1 is a truck. The other is a unibody car. It will really depend on how much hauling you do.
The new Ridgeline does look more truck like, than the previous model.

Why do you say the Ridgeline can't haul as much? I have a 2017 Ridgeline. At the time, it had a higher payload rating than the Tacoma. Maybe this has changed?

Just make sure you look at the payload rating for the exact model you are interested in. At the time I was buying, the Tacoma had a higher payload rating it's base model, but it was much lower once you added the crew cab and 4wd, etc.

If you’re approaching it from the standpoint of keeping it for hundreds of thousands of miles, I wouldn’t be concerned about the resale value. We’ve got a 2007 4Runner 8cyl that has 310K on it and a 2001 Tacoma 6cyl with 290K. Also had a 1990 4cyl that blew the engine at about 140K, dropped a rebuilt engine in it for another 50K. That said, those are all 10 years plus experiences in terms of build quality so ymmv....if comfort is the main driver and the Honda fits you better, you may want to think about that if you’re not gonna keep it for a long time/miles and you’re uncertain about the Honda build quality.

I've got 270k on an 02 Tacoma. It has been a great truck. Decent on gas and very inexpensive to maintain.

I'm biased because I own one, but love my Tacoma. I have a full cab with 5 ft bed. Large community at the tacomaworld forum. I never liked how the Ridgeline looked. Every now and then I wish I would have bought the 6ft bed,but I got a steal on the 5ft version from a guy who was about to move overseas and needed a quick sale

Get a taco truck, you won't regret it.

Love my Ridgeline, it's all the "truck" most people will need. Drive both, taco can't compete with Ridgeline in cabin comfort and ride quality. If you go off-road, get a taco, it's a good truck.

Made a simple platform to get above wheel wells for my 2011 Tacoma and hauled two pins side by side. The truck is a workhorse. 4x4 is great at the beach and in the snow. I chose the 4cyl. due to the fact I don’t tow anything, but still has great pickup speed. Comfy interior for long journeys, decent gas mileage, reliable, looks great nearly 10 yrs later in terms of style too.

Bought my Ridgeline in 2011 and absolutely love it... I have not had one problem with this truck, just routine oil and air filter changes and it keeps on going. Also a pin fits almost perfect in the back with about 1" to spare. The side open tailgate makes it easier to load most things and the hidden ice chest under the body is perfect for hauling stuff you don't want in the cab, ie,, gas, trash, etc... And can't live without the remote start in the winter...

No wheel wells in the Ridgeline bed. The bed is also wider than the taco. You can lay full sheets of plywood, etc flat in the bed.

Taco bed is deeper. So, if you have a cover on it, you can fit taller things under the cover than you can in the Ridgeline.

So, it's all in what you want.

Ridgeline also has the awesome trunk in the bed. Very useful. But, not as useful if you are going to have stuff loaded on top of it so you can't open it.

You just need to get whichever one suits your needs better.

I would argue that the Ridgeline can haul more. I know that you (op) think that the taco can haul more. Maybe you mean the tow rating? Ridgeline has a lower tow rating. But it tows very capably.

Taco has better ground clearance. Which is good if you ever go off road. But it's also good if you are ever in really deep snow.

They feel very different when you drive them. Many people will have a definite preference one way or the other in that regard.

ETA: all of my comments are based on 2017 model. There may have been changes made since then

.

If you were looking at crossovers and now pickups,. The Ridgeline is perfect. You are overanalyzing this, worried about hood prop tip? Really? I mean, if you open the hood that much and it breaks, how much can a replacement be.

Drive both, see what you like. But if you were first looking at a crossover, the Ridgeline is going to be more like it

Ok know the truck fans won’t like this, but... why a truck? For pins and couches other than the macho factor. A good crossover works well. I drive an MDX and can get two pins in it and haul in the rain. But looking to replace it with either an all wheel drive Toyota van, or something like the Chevy Traverse. Both generally better mileage than a truck, better ride as a daily driver, and all weather pin hauler. And I do tow a boat.

Still got my 93 from high school

Spending its retirement as a ranch truck hauling stuff around the property these days

280k miles...like a rock?

9AEC0FBF-15E6-45EC-B35A-C2F2EBFEDDB8 (resized).jpeg

Own a 2016 Tacoma off road 4x4 access cab. Wanted the 6’ bed. It’s a great truck.

I’ve read rumors about Toyota having a diesel motor available in the 2020 Tacoma. That would be nice.

I’ve owned 2 Honda Ridgelines. Great vehicle, I’d definitely recommend it. Toyota Tacoma is really nice too, I like the look much better than ridgeline. It’s really up to personal preference, as both are great

Toyota SRS in dark grey looks like a sports car and truck combined. Easy to get parts forToyota as well. And you don’t have to deal with all the “on star” tracking bullshit that can shut you down quick from a hacked satellite (if the day ever comes).

I have a Chevy Colorado with a short box and it is perfect for moving pins.

My wife has a newer style Honda Pilot.....very nice vehicle. However, the newest Honda Ridgeline is the Transgender Auto of the Year. Started life as a Pilot, then had a midlife crisis and had a truck change operation. The older ones are more “trucky”...but the new ones are hideous. Modern day El Camino, anyone?

2A2951CB-DDD5-4AC5-A8D1-0C1F34DA8C22 (resized).jpeg

I’m on my 3rd Ridgeline It’s the perfect “lifestyle” truck for me. The new style is much more to my liking than the old. I have 8 Tacoma’s in our work fleet. Much more of a work truck. Both run forever. I’m over 200,000 miles on about 4 of them, including the older model Ridge. For me personally , it’s the Ridgeline all day

Tacoma hands down, resale value alone.

Bought a Ridgeline 6 months ago and I am very happy with it. Did just get a second recall. Honda gives a loaner during the repairs and at least they are fixing thier issues. As others have said more of a larger car then a truck but easily more comfortable. Not sure on the resale comments of one over the other.
Mine has the optional bed speaker system which is pretty cool. Along with the bed 110Vac plug and the underbid storage/cooler a pretty sweet tailgate package.

They both might be called trucks but the ridge line in more a Honda Pilot with the back cut out for the bed.

To confuse it further - have you looked at the new ranger?

73E508B1-DBB4-4A0B-B9D3-87A12F692348 (resized).jpeg
The Tacoma is badass. Get the 6’ bed & a canopy for sure. Shifting issue has been resolved with a software update
Ridgelines are for girls or video game nerds.

Has anyone put a topper on the ridgeline? Maybe it looks better with one of those on the bed.

Or you could just be secure in your manhood and buy whichever one best suits your needs.

For example, in my case, I wanted to be able to carry a snowmobile in the bed, should the need arise. The Tacoma payload rating was simply too low, and the bed was too small with the wheel wells in the way. Ridgeline was perfect.

Others have different requirements, that's why there's different trucks out there.

Owned a tacoma. Great truck. Rode a little rough, but other than that, it was perfect. I had a full size GMC after that and always felt like I was steering an aircraft carrier through parking lots. It was just too big for my needs, but YMMV.

I would get a 4Runner myself. Just got a new Toyota Sienna for my wife, awesome vehicle. I've learned my lesson too many times with other vehicle manufacturers. I'll stick to my Toyotas.

Love my Tacoma! Went all around this decision Taco, Rigdgeline, Colorado... arrived at the Tacoma, no regrets. Transmission is a little geary... doesn't have the ride of the Ridgeline, but I prefer that. Colorado is nice but I don't care for the styling of that, it kind of sits funny (not a real big fan of Chevy trimming). These were all personal choices of course but Toyota has a pretty good track record regardless.

Long live my Tacoma!

961D1C70-54B3-45BD-80A9-69A8327C27C8 (resized).jpeg

The new Tacoma fully loaded looks sick...I drive a "soccer mom"(as my friend love to call it) MDX Advance...has all the bells and whistles, handles nice etc, bad mpg....but I really wish I bought a crew cab Denali instead. I've been going nuts not having a truck (always had a beater Sierra but frames/etc rot like no tomorrow)....If I had to choose between the Honda and the Toyota... Tacoma all day (Sorry, I think the Ridgeline is hideous)

I have a 2017 Tacoma. It's ok. Definitely has it's quirks.

Resale value on Ridgeline is very high and not everyone needs a body-on-frame truck built to tow a yacht.
But really, our opinions on this are not worth much. Drive and decide for your self.

I owned a 2006 Nissan Frontier years ago. Really liked it. Powerful, great bed track system, awesome in snow/mud, decent gas mileage, and cheaper than anything comparable. It was a bit Spartan, but I was fine with that. Ended up having a small engine issue.in retrospect I wish I had kept it.

I've been off Honda for years. Felt as though they were milking everyone on features. You had to get nearly the most expensive package to get Bluetooth, etc. While competitors(Hyundai) were giving the customer value.

I'm sure times have changed, but that's my lasting impression.

I agree about the aesthetics of the Honda, I just don't care for them, but that's me, not you. I don't care for VW bugs either, so there you go.

Sounds as though resale is not the issue here. A main factor should be long term cost in repairs.

Good luck, and enjoy whatever you decide upon.

I own a 2012 Honda Ridgeline and love it. I also like the Tacoma but feel the Ridgeline meet my needs a little better. I like the option to fold the tailgate down or open it like a barn door. I am not sure about the new models but mine has the trunk built into the bed and it holds a massive amount of stuff. This trunk allows you to haul groceries, tools, gear, etc without taking up cabin space or having it roll around in the bed. It also locks and most people don’t even know it is there. Mine is all time 4wd and I still get about 20-22 mpg on the interstate. I have hauled several pins / arcade games in the back with no issue. I have never owned a Tacoma so I can’t speak to that but just wanted to give my input in the Ridgeline. That being said, when I do replace my Ridgeline, I will probably look to the extended cab Tundra for even more space and bigger back seat.

One more point on the Ridgeline. It is excellent in the snow! I was surprised at how well it performed this year when I put it into snow mode. I understand the comments on the looks, and I kinda looked at the Ridgeline as a hybrid SUV/Pickup. The drive difference made the real difference for me . You can not go wrong with the Toyota in any case either.

Tacoma's problem is the tiny interior. I'm 6'3, and love my 14 Tundra. Second one, had a Tacoma and 4runner before them. Not one problem with any of them.

Is Nissan Frontier an option? I own a 2004 Titan that I purchased new that now has around 220,000 miles on it. It has been a great truck and extremely reliable throughout the years. I've had multiple unsolicited offers over the years from others to buy it, but I'll own it until either it dies or I die, whichever comes first.

I do a lot of work around my house. I like to have a payloader dump a load of crushed stone, mulch, etc into my truck. It's a lot easier for me then putting a whole bunch of Home Depot bags of stone or mulch into the back of an MDX or a van. I also have a rototiller and some other machines that I can drive right into the back of my truck with some ramps. There's a lot of things that can be done with a truck that don't make it just a macho factor.

Out of the two choices you gave I would go with the Tacoma.

Colorado zr2 might be something to consider.

Ta Co Ma!!

353384A4-24B2-4B6C-BA19-A44C76CBE6CA (resized).jpeg

Ridgeline - minivan truck. Has creature comforts...but that's because it is a car pretty much. El Camino.

Tacoma - badass, proven reliability, looks, resale.

No question if you want a "truck".

We were looking really hard at a truck before settling on a Traverse and I'm glad I did. The extra seating and covered hauling has been totally worth it for us.

I hear you on this, but you can pull a trailer.....that's what my mentality was when I "settled" for my MDX (fits 95% of needs). God it's a pain with the trailer, currently looking for another beater truck.

This! Love my Grand Cherokee, but when it's time for mulch, stone, ball bowlers, furniture, etc. I need to hook up the trailer, , , , and stay off of parkways, which means lots of extra time for most trips.

I drive a glorified mini van, but it works for me. Guessing your MDX is the same.

I rarely post on anything involving cars or trucks, too many fanboys who post too much BS about why one is better than the other. Any hoo got to ask if you have over 300k on a Chevy did you bother to check out the Colorado? Or even the new Ranger?

Real quick on the Rigeline. My uncle had an F150 he loved but as he got older it was tough to get in and out so he went to a SUV for his last 2 vehicles. He missed the pickup quite a bit. Even with running boards they we real hard to get up into for him, even the midsize trucks. The 2018 Ridgeline he got fit the bill for him, has a bed, easy to get in. He doesn't love the looks of it though. He did say if he could he would go back to a full size in a heartbeat.

My 2 cents is drive them all pick the one you like.

Our 2006 Ridgeline has been trouble free, is a blast to drive, and has all the comforts you could want. Tough enough to pull tree stumps and haul lumber. And yes, I've owned multiple brands, Chevy, Ford, and Toyota.

Test drive and buy whatever you like. They're all pretty good.

I had a couple of 5th gen 4Runners which is basically the same chassis and engine as the Taco. The Toyota are a solid vehicle, but plain on features and creature comforts. One year they will add LED tail lights, the next year maybe a better radio. I hate how some (most?) auto makers milk the product line like that. Anyhow, what I hated about the Toyota V6 is that it's gutless. They can also be stubborn to downshift for quicker acceleration. The transmission also has an annoying shift point at city speed limit (50kph) which means in city driving it forces you to speed a bit in order to keep the shifts from going up and down. Mostly minor grievances, but I would still take a Taco (or 4Runner) over the Honda. Oh, and I just despise the front fascia on the new 4Runners - absolutely hideous.

Rob