Ford Maverick Vs. Honda Ridgeline: How The Compact Truck Stacks Up To A Mid-Size Pickup

In a segment where the pool of choice is smaller than ever, the Ford Maverick is often the default new compact pickup truck. However, if you're willing to cross-shop it with something in the midsize pickup truck segment, you'll have plenty of options to pick from, including the likes of the Honda Ridgeline.

Like the Maverick, the Honda Ridgeline is one of the most satisfying pickup trucks to own, but how do their specs compare? The class difference between the Ford Maverick and Honda Ridgeline means that there are, naturally, plenty of things that set them apart. The two are very different in size, performance, and price, with a difference of well over $12,000 between them. 

What's more, the Ridgeline is only available with a gasoline engine, whereas the Maverick has hybrid and gas-only powertrain options. And while the Ridgeline makes 30-89 more horsepower than the equivalent Maverick, it puts out a lot less torque than the Ford. With regard to the infotainment screen, there's a 13.2-inch unit as standard in the Maverick, while the Ridgeline comes with a 9-inch display. We'll compare the Maverick and Ridgeline here to help you pick the right model for your use case.

The current Maverick range starts at $29,685 and reaches as high as $43,680 (including destination charges and acquisition fee), making it the cheaper of the two trucks. The Ridgeline suffers some setbacks here, as it is significantly more expensive to buy upfront, with the entry-level Sport trim coming in at a dearer price of $42,290. 

Work your way up to the upper trims and prices top out $49,845. The Ridgeline's higher asking price gets you a larger pickup with better power output and a larger bed, but the Maverick should nonetheless appeal if you like your truck compact, spacious, and easy to navigate. At 210.2 inches long, 78.6in wide (without mirrors), and 70.8in tall, the Honda Ridgeline is a bigger truck than the current Ford Maverick in every way.

Up front, the Ford truck has a fraction more headroom (40.2 inches) and legroom (42.8in) than the Ridgeline, which offers 39.5in of front headroom and 40.9 inches of legroom. Out back, the Maverick also beats the Ridgeline for headroom (39.6 vs 38.8 inches) but loses out in terms of legroom, at 35.9 compared with 36.7 inches for the Ridgeline. 

You also do get more hip and shoulder room in the Honda Ridgeline than in the current Maverick model, with 59.1in of hip room and 62in of shoulder room up front. In the rear, Ridgeline occupants get 61.5in of shoulder room and 56.6in of hip room. By comparison, those in the Maverick benefit from 57.3in of front shoulder room and 55.4in of hip room. Rear-seat passengers get 55.6in of shoulder room and 54.1in of hip room. 

Leaving aside their sizes, these trucks are also different when it comes to performance. As mentioned, Honda Ridgeline buyers get a 3.5-liter V6 that outputs 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. With that much power to play with, a 2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport with this engine launched from 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds in MotorTrend's straighline performance testing.

If you want a wider engine choice, the Maverick gets either a 191-hp hybrid powertrain based around a 2.5-liter PowerBoost four-cylinder engine or an optional turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 250 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. Fitted with the hybrid system, the current first-generation Ford Maverick isn't as quick as the Honda Ridgeline, requiring 7.6 seconds to get from 0-60 mph. Versions with the 250-hp turbo-four have faster acceleration, evidenced by a Maverick with the FX4 package going from 0-60 mph in seven seconds flat at the hands of a MotorTrend tester.

As well as being quicker, the Ridgeline also makes a greater tow truck than the Maverick, with Honda claiming it to have a maximum tow rating of 5,000 pounds (and maximum payload of 1,583 pounds). The Maverick, meanwhile, can tow up to 4,000 pounds (with the optional 4K Tow Package; it tows 2,000 pounds otherwise) and carry a payload of up to 1,500 pounds. That said, the Maverick is the more efficient of the two trucks, achieving combined fuel economy of 38 mpg in hybrid guise. Versions with the turbo-four return up to 26 mpg combined. The Ridgeline doesn't get that much, returning around 21 mpg max, per EPA estimates.