As others have said, it really depends on your needs. However, it sounds like yours may be similar to mine. I don't have a boat or trailer, so towing is not a consideration for me. I do haul things like mulch, plants, furniture and lumber on occasion. Went with a Ridgeline. My reasons were. If you have a tricky back, the two-way tailgate is a godsend since you don't have to lift over the tailgate to put bags of mulch in the bed, it rides like a car so if you plan to take it on road trips, it is very comfortable. The interior was, by far, the most comfortable (compared to the top trim levels of the Canyon, Colorado and Tacoma) we test drove. The ability to lay 4x8 drywall or plywood has also been nice as is the locking bedtrunk. Best of all, my wife loves it, which means she runs errands in it so we're not putting the miles on her car.

From a practical, analytical point of view it was by far the best option for me. What I had to get past was the exterior aesthetics. I much prefer the exterior of the Canyon or Tacoma. So as soon as I got the Honda I had to add a lift kit, eliminate the rake, XD wheels with AT tires, and roof rack. While still not as 'pretty' as the others, it is certainly acceptable to my eyes.

You'll never reach agreement. Much of that is due to the underlying visceral element some have and some don't. Some look at vehicles as simply modes of transportation...it gets me and my stuff from point A to point B. (Seems like too-many-pins falls in this category.) Others have a visceral connection with their cars/trucks. Look at me, I spent big bucks to immediately replace the wheels, tires, add lift kit, etc. on a brand new Ridgeline. Net impact, reduced gas mileage and reduced handling while making the ride rougher. Yeah, I can rationalize as superior off-roading performance. But, other than it really eating up the potholes around here, I'm not rock hopping, so it's a stupid economic decision but the bottom line is, I like the way it looks.
Seeing pics of other trucks on here with after market wheels, seems like many of you feel the same.

My car before this was a modified Golf R. Not very practical but very fun to drive. I love std transmission (the Ridgeline was my first automatic). Used to be you could rationalize better performance but with the fancy, sophisticated double clutch stuff out there these days that logic no longer holds water. But I like the visceral experience of a manual. My wife has a performance car. If I'm in the house when she fires it up, I admit, I smile when I hear that distinctive deep exhaust note.

So for those of us who have that emotional attachment to our vehicles, agreement isn't possible since that attachment is based on personal taste and everyone's taste is different. Of all people, Pinsiders should know that!

Test drove the Canyon Denali last year. Hands down my vote for best looking. Plus you can get ventilated seats (don't laugh if you don't live in the South. Speaking of which, the Ridgeline did not offer a ventilated seat option, except in Canada. Yes, you read that right, not in NC or AL or LA, but in BC, Canada). Anyhow, the ride and handling on the Ridgeline was like an SUV, the Canyon was like...well, like a truck. I really wanted to get the Canyon, due to its looks, but (nod to too-many-pins here) practical side of more comfortable ride, 2-way tailgate and locking trunk won out. In my youth, I would have picked the Denali.