Long-term tests allow really getting to know a vehicle, and the 2017 Honda Ridgeline in our test fleet is no exception. We’ve spent some 5,000 miles behind the wheel now under varying driving conditions. Plenty of these miles have been in city driving with commuting duty and road trips thrown in for good measure.

We have enjoyed all those miles. The Ridgeline’s efficient i-VTEC 3.5-liter V-6 benefits from direct-injection and variable-cylinder management to increase efficiency, making 280 horsepower along the way. This provides all the performance we’ve demanded from the pickup and it’s never left us wanting for more.

Honda provides an option to enhance fuel economy by activating the Ridgeline’s ECON button, although this does diminish performance somewhat and also scales back some other systems in its mission to increase efficiency. The front-wheel drive 2017 Ridgeline is EPA rated at 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, with a combined estimate of 22 mpg. Our Ridgeline Black Edition is an AWD model and sacrifices a bit of efficiency for the capability, offering an EPA estimated 18 city and 25 highway mpg, with a combined average of 21 mpg. Overall, with our combination of city and highway driving we have been averaging combined fuel economy of 20.9 mpg.

We’ll trade the AWD variant’s 1 mpg loss for the additional traction and functionality, though. While we haven’t had the occasion to ford streams or slog through snow, we have spent time traversing dusty ranch roads and occasional wet pavement, and we do appreciate the extra bit of confidence that AWD delivers.

Seating in the Ridgeline gets high marks. The pickup’s front bucket seats are comfortable and supportive. In the rear, we’re big fans of the split and fold-up seats that make this truck even more functional with their ability to reconfigure for people and gear as needed. Even with the seats down, there’s extra space beneath the seats for stowing gear. Plus, of course there’s the Ridgeline’s  53-inch pickup bed and unique tailgate that either drops down or swings out for easy access.

And did we mention our Ridgeline’s truck bed audio system? Those into tailgating will find this system fascinating. Honda has made the pickup bed’s side panels act as speaker baffles to produce some pretty quality sounds. Plus, Honda has built in another handy feature in the pickup box, in the form of a lockable trunk in the bed floor. After months of everyday driving in our Ridgeline tester, it’s hard to imagine how we could do without this handy trunk feature…or for that matter, how other competitive pickup owners could do without one as well.

We’ve been driving our 2016 Honda HR-V long-term test car for just over six months now and have enjoyed our daily experiences with this ‘right-size’ crossover vehicle. Based on the Honda Fit platform, the HR-V won top honors in last year’s 2016 Green SUV of the Year™ program. It impresses for a wide variety of important reasons, not the least of which is its ability to do its job extremely well – and might we add very efficiently – without the need for exotic powertrain technology.

The HR-V is propelled by a 1.8-liter, 140 horsepower four-cylinder that provides an admirable balance of performance and economy, as we’ve come to expect from Honda over the years. This i-VTEC 16-valve engine delivers power through a CVT automatic transmission that’s standard on all-wheel drive model like our HR-V EX-L Navi AWD tester. Unlike many constant velocity transmissions, the CVT in the HR-V has a pleasingly positive feel under both acceleration and braking. To further enhance the driving experience, the HR-V can be switched to Sport Mode, with dual paddle shifters providing more control over the CVT. A six-speed manual transmission is standard fare on front-drive variants with the CVT optional.

When introduced, the two-wheel drive CVT model scored an EPA fuel economy rating of 28 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway, with the AWD version netting a slightly lower EPA mpg rating of 27 city and 32 highway mpg. With our typical efficient driving style we’ve found that we can regularly achieve average fuel economy of 32 mpg. During economical cruising on the highway, the HRV can easily be coaxed into the mid- to upper-30 mpg range.

For those who would like a little help with efficient driving, Honda has incorporated its Eco-Assist technology into the HR-V. Pushing the green ECON button on the dash programs the engine and transmission computer controls to operate at peak efficiency. A visual aide around the speedometer changes color to serve as an alert to indicate when the HR-V is being driven economically. Green is very efficient, light green is good, and white not so good, the latter typically displayed under conditions like hard acceleration.

Considering the HR-V’s compact exterior dimensions, interior space is impressive, particularly in the rear cargo area. With the rear seats folded flat it can swallow up nearly 59 cubic feet of gear, while offering the versatility of Honda’s fold-up rear bottom seat cushions for carrying taller items.

It’s common for most vehicles to offer a split folding rear seat these days, but Honda has taken rear seat versatility a step further with its innovative Magic Seat in the HR-V. In its basic form it functions as a 60/40 split bench that can be folded flat for longer cargo. The Magic Seat, however, can also accommodate taller cargo upright by folding the seat bottom up against the seat back for maximum vertical room. Beyond interior innovations like this, we are also impressed with the overall fit and finish found throughout the HR-V.

Most surprising is the way the HR-V adapts to everyday life. It is unassuming and friendly for those days when you just require transportation, yet fun to drive when you want to really take control and enjoy the driving experience. When driving gets a little more spirited, the HR-V’s solid feel, steering response, and braking performance instills confidence on the road. It accomplishes this without compromising comfort and ride characteristics. This is a vehicle you can drive cross-country with minimal fatigue.

With just over 7,000 enjoyable miles now on the odometer, we’ve found our long-term HR-V compact crossover fulfilling so many missions well, we just can’t imagine life without this in our test fleet. We’re looking forward to many more miles behind the wheel of Honda’s award-winning Honda HR-V. We’ll follow up a bit down the road with some Midwest cold and winter weather performance with the HR-V’s all-wheel-drive system.

There are two basic ways to maximum mpg – have a fuel efficient vehicle and drive your vehicle efficiently. Honda’s Eco Assist does both. Eco Assist, short for ‘Ecological Drive Assist System,’ performs two basic functions. First, there is a sophisticated feedback system that coaches drivers to drive more efficiently. In addition there’s an ECON button that optimizes the vehicle’s operation to maximize fuel efficiency. The system debuted on the Honda Insight hybrid in 2009 and Honda has expanded availability to other Honda models including the Civic, CR-V, and Accord.

Eco Assist helps drivers develop driving habits that enhance fuel efficiency by providing feedback via color-changing displays, typically integrated in the speedometer, that indicate fuel efficiency in real time. Fuel-saving behaviors like smooth acceleration and braking cause the display to glow green. Somewhat less fuel-efficient driving habits glow blue-green. Aggressive starts and stops that consume extra fuel cause the display to glow blue. By striving to keep the display in the green, drivers receive help in developing driving habits that improve fuel economy.

Pressing the green dash-mounted ‘ECON’ button optimizes operation of the transmission, engine, and other powertrain components to help conserve additional fuel. For example, a gentler throttle pedal setting limits power and torque by a small amount. Also, air conditioning is set to consume less energy by operating more in the recirculation mode or reducing the speed of the automatic climate control blower. On hybrid vehicles, the Idle Stop feature might be engaged sooner, the CVT (continuously variable transmission) further optimized, and battery charging during regenerative braking increased.

Drivers of Honda hybrids are provided additional feedback about cumulative, long-term driving style via a Multi-Information Display (MID). This includes fuel economy figures for the past three trips, as well as instantaneous and average fuel economy statistics. The goal is to encourage drivers to take an interest in developing fuel efficient driving habits over the long term. Here, ‘green’ driving styles are rewarded by the number of leaves displayed in the instrument cluster, indicating the level of environmentally responsible driving performance. With the ignition switch on, the display scores driving practices in real time. When the ignition switch is turned off the leaves score driving in the just-completed cycle (startup to shutdown), while a horizontal bar in the lower part of the display scores cumulative lifetime driving performance.

Eco Assist combines multiple functions – the driver-activated ECON mode that optimizes control of the continuously variable transmission, engine, and related powertrain components to conserve fuel, plus the scoring function. The latter provides cumulative, long-term feedback through the graphic leaves that grow over time as drivers learn and implement driving practices that increase fuel economy.