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Honda’s first pickup truck carries on the automaker’s tradition of innovative, even quirky, vehicles that offer style and content that no one else has.

The long-awaited Ridgeline packs a load of unique features, chief among them a spacious locking trunk under the cargo bed and a tailgate that swings down, like a traditional pickup, or off to the side.

Ridgeline is more of an SUV with a pickup bed than any sort of worksite pickup truck. In Honda’s view, Ridgeline has the capabilities most drivers need in a pickup while providing a carlike interior and drivability.

So instead of going up against the strong cadre of brawny pickup trucks from domestic and import automakers, Ridgeline takes off on its own. Though similar to Chevrolet Avalanche/Cadillac Escalade EXT, with the bed merged into the four-door cabin, Ridgeline is a different animal altogether.

Honda engineers integrated a unibody structure, like that of a car, with a heavy frame, like that of a truck. This setup results in more firmness and rigidity than other pickups, which use separate bodies and beds bolted to their frames.

Ridgeline has all-independent suspension, also unique in this class, for better ride and handling. It could be considered a “crossover” combining car structure with truck attributes.

Base prices start at $27,700 and $31,490 for the top model tested here.

Honda is not trying to capture traditional pickup drivers, who use their trucks for hauling, towing or hardcore off-roading. The goal here is to attract new customers who want to use their pickups as family cars.

The lowdown

PERFORMANCE: The tough-truck crowd will turn up their noses at Ridgeline, which lacks the muscle of a V-8 or the torque of a diesel. The only engine available is a 3.5-liter, 255 horsepower V-6.

But this is a superbly refined V-6, smooth and responsive, with plenty of power to move this 4,500-pound vehicle. It’s mated to a five-speed automatic that shifts imperceptibly and right on the money.

Fuel mileage rates a fair, with an EPA estimate of 16 city, 21 highway.

DRIVABILITY: The unibody structure, independent suspension, stability control and all-wheel-drive system help Ridgeline drive and handle like a well-mannered crossover SUV.

All around, a nice handling, responsive pickup that contrasts well against the buckboard rides of its competition.

Honda does need to fix the column-mounted shifter, which feels awkward and sloppy.

STYLING: Ridgeline has a look that people either accept or reject because of its blocky front, sloping siderails and funky grooves along the sides.

The integral trunk is a brilliant feature, a big 8.5-cubic-foot space that is weatherproof and provides a secure place to tuck things away. The bed is short at just 5-feet long but wide as a full-size truck’s.

INTERIOR: The carlike interior boasts an accommodating design, space for five and a high-quality feel to the seats and dashboard.

But some things don’t work. The center console, which slides and adjusts into various configurations, feels cheap and tacky. So does the flimsy door in the center of the dash.

The door handles are huge and clash badly with the rest of the soft interior design. At first glance, they’re shockingly weird.

BOTTOM LINE: A cleverly designed vehicle that could change the definition of pickup truck.

Pricing

Base price: $31,490.

Price as tested: $35,155.

OPTIONS

* Moonroof, XM satellite radio system and GPS navigation system, $3,150.

* Shipping, $515.

Reality check

How our featured car compares with others in its class.

Chevrolet Avalanche LT

Vehicle type: Five-passenger, four-door pickup truck

Base price: $37,010.4

Engine: 5.3-liter V-8, 295 horsepower at 5,200 rpm, 335 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm

Wheel base: 130 inches

EPA rating: 14 city, 18 highway

Ford Explorer Sport Trac XLT

Vehicle type: Five-passenger, four-door pickup truck

Base price: $28,415

Engine: 4-liter V-6, 210 horsepower at 5,200 rpm, 240 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 rpm

Wheel base: 125.9 inches

EPA rating: 15 city, 20 highway

Second opinions

ROAD MANNERS: Although acceptable on mild dirt roads, the Ridgeline excels on the highway. The body is rock solid, and the four-wheel independent suspension gives it a supple feel. Combining unit-body construction with a light ladder frame greatly improves rigidity. — Matt Nauman, San Jose Mercury-News

MAYBE IT’S UGLY: Reasonable people often disagree on matters of taste, so Honda could be right when it says the blunt styling will make buyers swoon with desire. But it also seems possible that Ridgeline could replace the Pontiac Aztek as the automotive metaphor for ugly. — James R. Healey, USA Today

For more on the Honda Ridgeline, go to autos.azcentral.com.