Notice there's no gap between the Honda Ridgeline's cabin and bed. That's because it's built in one piece and welded onto a steel frame, making it more resistant to twisting and bending than most pickup trucks2008 Honda Ridgeline RTL

What Was Tested: 2008 Honda Ridgeline RTL with Navigation ($35,090). Price as tested (including $635 destination charge): $35,725

Pros: It's the most car-like of all pickup trucks, with an independent rear suspension, smooth V6 engine and precise construction. It also comes with Honda's reputation for quality.

Cons: It can only tow 5,000 pounds, nowhere near the 11,000 pounds you can tow with a rigged-up Ford F-150. And it's only available with one engine and one configuration, unlike the endless possibilities you have with a traditional truck.

RATINGS: (1-10)
Style: 7
Performance: 7
Price: 7
Handling: 10
Ride: 10
Comfort: 10
Quality: 10
Overall: 8

When you think of Honda, you probably think of fuel-efficient, ultra-reliable cars.

But that's just the beginning.

The Ridgeline has a side-impact door beam2008 Honda Ridgeline RTL

Honda is actually a global manufacturing conglomerate that makes all kinds of stuff, only a small portion of which you'll find on a car lot. The same company makes tillers, lawnmowers, snow blowers, generators, pumps, boat engines, race cars, robots, motorcycles, ATVs, jet airplanes and toothpaste.

OK, I made up the part about toothpaste. But given their range of products, I wouldn't be surprised if it became the truth in a couple of years.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Honda is also joining the market for pickup trucks.

Honda's first truck, the Ridgeline, didn't look all that innovative when it was introduced in 2006 -- it seemed like a cleaned-up version of the Chevy Avalanche -- but it still made a big impact as part of a bigger trend, the Japanese assault on America's pickup market.

Years ago, your choice for a pickup was simple: Ford, Chevy or Dodge. Today, thanks to an influx of competition, there are also good, tough, capable trucks available from Toyota, Nissan and Honda, not to mention the upmarket offshoots of American brands like GMC, Cadillac and Lincoln.

As in Honda's cars, the Ridgeline benefits from tight construction with extremely narrow tolerances between pieces of trim. It looks and feels like a Honda should2008 Honda Ridgeline RTL interior

So where does the Ridgeline fit in?

It's actually not nearly as truck-like as you might think, especially compared to the more traditional American-brand offerings. It has a small pickup bed, but it looks and drives like a very good mid-size SUV. It has a soft, smooth ride, like its shocks are filled with cotton candy, along with a cabin that's nicely insulated from road and wind noise. It's more like a family car than a true work truck.

Part of the Ridgeline's comfortable, easy-to-drive feeling comes from its unusual construction. Unlike most trucks that have a cabin and a bed mounted separately on a frame, Honda builds the Ridgeline with the bed and body in one piece, then welds it onto a steel frame. The result is a vehicle that's as tough as a truck but also resists twisting and bending, making it feel more like a car.

The engine and rear suspension also add to its surprisingly car-like feel. It's the first truck with a fully independent rear suspension, giving it better control and a smoother, more precise feel than a traditional pickup. And its 3.5-liter, 247-horsepower V6 engine is as smooth and silky as anything you'd expect to find in a sedan.

The Ridgeline's greatest strength -- its car-like manner -- also may be its greatest weakness.

can tow up to 5,000 pounds2008 Honda Ridgeline RTL

Like so many other things in life, the Ridgeline is a tradeoff. What you gain in comfort you lose in utility, making the Ridgeline ill suited for heavy-duty use like towing big trailers or hauling loads of rock. It can tow up to 5,000 pounds, which is more than enough for most people, but it's nowhere near the 11,000 pounds you can tow with a properly equipped Ford F-150, for example.

It also doesn't offer nearly as many options as you can get on a traditional truck. With American brands, especially, you can custom-build a truck to your specifications, with your choice of a huge number of gas and diesel engines -- from six to 10 cylinders -- along with gear ratios, cabin and bed configurations, and a long list of options.

Not so with the Ridgeline. It only offers one engine, one configuration, and a few basic option packages. That's good enough for most truck buyers, and many people will appreciate Honda's attempt at making a pickup that doesn't drive like a pickup.

Still, knowing Honda can make everything from a lawnmower to a business jet, you'd think it would be able to at least offer a V8 and more towing capacity for those truck drivers who need it.