. From a practicality perspective, the in-bed trunk is a big differentiator for Honda. In practice, we’ve taken family weekend trips with all of our gear safely secured in this locking trunk.

We find the Ridgeline’s dual-action tailgate useful, too. It drops down in traditional fashion or it can swing to one side for easier access to the in-bed trunk. Honda designed the tailgate to hold up to 300 pounds even when the truck is underway, making it easy to haul motorcycles and ATVs.

In 2011, J.D. Power and Associates gave the Honda Ridgeline two awards. The first award was for the best initial quality in its segment, and the second award named the truck the most appealing midsize pickup.

We think the Honda Ridgeline is pretty spectacular, but it’s clear from the sales figures that we’re in the minority. Here’s why we’re so enamored of this truck: it’s reliable, it’s safe, it’s roomy and comfortable inside, it’s practical and useful, and it can do most of the things most people need a truck to do most of the time. Ridgeline owners clearly love their trucks, as reflected in J.D. Power surveys. Maybe you should at least consider a test drive before settling on a Nissan or Toyota.

By Christian Wardlaw