Compare the2023 Ford MaverickVS 2023 Honda Ridgeline

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Maverick are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Ridgeline doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Ford Maverick has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Ridgeline doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Maverick has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Ridgeline doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Maverick AWD’s optional Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Ridgeline doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Maverick’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Ridgeline doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The Maverick has standard 911 Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Ridgeline doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Maverick and the Ridgeline have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

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

	Maverick	Ridgeline
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22%	27%
Neck Compression	11 lbs.	20 lbs.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Maverick is safer than the Honda Ridgeline:

	Maverick	Ridgeline
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	87	93
Hip Force	200 lbs.	246 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	255	456
Hip Force	458 lbs.	615 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are almost 3 times as many Ford dealers as there are Honda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Maverick’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Maverick’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Ridgeline’s camshafts. If the Ridgeline’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

The Maverick has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Ridgeline doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

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 Ford Maverick Hybrid’s reliability 19 points higher than the Ridgeline and the Ford Maverick is rated 23 points higher than the Ridgeline.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in long-term dependability. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated below average.

Engine

The Maverick’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 262) than the Ridgeline’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Maverick gets better mileage than the Ridgeline:

			MPG
Maverick
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	40 city/33 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
		Tremor 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/24 hwy
Ridgeline
	AWD	3.5 SOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Maverick Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Ridgeline doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Ford Maverick higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Honda Ridgeline (3). This means the Maverick produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Ridgeline every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Maverick Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Ridgeline doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Maverick	Ridgeline
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12.6 inches

The Maverick stops much shorter than the Ridgeline:

	Maverick	Ridgeline
70 to 0 MPH	158 feet	195 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	142 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Maverick has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Ridgeline’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Maverick XLT AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Ridgeline RTL-E pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Maverick’s turning circle is 3.4 feet tighter than the Ridgeline’s (40 feet vs. 43.4 feet).

Chassis

The Ford Maverick may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 850 pounds less than the Honda Ridgeline.

The Maverick is 10.5 inches shorter than the Ridgeline, making the Maverick easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Maverick has .2 inches more front headroom, 1.9 inches more front legroom and .8 inches more rear headroom than the Ridgeline.

The front step up height for the Maverick is 2.1 inches lower than the Ridgeline (18” vs. 20.1”). The Maverick’s rear step up height is 1.7 inches lower than the Ridgeline’s (18.5” vs. 20.2”).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over bed design makes loading and unloading the Maverick easier. The Maverick’s bed lift-over height is 30.1 inches, while the Ridgeline’s liftover is 35.3 inches.

The Maverick has bed indentations that accommodate 2x4s for two-tiered loading to help accommodate diverse loads; the Ridgeline doesn’t offer two-tiered loading. The Maverick also has indentations to separate the cargo box into three different sections length-wise.

Towing

The Maverick Hybrid (except 2.0 Turbo) can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Maverick can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Ridgeline can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

The Maverick’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Ridgeline’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Maverick and the Ridgeline have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Maverick is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Ridgeline prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Maverick’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Ridgeline doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Maverick’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Ridgeline’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Maverick’s headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Ridgeline’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

The Maverick’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Ridgeline’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

Model Availability

The Maverick is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Ridgeline doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

The Maverick will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Maverick will retain 60.94% to 61.31% of its original price after five years, while the Ridgeline only retains 57.64% to 58.2%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Maverick will be $13424 to $16857 less than for the Honda Ridgeline.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Ford Maverick Hybrid as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its February 2022 issue and they ranked the Ford Maverick XLT higher than the Honda Ridgeline RTL.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Maverick third among midsize pickups in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Ridgeline isn’t in the top three.

The Maverick was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023. The Ridgeline hasn’t been picked since 2019.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Maverick as the 2022 North American Truck of the Year. The Ridgeline was last chosen in 2017.

The Ford Maverick outsold the Honda Ridgeline by 74% during 2022.

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