We love to road trip. Dump the beach chairs, blankets, buckets of sunscreen and sand toys in the car and go. Don’t like your first planned destination? Find another. Crummy weather crops up? Change your destination. Want to leave early or stay longer? Go ahead–you’re not tied to airline schedules or luggage restrictions. When you road trip, your trip is entirely yours.
But, not all cars are road-trip worthy. Both gas-powered and electric cars can have their advantages and limitations. And, for those who love road trip travel, the right car can actually empower (or justify) more road trips, or trips to places you might not think of going otherwise.
Which are the best cars for road tripping? We asked our community of moms and road trip planners what their favorite cars are for both daily routines and road trip getaways, and this is what they told us. Here are the cars they recommend and why.
Chevrolet Tahoe
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.
Why We Love the Chevy Tahoe As a Road Trip Car
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.
Subaru Outback
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.
Related: Electric Cars For Single Moms — Pros, Cons and What to Consider
Why We Love the Subaru Outback
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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Volkswagen Atlas
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.
Why We Love the VW Atlas
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.
Toyota Sienna
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.
Why We Love the Toyota Sienna
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.
Kia Telluride
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.
Why We Love the Kia Telluride
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.
Ford Mustang Mach-E
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.
Why We Love the Mustang Mach-E For Road Trips
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.
