Andre and Nathan get into the 2020 Honda Ridgeline and 2020 Ford Ranger FX4 to decide which one is worth buying, worth leasing, or just forgetting all together. In this informal buddy review they take each vehicle (note: we’re not calling both of them “trucks”) through a 0-60 test with three adult passengers inside at altitude; measure the interiors’ decibel ratings; put each vehicle’s voice command navigation system through our Snarf’s test, and run it over our rough tarmac section to see how much our dash-mounted hula girl shakes.
Honda Ridgeline: A “Crossover Pickup”
Honda Ridgeline ‘specs:
Sticker price: $43,140 (fully loaded)
Engine: V6 with 280-hp, 262 lb-ft. torque
Transmission: Honda’s new 9-speed automatic, which significantly improves fuel economy over the vehicle’s EPA numbers of 19/24/21 and acceleration over the last iteration of the Ridgeline.
Drivetrain: AWD with a front-wheel drive bias. Intelligent torque vectoring system.
Payload: 1,700 lbs., 5,000-lbs. tow rating
Frame: Unibody frame with 4-wheel independent suspension.
Ridgeline Results
0-60 in 8.88 seconds
Decibels: ~63 (Anything under 70 is car-like)
Interior: Wide, comfortable cabin, generous legroom for rear passengers
Voice Command Navigation: Pass, but involved too many steps. Not intuitive.
Rough Road: Scores a 3-4 on the hula girl test.
Best Feature: The giant weatherproof cargo area underneath the rear of the bed (see photo above).
Head scratcher: No volume knob for the stereo!
Ford Ranger FX4: Just Call Me ‘Turbo’
Ford Ranger ‘specs:
Sticker price: $46,910 (fully loaded, FX4 off-road package)
Engine: Turbo 4-cyl with 271-hp, 310 lb-ft. torque
Transmission: 10-speed automatic with EPA numbers of 20/24/22
Drivetrain: 4WD with 4-Low transfer case and rear locker
Payload: ~1,700 lbs., 7,500-lbs. tow rating
Frame: Body on frame with front-independent suspension and solid rear axle.
0-60 in 8.98 seconds
Decibels: ~61 (Anything under 70 is car-like)
Interior: Much smaller and cramped than the Ridgeline. Rear seats not exactly useful for adults.
Voice Command Navigation: Pass, but involved too many steps. Not intuitive. Both systems could be better
Rough Road: Scores a 4-5 on the hula girl test.
Best Feature: The 2.3-liter turbo engine, the only one available for the Ranger right now (see photo above). Plus availability of the Ranger in a variety of size and seating configurations.
Head scratcher: Not as fast as the Ridgeline, even at altitude with a turbo engine.
Buy It? Lease It? Forget It?
And the final results are …
Honda Ridgeline: Andre says “Lease It.” Nathan agrees.
Ford Ranger FX4: Nathan says “Lease It.” Andre says “Buy It!”
Find out how they came to their conclusions by watching the video below.
