2009 Honda Ridgeline

Grille and headlights are more integrated with a new color and shape for the front and rear light housings. The front bumpers have a new small stepout, almost like a rim, that melds right into the wheel arch, giving the new 2009 Honda Ridgeline a more masculine look -- bigger tire flare and bigger bumpers tend to do that for trucks. The rear bumper continues the bigger bumper theme, as it wraps around the side of the truck and flows right into the more pronounced wheelflares.

Although the entire engine is carryover, the all-aluminum 3.5L V-6 does have a new Magnesium dual-stage intake manifold that bumps the horsepower and torque up by three and two, respectively.

2009 Ridgeline models will keep the in-bed storage box and dual-open tailgate. Other changes, such as new colors, an MP3 input jack, a new floormat, are minor at best but do offer the needed upgrades to address certain in-market buyers.

And there's the great thing about the 2009 Honda Ridgeline - it drives neither like a car nor a pickup, but like the chunky crossover it's built from.

Still, the 3.5-liter V-6 pulls this thing around fairly well, although quick sprints require revving it into its upper limits. All-wheel-drive kept things well-planted, even in a few washboarded dirt corners I managed to throw the truck into.

If you're going to sell a unibody pickup with a V-6 on the basis of fuel economy, then you've got to do better than 15/20 mph city/highway. May I suggest a sixth gear - or perhaps shedding some weight?

V-6 powered Ridgeline was praised for its performance and clever packaging, eventually becoming Motor Trend's 2006 Truck of the Year.

Honda's 255 horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 too thirsty, managing only 15/20 mpg

quared-off wheel arches, massive C-pillars, and oddly-angled cargo bed walls. However for 2009 the 2009 Honda Ridgeline truck gains a family resemblance to the new Pilot SUV via a similar grille, which also blends more smoothly into the headlights. Daytime-running lights and foglamps are integrated into the front bumper, and the tail lamps are now entirely red except for their backup signals.

All 2009 Ridgelines are powered by a 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter VTEC V-6 engine. A 5-speed electronically-controlled automatic transmission and a Variable Torque Management 4-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 7-pin trailer hook up.

For 2009, the Honda Ridgeline engine produces three more horsepower and a torque curve that is up to 10 lb-ft. broader at RPMs as low as 2500 - while maintaining the same EPA-rated fuel economy as 2008 and its CARB Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle certification.

Designed for 1,550-pound total vehicle payload toughness, the 2009 Ridgeline integrates a fully-independent suspension with MacPherson struts in the front and a multi-link with trailing arm design in the rear. The VSA system with active yaw control monitors lateral (cornering) stability and discretely integrates traction control, four-wheel drive, anti-lock braking, throttle control and stability control functions by modulating brake power at each wheel and controlling throttle input.

Although the engine is carryover, the all-aluminum 3.5-liter V-6 now has a new magnesium dual-stage intake manifold that bumps up the horsepower and torque by three and two, respectively.

New for 2009 is the coupling of a backup camera with the navigation system option for all Ridgeline buyers. New front-seat active head restraints, which will instantly snap forward to reduce excessive head recoil from a rearend collision, help make the 2009 Honda Ridgeline an even safer choice.

In the Ridgeline's bed, little has changed with the exception of two additional tie-down points; 2009 Ridgeline models keep the in-bed storage box and dual-open tailgate. Other changes, such as new colors, an MP3 input jack, and new floormats, are minor at best but offer the needed upgrades to address certain in-market buyers.

Overall, it's roughly the same truck we crowned the 2006 Motor Trend Truck of the Year, but better.

Along with a revised, shorter gearing, the massaged six helps the 2009 Honda Ridgeline accelerate to 60 mph in 7.7 sec (almost a second faster than last year's model) and through the quarter mile in 16 sec, an improvement of a half-second.

Other updates -- including a new auxiliary input jack, a rearview camera, and Bluetooth on the topline RTL/Nav trim -- are welcome additions. New bodywork has been affixed to the front and rear of the vehicle and adds a negligible 0.2 in. to overall length.

...2009 Honda Ridgeline Crew Cab with standard short-bed, and AWD.