Originally Posted by CarandDriver

So, is the Honda a car or a truck? Not to sound like Bill Clinton, but that depends on what you mean by "truck." In fact, it's neither, and who cares anyway, because those hard distinctions are no longer useful. Let's appreciate the Ridgeline for what it is: a new type of utility vehicle.

On the shakedown run to Mansonville, the Ridgeline scurried up and down the same rock-ridden trail as the others, but it was the least comfortable in this outdoor role. It was the only truck in the test with full-time four-wheel drive, but without a low-range transfer case, so it couldn't creep downhill in the effortless manner you get with engine braking. Rather, we had to ride the brakes. We heard more nasty scraping noises than we did in the others, although a visual inspection didn't reveal any damage.

If you're part of the minute subset of pickup owners who enjoy hard-core off-roading, the Ridgeline is not the truck for you.

The rest of us will appreciate some clever ideas. For starters, there's the dent-and-corrosion-resistant bed. It's not oversized, but the wheelhouses barely intrude into the cargo floor. It has a unique trunk that is recessed below the bed floor, providing nine cubic feet of lockable space. You access the trunk via a handy dual-action tailgate that swings open from right to left and opens downward like a traditional tailgate. The trunk is watertight and has a drain, turning it into a very large beverage cooler. The only thing we found to complain about were those sloping bed sides. The top edge of the bed is 53.5 inches off the ground at its lowest point, and it's next to impossible to reach into the bed without leaning against the sheetmetal.

The interior is a combination of handy touches and spacious accommodations. The large center console expands like an accordion and has numerous dividers. The rear seat was the roomiest and most comfortable of the bunch. It feels like a couch, with a high bottom cushion, plenty of shoulder room, and a relaxed backrest angle. The Ridgeline was the only vehicle fit to accommodate three adults in back. All the seats are covered in a nylon fabric that feels grippy and durable. The radio, on the other hand, is a far reach from the driver's seat, and the front interior door handles look like chrome shovel handles, but the ergonomics are otherwise first-rate.

And so is the driving experience. Although the Nissan was considered pretty good in this group, the Honda "is in another league," according to one test driver. The ride is on the firm side, but the payoff is a clear communications line between the road and driver. We're not talking sports-car feel here, but it's head and shoulders above its competitors. The Honda topped the chart in every subjective handling category.

Combine the chassis, bed, and large interior with the smooth, quiet, and adequately powerful engine, and you have, well, a winner. The bar has been raised.