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2024 Honda Ridgeline vs. Toyota Tacoma: Which One’s Best For Me?

Honda Ridgeline vs Toyota Tacoma

Have you been thinking about buying a new truck, but you’re unsure about which model to buy? The 2022 Honda Ridgeline and Toyota Tacoma are excellent trucks. Both trucks have a lot in common. They also have several key differences.

That’s why we have researched and written down all the details you might want to know about these two great trucks. This comparison will prove helpful in your search and ultimate choice.

Review Summary

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline and 2022 Toyota Tacoma lead their class differently. The Honda Ridgeline is a more comfortable, refined pickup to drive. It’s also a more versatile cargo hauler. So, if you usually transport large cargo over a long distance, this is the truck for you.

The Tacoma is the stronger performer for off-road driving and towing. If you usually travel off-road, go for the Toyota Tacoma.

The Ridgeline and Tacoma have different designs. Each one takes a unique approach to the same task. The Ridgeline’s design is more car-like than other trucks. It has a unibody frame instead of the body-on-frame construction found on traditional trucks. It makes it more comfortable.

The Toyota Tacoma takes a classic approach to truck design. Its body-on-frame construction allows it to be tougher than other options on the market.

Both pickup trucks are excellent choices. So, we have outlined their key differences later in this guide.

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At a Glance

Honda Ridgeline

  • 280 Horsepower @ 6000 rpm
  • All-Wheel Drive
  • 18 MPG City/24 MPG Highway
  • 5-liter V-6 Engine
  • 5000 lbs. Towing Capacity
  • 6 Inches of Ground Clearance
  • 7 Cubic Feet of Interior Passenger Volume
  • Automatic transmission
Toyota Tacoma
  • 278 Horsepower @ 6000 rpm
  • Rear Wheel Drive
  • 20 MPG City/23 MPG Highway
  • 7-liter Inline-four Cylinder Engine
  • 3500 lbs. Towing Capacity
  • 4 Inches of Ground Clearance
  • 1 Cubic Feet of Interior Passenger Volume
  • Automatic transmission

Overview of the 2024 Honda Ridgeline

The Honda Ridgeline offers the best of an SUV and the best of a truck. It has a unibody frame. But like an SUV, it has a higher ground clearance.

It also has hidden storage compartments inside the cabin. Here are several other features of this truck.

Honda Ridgeline
Honda Ridgeline (Image Credit: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0)

Engine and Transmission

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline has a 3.5-liter engine, 280 horsepower, and 262 lb-ft of torque. It allows a towing capacity of 5,000 lbs.

This powerful engine is mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission. It’s optimized for smooth shifting and quick acceleration.

The truck also has Intelligent Traction Management. This is an all-wheel-drive system. You can use it in four different driving modes: normal, snow, sand, and mud.

Towing Capacity

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline is a redesigned powerful, sporty pickup truck. It offers higher towing and payload limits. Besides, the pickup truck has a more powerful engine and a newly available hybrid powertrain.

It has a towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds and a maximum payload of 1,600 pounds.

Safety Features

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline has notable standard safety features. They include forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warning.

It also has lane keep assist, top-down parking sensors, and adaptive cruise control. Besides, this truck also has road departure mitigation that prevents you from going off the road.

Every Honda Ridgeline also comes with its full suite of Honda Sensing driver assistance features.

woman driving at night
Image Credit: Daniel Jedzura, Shutterstock

Exterior Features

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline’s exterior is designed to be stylish and functional. It features commanding front-end styling with LED lights, a wide stance, and an impressive C-shaped LED tail light design.

You can open the tailgate in two ways; you can swing it down or open it like a door.

Pros

  • Spacious seating for five people
  • Robust powertrain
  • Capable of handling many tasks
  • Can withstand many off-road trails
  • Has a well-improved base model
  • Has a large in-bed trunk
  • Comes with standard driver safety technology
Cons
  • The infotainment system responds slowly
  • Costly
  • It has a minimal towing capacity

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Overview of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma

The Toyota Tacoma is one of the most popular and iconic pickup trucks in the United States. It’s one of Toyota’s most successful products from its inception until today. It’s very popular among pickup truck enthusiasts.

You can find this truck on every dirt road, rock crawl course, and around any parking lot at your local fast-food restaurant.

Here are several outstanding features of this truck.

Toyota Tacoma
Image Credit: Paulino H, Shutterstock

Engine and Transmission

Toyota Tacoma has a 159 hp 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine and an optional 236 hp 3.5-liter V6. Both engines are mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or an optional automatic gearbox.

The 3.5-liter V6 engine features a dual-injection system that combines direct and port injection. It improves fuel efficiency and power delivery under acceleration.

Towing Capacity

When it comes time to haul the big toys on vacation, you need a truck that can get the job done. The Toyota Tacoma delivers in this arena. It has a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds.

This amount of pulling power is excellent for any driver hauling a camper or boat regularly. It also comes with a maximum payload of 1,685 pounds.

Safety Features

Toyota is the first car company to offer Safety Sense on every new vehicle in its lineup. The 2022 Toyota Tacoma is equipped with the latest safety features. It has a Star Safety System that includes stability and traction control.

Additionally, it’s enhanced with smart stop technology to prevent rear-end collisions. Other safety features include an advanced airbag system and a rear cross-traffic alert.

The 2022 Toyota Tacoma also has dynamic radar cruise control, lane tracing assist, and lane departure alert. It can also detect pedestrians on the road with the Pre-Collision System.

man driving automatic transmission car
Image Credit: Alexander Tolstykh, Shutterstock

Exterior Features

The 2022 Toyota Tacoma is built to deliver harmony between performance and efficiency. The rugged powerful exterior of Tacoma commands attention. The available LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) enhance visibility.

Its LED fog lights help you see through inclement weather. At the back of the pickup truck, Tacoma’s tail lights have a powerful presence that’s sure to turn heads.

Besides, the available projector-beam headlights with auto on/off features brighten the path after dark.

Tacoma is built to handle any obstacle. It’s aggressive, capable, and versatile. From the strong stance to the muscular fenders, this truck has the look of an off-road warrior.

Pros

  • Excellent off-road capability
  • User-friendly infotainment system
  • Many standard features
  • Excellent engine performance
  • Comes with Driver-Assist Technology
  • Excellent fuel economy
Cons
  • The base engine is underpowered
  • The rear-seat space is tight
  • Accelerates slowly

What Are the Differences Between Them?

Browsing through car magazines to find the best truck for your money can be a daunting task. There are many brands and models to choose from. So, how do you know which is right for you?

Honda and Toyota have some amazing trucks. But they have several differences between them.

Safety Features

Edge: Honda Ridgeline

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline has a few more safety features you won’t find on the Toyota Tacoma. It’s loaded with active and passive safety features. It includes blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, and lane departure warning.

The Toyota Tacoma lacks these features. Instead, it offers a few active-safety features as optional upgrades that cost extra.

Other safety features of the Honda Ridgeline include a first-row airbag occupancy sensor. It turns off the passenger-side airbag if no one is in the seat. It also comes with a backup camera and driver- and passenger-side blind spot mirrors.

Engine

Edge: Honda Ridgeline

The new 2022 Honda Ridgeline has several engine options. It includes a standard 3.5-liter V6 that produces 280 HP and 262 lb-ft of torque. Also, it has an optional 3.5-liter V6 that produces 280 HP and 262 lb-ft of torque.

The Toyota Tacoma has two gas engine options. It has a 2.7-liter four-cylinder that can produce 159 HP and 180 lb-ft of torque and a 3.5-liter V6 that can produce 278 HP and 265 lb-ft of torque.

The Toyota Tacoma does not offer a turbocharged engine. On the other hand, the new 2022 Honda Ridgeline offers an optional turbocharged engine.

Transmission

Edge: Honda Ridgeline

Both the 2022 Honda Ridgeline and the 2022 Toyota Tacoma offer manual transmissions. But the Toyota Tacoma only offers a manual transmission on several trim levels.

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline comes with a 9-speed manual transmission. Tacoma has a 6-speed automatic (with overdrive). Only the base trim of the Tacoma comes with a manual transmission.

Honda Ridgeline
Honda Ridgeline (Image Credit: RL GNZLZ, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0)

Chassis

Edge: Honda Ridgeline

The Ridgeline is built on a unibody platform, while the Tacoma is body-on-frame. The key difference is that a unibody design is one solid piece, while a body-on-frame vehicle has a separate cab and bed.

As such, the bed of a body-on-frame truck can be replaced with something else, like an enclosed cargo area. The unibody design offers benefits in terms of ride quality and fuel economy.

But both the Ridgeline and Tacoma offer impressive towing capacity. Unibody designs are becoming more common in trucks.

Fuel Efficiency

Edge: Honda Ridgeline

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline has an advantage in fuel economy. It earns EPA estimates of 18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined in front-wheel-drive trim. Also, it has an all-wheel drive.

The numbers are 20 mpg city and 23 mpg highway for the four-cylinder automatic and 19/24 mpg for the four-cylinder manual for the Tacoma. It also has 18/22 mpg for the V6 automatic.

Suspension and Handling

Edge: Toyota Tacoma

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline is a joy to drive around town, with weighted steering that provides plenty of feedback from the road. The Ridgeline has a smooth ride. It stays composed over rough roads.

That said, the Tacoma is more athletic than other trucks. It has sharp steering that provides excellent feedback from the road. Also, it feels composed when rounding corners.

Cost

Edge: Toyota Tacoma

The 2022 Toyota Tacoma and Honda Ridgeline are small trucks. But the 2022 Honda Ridgeline is the larger of the two. It is also the more expensive of the two trucks.

But you get a lot for your money. It has standard features such as tri-zone automatic climate control and heated front seats. Also, it has an 8-inch touch screen that doesn’t feature in the base model Tacoma.

Interior Features

Edge: Toyota Tacoma

The Ridgeline has a comfortable and spacious interior. It comes with standard leather-trimmed seats. The base model also has a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity. An 8-inch touchscreen is standard on higher trims. It also has a dual-zone automatic climate control system and an electric rear window.

On the other hand, the Tacoma comes with fabric seats as standard. An optional upgrade to premium fabric upholstery or leather trim is available. The Tacoma also has a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity.

An 8-inch touchscreen is standard on higher trims and adds navigation, HD Radio, and satellite radio. It also has a dual-zone automatic climate control system. But it doesn’t have an electric rear window like the Ridgeline.

red toyota tacoma off road
Image Credit: Kyle Winkle, Unsplash

What the Users Say

After thorough research of the 2022 Honda Ridgeline and Toyota Tacoma, we have gone through several customer reviews. Here is what we have compiled.

Users say that the 2022 Honda Ridgeline with a 3.5-L engine is a powerful vehicle. The truck is comfortable and spacious. It’s also easy to drive. But most users are not happy with the acceleration.

According to many of the owners who reviewed the 2022 Honda Ridgeline, it has excellent interior wood trim. It’s ideal for driving long-distance journeys as well. It has high safety ratings and comes with many safety features too.

But many owners said that there are a few blind spots that may be an issue for some people when backing up or changing lanes.

The 2022 Toyota Tacoma is also reviewed as one of the best compact pickup trucks on the road. This reputation is well-earned. It has been built over decades by the company producing high-quality vehicles.

The Tacoma is lauded by critics and regular drivers alike for its ability to be both a comfortable, stylish ride and a hard-working workhorse. It is also praised for its reliability.

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Conclusion

The 2022 Honda Ridgeline and the Toyota Tacoma are among the most popular midsize pickups on the market. Both are capable, affordable, and built with high-quality materials. But each has its strengths and weaknesses.

If you’re in the market for one of these pickups, it’s crucial to compare them side-by-side to determine which one is right for you.

The Toyota Tacoma is your best bet if you want a pickup truck that can tackle hauling and towing tasks. But, if you’re looking for a comfortable ride with helpful storage and plenty of space for passengers, the 2022 Honda Ridgeline is a better choice.


Featured Image Credit: (Left) honda.com | (Right) Dusty Barnes, Unsplash

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