The True Cost of Owning a Honda Ridgeline

Cost example prepared October 24, 2026

Start with the price you will actually pay

For a representative example, use a 2025 Honda Ridgeline RTL with all-wheel drive at $44,430, all-wheel drive means power goes to all four wheels, and RTL is the mid-range trim with leather seats and extra comfort items (Kelley Blue Book's MSRP, the sticker price, for this trim). The RTL is the trim most buyers land on: it adds the comfort items over the base Sport without the off-road gear of the TrailSport or the blacked-out trim of the Black Edition. Two sources reconcile neatly here: iSeeCars lists the RTL at $42,980 before destination, and its $1,450 destination charge brings that to exactly $44,430, the Kelley Blue Book figure used here. Trims run from the Sport near $40,000 to the Black Edition near $47,000 before destination, so replace this starting point with a written quote for the exact trim you are considering.

The down payment does not make the Ridgeline cheaper; it changes how much you finance. With 10% down ($4,443), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan) and 60 months, this example finances $43,997 at $892 a month, and the loan costs about $9,529 in interest over five years.

Fuel: the V6 line item

The only engine is a 3.5-liter V6 (a six-cylinder engine) with 280 horsepower, rated 21 mpg combined (18 city, 24 highway, per EPA figures). At 12,000 miles a year that is about 571 gallons annually, roughly $2,373 a year, $11,866 over five years at $4.153 a gallon (the EIA national average for the week ending November 2, 2026). The TrailSport trim, with its off-road tires and suspension, is rated 20 mpg combined; at the same gas price it would burn about $593 more fuel over five years. The method behind that math is in the EV vs. gas guide: miles divided by mpg, times price, times years.

Depreciation is still the biggest bucket

iSeeCars' comparison pages put the Ridgeline's five-year value loss at 42.3%, depreciation is just the word for the value a car loses over time, so it keeps about 57.7% of its price. That is the figure this page uses, and it is not the only iSeeCars number in circulation: iSeeCars' own dedicated resale page gives a lower 37.9% loss, which would be $16,839 on a $44,430 truck, and CarEdge projects 36.5% lost ($16,217). The comparison-page figure is used because it is the one iSeeCars repeats across its current model comparisons, and the lower figures are stated here so the choice is visible. Either way, on a $44,430 purchase, plan on roughly $25,636 after five years, about $18,794 of depreciation, roughly $313 a month.

That resale figure is a planning assumption, not a forecast. Run a second scenario with resale 10% lower so the decision does not depend on an optimistic used market.

Insurance runs midsize-truck money

Full-coverage averages for a Ridgeline cluster between about $147 and $212 a month depending on the source (AutoInsurance.org, InsureDBetter, Insurify and Compare.com at $147 to $162, MoneyGeek's 2025 figures near $182 to $193, and CarInsurance.com at $212, averages for the Ridgeline as a whole, not prices for the RTL trim specifically). This example uses $175 a month, or $10,500 over five years. Premiums depend heavily on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer, so get a quote on the exact trim with matching deductibles (what you pay out of pocket before insurance kicks in) and limits before treating any average as yours.

Ridgeline maintenance costs: car-like underneath, truck-priced tires

The Ridgeline is built on a car-style underbody rather than a separate truck frame, unibody is the word for that, which is why it rides smoothly, but it still wears truck-sized tires and brakes. CarEdge puts five-year maintenance at $2,810, and RepairPal's average is $502 a year across model years, so this example uses a round $600 a year, or $3,000 all-in, to allow for tires and wear items. A summary citing Kelley Blue Book is tougher, putting five-year maintenance at $4,371 plus repairs of $1,797 ($6,168 combined); that figure is stated here as the high end, not used in the example, because it sits far above both CarEdge and RepairPal. RepairPal rates the Ridgeline 3.5 out of 5.0 for reliability, with shop visits less frequent than average but repairs more likely to be severe when they happen, so a repair reserve matters even on a reliable truck.

The full five-year example

Every figure below comes from the site's own calculator math. The stated inputs are: 2025 Honda Ridgeline RTL with all-wheel drive, $44,430 price, 10% down ($4,443), 8% APR, 60 months, 7% sales tax, $900 in title and dealer fees, 12,000 miles per year, 21 mpg, $4.153 per gallon (EIA national average, week ending November 2, 2026), $175 per month insurance, $600 per year maintenance, $25,636 resale value after five years.

• Depreciation: $18,794 ($44,430 minus $25,636 resale)
• Insurance: $10,500 ($175 x 60 months)
• Fuel: $11,866 (12,000 / 21 x $4.153 x 5 years)
• Maintenance: $3,000 ($600 x 5 years)
• Tax, fees and interest: $13,539 ($3,110 sales tax, $900 fees, $9,529 loan interest)

That totals roughly $57,699, or about $962 a month. Notice what that says about the $892 payment: on this truck the payment is not the whole story, it is about 93% of the average month's true cost, and during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep.

Formula

The five-year total is the sum of five buckets: depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and tax, fees and interest. Depreciation is the $44,430 price minus the $25,636 resale value after five years, which is $18,794. Insurance is $175 a month times 60 months, which is $10,500. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 21 miles per gallon, times $4.153 a gallon, times 5 years, which is about $11,866. Maintenance is $600 a year times 5 years, which is $3,000. Tax, fees and interest is 7% sales tax on $44,430, which is $3,110, plus $900 in title and dealer fees, plus about $9,529 of loan interest, which is $13,539.

Added together, $18,794 plus $10,500 plus $11,866 plus $3,000 plus $13,539 equals $57,699, or about $962 a month. The amount financed is the $44,430 price plus $3,110 sales tax plus $900 in fees, minus the $4,443 down payment, which is $43,997. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $43,997 is $892 a month, and the loan costs about $9,529 in interest over five years.

Why Ridgeline owners think past year five

Midsize trucks are often kept a long time, and that is where the economics can change: the loan ends at year five, and the value-loss curve flattens. The costs that arrive in years six through ten are the wear-and-repair years: a second tire set, suspension work, and out-of-warranty items. The keep it 10 years guide shows how to extend this same math honestly.

Shopping the Ridgeline against another small truck? The Car Showdown runs any two vehicles through the same five buckets side by side.

Calculation transparency

Jurisdiction. United States. Sales tax, titling, registration and insurance rules are set by your state, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. The 7% sales tax and $900 in fees in this example are planning figures, not any one state's actual rates.

Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, gas at $4.153 a gallon (EIA national average, week ending November 2, 2026), 8% APR, 60 months, 10% down. The resale value is a planning assumption, not a forecast.

Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Insurance and maintenance are planning figures, not quotes. Get a real quote for the same trim, coverage and loan before you decide.

iSeeCars' own pages disagree on the Ridgeline's five-year value loss: its dedicated resale page reports 37.9% while its comparison pages report 42.3%, and CarEdge projects 36.5% lost, so the 42.3% figure used here is kept as a planning assumption, not as a current reading.

Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: Kelley Blue Book 2025 Ridgeline RTL price, $44,430; EPA combined fuel economy, 21 mpg; Compare.com Ridgeline full-coverage average, $162 a month; CarEdge Ridgeline five-year maintenance and repair total, $2,810, and insurance, about $2,030 a year; RepairPal Ridgeline average annual repair cost, $502 a year; EIA weekly gas prices (week ending November 2, 2026).

Primary sources: Kelley Blue Book, 2025 Honda Ridgeline; fueleconomy.gov, EPA fuel economy ratings; Compare.com, Honda Ridgeline car insurance; CarEdge, Honda Ridgeline cost of ownership; EIA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.

Definitions

Depreciation. The value a car loses over time. On this page, the $44,430 price minus the $25,636 resale value after five years, which is $18,794.

Resale value. What the truck is worth after five years in this example, $25,636. A planning assumption, not a forecast.

APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly interest rate on the loan. This example uses 8%.

Down payment. The cash paid up front. Here it is 10%, or $4,443.

Destination charge. The fee to ship the truck to the dealer. It is $1,450 on the Ridgeline, and iSeeCars lists the RTL at $42,980 before destination, which brings it to exactly $44,430.

Combined mpg. The EPA city and highway ratings blended into one figure. It is 21 for the RTL with all-wheel drive, 18 in the city and 24 on the highway. The TrailSport is rated 20 mpg combined.

Full coverage. Insurance that covers damage to your own truck as well as damage to others. Published averages run from about $147 to $212 a month; this example uses $175 a month.

Unibody. A car-style underbody rather than a separate truck frame. The Ridgeline is built this way, which is why it rides smoothly, but it still wears truck-sized tires and brakes.

Questions people actually ask

How much does a Honda Ridgeline cost per month?

In the example on this page, about $962 a month over five years. The loan payment alone is $892 a month; insurance, gas and upkeep bring the monthly average up to $962.

How much does a Honda Ridgeline depreciate in 5 years?

iSeeCars' comparison pages put the five-year value loss at 42.3%, about $18,794 on a $44,430 truck. iSeeCars' own dedicated resale page gives a lower 37.9% figure, and CarEdge projects 36.5% lost; this page uses the 42.3% comparison-page figure and states the others rather than settling silently.

How much is insurance for a Honda Ridgeline?

Full-coverage averages for the Ridgeline as a whole run about $147 to $212 a month depending on the source. This page's example uses $175 a month. These are model-level averages, not prices for the RTL trim specifically, so get a quote on the exact truck.

What gas mileage does a Honda Ridgeline get?

The Ridgeline is rated 21 miles per gallon combined (18 in the city, 24 on the highway) with all-wheel drive. The TrailSport trim is rated 20 miles per gallon combined and would burn about $593 more gas over five years.

How much does it cost to maintain a Honda Ridgeline?

This page's example uses $600 a year, or $3,000 over five years. CarEdge puts five-year maintenance at $2,810 and RepairPal's average is $502 a year, while a summary citing Kelley Blue Book puts maintenance plus repairs at $6,168 over five years.

Related: See the Toyota Tacoma, the midsize truck most Ridgeline shoppers also price

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Buying in Texas? Texas adds its own layer to these numbers, a 6.25% sales tax, its own fees, and some of the highest insurance in the country. See the true cost of a car in Texas.