Some people don’t believe in love at first sight, but Honda’s Ridgeline proved to me it exists.

I fell hard for the Ridgeline when it was introduced in 2005 and bought one. I loved the fact that it rode and drove more like a crossover than a typical pickup. I loved its unique features and roominess. And I even loved its quirky looks, which reminded me of my sixth-grade crush – cute, but not necessarily pretty. 

I loved that 2006 Ridgeline and bought another one when its lease was up. I was as enamored with my second Ridgeline as my first and might still be driving it. But a need arose for seven-passenger seating, so, I begrudgingly traded my second Ridgeline for another fine vehicle, a Honda Pilot.

 I still miss the Ridgeline.

Or at least I did until last week, when a second-generation, 2017 Ridgeline RTL-E arrived for testing. Now I’m in love all over again. Honda engineers took all the unique and great features of the original Ridgeline, improved several of them, and wrapped them in a beautiful new skin. If the first-generation Ridgeline was cute like my third-grade crush, the new version is Gisele Bundchen. 

And its good looks don’t end on the outside. The new Ridgeline is as stylish inside as an upscale sedan and every bit as well-crafted. Where the first-gen interior seemed determined to convince everyone it belonged in a truck, the 2017 Ridgeline seems to say, “I may be a truck but I don’t have to look like it.” 

That’s not totally a good thing. As much as I appreciate the stylish interior, the first-gen’s large, analog controls were more intuitive to use and easier to operate (particularly if you’re wearing gloves) than the small pushbuttons and digital touchscreen of the 2017’s climate control and entertainment systems. 

The 8-inch display on our test vehicle was sharp and bright, but some of its controls seem counter-intuitive and you have to divert your eyes from the road to operate it. 

I also missed the old Ridgeline’s CD player. The new truck offers Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and a bunch of other digital connectivity, but the CD player is a dealer-installed option. Yeah, I’ve heard the refrain that nobody uses CDs anymore. Tell that to anyone who takes advantage of the thousands of books-on-CD titles available for free at local libraries.

At least Ridgeline buyers can still get a CD player, which many manufacturers no longer even offer. Credit Honda, too, for designing the dash with a little cubby beneath the climate controls where the CD will neatly reside if you order one. Of course that eliminates a smallish but useful storage space. The first-gen Ridgeline seemed to have more of those than the current model. 

But that ends the list of things I liked better on my first-gen Ridgelines, which countless passengers praised for its ride and roominess. I could almost count on first-time occupants finding comfort they never expected in a midsize pickup and saying something such as, “This thing has an amazing ride.” or “Boy, is this back seat roomy.”

Guess what? The new Ridgeline is noticeably better in those areas. The 60-40 split rear seat cushions still flip up to create a large, flat storage area, but the seats are more comfortable and the cabin more spacious. It’s quieter, too. In fact, the new Ridgeline is so quiet, comfortable and composed while driving around town or on the highway that it feels more like a luxurious crossover or SUV than a midsize pickup. 

It may not look as macho or tow quite as much weight as some of its competitors (towing capacity is 3,500/5,000 pounds for the front-wheel drive/AWD Ridgeline), but it offers more utility than all of them. Like the first-gen model, the new Ridgeline has a unique rear gate that drops down like a conventional tailgate or swings out like a door, depending on which handle you use to open it.

Swinging it out provides easy access to a locking, watertight “In-Bed Trunk” that opens from the rear edge of the cargo bed. Honda says it measures 7.3 cubic feet, but it seems twice that size and has a drain plug that enables it to double as an ice chest.

 The original Ridgeline also was distinguished by its flat (no wheel humps) cargo box made out of a rustproof, dent-proof composite material, and the new one follows in that tradition. But the new model’s box is supposed to be even more durable and scratchproof. The box also is slightly longer and wider than the original Ridgeline’s.

The 2017 Ridgeline has a more powerful (280 hp, 262 lb/ft of torque) 3.5-liter V6 engine, and its six-speed transmission has one more gear than its predecessor. The new drivetrain gets better mileage than the old one, earning an EPA rating of 19/26/22 city/highway/combined MPG on 2WD models and 18/25/21 on AWD Ridgelines.

The 2017 Ridgeline is available in seven trim levels with starting prices ranging from $29,475 for a 2WD RT to $42,870 for the sporty, AWD Black Edition. That makes the Ridgeline a little pricier than comparably equipped competitors, but who puts a price on passion? I’m in love with another Ridgeline.