2026 Honda Ridgeline Trim Level Guide

Compare Trims to Find Your Perfect Ridgeline

Four trims, one V6, and a truck bed that doubles as a cooler. This Honda Ridgeline trim level guide for Easley, SC truck shoppers sorts out which 2026 Ridgeline earns your money.

The 2026 Honda Ridgeline trim levels are the Sport, RTL, TrailSport, and Black Edition. Starting MSRP runs $42,090 to $48,690 with destination, and every trim shares a 280-horsepower V6, standard all-wheel drive, and up to 5,000 pounds of towing. The trims split on comfort, technology, and trail gear.

Hendrick Honda Easley serves truck shoppers across Easley, Greenville, Pickens, Liberty, Anderson, Pendleton, Simpsonville, and Spartanburg, plus Asheville, NC. Below are prices, payload, and what each trim adds, plus our math on what every price step buys.

Key Points: 2026 Honda Ridgeline Trim Levels

• The top trim isn’t the most trail-ready. Honda builds both the TrailSport and the Black Edition from the RTL, so the Black Edition skips the off-road hardware.
• The lowest price carries the most weight. The Sport is the lightest Ridgeline, which gives it the lineup’s highest payload rating.
• The smallest price step adds the most hardware. Moving from the RTL to the TrailSport costs less than moving from the Sport to the RTL.

2026 Honda Ridgeline Trims and Prices at a Glance for Upstate Truck Shoppers

All four trims share the same engine and towing rating, so this table focuses on what changes.

Starting MSRP is the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, including the $1,495 destination charge, and excludes taxes, title, license, options, premium paint, and dealer fees. MPG figures are EPA estimates and payload is the manufacturer’s maximum rating; actual results vary with equipment, load, and driving conditions. Contact Hendrick Honda Easley through our website to confirm current pricing and availability.

What Comes Standard on Every 2026 Honda Ridgeline?

Every 2026 Honda Ridgeline comes standard with a 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 making 262 lb-ft of torque, a nine-speed automatic, and i-VTM4 all-wheel drive. Each trim also gets Honda Sensing, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 9-inch touchscreen.

The entry trim gets the same powertrain and bed features as the top trim. The Ridgeline rides on a unibody platform with fully independent suspension, and Honda calls it America’s first pickup built that way. That layout gives it a smoother ride on rough back roads around Pickens and Liberty.

What Is i-VTM4 All-Wheel Drive?

i-VTM4 is an all-wheel-drive system that automatically shifts torque between the front and rear wheels and side to side across the rear axle. Every 2026 Ridgeline pairs it with Intelligent Traction Management, which offers Normal, Snow, Sand, and Mud modes. That helps on red clay roads after an Upstate thunderstorm or an icy winter morning on I-26 toward Asheville.

What Makes the 2026 Ridgeline’s Truck Bed Different?

Every trim shares the same bed, and it does a few things most pickups don’t:

• In-Bed Trunk: a lockable, drainable 7.3-cubic-foot compartment under the bed floor that works as an ice-filled cooler on game days in Pendleton
• Dual-Action Tailgate: folds down like a standard tailgate or swings open to the side, so you can step right up to your gear
• Composite bed: glass fiber-reinforced material that resists dents and scratches without a separate bed liner
• Bed size: 64 inches long with the tailgate up and 50 inches between the wheel wells, so a 4-foot-wide sheet of plywood lies flat

What Do the 2026 Honda Ridgeline Sport and RTL Offer?

The 2026 Honda Ridgeline Sport is the entry trim, with cloth seats, LED headlights, a wireless phone charger, and a 215-watt, seven-speaker audio system. The RTL keeps all of that and adds a leather cabin with heated, power-adjustable front seats and a power moonroof.

The Sport suits buyers who treat the bed as a tool first: mulch runs, job-site gear, or a load of firewood. It’s the work-first pick with the most payload in the lineup. For daily I-85 commuters between Anderson, Greenville, and Spartanburg, the RTL’s quieter cabin and power seats make the drive easier.

What Does the 2026 Ridgeline RTL Add Over the Sport?

The RTL builds on the Sport with these upgrades:

• Perforated leather seats with heated front seats
• 10-way power driver’s seat with two-position memory and a 4-way power passenger seat
• Power moonroof and power sliding rear window
• Heated power side mirrors and an acoustic windshield to cut cabin noise
• SiriusXM, HomeLink, and 18-inch Pewter Gray machine-finished alloy wheels

How Do the 2026 Ridgeline TrailSport and Black Edition Compare?

The 2026 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport and Black Edition both build on the RTL, but they head in different directions. The TrailSport adds off-road hardware like all-terrain tires and a skid plate, while the Black Edition adds comfort features like ventilated seats and premium audio.

Both trims add a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors, and navigation. That makes the choice trail gear or creature comforts, since no single trim does both. Pick the trim that matches where your truck spends its weekends.

What Does the TrailSport Add for Off-Road Driving?

The TrailSport adds these features to the RTL:

• Off-road-tuned suspension and all-terrain tires
• Oil-pan skid plate for added underbody protection
• HD Radio, Trail Orange seat stitching, and orange ambient lighting
• All-weather floor mats and 18-inch Shark Gray alloy wheels
• Ash Green Metallic paint, new for 2026 and exclusive to the TrailSport

What Does the Black Edition Add for Comfort?

The Black Edition adds these features to the RTL:

• Black perforated leather with red stitching and red ambient lighting
• Ventilated front seats and heated outboard rear seats
• 540-watt premium audio system with eight speakers
• 150-watt/400-watt truck-bed power outlet and two second-row USB-C ports
• 18-inch Berlina Black alloy wheels, with an available contrasting black roof, new for 2026

Our Take: Which 2026 Honda Ridgeline Trim Is Best for Upstate SC Drivers?

For most Upstate drivers, we recommend the 2026 Honda Ridgeline RTL. It adds the comfort features you’ll use every day without the jump to the top trims. Step up to the TrailSport for trail driving, or to the Black Edition if summer heat makes ventilated seats a must.

The catch: every Ridgeline tops out at 5,000 pounds of towing. That covers many smaller boats and personal watercraft headed to Lake Hartwell or Lake Keowee. Weigh your loaded trailer before you shop if you plan to pull a larger boat or camper.

What Does Each 2026 Ridgeline Price Step Buy?

We lined up Honda’s starting MSRPs, including destination, from its September 9, 2025 pricing announcement to see what each step costs:

• Sport to RTL: $2,800 for leather, heated power seats, the moonroof, and the sliding rear window
• RTL to TrailSport: $2,400 for off-road hardware, parking sensors, a heated steering wheel, and navigation
• RTL to Black Edition: $3,800 for the same sensors, heated wheel, and navigation, plus ventilated seats and premium audio
• TrailSport to Black Edition: $1,400, trading trail gear for comfort features
• Sport to Black Edition: $6,600 across the full lineup

Which 2026 Ridgeline Trim Fits Your Drive?

Here’s how the four trims sort out for Upstate drivers:

• Most payload at the lowest price: Sport
• Leather comfort for the daily commute: RTL
• Gravel and forest roads near Table Rock and Asheville: TrailSport
• Cooled seats and premium sound: Black Edition

Find a New Honda Ridgeline for Sale in Easley, SC

Hendrick Honda Easley is a Honda Ridgeline dealership in Easley, SC, on Calhoun Memorial Highway. We’re an easy drive from Greenville, Pickens, Liberty, Anderson, Pendleton, Simpsonville, Spartanburg, and Asheville. Test drive two trims on the same visit to compare the TrailSport’s all-terrain tires with the RTL’s all-season setup.

See every new Honda Ridgeline for sale, browse all new Honda models, or check current new vehicle specials and our national offers & incentives. Explore our Honda finance center or easily apply for financing online. When you’re ready, contact our team to schedule a test drive.