2009 Honda Ridgeline

Depending on the manufacturer, engineers get a chance to improve, redesign, and basically rebuild a vehicle every five to eight years. The time between significant upgrade events can be a horrible waiting game for OEs--sales can slump if their buyers don't get something new and improved. Enter the mid-model refresh.

This update is the point in the life of the vehicle where marketers get their chance to influence (albeit minor) what the next generation will offer. When times are tight--like right now--you can bet those changes will be conservative, bordering on miniscule. When budgets are fat, they can be more significant. Can you guess which path the 2009 Ridgeline (three years after its entry to the segment and three years away from a major redesign) has taken?

For 2009, the most obvious changes to the vehicle are cosmetic. The front fascia is clearly designed to look more familial with the recently released (and redesigned) Honda Pilot. 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 step-out, almost like a rim, that melds into the wheel arch, giving the new Ridgeline a more masculine look (bigger fender flares and bigger bumpers tend to do that for trucks). That bigger-is-better theme continues in the rear, as the rear bumper wraps around the side of the truck and flows right into the more pronounced wheel flares. 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. Additionally, Honda keeps the current five-speed automatic but offers slightly different gear ratios (in some cases changed only 0.2 percent) to help to improve overall responsiveness. Of note, throttle response off idle is vastly improved, making it feel like the truck has more power off the line because of how strongly it jumps from a stop. A new computer software program works with the new gearing strategy to make it feel like there's more power than the small gains in horsepower and torque would suggest. Additionally, because the axle gears and weights have not changed, EPA ratings will likely be 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway--the same as before.

Inside the vehicle, much remains identical, but the gauges have been reshaped, and Honda changed the fonts for the tachometer and speedometer. Honda has also done a better job of integrating bigger temperature and fan controls for the HVAC system and navigation screen. 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 Ridgeline an even safer choice.