Is the Honda Ridgeline HPD Package Worth It?

The Honda Performance Development (HPD) package is an appearance package that might be worth it for style connoisseurs but doesn’t offer any practical upgrades.
Written by Rebecca Wardell
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
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Available as an additional package on the Honda Ridgeline, the Honda Performance Development (HPD) package comes in at $2,900. The package name is slightly misleading as it doesn’t offer any performance upgrades—this package is solely intended to have you riding in style.
When it comes to comfort and all-around utility, the Honda Ridgeline is a practical pick. Its non-traditional unibody construction makes it stand out among other midsize pickup trucks and it comes equipped with lots of storage and plenty of safety features. The Honda Ridgeline comes in four different trims, all of which are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine with a nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
Available on all four trims, the HPD package offers aesthetic upgrades to toughen up the already bold styling of the Ridgeline. This guide will cover exactly what you’re getting with an HPD package upgrade, so you can decide if it’s right for you before heading to your local Honda dealership.
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What is the Honda Performance Development package?

The Honda Performance Development (HPD) package is an optional package available on all Ridgeline trims
  • Sport
  • RTL
  • RTL-E
  • Black Edition
This package is also available on some other Honda models including the Honda Civic.

What’s included

The HPD package is purely aesthetic and designed to amplify the appearance of your Ridgeline. Here’s what it includes:
  • Blacked-out fender flares
  • 18-inch alloy wheels in bronze or black
  • All-black carbon fiber pattern front grille
  • HPD decals and emblems

What it does

The HPD package is one of Honda’s new post-production packages. It doesn’t offer any performance upgrades and functions solely as an aesthetic package designed to enhance the Ridgeline’s bold look and style.
The 18-inch alloy wheels come in bronze or black and visually balance out the chunky tires that come with the Ridgeline. Blacked-out fender flares not only provide a backdrop that lets the alloy wheels shine, but they also protect your paint job if you’re driving off-road kicking up dirt and rocks.
The added sport grille has a distinct carbon-fiber pattern that kicks the Ridgeline’s style up a notch compared to the regular trims. Finally, visible on the edge of the bed to the rear wheel wells and on the rear of the truck are Honda Performance Development decals.
The HPD package doesn’t make any changes to your Ridgeline’s suspension or powertrain, so it might not be worth it for customers who don’t particularly care for aesthetics. For Ridgeline drivers looking to step up their style, the HPD package might be worth it—let’s take a look at how much it costs.

How much is a 2023 Honda HPD package?

Stepping up your Ridgeline’s style sounds great, but it comes at a cost. The Honda HPD package is the most expensive of Honda’s post-production manufacturer packages. The good news is that it costs the same to add regardless of which trim you choose.
Here’s what it would cost to add the HPD package to various Ridgeline trims:

2023 Honda Ridgeline pricing

Trim
Starting MSRP
MSRP with HPD package
$38,000
$40,900
$41,780
$44,680
RTL-E
$44,730
$47,630
Black Edition
$46,230
$49,130
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Is the HPD package worth it?

For car buyers who are concerned about aesthetics and want to give their ride an extra bold look, the appearance upgrades with the HPD package might be worth the extra $2,900. 
Your choice of trim level may also determine if the HPD package is worth it. For a lower trim like the base Sport, it might be a nice upgrade to the cloth upholstery and otherwise basic design.
The top-of-the-line Black Edition trim already comes with black 18-inch alloy wheels, so the HPD package only makes sense if you’re set on bronze wheels or the other HPD features. Since this trim already brings various other style-based selling points to the table, the HPD package might be overkill.
If you’re looking for upgrades but aren’t sold on a solely appearance-based package, Honda offers two other packages in addition to the HPD black package and the HPD bronze package:
  • Function+
  • Utility
Let’s take a look at how these packages compare to the HPD packages.

HPD package vs. the Function+ package

The Honda Function+ package starts at an additional $1,460, making it the cheapest manufacturer package to add to your Ridgeline. This add-on is focused on upgraded organization and convenience. Here’s what you’ll get with the Honda Function+ package:
  • In-bed trunk dividers
  • In-bed trunk cargo net
  • Truck-bed cargo net
  • First-aid kit
  • Hard cargo area cover
Just like the HPD package, the Function+ package can be added to any of the four Ridgeline trims.

HPD package vs. the Utility package

With a price point landing between the Function+ and HPD packages, the Utility package is for adventurers who need practicality when it comes to truck accessories. This package costs $1,585 and, like the others, is available on all four Ridgeline trims. Here’s what you’ll get:
  • Crossbars
  • Roof rails
  • Running boards
MORE: Cheap off-road trucks

The bottom line

If you’re a style connoisseur and are opting for a lower trim level, the HPD package can be a great way to give your Ridgeline extra flair appearance-wise. But, if you’re looking to keep costs low, don’t care much about style, or are opting for a higher trim, the HPD package might not be worth the $2,900 price tag.
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