There are currently a lot of nice trucks on the market. Not only are these vehicles capable of hauling just about anything you want, but they’re loaded with special features and provide a much nicer ride than older trucks. The challenge is deciding which of these great vehicles is the best match for your needs. MotorTrend is a great place to help you start narrowing down the options. Right not, MotorTrend favors the Honda Ridgeline over two other popular trucks.

Why MotorTrend favors the Honda Ridgeline

MotorTrend took an unorthodox approach to testing out the Honda Ridgeline and three other trucks. They took the trucks to a non-profit farm animal rescue, Farm Sanctuary. The idea was to see how the popular mid-size trucks performed as work trucks. Since trucks were originally designed to help make farming easier, going to a farm made sense. The Ridgeline they selected for the test was the Ridgeline Black Edition. The V6 pickup is marketed as the ideal vehicle choice for drivers who want a crossover style vehicle but who also need something that can tow a load or be used to help friends move. 

During their time at Farm Sanctuary, the MotorTrend team used the truck to remove trees and stumps, hauling hay, and 

Of the three vehicles MotorTrend tested out at Farm Sanctuary, they were the impressed with the Honda Ridgeline Chevy Colorado. The main reason they were impressed, it handles the rough and unpredictable terrain better than the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma. The reason for this is because the crossover style meant Honda emphasized a good suspension system that was capable of handling anything. While most of us aren’t bouncing around farm fields, many of us do deal with pothole laced roads, take our trucks camping, or like trail driving. When you drive the Honda Ridgeline, you can rest assured that you’ll stay comfortable during all these activities. The smooth suspension also makes the Ridgeline a good choice for anyone who has back problems.

The other things that the team liked about the Ridgeline was that the truck’s large bed and dual use tailgate made working on the farm easier. They also appreciated how much effort Honda put into making the cabin extremely spacious and up-to date.

One thing that needs to be noted, while the Honda Ridgeline Black Edition is a towing vehicle, with the ability to tow just 5,000 pounds, the truck has one of the lowest towing capacities on the market. MotorTrend feels that the truck will sell better once Honda comes up with a way to improve the truck’s towing capacity. Doing that would make it the perfect truck for working construction, hauling wood, hunting, and hauling horse trailers.

How the other trucks faired

When all was said and done, the team felt that the Honda Ridgeline outperformed both the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma. The problem with the Ranger was that while it handled all of the farm chores perfectly, it was a stiff uncomfortable ride, which was especially noticeable after riding in the Ridgeline. 

While the team saw some merit to the Toyota Tacoma, they felt that it just wasn’t practical for farm use. They feel that in order to be a good work truck, Toyota needs to revamp the Tacoma, fitting it with smoother brakes, a more spacious cabin, a tougher engine/transmission pairing, and a wider truck bed.

As happy as the team was with the Honda Ridgeline, they felt it didn’t perform as well as the Chevy Colorado. The team fell in love with how smoothly the Colorado rode and how it hugged the ground while going over rough terrain and around tight bends.  The outstanding tow package and large bed make this a vehicle that’s well suited for both city and urban driving.