Get to know the newest addition to the Honda family, with the strength of a pickup and the smoothness of a sedan.

In 2014, Honda announced that the Ridgeline would be taking a two-year hiatus to let them redesign the second generation of the vehicle. As promised, in June 2016, Honda revealed the revamped 2017 Ridgeline. This time, the company modelled the pickup after the Honda Pilot SUV, which has given this truck a more car-like feel. The designers made a number of modifications to the Ridgeline in order to achieve that feeling, like crafting it using a unibody design, making the vehicle lighter and smoother. This suave performance is delivered by the 280-horsepower, 3.5-litre V-6 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission (with 262 lb-ft of torque). As a result, the competitors in its class don’t come close to the Ridgeline’s quality of ride.

The interior is another category in which the Ridgeline’s competition falls short. Adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and assisting, forward-collision and automatic braking, and multi-camera blind-spot monitors are among the many technological advances the Ridgeline has acquired. Of course, it also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The inside of the truck feels extremely spacious and luxurious, and the flip-up rear seat offers 2.9 cubic feet of storage underneath seated passengers. The Ridgeline has gained some space externally as well, with the bed growing 4 inches longer and 5.5 inches wider — making it longer than most of the other pickups in its class.

The Ridgeline does trail behind its competitors when it comes to tow capacity — but Honda isn’t exactly concerned. In fact, according to the company, this was the intent. Honda claims that less than 10 per cent of midsize truck purchasers tow more than 5,000 pounds. So, the company made sure the Ridgeline was able to pull a maximum of 5,000 pounds, keeping its appeal to the other 90 per cent. Some might call the Ridgeline’s inability to tow over 7,000 pounds (like its competitors) a downfall, but Honda feels as though this was a smart move — and so do we.

It’s clear that over the Ridgeline’s two-year break, a lot of thought was put into the craftsmanship of this vehicle. It is unrivalled in comfort, smoothness and technology. It has gained 30 more horsepower and a more handsome and rugged look. The new Ridgeline’s most unique asset is the huge trunk that sits underneath the floor of the bed, which has a drain for beverages sitting on ice. Added to that storage space is a 400-watt power inverter for recharging power tools — or, perhaps, connecting a television on camping trips or at tailgate parties. The new audio system includes six “exciters” inside the bed walls, which turn solid objects into speakers, giving you more reasons to do some outdoor entertaining. The new and improved Ridgeline was built with power for working hard and characteristics for playing harder.

www.honda.ca

The 2017 Acura MDX has a newly designed diamond-shaped front grille and restyled headlights, giving the vehicle a more glamorous and high-end look. This SUV also received some new and improved interior features — which, surprisingly, did not result in a hefty price tag. An electronic parking brake was added along with an improved all-wheel-drive system, which gives it agile handling. Also included is the AcuraWatch suite of active safety aids as standard equipment, as opposed to years past when it was considered an upgrade. This year, Acura decided to introduce a derived MDX model called the Sport Hybrid, which gets better fuel economy and is more powerful than the regular MDX. The new MDX is a stylish way to drive your kids to school with comfort and spaciousness. But the best part about this three-row luxury crossover has to be its exceptional crash-test scores and overall high safety rating. Combine that with its panache and you have the perfect vehicle for any parent.

www.acura.ca