When my two kids first gazed into the small trunk embedded beneath the Ridgeline's truck bed, they were transfixed. "Cool!" one of them exclaimed. "A secret compartment!" Adults are likely to be just as enthusiastic.

Honda excels at devising truly meaningful innovations that evidently don't occur to the engineers at other automakers. In the late '90s, the fold-flat Magic Seat on the Odyssey minivan created a new standard that every other manufacturer was forced to meet. And now the Ridgeline demonstrates that there is room for such cleverness in the last segment of the market dominated by domestic manufacturers. In addition to the underbed trunk—which is big enough for three golf bags and is weatherproof and lockable—Honda has broken free of a few other conventions. Truck makers like Ford, Chevy, and Dodge typically offer two types of pickups: economical compact trucks like the Ford Ranger or Dodge Dakota, and heavier full-size models like Ford's F-150 or the Chevy Silverado. Honda has built an everytruck that mixes and matches the features of both classes, in a shrewd attempt to appeal to the broadest range of drivers with one vehicle.

The Ridgeline's 5-foot-long truck bed, for instance, is one of the shortest around, which might be a nonstarter for lumber haulers. But the truck's relatively short wheelbase means that unlike many other pickups, it will fit in most garages. And the Ridgeline's 1,550-pound payload capacity and 5,000-pound towing capability are up there with some full-size trucks, certainly good enough for plenty of all-purpose hauling. Honda isn't aiming for the construction pit anyway. Instead, the Ridgeline's cargo bed is optimized for transporting two big motorcycles or an ATV—the kinds of toys owned by people who will have nearly 30 grand for a cargo hauler like this.

As with most other Hondas, there are only a few variants of the Ridgeline. The engine, suspension, four-wheel-drive system, and truck-bed dimensions are the same for all three trim lines, compared with a dozen or more such configurations for other trucks. Instead of trying to please everybody—and complicating its manufacturing process along the way—Honda is offering one sampling of power, toughness, and off-road capability it thinks will do just fine for the majority of truck owners. The payoff for the one-size-fits-all packaging is outstanding on-road handling, as close to the feel of a car as any truck on the road. On one busy street where I needed to park, I spied an open spot along the curb and lined up to parallel park. A guy in a sedan, also looking for a space, pulled up behind me and waited, obviously convinced I'd never squeeze the truck in. A few seconds later he drove on by, no doubt impressed with the Ridgeline's tight packaging. And I never even showed him the secret compartment.