I had the chance to test the 2017 Honda Ridgeline AWD RTL-E and find out what Honda had to offer in utility, performance, and comfort. Honda has been the automotive choice in my family since I can remember so this was a drive a bit closer to home. Most of the previous tests have been on SUV's or crossovers so getting a truck was different. A good different. Read along and see what I was able to do with the Ridgeline and the utility perks that it offers.

In case you missed it! Hispanicize Texas was just a few weeks ago and since I was helping out in building the FABLatinos photo wall, the Ridgeline came in extremely handy in transporting the pallets needed to build the project. The truck was also the safe transport tot he hospital when Mila got hurt. There were some interesting things that happened and I'm sharing them all with you here. It goes to show that life is not always perfect. There are good and bad times, and Honda was there for us in every moment.


Arriving at home with the pallets

6 pallets to build the FABLatinos Photo wall at Hispanicize Texas


We were looking for places that either sold or gave away pallets and came across one place that only had 3 pallets to give away. Unfortunately, they were all different sizes and we had to continue our search for 6 equally sized pallets. While on this search, I was finding the Ridgeline's world's first dual action side opening tailgate. Very useful in reaching in and placing the pallets in with much less effort or running the chance of getting hurt. There's even a compartment in the bed of the truck for extra storage, a first in-bed-trunk. Useful for a cooler, some camping chairs or tents, groceries, or anything that fits in the 7.3 cu.ft. of cargo space. The cool thing is that it is even lockable and sealed. We left some of the decorative flowers, some personal items, and camera equipment in there instead of leaving them inside the truck and covering them up with Mila's blankets ( lol you've probably done that too!). The actual bed of the truck, from top to bottom, offers 33.9 cu. ft. of cargo space. Some may argue that the bed isn't deep enough, but adding some utility to the bed seems pretty ingenious to me. I would use that a whole lot more than a needing a deeper bed. It all comes down to your needs! The Ridgeline has a payload of 1,584 pounds, and 5,000 pounds of towing force. Very capable for the active family! 


World's First Dual Action Tailgate

World's First In-Bed-Trunk - Sealed and Lockable

We ended up finding the 6 pallets, and as you can tell from the pictures, the bed length was just fine and we saw how capable the Ridgeline really was. I however, will agree that the front of the truck could receive a facelift, as it is not the nicest to look at. I think it's due to the fact that it doesn't need a large 8 cylinder engine block. I could be wrong and it really may just be a new experimental design/approach to their line-up. Maybe we just have the idea of  a large and more squared/boxy front design is the only way a truck should look like. I didn't mind that as much as what I  found a bit disappointing in the interior. Coming up on the review!

I had the opportunity to test out this innovative truck for a week and see what it was all about! I think this truck is the best truck for the city and for the adventurous family! I got some great MPG out of the Earthdreams engine. We were glad Honda allowed us to be the heavy muscle of this project and carry the main components of the photo wall. We would have had a hard time getting the pallets otherwise. Stay tuned for the review later this week and see the full details! 


What would be the primary use of a truck in your family?