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2008 Honda Ridgeline Review

July 14, 2008

STYLING | 5 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

chunky styling that will polarize opinions
CNet

Intended to appeal to younger buyers with an appetite for weekend adventures
Kelley Blue Book

Unfortunately, it's still ugly
Car and Driver

Most car reviewers view the 2008 Honda Ridgeline as an unconventional-looking truck, and in general, reviews read by TheCarConnection.com found the Honda Ridgeline fairly distasteful.

Reviewers from ConsumerGuide were among the kindest when describing the Honda; 2008’s Ridgeline offers "a true-truck design in a relatively modest package." More often, reviewers weren’t as neutral. The 2008 Honda Ridgeline has been called "ugly" with its long nose, unexpectedly modern styling, and unibody construction. USAToday says, “Ridgeline could replace the Pontiac Aztek as the automotive metaphor for ugly.” The front end in particular struck the paper as bad: “The shiny part of the grille resembles a huge heating element or radio antenna.” Car and Driver says it has a “face to frighten truckers.”

While most pickup trucks look basically the same, the Honda Ridgeline is different with "no gap between the cab and the box," says Cars.com. "It looks like one solid piece when viewed from the side." Car and Driver is less tactful, declaring, "unfortunately, it's still ugly." CNet notes the “chunky styling that will polarize opinions as surely as will its country of origin. With a deliberately bold face and an Escalade EXT-esque buttress treatment between the cabin and the bed, the Ridgeline's distinctive exterior design cues may seem overwrought to America's dyed-in-the-wool pickup buyers.”

Inside, Motor Trend says “knobs are where you'd expect them and buttons where they should be.” The cabin is much less controversial, with CNet observing that the Honda Ridgeline’s interior “impresses in most regards.” Automobile reports that “interior features oversize matte silver knobs, a huge speedometer, and meaty door pulls (the better to distract you from the hard plastics everywhere else in the cabin).”

Conclusion

The 2008 Honda Ridgeline’s unconventional sheetmetal detracts from a good interior.

STYLING | 5 out of 10Expert Quotes:chunky styling that will polarize opinionsCNetIntended to appeal to younger buyers with an appetite for weekend adventuresKelley Blue BookUnfortunately, it's still uglyCar and Driver Most car reviewers view the 2008 Honda Ridgeline as an unconventional-looking truck, and in general, reviews read by TheCarConnection.com found the Honda Ridgeline fairly distasteful. Reviewers from ConsumerGuide were among the kindest when describing the Honda; 2008’s Ridgeline offers "a true-truck design in a relatively modest package." More often, reviewers weren’t as neutral. The 2008 Honda Ridgeline has been called "ugly" with its long nose, unexpectedly modern styling, and unibody construction. USAToday says, “Ridgeline could replace the Pontiac Aztek as the automotive metaphor for ugly.” The front end in particular struck the paper as bad: “The shiny part of the grille resembles a huge heating element or radio antenna.” Car and Driver says it has a “face to frighten truckers.” While most pickup trucks look basically the same, the Honda Ridgeline is different with "no gap between the cab and the box," says Cars.com. "It looks like one solid piece when viewed from the side." Car and Driver is less tactful, declaring, "unfortunately, it's still ugly." CNet notes the “chunky styling that will polarize opinions as surely as will its country of origin. With a deliberately bold face and an Escalade EXT-esque buttress treatment between the cabin and the bed, the Ridgeline's distinctive exterior design cues may seem overwrought to America's dyed-in-the-wool pickup buyers.” Inside, Motor Trend says “knobs are where you'd expect them and buttons where they should be.” The cabin is much less controversial, with CNet observing that the Honda Ridgeline’s interior “impresses in most regards.” Automobile reports that “interior features oversize matte silver knobs, a huge speedometer, and meaty door pulls (the better to distract you from the hard plastics everywhere else in the cabin).” ConclusionThe 2008 Honda Ridgeline’s unconventional sheetmetal detracts from a good interior. 2008 HONDA RIDGELINE STYLING | [5 out of 10] CNet: “chunky styling that will polarize opinions” Kelley Blue Book: "Intended to appeal to younger buyers with an appetite for weekend adventures" Car and Driver: "Unfortunately, it's still ugly" Most car reviewers view the 2008 Honda ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

If you're looking for four doors and a bed, a few vehicles come to mind as logical alternatives to a 2008 Honda Ridgeline. The Ford Explorer Sport Trac's bed is shorter, but a flip-out bed extender gives it almost the same bed capacity--plus, there's a V-8 option. The Dodge Dakota and Nissan Frontier are both mid-size trucks with four-door cab options. The Dakota also comes with a V-8 engine option.

Next Steps:

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See the Honda Ridgeline in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006

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