2025 Honda Ridgeline vs 2025 Chevy Colorado

In the world of midsize pickups, competition is fierce. The segment has grown dramatically, with drivers looking for models that balance capability, comfort, and efficiency. The rivalry between the 2025 Honda Ridgeline vs 2025 Chevy Colorado showcases two distinct approaches from trusted, well-established automotive brands. Honda and Chevrolet are revered for building reliable, capable vehicles, and the Ridgeline and Colorado undeniably continue that tradition in 2025.

The 2025 Ridgeline and 2025 Colorado offer distinct advantages and appeal to different kinds of drivers. Yet, there’s a clear choice for shoppers who want a vehicle that blends daily livability with the versatility of a weekend warrior without compromising comfort or value. The 2025 Ridgeline lives up to the brand’s reputation for doing things differently, with its SUV-like design ensuring its lead against its rougher-riding rival.

Drivers reap the rewards of Honda’s ingenuity and outside-the-box thinking. The Ridgeline’s unique construction pays off in terms of ride comfort, cabin accommodations, and practicality. Meanwhile, the 2025 Colorado offers a traditional approach that builds on the truck’s established reputation as a tough, capable off-roader. However, that capability always comes at a cost. The Ridgeline promises and delivers a more user-friendly package that shouldn’t be ignored or overlooked.

As your Honda destination, we admit that we’re biased. Yet, comparing the 2025 Ridgeline with the 2025 Colorado in terms of ride quality, interior comfort, utility, and value reveals Honda’s success in building a well-rounded and versatile truck. Here’s a closer look at those characteristics and why your search for a midsize marvel will hopefully end with you as part of the Honda family.

What type of ride quality and performance do you expect from your truck? The 2025 Ridgeline and 2025 Colorado share the same segment, but they offer vastly different performance styles. The Colorado is all brawn and no refinement, while the Ridgeline provides a distinct balance with a smooth ride and plenty of capability.

At first glance, it’s easy to assume that the body-on-frame Colorado has an edge against its Honda rival. When it comes to towing, and Chevy’s adventure-ready off-road trims like the ZR2 Bison, the 2025 Colorado makes a strong case. The truck’s turbocharged inline-four engine produces enough horsepower and torque to support high maximum towing and payload capacities, although many shoppers will be disappointed to see just four cylinders.

Yet, real-world performance is more than just raw numbers; it’s about your experience behind the wheel and how the truck handles and responds. Does it instill confidence in any condition? The 2025 Ridgeline pulls ahead, offering a more refined ride quality and better handling than the body-on-frame Colorado. Honda’s proven 3.5L V6 engine sits under the hood, producing 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque, with a smooth-shifting nine-speed automatic transmission offering a wider gear range than the Colorado’s eight-speed automatic.

The Ridgeline’s unibody construction plays a pivotal role in the engine’s output, heightening its responsiveness and proving its competency at any speed. This refined performance ensures it handles more like an SUV, with the added bonus of towing up to 5,000 lbs and carrying a payload of up to 1,583 lbs. The combination is unmatched, considering the Ridgeline handles more like an SUV than its truck-like exterior suggests.

Chevrolet encourages drivers to explore their penchant for adventure with a trail-ready trim, like the Trail Boss, Z71, or ZR2, which outfit the 2025 Colorado with more rugged components and four-wheel drive. Yet, those upgrades also mean spending significantly more on Chevy’s midsize truck without enjoying the refined ride quality or composed handling of the 2025 Ridgeline.

Honda ensures the Ridgeline is competent on any terrain by making all-wheel drive standard across the lineup. The Ridgeline’s sophisticated i-VTM4 AWD system uses a twin-clutch rear drive unit and works with Intelligent Traction Management modes and the truck’s engaging V6 engine. The combination ensures the 2025 Ridgeline can competently handle any situation, with the drive modes letting you tailor the truck’s performance to your driving style or the terrain. Behind the scenes, the all-wheel drive system, which was tested to its limits in some of the most severe weather conditions in America at the Automotive Enviro Testing facility in Minnesota, continuously monitors road conditions and wheel slippage to send power to the wheels that need it, enhancing your control and fostering confidence on any terrain.

The 2025 Ridgeline and 2025 Colorado share the midsize segment, boasting similar footprints and weight ratings that reflect as much. Yet, the 2025 Ridgeline’s unibody platform offers an undeniable advantage over the body-on-frame Colorado. How so? The Ridgeline’s SUV-based platform means a more spacious and versatile interior compared to the body-on-frame Colorado.

Step inside the 2025 Ridgeline, and you’ll immediately notice Honda’s attention to comfort and usability. While the 2025 Colorado is functional, its interior is characterized by hard plastics, a cramped back seat, and lower-quality materials that reflect its truck-based design. The Colorado isn’t luxurious by any means (and the lack of a top-tier luxury trim proves as much), giving the Ridgeline far more appeal as a well-rounded, refined, and versatile option.

We see this approach throughout the cabin, particularly in the backseat. The trucks share similar dimensions, but Honda does far more with the Ridgeline’s cabin. For example, the 2025 Colorado offers a mere 34.7 inches of legroom in the backseat, 56.1 inches of shoulder room, and 53.1 inches of hip room. These measurements don’t seem terrible until you consider the 2025 Ridgeline’s far more spacious backseat, which boasts 36.7 inches of legroom, 61.5 inches of shoulder room, and 56.6 inches of hip room for a total passenger volume of 109.7 cu.ft.

The 2025 Colorado and 2025 Ridgeline are competent road warriors, but the Ridgeline proves to be far more functional and innovative than its Chevy rival. Honda uses the Ridgeline’s unibody platform to heighten its versatility. Because of this, you can expect a responsive and refined ride that doesn’t compromise the functionality of its truck-like design. Drivers get the best of both worlds.

In contrast, the 2025 Colorado has a body-on-frame platform that doesn’t offer this advantage. Instead, a few interior storage compartments can accommodate smaller items in the cabin. Beyond this, you’ll have to rely on the Colorado’s bed and tailgate, both of which come with limitations compared to the Ridgeline.

When it comes to hauling cargo, it’s impossible to beat the 2025 Ridgeline’s versatility. The Ridgeline’s bed has a total cargo volume of 33.9 cu.ft., measuring 83 inches long with the tailgate down. The design reflects the Ridgeline’s status as a midsize truck, but Honda doesn’t stop there and adds a Lockable In-Bed Trunk to complement the lay-flat truck bed and the industry’s first-ever Dual-Action Tailgate that opens down or to the side. The Lockable In-Bed Trunk adds to the Ridgeline’s functionality and capacity, adding 7.3 cu.ft. of storage area with a drain plug.

Another area where the 2025 Ridgeline shines is value, a factor drivers can’t ignore when investing in a truck. Honda and Chevrolet are both respected automakers, but Honda capitalizes on that reputation by packing the Ridgeline’s 2025 lineup with more standard features and technologies that offer drivers far more for their money.

The 2025 Colorado starts at $31,900, seemingly giving it an advantage over the 2025 Ridgeline, which starts at $40,150.[a] Yet, consider what you get for your investment. The 2025 Colorado WT is an entry-level trim with minimal features beyond a center touchscreen, a Driver Information Center, and the Chevy Safety Assist suite. It’s designed as a fleet vehicle, with Chevrolet enticing individual drivers to spend significantly more on a better-equipped trim like the LT, Trail Boss, Z71, or ZR2.

Rather than asking drivers to settle for less or lower their standards, Honda ensures the 2025 Ridgeline offers tangible value across the lineup. The base Ridgeline Sport defies expectations, rolling off Honda’s production line as the most well-rounded option in the segment because of its industry-first Dual-Action Tailgate, Lockable In-Bed Trunk, and i-VTM4 AWD system. These features are the foundation for the rest of the trim family, which includes the RTL with its heated front seats, the TrailSport with its off-road-tuned suspension and all-terrain tires, and the opulent Black Edition with its exclusive details and red ambient LED lighting.

Technology is another area where the 2025 Ridgeline leads rivals like the 2025 Colorado. While both trucks feature extensive digital displays with seamless smartphone integration, premium entertainment systems, and in-vehicle apps, there’s a crucial difference that showcases Honda’s value-centric approach. Honda offers a range of standard safety and driver-assist technologies, providing comprehensive coverage to help you navigate the road with confidence.

The 2025 Colorado rolls off Chevrolet’s production line with Chevy Safety Assist. The suite features six advanced driver-assist technologies, starting with IntelliBeam Auto High Beams and a Following Distance Indicator. Drivers also benefit from Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Front Pedestrian Braking, and Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning. With many of these features considered industry-wide standards, there’s the question of how the 2025 Ridgeline is better equipped. Honda extends its renowned Honda Sensing Suite to include standard Adaptive Cruise Control on every trim, heightening the Ridgeline’s value and complementing the truck’s SUV-like handling as it expertly adjusts its cruising speed based on the flow of traffic.

There’s no denying that the 2025 Honda Ridgeline and 2025 Chevy Colorado bring compelling strengths to the midsize segment. The Colorado shines with its off-road capabilities and rugged aesthetic. Yet, those strengths are also its weaknesses, making it less appealing to buyers who want a smoother ride, better handling, and more versatility from their truck. Where the Chevrolet is all brawn, the Ridgeline strikes the perfect balance between comfort, capability, value, and versatility.

The 2025 Ridgeline is an exceptional option for customers like you who value comfort and versatility. Honda’s midsize marvel can transition easily between your weekday commute and weekend adventures, whether it’s time to tackle a DIY project at the house or tow a boat to your favorite fishing spot. The 2025 Ridgeline is always up for the task, and as your dedicated automotive partner and home away from home, we’re here to bring your Ridgeline dreams to life at Ralph Honda.