WHEN GPS navigation shows the next turn won’t come for more than 100 miles, highway drivers can become dangerously bored – Honda’s Ridgeline pickup truck has a solution.
US Sun tested the 2024 Honda Ridgeline Trailsport, a comfortable off-road pickup truck. The truck has several autonomous features that make routine highway driving safer.
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The automaker has several vehicles with Honda Sensing technologies.
Honda safety systems equip vehicles with collision mitigation braking, forward collision warning, lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control.
Adaptive cruise control can be activated when the car exceeds 40 km/h. Lane Keep Assist is available above 72 km/h.
Honda representatives told The US Sun that the speed specifications are designed to ensure safe driving on the roads.
Once the safety features are activated, the truck will automatically stay in the lane selected manually by the driver.
The Ridgeline will also slow down if traffic is slowing down.
Honda representatives told us the systems avoid creating a “jerky” response on the roads.
The US Sun drove the car on a three-hour road trip.
Honda’s technology suite is very good. It provides a gentle nudge when the car believes the driver has strayed too far from the center of the lane.
The steering wheel emits warning tremors when it registers that a driver has moved too close to other lanes.
Other lane keeping features from different vehicle manufacturers are corrective.
When a driver deviates too far from the center of the lane, other vehicles take control and force the driver to follow a different trajectory.
Sudden movements against the driver’s response can surprise occupants with sudden movements.
Honda’s Ridgeline avoids significant lane corrections—we found the system more suggestive than corrective.
Still, neither system is fully autonomous.
The Ridgeline requires drivers to keep both hands on the steering wheel.
An alert buzzer sounds when the car registers that the driver has not provided sufficient driving information.
The suite of driver safety technologies is becoming increasingly popular in the new vehicle segment. Unfortunately, it is also necessary on American roads.
A growing number of road accidents has led to thousands of preventable deaths on the roads, according to The US Department of Transportation.
Honda Ridgeline Review
Ben Shimkus, automotive reporter for The US Sun, drove the Honda Ridgeline for a weekend. Here are his thoughts on the pickup.
Drivers looking for a capable off-road truck with calm vibrations on pavement need look no further than the Ridgeline.
The pickup is comfortable on city streets, with ample legroom and storage capacity.
Drivers can also expect standard Honda practicality and resale value.
The biggest criticism of the truck is its social acceptance in the trucking world.
Truck purists tend not to give flowers to the pickup. I think it’s a shame.
Here are the specs for our Ridgeline TrailSport:
- $46,375 MSRP plus destination charge
- 18 mpg city – 23 mpg highway – 20 mpg overall (although our truck exceeded those numbers)
- 280 horsepower V-6
- Active safety features including adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist and blind spot monitoring
- Huge storage and new technologies in infotainment and instrument cluster
GENERAL FEELING
After several days with the Ridgeline, The US Sun can highly recommend it.
The Ridgeline demonstrates Honda’s successful strategy in targeting a specific segment of the truck market.
Ridgeline drivers enjoy a comfortable cabin experience.
Flexible seating, lots of storage space, and car-like driving dynamics make the Ridgeline a perfect daily driver.
Our TrailSport tester—complete with beefier tires and an off-road-ready underbelly—was also plenty capable for tough work.
But Ridgeline drivers will have to ignore significant hate on social media.
The comfortable ride drew the ire of dozens of truck purists on social media.
Standard pickup designs feature body-on-frame designs and are famous for a rigid chassis and robust steering feel.
Honda’s execution makes the truck more comfortable than most other trucks on the market.
For just over $40,000, drivers receive a well-engineered pickup truck with years of resale value.
SELF-DRIVEN FUTURE
Honda has plans to manufacture some fully autonomous vehicles.
The company has temporarily unveiled a fully autonomous vehicle in Japan, a Honda representative told The US Sun.
Honda plans to advance autonomous vehicle technology after striking a deal with GM’s Cruise autonomous vehicle brand, according to Wall Street Journal.
The deal could introduce another ride-hailing competitor. The company has not yet announced plans to bring fully autonomous technology to the US.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
