Best Road Trip Cars for Your Summer (Or Anytime) Getaways

There’s nothing like a full-size SUV like the Chevrolet Tahoe for a road trip. Yes, they are not as fuel efficient as smaller cars or SUVs, but the trade off is the ability to go places those other cars can’t take you: over sand dunes to deserted beaches, up a trail to the top of a mountain, to the far and less populated stretches of national parks and camping areas. And even for city-bound road trippers, a large, comfortable SUV can’t be beat.

Add to that the addition of Super Cruise, Chevy’s hands-free driving technology, massage seats and lots of room for luggage, sports equipment and all the goodies you’ll bring home with you. See more about the Chevrolet Tahoe (and it’s larger sister, the Suburban) here.

This favorite of families, outdoor adventurers and fur families is the Swiss Army Knife of SUVs: the Subaru Outback goes anywhere and does anything. It can be as elegant and posh in the city as it is rough and ready on the off-road trail. Subaru has added even more off-road capability to the Wilderness edition, which includes a reinforced rooftop designed to accommodate a tent.

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Despite its outdoor capabilities, the Outback is comfy and well organized inside. And between its Eyesight driver assist systems – one of the best in the biz– and the large, easy to see and use multimedia system, drivers have every necessity at the ready. See more about the Subaru Outback here.

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We can’t say enough about this SUV: The VW Atlas is large, comfortable, easy to drive, has seating for all the kids car seats no matter where you need to install them (this is one of the best SUVs for that, period), has good cargo space behind the 3rd row and lots of family-friendly features, such as voice activated assistance and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

We love the timeless look and style of the Atlas, and the wide range of trims that allow you to load it up or pare it down, so you can ride in style or save your money to spend when you get there. See what the Atlas is all about here.

There is nothing like a minivan for road trips: They are unrivaled in passenger and cargo space, comforts and in-car tech. The Toyota Sienna takes it all a step further with a hybrid engine that gets fantastic fuel economy, all wheel drive, rear entertainment system and voice-activated assistance. “Hey Toyota, can you get the kids to stop fighting?” Well, not that type of assistance, but it can change the radio station and set navigation.

From the very tech-forward multimedia system to lots of places to stow things, including your handbag, we love how flexible seating is, how much space there is to install kids car seats, the deep cargo well behind the 3rd row and of course, those sliding doors that will never, ever ding the car next to you in the parking lot. See more about the Toyota Sienna here.

What’s not to love about the Kia Telluride, a “baby Land Rover” SUV for it’s spacious cabin, luxe interior, classic boxy shape and lovable front face? It’s been so popular since it was introduced that it’s been hard to find at dealerships, adding to its lure. Not one to rest on its laurels, Kia added to its capability with the X-Line and X-Pro models designed for off-roading and trail riding.

This 3-row SUV isn’t just capable and comfortable on the road–it features multiple drive modes including comfort mode!–it has space for everyone. There is seating for 6 or 7 passengers with a center row bench or captains chairs. And it has lots of conveniences, from Kia’s new flat multimedia screen that is easier to see and use, to a dual panel sunroof, climate control and USB ports for all passengers and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. See more about the Kia Telluride here.

Electric cars such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E might not be the first choice for a road trip car, but think again: For many reasons they could be the perfect choice. Most have a range of 250 miles or so, meaning that the natural stopping point for lunch can be a good place to re-charge. Many roads, hotels and destinations prioritize parking or driving lanes for electric cars. And the phone apps for both the cars and the charge networks will help you plan your trip.

The Mustang Mach-E has great features and advantages, especially for road trippers: First, they tend to have roomier cabins than similarly-sized sedans, so rear seat passengers have lots of legroom. Many, like the Mach-E. have a hatch rather than a trunk and seats that fold, so they are ideal for oversized cargo if you need it. And now, Mustang Mach-E can charge at Tesla charge stations–Ford even provided a Tesla charger adapter to Mach-E owners–so you can charge at Tesla stations on your trip. See how tit works here.