Consumer Reports Had a Controversial Pick for the Best Truck of 2021

Jason Crosby
· 3 min read
Americans love
pickup trucks
. But what happens when a trusted name in the auto industry decides that a non-traditional truck is one of its top-10 vehicles of the year? Say hello to the Honda Ridgeline, Consumer Reports choice for its top midsize truck for 2021. But it’s a controversial pick—even for a trusted industry name.
It’s true; not everybody is happy with
Consumer Reports'
decision. But there’s a more important theme that’s less obvious— the truck market is changing. With exciting new vehicles like the Ford Lightning and Tesla’s Cybertruck aiming to make EVs a feasible purchase for truck owners, consumers are going to enjoy greater fuel efficiency and less emphasis on size as a determining factor for buying a truck.
Deciding on the best pickup truck isn't easy with so many choices | Twenty20

Consumer Reports picks the Honda Ridgeline

If you’re not familiar with the Ridgeline, don’t feel too bad; it doesn’t look like what most people expect a truck to.
It’s a midsize truck and the body style doesn’t exactly translate into a traditional pickup look; however, that’s not why some people are upset. People critique the Ridgeline for being a unibody truck.
Traditionally, trucks have always been constructed using the body-on-frame. The Ridgeline bucked this trend and was built on the same platform as the Honda Pilot. For this reason, some claim the Ridgeline is more of an SUV with a bed, rather than a true truck.
Though some people might be a bit disappointed with this truck winning such a
coveted award from Consumer Reports
, it’s wise to consider that fuel efficiency and size are becoming deciding factors for more and more truck owners everywhere.
Ultimately the Honda Ridgeline is a great choice for those who want an affordable pickup, with a moderate towing capacity fuel efficiency.
MORE: The Best-Selling Midsize Truck Ranked the Lowest in a New J.D. Power Study
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The future of the truck industry

2021 has brought with it a lot of changes; one of the most important has been the growing demand for EV and more compact trucks. Starting with Tesla’s Cybertruck and coming to a pinnacle with Ford’s F-150 Lightning, the EV truck frenzy seems to be just beginning, and for good reason.
But while midsize trucks like Honda’s Ridgeline offer decent fuel economy, there aren’t currently any fully electric pickups available to the public. This has set the stage for Ford to outsell Tesla, Chevrolet, and start-ups like Rivian in their attempts to popularize electric pickups.
Why? Because even 1% of Ford’s F-150 sales would outsell half of the entire EV market. Ford’s trusted name in traditional gas-powered pickups seems to be following them into the world of electric vehicles.
There’s no mistaking that EVs will become more popular, especially with President Biden’s infrastructure deal set to prioritize modernizing the national power grid to support EV transportation.

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