Last updated August 4, 2026
Honda Ridgeline trims divide into practical, comfort, style, and trail-focused branches. RT, RTS, Sport, and Sport+ deliver the core Ridgeline formula, including its useful dual-action tailgate and lockable in-bed trunk. RTL, RTL+, RTL-T, and RTL-E add a more comfortable cabin, with the T and E versions placing more emphasis on technology. The SE is a loaded, black-trimmed special edition sold for 2014. BLACK EDITION and Black Edition 2-Tone are the style-led top trims, while TrailSport, TrailSport S, and TrailSport+ make up the rough-road branch with dedicated suspension tuning and underbody protection.
The Base Model trim level—RT, RTS, Sport, and Sport+—is the straightforward Ridgeline, built around everyday utility rather than luxury or trail hardware.
Best for: Shoppers who want the Ridgeline’s useful bed and easygoing daily-driver character with fewer extras.
Highlights
The Special Editions trim level—SE—is the loaded, style-focused 2014 Ridgeline, pairing first-generation luxury equipment with exclusive black exterior details.
Best for: Shoppers seeking a well-equipped first-generation Ridgeline with a distinctive factory appearance.
Highlights
Base Model: adds leather and heated front seats, a moonroof, navigation, Bluetooth calling, and an exclusive black appearance package.
0 in stock
The Premium Comfort trim level—RTL, RTL+, RTL-E, and RTL-T—is the comfort-first Ridgeline, with the E and T versions adding a stronger technology focus.
Best for: Daily drivers and families who value seat comfort, cabin upgrades, and convenience more than rugged styling.
Highlights
Special Editions: shifts from the SE’s one-year styling theme to the recurring RTL comfort formula; RTL-T and RTL-E add more connectivity, navigation, audio, and bed-side technology depending on year.
136 in stock
The Top Tier trim level—BLACK EDITION and Black Edition 2-Tone—is the loaded, street-style Ridgeline with blacked-out trim, red cabin accents, and added comfort equipment.
Best for: Shoppers who want the most distinctive street-oriented look and a feature-rich cabin.
Highlights
Premium Comfort: adds the Black Edition appearance theme, red cabin details, premium audio, and, in recent versions, ventilated front and heated rear outboard seats.
15 in stock
The Trail Ready trim level—TrailSport, TrailSport S, and TrailSport+—is the rough-road Ridgeline, combining dedicated suspension tuning and underbody protection with a comfort-focused cabin.
Best for: Drivers who regularly reach campsites, dirt roads, or rougher routes but still want a comfortable everyday truck.
Highlights
Top Tier: shifts the emphasis from blacked-out street style to rough-road ability, adding off-road suspension tuning and steel oil-pan protection.
10 in stock| Feature | Top Tier | Base Model | Trail Ready | Premium Comfort | Special Editions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Includes | BLACK EDITION, Black Edition 2-Tone15 in stock | RT, RTS, Sport, Sport+37 in stock | TrailSport, TrailSport S, TrailSport+10 in stock | RTL, RTL+, RTL-E, RTL-T136 in stock | |
| Main purpose | Loaded street style | Core everyday utility | Rough-road capability | Comfort and convenience | Loaded 2014 style edition |
| Signature exterior | Blacked out; 2-Tone adds a black roof | Simple; Sport+ adds special wheels | Rugged look; S and + add special wheels | Understated; RTL+ adds special wheels | Black trim and exclusive wheels |
| Cabin treatment | Black leather with red accents | Practical, utility-focused cabin | Trail-themed details and orange accents | Leather with heated power front seats | Leather with heated front seats |
| Dedicated trail hardware | Street-style focus | No dedicated trail package | Off-road suspension and steel oil-pan guard | Comfort focus | Style and luxury focus |
| Built-in navigation | Included | Not a defining feature | Standard | Included on RTL-T and RTL-E | Standard |
| Premium audio | 540-watt eight-speaker system | Not a defining feature | Not a defining feature | 540-watt system on RTL-E | Not a defining feature |
In recent years, the RTL adds comfort: leather-trimmed heated front seats, power adjustment with driver memory, a moonroof, a power sliding rear window, and a quieter windshield. The V6, AWD, tailgate, and in-bed trunk remain the same.
On newer models, RTL is the comfort-focused trim, while TrailSport is the rough-road version. TrailSport adds an off-road-tuned suspension and steel oil-pan guard, plus orange cabin accents, navigation, a heated steering wheel, and parking sensors.
Pick TrailSport for rougher roads; pick Black Edition for more cabin comfort and street-focused styling. On newer trucks, Black Edition adds ventilated front seats, heated outer rear seats, premium audio, and blacked-out trim, while TrailSport has off-road suspension tuning and underbody protection.
In the newest lineup, TrailSport S is the TrailSport with black Honda Performance Development wheels. It keeps the same off-road-tuned suspension, oil-pan guard, navigation, heated steering wheel, and parking sensors, so the difference is mainly appearance.
The newer Black Edition 2-Tone adds a contrasting black roof. Otherwise it follows the regular Black Edition formula, including black exterior details, a red-accented black leather cabin, ventilated front seats, heated outer rear seats, premium audio, and a bed power outlet.
On pre-2024 second-generation trucks, RTL-E is the tech-heavy upscale trim above RTL. It bundles navigation, premium audio, in-bed audio, a bed power outlet, wireless phone charging, a heated steering wheel, and front and rear parking sensors.
On earlier second-generation trucks, RTL-T adds the larger touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, and Honda’s passenger-side blind-spot camera over the comfort-focused RTL. RTL-E goes further with premium audio, bed audio and power, parking sensors, wireless charging, and a heated steering wheel.
On older Ridgelines, RT is the no-frills base truck, RTS is the convenience step with remote start, easier keyless entry, automatic climate control, and fog lights, and Sport is the more style-focused version. On newer lineups, Sport became the entry trim.
SE is a one-year, 2014 top trim. It combines an RTL with navigation, Bluetooth, leather-trimmed heated front seats, and a moonroof, then adds black exterior details, special badging, and unique 18-inch wheels.
Look at Sport in recent lineups or RT in older ones. These entry trims focus on the Ridgeline basics: V6 power, a roomy cabin, the dual-action tailgate, and the lockable in-bed trunk, without the added luxury or trail-focused hardware.
RTL is the comfort-focused pick in recent lineups. It keeps the same core V6 and AWD hardware as Sport while adding leather-trimmed heated seats, power front-seat adjustments, driver memory, a moonroof, and a power sliding rear window.
TrailSport is the rough-road-focused trim on 2024-and-newer Ridgelines. It adds an off-road-tuned suspension and steel oil-pan guard while keeping the Ridgeline’s comfort-first character. TrailSport+ and TrailSport S mainly add special wheels to that hardware.
On newer trucks, Black Edition is the loaded comfort-and-style trim, with ventilated front seats, heated outer rear seats, premium audio, navigation, a heated steering wheel, and blacked-out details. On older second-generation trucks, RTL-E filled much of that tech-heavy role.
Yes. Those are core Ridgeline features rather than upgrades reserved for upper trims. Even entry versions such as older RT and newer Sport include the lockable in-bed trunk and a tailgate that drops down or swings open from the side.
In recent lineups, the “+” versions are package-style variants, not major mechanical steps. Sport+ and RTL+ mainly add Honda Performance Development wheels to their underlying trims. TrailSport+ keeps the TrailSport’s rough-road hardware and adds the same style of wheel upgrade.