2021 Honda Ridgeline Sport HPD

Perception Matters: Looking more like a truck is no bad thing

- Scott Evans

Let’s get it out of the way: The second-gen Honda Ridgeline looked like a Pilot SUV that had been Sawzalled into a truck—a conversion surprisingly common among L.A.’s pool cleaners. That’s not shocking given the Pilot and Ridgeline share a platform, even if the Ridgeline’s structure diverges under the bed. But when the pickup launched for 2017, the softer, rounder styling was a retrograde move from the blocky, tough looking first-gen Ridgeline, and it has remained its biggest drawback.

Enter the refreshed 2021 model. Honda listened to the critics and toughened the Ridgeline right up. The grille and headlights are squarer and more upright, and a power bulge in the hood gives a hint of the baby big-rig look full-size trucks have had since the ’94 Dodge Ram. To steal a visual trick from the current Ram, a pair of chrome exhaust tips poke out of the rear bumper to complete the look. The changes are small, but the effect is dramatic.