[8] According to the author of The Car Design Yearbook, the Ridgeline was "Honda's first foray into the true heartland of the American automotive way of life—the pickup truck.

[7][10] According to the author of Driving Honda, the automaker wanted to target buyers who were looking to transition out of sedans, minivans, and sport utility vehicles (SUV) into pickups.

[7] In 2001, the engineering team began experimenting with their first development mule, an extended version of a first generation Acura MDX with a competitor's pickup bed integrated into the rear structure, which they called "the Hondarado.

"[11] After four years of development, the final design was revealed to the public as Honda's Sport Utility Truck Concept at the 2004 North American International Auto Show.

[3] Later that same year, Honda unveiled a revised version of their pickup concept at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show and announced the official name of the vehicle, the Ridgeline.

[16] In the crew-cab, the unibody frame allowed for the construction of a cabin with 112 cu ft (3,171 L) of passenger volume and a flat floor (i.e. no transmission hump).

This aerodynamic design helps shield the rear glass window so when it's opened at speed there is no buffeting or rainwater intrusion.

[23] Inside the in-bed trunk are integrated cargo hooks and organizer slots to help manage up to 300 lb (136 kg) of material.

[23][26][27] The first generation Ridgeline has a four-wheel independent suspension using upright springs and dampers with MacPherson struts in front and a multi-link trailing arm with twin-tube gas filled hydraulic shocks in the rear providing 7.3 in (18.5 cm) front and 8.2 in (20.8 cm) rear of total wheel travel.

The VTM-4 system can also be electronically locked providing maximum torque to the rear wheels for better handling of adverse terrain or to assist the driver in becoming unstuck.

[3] Additionally, the first generation Ridgeline came equipment with a four-channel electronic stability control system—what Honda calls Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)—that is designed to enhance control during acceleration, cornering, and collision-avoidance maneuvers and can be manually disabled to prevent undesirable throttle intervention in off-road conditions.

[3][27] Honda's five–speed automatic transmission—also known as an automated manual transmission[31]—used in the Ridgeline has a four–shaft, vs the traditional three,[31] design with a flat three–stage torque converter and lock–up clutch that is managed by the PFM–FI's central processing unit.

[24][32] A powertrain control module and a block-mounted acoustic knock sensor work together to either retard or advance ignition timing to maximize engine performance with various octane gasolines.

[35] As you progress into more equivalent crew-cab, short-box, four-wheel drive mid-size trucks of that year, you still see features not found in the competition, such as:[3][23][36][37][38][39][40][41][42] For the US market, the first generation Ridgeline was produced in six different trim levels through its lifetime, starting in 2006 with the base model RT, followed by the RTS, and the RTL.

[3][26][43][44] The base model RT trim came with cruise control, power windows and locks with remote, six-speaker 100 W AM/FM/CD audio system, and more.

[3][35] The RTX trim added a class III tow hitch, four and seven-pin trailer wiring harness, Hexagonal style black grille, and 17 in (43.2 cm) gray painted aluminum alloy rims.

[44] For the Canadian market, the Ridgeline was produced in seven different trim levels throughout its production: DX, VP, LX, Sport, Special Edition, EX-L, and Touring.

[71] For the 2009 model year, the Ridgeline received its first refresh with over 50 different changes, including exterior and interior updates as well as drivetrain improvements.

[24][32] The US RTL trim gained a seven-pin trailer wiring harness, 18 in (45.7 cm) machine finished alloy rims, fog lights, and a 115 V/100 W AC inverter; if equipped with navigation, the US RTL also received a rearview camera displayed on the navigation screen, Class 2 Bluetooth with Honda's HandsFreeLink system and a multi-data/multilingual information display.

Honda introduced a new Sport trim for the US and Canadian markets with audio system updates such as: an auxiliary 3.5mm TRS stereo input jack, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, and a blackout exterior package highlighted with black accented 18 in (45.7 cm) alloy rims and a red "SPORT" grille badge.

[77][78] Pictorial evidence suggest the Chilean market received the 2012 updated taillights as well as the 2009 18 in (45.7 cm) alloy rims for their RTL trim.

[54] For the 2014 model year, Honda removed the VP trim from the Canadian lineup and added a new Special Edition package.

[87] As depicted on MSN Autos' website, when one compares the first generation Ridgeline's advertised interior, passenger volume, and total payload with the other mid-size trucks of its era—the Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Suzuki Equator, Dodge Dakota, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Ford Ranger, and GM's Colorado/Canyon—the Ridgeline has more amenities, greater interior space, and greater hauling capacity than its competition.

"[6] According to Bloomberg News, Honda hoped buyers would find it an attractive alternative to large SUVs and conventional pickup trucks.

"[94] Motor Trend conducted a long-term road test of the 2006 Ridgeline and stated that they "fully expected the hard-cores to be outraged" suggesting they would proclaim "It's a modified minivan," it "didn't qualify as a truck because of its unibody chassis and transverse-mounted engine," and that "it looks funny."

After a year in their long-term fleet, Motor Trend stated "the Ridgeline has ultimately made a few converts among our car-loving staff, some of whom would never consider themselves fans of anything with a pickup bed."

"[95] Others in the automotive press, such as The Driver's Seat TV, had similar views and also call the Ridgeline, "the Swiss Army knife of trucks."

Nissan's full-size Titan pickup also has fallen short of sales targets in this all-American segment, which...is proving tough for outsiders to crack.