Video: 2008 Honda Ridgeline

Now there's some innovations here in this truck that we haven't seen from other guys. And especially not from the Detroit auto makers who are known for their pickup trucks. One of the things you'll notice, yes, the tailgate opens like that, conventionally. Pretty simple stuff. But also there's a handle underneath here that opens it as a swing gate. Another thing that you're not going to see anywhere else is this in bed storage. What this does is it gives you a storage space that's out of sight and it's lockable, which is not true of other pickup trucks. Now what we have in here is ice and a couple of sodas because there is a drain plug in the bottom. We can actually drain the water out after we're done using it. Even with this space taken up, you've got a little shelf on the side and the spare tire fits underneath the cargo bed too. So it doesn't have to be mounted underneath the truck. The center console is pretty innovative too. There's a small bin up top here. That's a little bit more common, but under it, you get a little tray storage area for something like a fast food bag or purse or something like that. When you slide this part forward, it moves the cup holders forward, but it opens a big deep bin here that has little subdivided compartments. You can move the dividers wherever you want them. And then this tray also slides forward to open up the entire area. The optional GPS navigation system in the Ridgeline is a good one. First of all, it hides the six CD changer, pretty neat way behind the door here. One of the things we like about the Honda system here is that it has a zoom button, an actual physical button on the side. It's a rocker switch instead of a little plus and minus arrow on the screen itself. For a long time, the only pickup trucks that had crew cabs, where you could fit five adults, including in the back seat, they were all professional grade. Now it's happening more and more in the lighter trucks and the ones that might be used for personal use. Here we have a couple six plus footers in the front seat, and there's also a lot of room in the back seat. <v Narrator>For additional information on this car or any other go to cars.com and our blog, Kicking Tires.