2009 Honda Ridgeline

Unlike other automakers, Honda puts recreational pickup truck users first with the 2009 Honda Ridgeline. For 2009, Ridgeline gets a gutsier torque curve, bolder styling and a standard trailer hitch highlight, not to mention numerous upgrades and new features. Already an innovative truck, the 2009 Honda Ridgeline is a true standout among pickups.

The 2009 Honda Ridgeline is the non-conformist among pickup trucks. While rivals duke it out over horsepower ratings, the Ridgeline gets everything done with a fuel efficient V6. While rivals remain slab-sided and work-truck plain, the Ridgeline offers innovative styling and convenience features like its “segment-exclusive” In-Bed TrunkTM that provides spacious, hidden, dry and secure storage capable of swallowing luggage, toolboxes and coolers. For 2009, the Ridgeline’s interior receives a major makeover with upgrades such as a new steering wheel, gauges and HVAC controls, as well as a Bluetooth HandsFreeLink, satellite navigation, a 115-volt power outlet and requisite jacks for the iPod and other MP3 players.

The 2009 Honda Ridgeline is classified as a compact-class pickup, but it does everything you’d expect from a midsize truck. It seats five passengers in a four-door crew cab and offers a five-foot-long cargo bed. All-wheel drive is standard equipment. Ridgeline has several design features unusual to pickups including an independent rear suspension and crossover-style unibody construction. Its cargo box is dent-resistant composite “tuff stuff” with a steel-reinforced floor that houses a convenient covered trunk at the rear. Capable of accommodating four-foot-wide sheets of plywood between the wheel wells, the cargo bed gains two cargo tie-down points (eight total).

Standard features on the Ridgeline RT (MSRP $28,200, not including taxes, title, registration and a $670 destination charge) include an integrated trailer hitch, pre-wiring for seven-pin trailer wiring harness, a trip computer with instantaneous and average fuel economy, air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, power windows and door locks, a power sliding rear window, cruise control, keyless entry, automatic heated wiper zone, a six-speaker, 100-watt audio system with CD player with MP3/WMA playback capability and a 60/40-split lift-up rear seat with underseat storage. The Ridgeline RTS adds alloy wheels, body-color painted door handles, painted inner grille surfaces, a seven-speaker 160-watt audio system with subwoofer and six-disc in-dash CD player, steering wheel-mounted controls, an auxiliary audio input jack, dual-zone automatic climate control, an eight-way power driver's seat with lumbar support, privacy glass and all-weather floor mats. The RTL adds a leather-trimmed interior with heated front seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, foglights, moonroof, a 110-volt power outlet, XM Satellite Radio, HomeLink remote system, carpeted floor mats and a compass in the rearview mirror. A Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with voice recognition is available (and replaces the rearview mirror interior compass). Vehicles equipped with the navigation system also include Bluetooth HandsFreeLink and a multi-information display.

All 2009 Ridgelines are powered by a 250-hp, 3.5-liter VTEC V6 engine. A five-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission and a Variable Torque Management four-wheel drive system (VTM-4) are standard. The EPA rates city/highway/combined fuel economy at 15/20/17. A fully independent suspension with MacPherson struts in the front and a multi-link suspension design in the rear contribute to a smooth ride and responsive handling. Standard equipment for towing includes an integrated tow hitch, transmission and oil coolers, heavy duty brakes, dual radiator fans and a wiring harness for a seven-pin trailer hookup (pre-wiring only on RT). Ridgeline’s maximum towing capacity is 5,000 pounds.

The five-foot-long cargo bed provides Ridgeline with a half-ton payload rating of 1,100 pounds. Four cargo area lights illuminate both the bed and the in-bed trunk. A dual-action tailgate opens down for traditional access to the cargo area or to the side for ease-of-access to the lockable in-bed trunk. New accessories for 2009 include a motorcycle bed extender and a bed-mount bicycle attachment, in addition to a wide variety of existing accessories that are designed to accommodate motorcycles and ATVs.

Ridgeline’s all-aluminum, 60-degree, SOHC 3.5-liter VTEC engine produces 250 hp at 5,700 rpm and 247 lb/ft of torque at 4,300 rpm. Honda’s variable valve timing system enhances low rpm torque while extending high rpm horsepower for a broad, confidence-inspiring power band. For 2009, the engine produces three more horsepower and a torque curve that is up to 10 lb/ft broader at rpms as low as 2,500 while maintaining the same EPA-rated fuel economy as 2008.

Honda’s Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) safe handling system with active yaw control monitors lateral (cornering) stability and discreetly integrates traction control, four-wheel drive, antilock braking, throttle control and stability control functions by modulating brake power at each wheel and controlling throttle input. The VSA system is designed to feel smooth and unobtrusive for neutral, predictable and safe handling characteristics.

Ridgeline’s heavy-duty brakes provide forceful stopping power. The system consists of 12.6-inch front and 13.1-inch rear four-wheel antilock disc brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and brake assist. Wheels on the Ridgeline RT are 17x7.5-inch steel affairs; the Ridgeline RTS upgrades to alloy. P245/65R17 all-season tires are standard on the Ridgeline RT and RTS. The Ridgeline RTL is equipped with new-for-2009 18x7.5-inch alloy wheels and P245/60R18 all-season tires. A standard tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) provides individual low-pressure warnings.

The 2009 Honda Ridgeline is refreshingly different. Those who value style and innovation will want to give the Ridgeline a close look and put one through its paces. Give Hendrick Honda of Charleston a call today and we’ll make it happen! 1-866-737-6215.