Compare the2022 Honda RidgelineVS 2021 Nissan Frontier

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Ridgeline deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Ridgeline’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Frontier’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Ridgeline has standard Collision Mitigation Braking System, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Frontier doesn't offer collision warning or crash mitigation brakes.

Full-time four-wheel drive is standard on the Ridgeline. Full-time four-wheel drive gives added traction for safety in all conditions, not just off-road, like the only system available on the Frontier. Four-wheel drive of any type costs extra on the Frontier.

The Honda Ridgeline has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous. The Frontier doesn’t offer Daytime Running Lights.

The Ridgeline’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Frontier doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Ridgeline RTL-E/Black Edition has standard Parking Sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Frontier doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The Ridgeline RTL/RTL-E/Black Edition’s blind spot warning system uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The Frontier doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Ridgeline RTL/RTL-E/Black Edition’s standard rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Frontier doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Ridgeline uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Frontier uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Ridgeline and the Frontier have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Ridgeline is safer than the Nissan Frontier:

	Ridgeline	Frontier
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	2 Stars

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Honda Ridgeline is safer than the Frontier Crew Cab:

	Ridgeline	Frontier
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	222	313
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	4 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	24 cm	32 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Femur Force R/L	.3/.1 kN	.6/3.3 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	0%/1%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.36/.54	1.77/1.37
Tibia forces R/L	1.6/.4 kN	4.7/1.8 kN

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the Ridgeline with standard seats is safer than the Frontier:

	Ridgeline	Frontier
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	36 mm	44 mm
Distance Below Top of Head	34 mm	48 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Pass
Torso Acceleration	10.9 g’s	12.4 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Medium
Max Neck Shearing Force	10	152
Max Neck Tension	367	645

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Ridgeline is 2.9% to 4.3% less likely to roll over than the Frontier.

Reliability

The engine in the Ridgeline has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Frontier has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Ridgeline’s reliability 14 points higher than the Frontier.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 8 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Ridgeline is faster than the Nissan Frontier:

	Ridgeline	Frontier
Zero to 60 MPH	6.3 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93.2 MPH	88.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Ridgeline gets better fuel mileage than the Frontier 4x4 (18 city/24 hwy vs. 17 city/23 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Ridgeline’s fuel efficiency. The Frontier doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Ridgeline’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Frontier doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Ridgeline has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Frontier doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Ridgeline’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Frontier:

	Ridgeline	Frontier King Cab	Frontier Crew Cab
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	11.1 inches	11.7 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.3 inches	11.3 inches

The Ridgeline stops much shorter than the Frontier:

	Ridgeline	Frontier
70 to 0 MPH	181 feet	199 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	134 feet	142 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	142 feet	156 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Ridgeline’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Frontier PRO-4X’s standard 75 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Ridgeline has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Frontier.

The Ridgeline has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Frontier doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Honda Ridgeline has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Nissan Frontier has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Ridgeline has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Ridgeline flat and controlled during cornering. The Frontier’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The front and rear suspension of the Ridgeline uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the Frontier, which uses leaf springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Ridgeline is 5.1 inches wider in the front and 5 inches wider in the rear than on the Frontier.

The Ridgeline Sport handles at .80 G’s, while the Frontier Short Bed PRO-4X Crew Cab 4x4 pulls only .70 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Ridgeline Black Edition executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the Frontier Short Bed PRO-4X Crew Cab 4x4 (27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 29.4 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

Chassis

The Ridgeline is 9.2 inches shorter than the Frontier Long Bed Crew Cab, making the Ridgeline easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction makes the Ridgeline’s chassis much stiffer, which contributes to better handling, and enables softer springs to be used for a better ride. Unibody construction’s stiffness also contributes to better durability and less body squeaks and rattles. The Frontier doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The Ridgeline uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Frontier doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Ridgeline has 2.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Frontier Crew Cab (109.7 vs. 107).

Cargo Capacity

The Ridgeline has a much larger cargo box than the Frontier Crew Cab shortbed (33.9 vs. 27.1 cubic feet). The Ridgeline has a larger cargo box than the Frontier Crew Cab longbed (33.9 vs. 33.5 cubic feet).

Payload and Towing

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Ridgeline uses the Vehicle Stability Assist sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Frontier doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Ridgeline has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Frontier Short Bed PRO-4X Crew Cab (1583 vs. 1020 lbs.).

The Ridgeline has a much higher optional payload capacity than the Frontier Short Bed Crew Cab 4x4 (1583 vs. 1360 lbs.).

Servicing Ease

The Ridgeline has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The Frontier doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

A Maintenance Minder is standard on the Ridgeline to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, spark plug replacement, air filter replacement, tire rotation, radiator flush, brake pad replacement and transmission fluid replacement based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Nissan doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Frontier.

Ergonomics

The Ridgeline has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Frontier doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The engine computer on the Ridgeline disables the starter while the engine is running. The Frontier’s starter can be accidentally engaged while the engine is running, making a grinding noise and possibly damaging the starter and ring gear.

To help each driver find a more comfortable driving position, the Ridgeline has a telescoping steering wheel. Much better than just a tilt steering wheel or adjustable seat, this allows a short driver to sit further from the steering wheel while maintaining contact with the pedals. The Frontier doesn’t offer a telescoping steering wheel.

When two different drivers share the Ridgeline RTL/RTL-E/Black Edition, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Frontier doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Ridgeline RTL/RTL-E/Black Edition’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Frontier doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Ridgeline’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Frontier’s power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Ridgeline the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Frontier can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Smart Entry standard on the Ridgeline allows you to unlock the driver’s door, tailgate and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading cargo, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Nissan Frontier’s Push Button Start doesn’t unlock the doors or the tailgate.

The Ridgeline’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Frontier’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Ridgeline has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Frontier doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

Consumer Reports rated the Ridgeline’s headlight performance “Fair,” a higher rating than the Frontier’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Ridgeline’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Frontier’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

The Ridgeline has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Frontier has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the PRO-4X.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Ridgeline RTL-E/Black Edition detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Frontier doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

The Ridgeline has standard power remote mirrors. The Frontier S doesn’t offer either a remote driver side or passenger side mirror. The driver will have to roll down the windows and reach across the car to adjust the mirrors.

When the Ridgeline RTL-E/Black Edition is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Frontier’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

On extremely cold winter days, the Ridgeline RTL-E/Black Edition’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Frontier doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Ridgeline has a standard dual zone air-conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air-conditioning costs extra on the Frontier and isn’t available on the Frontier S.

The Ridgeline’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Frontier S doesn’t offer automatic air-conditioning.

Both the Ridgeline and the Frontier offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Ridgeline has standard rear air-conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Frontier doesn’t offer rear air-conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Ridgeline has a standard Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Frontier doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Ridgeline RTL-E/Black Edition has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Frontier doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Ridgeline RTL-E/Black Edition has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Frontier doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® chose the Honda Ridgeline as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Nissan Frontier isn't recommended.

The Ridgeline was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 5 years. The Frontier has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Ridgeline as the 2017 North American Truck of the Year. The Frontier has never been chosen.