2026 Honda Ridgeline Trailsport - Review by David Colman

If ride comfort is your thing, pick up this pickup

David Colman

Story and Photos by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

The single factor that distinguishes Honda's Ridgeline TrailSport from most other Mid-Size pickup trucks is something you can't see. The Ridgeline's secret sauce? Its sophisticated coil-sprung rear axle which lies hidden beneath its pickup bed. Unlike the solid rear axle that bedevils the ride of Chevy's Colorado, Ford's Ranger, GMC's Canyon, and countless other light duty trucks, Honda's coil springing vastly increases ride comfort compared to the bucking broncos of the competition.

Face it, most of your pickup forays will be trips to the home supply depot or the furniture store for messy or ungainly items that either won't fit in your daily driver, or would wreck the interior of your SUV. For those chores, the Ridgeline has you covered with its 64" x 50" plasticized bed that is wide enough and long enough to tote full sheetrock panels. Should bulky cargo need restraining, Ridgeline provides eight heavy duty tie-down cleats, each rated at 350lbs.

In addition to the Ridgeline's visible 33.9 cubic foot bed enclosure, you will also discover an invisible 7.3 cubic foot "In Bed Trunk" which lies beneath the floor of the pickup bed. Access to this secret locker is available only when the tailgate is open. Although the back gate weighs a ton when you drop it or struggle to erect it, an alternative side-swing method is available to ease the strain. All in all, the Ridgeline's bed architecture is fiendishly inventive, right down to the lights that illuminate your workspace at night.

Honda offers 4 varieties of Ridgeline for 2026: the Sport ($42,290), RTL ($45,090), TrailSport ($47,490), and Black Edition ($48,890). All four models are powered by the same 3.5 liter, single overhead cam, 24 valve I-VTEC V6 that produces 280hp and 262lb.-ft. of torque. Your initial outlay for a new TrailSport includes a comforting 3-year, 36,000 mile complete warranty plus complimentary maintenance for 2 years or 24,000 miles.

Our test TrailSport, which was finished in optional Ash Green Metallic, carried an MSRP of $47,945 including destination and handling. If you harbor any ambitions of off-road exploration, the TrailSport is the model to select. Topping the list of attributes is Off Road Tuned Suspension. Only TrailSport comes standard with specially dialed in shocks to complement Ridgeline's 25mm solid front stabilizer bar and 26.5mm tubular rear sway bar. TrailSport is also the only Ridgeline equipped with shark gray 18-inch alloy rims mounting 245/60R18 General Grabber A/T Sport off-road rubber. It's also the only model fitted with factory-issue all-season floor mats. Like all versions of the Ridgeline, the TrailSport offers Intelligent Traction Management, with four levels of tuning specificity: Normal/Snow/Sand/Mud. Note that "Sport" is not one of the choices.

Interior cosmetics also distinguish the cockpit look of the TrailSport. The extra supportive leather-trimmed front bucket seats are TrailSport specific, with "Trail Orange Stitching" enlivening the black leather. The same orange stitching graces the fat-rimmed, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and Honda even goes so far as to cue in the graphics of the all-season floor mats. A final touch is "Ambient Trail Orange" interior lighting. Now if Honda could just provide you with a black Stetson trimmed with an orange band, and a pair of matching TrailSport cowboy boots, you'd be ready to "Truck or Treat" come next October.

By and large, the cabin of the TrailSport is well laid out and comforting. The 10-way power adjustable driver's seat includes 2-stage lumbar support, while your seating/mirror adjustments can be memorialized with a 2-position memory switch. With the rear bench seat extended, 3 passengers can easily come along for the ride because the Ridgeline offers the roomiest back seat in the Mid-Size pickup market. Should you need more cab storage space, you can lock up the lower rear seat cushions to create 2.9 cubic feet of extra storage space. We flipped up the cushions to make it possible to carry our full-size bike inside the cabin, but the fit was tight.

One aspect of cab life that proved a bit disconcerting was the location of the exterior rear view mirror control panel on the dashboard rather than on the door arm rest. Leaning forward far enough to reach the mirror button puts your line of sight out of kilter to chose an appropriate setting. Another irksome "feature" was the Lane Departure Warning, which constantly jiggled the steering wheel to warn us of absolutely nothing, while also illuminating a flashing "Trail Orange" pictograph warning of imminent destruction. Unfortunately, we were not able to deactivate this constant barrage of unsolicited wisdom.

The bottom line here is this: if you want an all-purpose pickup that rides and acts like a car rather than a truck, Honda's Ridgeline is your best choice.

2026 HONDA RIDGELINE TRAISPORT:

• ENGINE: 3.5 liter V6, SOHC, 24 valve, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
• HORSEPOWER: 280hp@6000rpm
• TORQUE: 262lb.-ft.@4700rpm
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 18MPG City/23MPG Highway/20MPG Overall
• PRICE AS TESTED: $47,945

HYPES: Responsive, Carlike Ride, Ingenious Packaging

GRIPES: Only 5000lb. Tow Rating

STAR RATING: 9 Stars out of 10

©2026 David E Colman