When it comes to road-tripping, especially in wine country, your car may be the most important part of your trip. Here are some surprisingly awesome road trip cars that you should keep on your list and consider before you plan your next big adventure. There’s something special about each of them that makes them perfect for long drives into the unknown.
GMC Canyon Diesel
This powerful pickup truck is perhaps the most surprising on this list of surprisingly awesome road trip cars. You may not think of a pickup as being a good vehicle for a long drive due to space restrictions and bad gas mileage, but this 4-door diesel gets about 30 mpg on the highway and up to 600 miles on one tank. The turbocharged engine pulls the truck along with the ease of a sedan but allows you to tow up to 7,000 pounds of road trip toys. Convert the truck’s bed into a pool for portable road trip swimming!
Ford Flex
By resedabear – Flickr, CC BY 2.0, Link
On a road trip, traveling around in a box may be a good thing when it comes to space. This SUV has three rows, which means you have so much room for all of your passengers and cargo as well. If you aren’t using all the seats, put them down and you’ll have plenty of space for pretty much anything you would want to bring on a road trip, from mountain bikes to paddleboards. The square shape means lots of extra headroom which makes the Flex feel so spacious and makes even the longest road trips extra enjoyable.
By RL GNZLZ from Chile – Toyota Rav4 2016, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link
The RAV4 might seem just just another SUV, but this compact adventure-mobile is actually pretty special. For starters, it can tow up to 1,500 pounds and has Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, which will really transform your long road trip. This cruise control lets you set a speed and then uses radar to adjust if there are cars in front of you. An interior with reduced noise and vibration helps keep everyone more comfortable on your drive. Four-wheel drive lets you explore anywhere you want, while an average 30 mpg on the highway makes it the perfect cruiser as well.
Kia Sedona
The Sedona is an affordable but luxurious minivan that’s makes you forget you’re driving a van. Tri-zone climate control helps keep everyone on your road trip so comfortable, while the captain’s chairs in the center row offer reclining footrests so your passengers can really relax on the drive. A super sleek and stylish exterior looks more like a hatchback than a van. You’ll get about 25 mpg on the highway with this room-for-8 van that can also tow about 3,500 of road trip toys.
Chevy Impala
This full-sized sedan is truly comfort on wheels when it comes to road-tripping. The trunk is surprisingly roomy, and the seats for the driver and all passengers are designed for comfort. The Impala’s suspension gives the sedan’s ride a floating feeling that minimizes all feelings of being on the road. If you’re looking for a great basic sedan with a well-above average ride and cargo space, the Impala is a surprisingly awesome road trip car.
Mercedes-Benz S550 Coupe
The S550 Coupe lets you look good while you travel, and gives you a good way to view the road with its huge sunroof and pillarless glass windows. You’ll get to see all of your surroundings from the comfort of this luxury ride. Nice little features like a multimedia system help keep your passengers entertained on long drives, while the Intelligent Drive safety and convenient features like radar systems, brake assistance and active blind spot assist will make the drive less stressful for the driver and more safe for everyone.
Toyota FJ Cruiser
Even though they stopped making this awesome SUV in 2014, a used one is still a great choice for a road trip vehicle, especially if you want to do any off-roading road trips. The boxy, rugged-looking exterior has little touches like 3 windshield wipers and rear-opening back passenger doors. The inside is covered with a washable rubber material to let you clean up fast after a fun day of adventuring in the sand, mud or water. They’re so fun to adventure in!