2023 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition: A Fantastic Mix of Utility and Usability

The 2023 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition occupies an interesting spot in the mid-size pickup segment. It tries to be as untruck-like as possible, its front half borrowing the majority of its looks from the Honda Passport crossover while using a unibody chassis rather than a traditional body-on-frame design.

The Ridgeline doesn't drive like a truck, either. From the driver's seat you'd think you were driving one of Honda's five crossovers rather than its sole pickup. The light steering, pleasant interior, and comfy seats do nothing to remind you of all the utility that sits behind the cabin.

That unibody design, along with four-wheel independent suspension and a meaty set of tires, means the Ridgeline's ride is surprisingly pleasant and cohesive. You can drive over any pothole or bump without generating the typical pickup shutters, which is lovely.

The drivetrain too, is a pleasant thing to use. The 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V-6 utilizes VTEC to make its 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque rather than forced induction, meaning you need to dig into the revs to get the most out of it. The motor is paired with a nine-speed transmission that shifts well and doesn't interrupt the experience. It has its own cooler, allowing for a towing capacity of 5000 pounds.

• Drives more like a car than a truck
• Enjoyable V-6 paired to a well-tuned transmission
• Honda reliability ensures thousands of trouble-free miles

• Awkward looks aren't for everyone
• shallow bed means utility can be limited
• Black Edition is expensive for what you get

The 2023 Ridgeline's looks can be polarizing, seeing as how it looks nearly identical to a Honda Passport from the rear firewall forward. It's a bit awkward from some angles, and doesn't look like a traditional truck.

The Black Edition trim you see here alleviates a bit of that awkwardness, with a blacked-out grille, black exterior trim, and black wheels.

The 3.5-liter VTEC-equipped naturally aspirated V-6 under the hood of the Ridgeline delivers 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque, according to Honda.

While it can't provide the same plateau of torque as its turbocharged equivalents, these days we can't help but love any engine that isn't a forgettable 2.0-liter inline-four. Peak power comes at 6000 rpm, so you have to rev the engine out to get the most from it. Redline is 7000 rpm, at which point the engine really shows its charm with a memorable V-6 bark.

Overall, the Ridgeline's interior is a nice place to spend time. It's no luxury cruiser, of course, but it doesn't play up its utilitarian attitude once you step inside. There's leather and piano black trim everywhere, and plenty of legroom to stretch out on long drives.

Because the 2023 Ridgeline uses a unibody design rather than a traditional body-on-frame chassis, it feels more like a crossover from behind the wheel than a truck.

Big and small bumps alike are handled by the four-wheel independent suspension with ease, without any of the body jitters you'd expect from a pickup in this price range.

The gloss black 18-inch alloy wheels are wrapped in Firestone all-season tires with tread meaty enough for the occasional off-road jaunt or snow-filled commute.

The sizable sidewall means you can smack potholes and other road imperfections without worrying about damaging a wheel—a huge plus in places where infrastructure might not be up to snuff, like where we tested this truck.

The brakes provide plenty of stopping power for this application, with smooth, easy-to-modulate pedal feel. We didn't experience any fade during our time with the Ridgeline, though we weren't exactly doing any corner carving, either.

The front chairs in the 2023 Ridgeline are supportive and provide plenty of adjustment, with electronic movement for the seat bottom, seat angle, and lumbar.

In place of a center console armrest are two individual fold-down armrests for either seat, which can adjust depending on how you prefer to rest your arm.

The rear bench in the 2023 Ridgeline is well-suited for passengers and storage alike. Good legroom and the ability to fold up the seat bottoms with one pull of a handle makes modular usage simple and straightforward.

With the seats folded up, you can fit anything from bicycles to televisions behind the front seats without having to risk throwing them into the bed—particularly handy if you're parking on the street without any sort of bed cover.

Power from the 3.5-liter V-6 gets to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. Torque goes mostly through the front wheels under normal conditions, as is evident by the torque steer exhibited when the throttle is slammed at low speeds.

We have no complaints regarding the transmission itself. It executes smooth shifts whether going up or down the gear set, and even responds well to paddle pulls.

While the Ridgeline's bed is useful, we found it a bit shallow compared to some of its competitors. Still, at 63 inches long it's plenty spacious for moving all sorts of stuff. Plus, there's a lockable, water-tight storage space underneath for tucking away more important items.

Even cooler is the dual-opening tailgate, which can flip down in the traditional fashion or open to the left side on a hinge. It's an incredibly useful bit of engineering for loading and unloading.

Hondas are known for having notoriously light steering, and the 2023 Ridgeline Black Edition is no exception. Road feel isn't exactly great, but the lack of heft means it's easy to place this truck anywhere you'd like on the road, and easy to make small corrections on the fly.

The 2023 Honda Ridgeline's gauge cluster feels refreshingly simple without coming off as dated. There are analog gauges for rpm, coolant temps, and fuel level, and a big, dedicated digital readout for speed on top.

In the center of the cluster sits a digital screen to display things like alerts, cruise control settings, media, and fuel economy. It's easy to read and navigate.

While we're thankful for the return of the volume knob in Honda's infotainment, the rest of the system is getting a bit dated. The screen is small and doesn't feel as smooth to click through as more modern in-car touchscreens, and the UI itself feels like it came out of my mom's 2017 Civic.

The sound system is good, though, and the screen is resistant to fingerprints.

Look below the infotainment screen and you'll be greeted to refreshingly analog set of buttons for the tri-zone climate control. Below that there's a storage slot and then a wireless charging pad nestled underneath a 12-volt socket and a USB port.

Beyond the charging pad are the gear selector and the two generously-sized cupholders. And between the seats sits an absolutely massive storage bin with a sliding opening.

The 2023 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition gets an EPA-rated 18 city and 24 highway mpg, for a combined rating of 21 mpg. We managed to average around 19 mpg during our time with the truck, though most of our miles were in the city.

If those numbers aren't acceptable for you, we suggest downsizing into something like a hybrid-powered Ford Maverick.

The 2023 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition is the most expensive Ridgeline trim offered, coming in at $47,575 including destination.

It comes fully loaded with things like lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, front collision alerts, and rear collision alerts. There's also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though you'll still need to use a physical wire to connect.