Arguably, Honda builds among the best interiors in the business, and the Ridgeline takes that pedigree and runs with it. The seats are firm and the material feels like it will wear well; the instrumentation design is simple and clean; plastics go together and components fit well. There are soft touch surfaces where they count. This is simplicity defined by class-leading materials and assembly. Environmental and stereo controls are organized in their layout and based on three large aluminum knobs. These knobs are easy to use, and you can feel a heft to the dial when you change the temperature. With most of the controls designed around these dials and a few necessary buttons, clutter is virtually non-existent and the result is a grouping of instruments that are exceedingly easy to use and nice to look at. Driver gauges are big and obvious and carry through the circular theme. There are plenty of vents for driver and passenger, and the Ridgeline has two large outlet flip-up tops below the environmental controls. The outlets are a reminder that yes, this is a truck you’re riding in – and people do use these things for rough and dirty duty. There are a few misses, however -- namely the large inside door handles designed to evoke memories of your favorite power tool. And while they're great to hang onto, they seem garishly out of place. Hard plastics abound, too, but then this is a truck, right? The truck side of the Ridgeline is more apparent in the back row. Here, the real emphasis is on cargo and convenience, though a short ride in back was comfortable. The seat backs are at a slightly angled degree thought by Honda to be ideal for most people. It's probably right on the mark, but people tend to be funny about their seat positions. Ultimately, Honda designed the back to accommodate bikes and people. The real headline is when you flip up the seats – a very easy maneuver – and realize how much room is available to stow belongings. The floor seat rail, which locks down seats when down, doubles as a bike rail. With seats up, the back is large enough to fit a typical bicycle, and the rail keeps it locked down in one place. After all, it is a truck – it does have a bed – and carting around bikes or other forms of cargo is a primary obligation. From the inside, though, the Ridgeline feels like a car -- the overall quality of the interior eliminates many of the notorious, roughhewn interior compromises that can come with truck ownership. It’s as if you’re not really driving a truck – through the magic of paint and metal, it only looks like you’re driving a truck. You’re really driving an Accord that can tow 5,000 lbs. and has a large composite basket on its hood. It could happen. From seat quality to materials, fit and finish and design, the interior of the 2006 Honda Ridgeline sets the bar at a height some of the competition will have trouble reaching.
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