
What Are the Best Cars for Traveling?

There’s nothing better than taking a road trip with your loved ones. However, a road trip can quickly veer off course if you experience car trouble, go over budget on gas, or have issues fitting your luggage in the trunk. For these reasons, it’s important to make sure you’re behind the wheel of the right vehicle before you hit the road.
The perfect road trip vehicle is spacious, fuel efficient, reliable, and comfortable. Which vehicles possess all of these qualities? Here are some of the best cars for traveling:
Toyota Highlander Hybrid
The Toyota Highlander Hybrid is a spacious SUV with three rows of seating to fit up to eight adults. Even though it’s a large SUV, this vehicle is a hybrid, so it is still fuel efficient. You can expect to get up to 36 miles in the city and around 35 miles on the highway, so you won’t need to stop for gas very often.
There’s plenty of space to store your luggage in the Highlander Hybrid. This vehicle is designed with about 16 cubic feet of storage space behind the third row, but if you fold these seats down, it expands to 48 cubic feet. To maximize your storage space, fold both the second and third rows of seating down. This will give you approximately 84 cubic feet of space for your belongings.
The Highlander Hybrid is also ideal for people who plan on towing a trailer or boat with them on their trip. This vehicle safely tows up to 3,500 pounds.
Honda Odyssey
If you’re traveling with friends or children, you may want to consider investing in a minivan like the Honda Odyssey. The Odyssey has an unbelievable amount of cargo space, so you won’t have any trouble fitting your luggage inside your vehicle. This minivan provides nearly 40 cubic feet of space behind the third row of seating and over 90 cubic feet of space when the seats are folded down.
The interior is roomy and comfortable, which makes it ideal for long road trips. The Odyssey is also designed with a number of features, including a user-friendly infotainment system, that will entertain your passengers until you reach your final destination. There’s also a feature called CabinTalk, which turns the vehicle’s stereo into a PA system so the driver can easily communicate with passengers in the backseat.
Subaru Outback
The Subaru Outback is a unique vehicle that is often described as a mix between a crossover SUV and station wagon. It has two rows of seating that comfortably fit up to five adults. Even though the Outback isn’t a luxury vehicle, its interior is designed with high-end materials that will keep your passengers comfortable throughout the trip.
If safety is your primary concern, the Subaru Outback is a great choice. The Outback is designed with Subaru’s EyeSight system, which uses two cameras placed near the rearview mirror to monitor the road for potentially dangerous situations. According to Subaru, this technology can reduce the rate of rear-end accidents with injuries by up to 85%.
Chevrolet Suburban
The Chevrolet Suburban is a full-size SUV, so it’s ideal for those who plan on traveling with a large group of people. Even though it’s a large SUV, it still gets fairly good gas mileage. This is especially true if you upgrade to the turbo diesel engine, which will give you about 21 miles per gallon in the city and up to 27 miles per gallon on the highway.
Your passengers will never get bored in the backseat of a Suburban. Every Suburban is equipped with an infotainment system with a 10-inch touchscreen, a Wi-Fi hotspot, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and satellite radio.
You can also tow a significant amount of weight with this vehicle. Its maximum towing capacity ranges from 7,500 to 8,300 lbs depending on the type of engine you choose.
BMW X3
If you want to travel in style, consider the BMW X3, which is a luxury compact SUV that seats up to five adults. This vehicle gets up to 25 miles per gallon in the city and 29 miles per gallon on the highway. To maximize your fuel efficiency, choose the plug-in hybrid model instead.
The base model is built with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces up to 248 horsepower. You can also upgrade to a twin-turbo inline-six engine that produces up to 473 horsepower.
If you’re traveling with young children, you will love the rear sunshades in the backseat. Pull these sunshades over the windows to block out the natural light when it’s time for your kids to take a nap.
Hyundai Elantra
The Hyundai Elantra is a compact sedan, so it’s perfect for people who aren’t traveling in a large group. Because it’s a smaller vehicle, it’s far more fuel efficient than most of the other vehicles on this list. You can expect to get around 33 miles per gallon in the city and 43 miles per gallon on the highway.
This sedan also comes with a number of features that will keep you safe throughout your trip, including forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, and blind spot monitoring.
Volvo V90
The Volvo V90 is a luxurious station wagon that is perfect for a road trip with family or friends. It doesn’t have as much cargo space as the SUVs on this list, but it does come with a long list of features that will keep you safe on your journey. Some of these features include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert, and front and rear parking sensors.
It also has a stylish interior designed with high-end materials that will keep your passengers comfortable regardless of how many hours you spend on the road.
Kia Telluride
Even though the Kia Telluride is a mid-size SUV, it still comfortably seats up to eight adults. Its fuel efficiency is above average compared to other vehicles in its class. You can get about 20 miles per gallon in the city and 26 miles per gallon on the highway when you’re driving a Telluride.
There’s plenty of space for your personal belongings inside the Telluride. If you’re using all three rows of seating, you will still have about 21 cubic feet of space. Fold the third row of seats down to increase your cargo space to about 46 cubic feet. To maximize your space, fold both the second and third rows of seating down. This will give you 87 cubic feet of space for your luggage and other belongings.
Lincoln Navigator
The Lincoln Navigator is a luxury full-size SUV that seats up to seven adults. This vehicle is built with a powerful turbocharged V6 engine that will make the drive more exciting and lively. It also offers a smooth ride so passengers can rest in the backseat without being disturbed.
The base model comes with several features to keep your passengers entertained, including an infotainment system with a 10-inch touchscreen. You can upgrade to a higher trim level to get additional features such as a separate infotainment system for passengers in the backseat.
All of the vehicles on this list will enhance your next road trip experience. If you’re planning on buying a new car before your next trip, make sure to reference this list to ensure you choose the right car for your lifestyle.