If you’re considering hitting the road for the upcoming holidays, you’ll need the perfect road-trip vehicle. The car you choose can make or break your adventure, so it’s important to choose something both comfortable and fun!

Car adventures typically include a lot of time sitting, and you’ll get to know the inside of your car quite intimately! So it’s necessary to invest something safe and comfortable, paying close attention to the interior features and space on offer.

Things like safety basics, fuel estimates, and even acceleration of your car (to know how it will handle the bumps and uneven roads along the way) all play into choosing the perfect vehicle. Amenities like USB ports, infotainment systems, etc. may also be important.

Already overwhelmed by the long list of features you should look for? We’ve saved you the trouble and created a list of the best cars for a road trip for you! You can’t go wrong with one of the following.

The Best Cars for a Road Trip (Best Road Trip Vehicles!)

1. Proton X70

If you’re looking for a car to make your road trip easier, the Proton X70 is a great vehicle. It’s equipped with the latest 7-speed automatic dual clutch, and the SUV can last for 350 km.

It has re-tuned suspension set-up for enhanced comfort and improved handling making your road trip go smoothly without a hassle. These advanced safety features make it particularly perfect for a family road trip.

Fuel consumption wise, the five seater SUV weighs nearly 1.7 tonnes, and is powered by a turbocharged 1.8-litre direct injection engine.  It has an estimated 7.8L per 100km; fuel consumption will be higher than its peers, but not by that much.

When it comes to entertainment, there’s an 8-inch touchscreen LCD monitor, voice recognition, navigation features, USB ports and even bluetooth support to keep you connected. Entertainment wise, this is the perfect roadtrip vehicle.

The assembly line of Proton X70 is in Malaysia, which has brought its prices down to 95,000 RM (roughly $22,800 USD).

Image: automachi 马来西亚汽车资讯网 (CC BY 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons 

2. Subaru Outback

The Subaru Outback is fantastic road trip vehicle if you’re looking for something more rugged. It’s a mid sized SUV, and is one of the most versatile, capable and comfortable vehicles in its class, great for going off path.

This is an all-wheel drive vehicle, and it drives smoother than any other car in its class. There are 5 roomy seats, with plenty of leg space for both children and adults, and a ton of cargo space for packing your gear / luggage.

The engine isn’t as powerful as some of its peers, but the safety tech is of the highest standard, and it has solid off road capabilities. It’s also one of the most affordable wagon style vehicles, starting around $26,795 USD.

Over-all it’s one of the most practical and spacious cars for a road trip, and there’s an EyeSight suite of safety technology that assigns the driver with adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist, making it easier to drive in unknown places.

Image: TuRbO_J (CC BY 2.0) via Flick

3. Toyota Rush

Toyota Rush is a two-wheel drive which can handle rougher roads better than other similar vehicles, as it has great handling and stability. It’s very stable when driving slopes or rough roads, if you’re taking that kind of road trip.

Fuel consumption on this vehicle is low, which makes it a great choice for longer road trips. Expect to get around 11-12+km/l with highway driving and a fully packed trunk of gear.

At 1200 kg, it’s considered pretty light for a SUV, with most other SUVs weighing in at 1400 kg +. It falls into the ‘cheap and reliable’ category, and is very easy to drive if you’re just starting out on road-trips, or just starting out as a new driver.

There’s a lot of space throughout the interior, including a spacious trunk which makes it really practical for trips with a lot of gear. The drivers seats are height adjustable for additional comfort.

With an 6.88-inch touchscreen and smartphone-compatible infotainment system, you can enjoy the ride and keep the whole family entertained.

4. Honda Odyssey

For the ultimate family road trip, you need the 2020 Honda Odyssey. With both 7 and 8 seat models, it’s spacious enough to pack for the perfect car adventure, and has three rows of passenger seats.

Space wise, the car is already spacious enough even when at full capacity, but for extra room the third row seats can be folded flat, and the second row seats slid forward, back, or side to side for extra legroom.

It’s well described as a ‘boxy people mover‘, so it’s not exactly sexy, and you won’t be turning heads by driving it, but this is the most practical and comfortable choice of car if you’re on a roadtrip with up to 8 people.

There’s built-in navigation, and good storage for being on the move, like handy compartments above and below the instrument panel keep your necessities in easy reach, while tablets and other devices can be slipped away into the seat pockets and recessed front door.

Image: The NRMA (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr

5. BMW X3

For city road trips and urban adventures, the BMW X3 is the perfect car to smoothly cruise down the highway. It has spacious supportive seats for the ultimate comfort during a long drive and its fuel economy is top-class with up to 29 mpg on the highway.

The BMX X3 is one of the best luxury compact SUV’s on the market and it’s perfect for roadtrips as it offers a great balance of a spacious interior, easy-to-use features, strong engine performance, poised handling, and good predicted reliability.

It includes advanced safety features such as driver’s drowsiness monitoring and automatic emergency brakes to keep you and your family safe on the road (and blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning are now standard).

The infotainment system has an 8.8-inch touch screen, with Apple CarPlay support and tri-zone climate control. So there’s no need to worry about how to stay entertained!

Image: Andy Melton (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr

6. Mercedes-Benz GLE

Mercedes-Benz GLE is a fantastic midsize luxury SUV for the ultimate family road trip. There’s plenty of passenger space and a luxurious interior design that offers premium comfort and support during a long drive.

What sets this apart for road trips is its great steering and handling, and the experience is closer to a sports car than an SUV. You’ll have access to several different driving modes, depending on the way you like to drive.

Most models are all-wheel drive, which is engaged at all times, and means you can easily tackle different climates, like if driving in winter over snow and ice. It’s great for off-roading adventures too, with a massive amount of horsepower.

The infotainment system is top of the line, with superior digital assistance, a 12.3-inch touch screen, a video-based navigation system, smartphone connectivity, and optional gesture controls for convenience.

Safety features such as Blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, active parking assistance, and lane change assist make driving easier. It even offers improved gas mileage making it energy efficient for a long drive.

Above All: Research

The car you choose can make or break your road trip adventure, but the most important thing to remember is to choose the right car for you. 

While each person’s road trip / driving style will be different, every road trip you take will be too. So it’s important to take all of this into account, and research your car options carefully.

Base your decision on which car offers the best balance of efficiency, space, power, and infotainment systems. Let us know which car you end up choosing!