Ford Ranger vs Honda Ridgeline: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Ford Ranger burns about $2,650 of fuel annually against $2,800 for the Honda Ridgeline. That $150 yearly gap compounds to roughly $750 over five years and $1,200 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Ford Ranger is the stronger commuter at 21 mpg city, while the Honda Ridgeline pulls ahead on the interstate at 26 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Ford Ranger is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI & PFI, SIDI, SIDI & PFI; with Stop-start), the Honda Ridgeline with 1 (SIDI). Across 32 recorded Ford Ranger configurations and 17 for the Honda Ridgeline, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Ford Ranger is offered with Part-time 4-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, the Honda Ridgeline with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD and Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Ford Ranger emits 380 g/mile of CO2 versus 407 g/mile for the Honda Ridgeline. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.