Honda Ridgeline

With the Ridgeline, Honda has evolved the concept of the pickup, creating a smart, car-based truck aimed squarely at the actual needs of most pickup owners. The second-generation Ridgeline looks much more conventional than the original Ridgeline and remains sensible. Other car-based trucks have since emerged, but the Ridgeline remains one of the most civilized pickup trucks we've ever tested.

But it isn't a conventional workhorse. Towing capacity at 5,000 pounds is nothing to boast about. The bed is shallow. The Ridgeline is no off-road champ, so this isn't the truck for anyone planning to cross the Rubicon Trail. Payload capacity of 1,584 pounds is comparable to other compact pickups and a couple of hundred pounds less than full-size trucks. On top of these modest credentials, the Ridgeline doesn't project the same indestructible image as other pickups. Instead of evoking frontier-taming fantasies, the Ridgeline aims right at your rationale. And rational it is. The composite bed will never rust and is scratch resistant. The built-in trunk is weathertight, will hold more than just a tool box, and is lockable. The rear gate can either swing out like a door or open like any other truck.