I took a 2012 Ridgeline Sport home
the other night. It was not what I expected. True to its name, it is a
Sport - appealing to outdoor, mountain bike, and ATV enthusiasts. It is
not a Limited or an EX or an Si. As you would expect from Honda, the
truck is solid. No squeaks or rattles, lots of power, and lots of
torque. I don't know the specs, but are they really important? It's the
fact that I press the gas pedal and it GOES that I notice.
The buttons and knobs have a cool, rough, trucky feel and look, but
they are not where I, as a lifetime Honda driver, would expect them.
The headlights are to the left of the steering wheel on the instrument
panel. I kept twisting the left stalk, the traditional Honda headlight
control, and turning the windshield wipers on. Lately, most Hondas have
been equipped with Auto on/off headlights - not the case here. I've also
become accustomed to automatic climate control - set it and forget it -
not on the Sport either. I also might have thought, Compass? No.
Outdoor temperature? No. I think this is a miss for Honda. I know they
wanted to make this a sharp, sporty, and affordable truck. I didn't
expect the leather, heated seats, or sunroof at the $30,000 price point
and indeed you don't get it. XM radio is also not an option.
I really like the black trim on the headlights and taillights. The
black theme contintues on the door handles, mouldings, big alloy wheels
(I don't know what size - BIG though). The Sport comes with all weather
mats as you would expect. Key-less entry, easy foldaway rear seats,
adjustable tilt wheel, MP3 jack are all standard equipment as is the
really cool "in the bed locking trunk." It includes the towing hitch and
cargo lights. This truck is a stunner. I had people looking at me
wherever I went. The unique grill with the red "SPORT" lettering gets
some second looks too. The kids love the privacy of the dark tinted
windows. We all took advantage of the dual power outlets, using one for
our GPS and the other for a phone charger. The center console provides
ample storage and includes two good sized cup holders. You could easily
keep a burger and fries tucked neatly within its confines.
A couple of must have accessories are the hard tonneau cover (looks
really cool with the whole black theme), the door visors, and black
rectangular running boards. Bottom line, for a Ridgeline priced toward
the bottom of its trim levels, the Sport model brings a lot of style and
substance to the table. While leaving some of today's toys and luxuries
behind, Honda is able to bring 4WD, V6 power, hot looks, towing
capacity, and all around utility to a mid sized pickup, all for around
$30,000.
