The Lightning is the F-150 that drives like a sports sedan, instant torque, the quietest cabin in any truck, and a ride that somehow gets better when you load it up. The deal-breaker is concrete: towing cuts range by two-thirds, turning a 300-mile trip into a charging scavenger hunt, and the software still boots slower than your laptop while burying every climate control three taps deep. If you charge at home, rarely tow far, and want the smoothest daily driver in the segment, it's a steal at current lease rates; if you need a real workhorse for long hauls, the gas F-150 still does that job better.
The Ridgeline is what happens when Honda builds a truck for people who hate driving trucks, unibody construction means it rides like a Pilot, the cabin stays quiet, and owners routinely sail past 100k miles without drama. Fuel economy lands at 16-21 MPG, though, which stings for a Honda, and the Ford Maverick undercuts it by thousands while doing most of the same light-duty work; first-gen models also risk expensive timing belt failures on an interference engine, so stick with 2017 or newer. Buy if you want a pickup that won't punish your commute or your back, hauls weekend projects without fuss, and values refinement over towing capacity; walk if you need serious off-road chops, tow above 5,000 pounds regularly, or want maximum value for occasional truck tasks.