Why the Ridgeline fits Orange County life
Most OC truck owners don't actually tow 10,000 lbs or crawl over rocks - they haul beach cruisers to Salt Creek, mulch home from Green Thumb Nursery, a paddleboard to Dana Point Harbor, or their kid's dorm gear to UCI. For that job the Ridgeline is quieter, more comfortable and more efficient than any body-on-frame truck. And the in-bed trunk is the single most useful pickup feature on the market.
2026 Ridgeline Trims
- Sport - blacked-out styling on the standard truck. AWD standard across the range.
- RTL - leather, heated seats, moonroof. The value sweet spot.
- TrailSport - all-terrain tires, skid plates, orange recovery hooks, unique interior.
- Black Edition - premium audio, ambient lighting, blacked-out badging.
| Trim | Powertrain | Drivetrain | Key features | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | 3.5L V6 | AWD | Blacked-out styling | Buyers who want the standard truck with a sportier look |
| RTL | 3.5L V6 | AWD | Leather, heated seats, moonroof | Value-focused daily drivers |
| TrailSport | 3.5L V6 | AWD | All-terrain tires, skid plates, orange recovery hooks | Weekend fire-road and beach-lot duty |
| Black Edition | 3.5L V6 | AWD | Premium audio, ambient lighting, blacked-out badging | Buyers who want the most premium cabin |
Ridgeline vs Tacoma vs Pilot
The Ridgeline is the better choice if you value ride comfort and daily livability over maximum off-road capability. If you need a truck bed, the honest OC choice is Ridgeline vs Tacoma - the Tacoma is more capable off-road, while the Ridgeline is nicer to live with 350 days a year. If you don't actually need a bed, the Pilot or Passport will do more of what most OC families need.
Real MPG, towing and the in-bed trunk
Real-world OC owners see 20-22 mpg mixed, and the Ridgeline tows up to 5,000 lbs - enough for a jet ski, small boat or small camper. EPA rating is 18/24/21. The lockable, drainable in-bed trunk fits a full-size cooler, a case of drinks and ice, or a duffel of surf gear - and it's out of sight in a shopping-center parking lot.
The best surf truck in Orange County
If you live between San Clemente and Huntington and your weekends revolve around Trestles, T-Street, Doheny, Salt Creek or 54th Street, the Ridgeline is quietly the most practical surf rig Honda has ever built. A few things nobody tells you until you own one:
- The bed swallows a longboard flat. The 64-inch bed will take shortboards and fish boards fully inside with the tailgate up. For 8-foot longboards or SUPs, the dual-action tailgate swings out to the side so you can lay boards flat on the bed floor with the tailgate down - no tie-down gymnastics, no roof rack required. Most 9'0" longboards ride with roughly a foot of overhang and a red flag.
- The in-bed trunk is the wetsuit trunk. The 7.3 cu-ft lockable, drainable trunk under the bed floor is engineered to be hosed out. Toss a soaked 3/2, booties and a wet towel in after a dawn patrol at Trestles, drive home, drain it, done - no salt water on your leather seats, nothing visible from a Pacific City parking lot.
- Truck-bed audio for the parking lot. The Ridgeline Black Edition includes the in-bed truck-bed audio system - the bed panels literally become speakers. It is a beach-lot cliche for a reason.
- Two 115V outlets in the bed. Charge a GoPro, run a small compressor for your SUP, or plug in a griddle for post-surf breakfast burritos at Salt Creek.
- AWD without the truck compromises. Unlike a Tacoma or Frontier, the Ridgeline rides on a unibody with independent rear suspension. That means it drives home from Trestles like a Pilot, not a work truck - a real difference on a 90-minute round trip up the 5.
- Fits every OC beach lot. At 210 inches long, the Ridgeline fits a standard California parking stall - which a full-size F-150 or Tundra will not. That matters at Doheny, San Onofre and Salt Creek, where tight lots and narrow lanes make a long truck a headache, and especially when you are hunting for street parking near the Trestles trailheads off Cristianitos Road.
Bring a couple of soft racks or a set of Yakima BedRock towers if you regularly haul 3+ longboards, but for a typical OC dawn-patrol loadout - one or two boards, a wetsuit, a cooler, and coffee - the Ridgeline handles it without a roof rack at all.
Service & maintenance
V6 oil changes run about $100-$130 at Honda dealers. Plan on $300-$450 for the 15k/30k services. RSM Honda's service department handles Ridgeline maintenance for owners across South OC. For financing and negotiating basics, see our Honda buying guide for Orange County.
RSM Honda · Rancho Santa Margarita
See live Ridgeline inventory at RSM Honda
Browse current Ridgeline trims and lease specials at RSM Honda - upfront pricing, no mandatory add-ons.