Best Road Trip Cars Ever

There are few experiences in life as iconic and as thrilling as the road trip. Whether you’re just taking a cross-country excursion or embarking on a full on driving holiday, there’s little that matches the special feeling of taking to the road for an extended period of time.

Of course, there’s the planning aspect. Back in the day, it would be an argument over who’s mix cassette or special CD would be getting the all-important air-time on the trip. These days it’s more of a virtual war over who’s Spotify or Apple Music playlist gets the nod. Have you got the right snacks for the trip? Beverages? Where are you going to stop and how long for?

Have you got the right hotels booked? Hopefully, you’ve picked the least creepy place to stay out of all the roadside motels and hotels available. If there is such a thing as a roadside motel or hotel that isn’t creepy.

These are all important considerations, but what really matters most is what you’re taking to the road in. That’s why in this weeks Rear View Prints blog we’re going to examine the best road trip cars.

 

Although there are a few staples that seem to pop-up in a lot of discussions about the best road trip cars, this is actually a much wider debate than most people realise.

This is due to the fact that a road trip can take on many different forms, and thus what you want to get out of a road trip differs between person to person. Are you looking for a pedal to the metal experience?

Top down on a hot summer’s day, let’s go where the wind takes us kind of trip? Well, you’re more likely to want a faster, more stylish road trip car for the occasion.

The flip side is you’ve planned a very long drive across a range of different terrain, spanning across many days and nights. In that case, you’re probably looking for something a little bit more practical than a fast car with two seats.

So with this in mind, we decided to cover most of the bases of what defines a road trip car. There’ll be a few classics in the mix, some newer cars, some less and more stylish than others. The point is, they’re all fit for the mythical road trip in different ways.

Jeep Cherokee XJ

Sturdy, dependable, and spacious. Oh yeah, this is one of the more practical choices you’ll see on this list of best road trip cars. It’s not sexy, but it’ll damn well serve you well on your adventures.

Not only will you have enough room to keep a bunch of supplies and necessities for a long haul, but you’ll also be able to venture further off road than most people.

Porsche 911 Turbo

We did say this would be a contrasting and expansive list, didn’t we? We can’t think of many better road trip cars than a Porsche 911 Turbo. It’s the pinnacle of style and really, really, bloody fast.

You’ll have fun just hunting down the winding roads available. For practicality points, it even has four seats. Not the greatest or most spacious four seats, but still. It’s a Porsche 911 Turbo!

Morgan 3-Wheeler

So we mentioned practicality, right? Well, this beast has none of it. But a beast it is nonetheless. Driving this thing down the highway you’ll be completely exposed to the elements, and that’s part of what makes it such an incredibly thrilling experience and well deserving of a spot on a list of the best road trip cars.

A soldier in Britain’s Royal Flying Corps once famously described it as, “the nearest thing to flying without leaving the ground.” If that’s not sold you, I’m not sure what will.

Volkswagen Camper Van

Sure, it’s a van and not really a car. But seriously, if you’re really being that picky on a list where we’ve included a 3 wheel vehicle with little to no external protection then we’re not sure what to say.

Obviously, this scores high on the all-time classic icon list. It’s not going to be beaten for storage space. I mean, screw a hotel when you can just bunk up in this bad boy overnight right? Just don’t go parking it in any creepy woods. We’ve all seen those movies. Overall though, this is just way too iconic not to include in a list of best road trip cars.

Buick Roadmaster

It’s kind of in the name, right? This car probably fuels a lot of nostalgia for some of our American readers as a car their dad or other close family members probably had on the drive while they were young.

It’s wood paneling definitely evokes an old school American spirit of that old different time and place in U.S. suburbia. The space this vehicle has is positively insane, and a large reason it makes the list of best road trip cars.

It could practically be an SUV for what you can fit in it, which makes it ideal for loading up on for long trips. Whether that loading involves snacks and beverages or just family members. Or hell, maybe even both. It can handle it after all.

Range Rover

Take your pick of what Land Rover Range Rover Model you want, they will all serve you well on a road trip. If you can afford it, some of the higher end trimmings available right now are going to offer the kind of elite experience you could only dream of on a long road trip.

If you can’t, you’re still going to find an amazing SUV that’s more than capable of taking on any road trip you throw at it.

Honda Civic Type-R

We did say this would be an expansive and often contrasting list, but you probably weren’t expecting to see a hatchback on the list. Hear us out though, the Honda Civic famously has extremely deceptive space going for it. Both in the back seats and in the boot of the vehicle.

The Type-R offers that turbocharge that makes it a good contender for a list of best road trip cars, especially if your road trip runs across a city. Not all road trips are across open highways or in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes you’ll need to successfully navigate huge cities, and the Civic Type-R may as well the best car for that job.

 

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Until next time folks! We hope you have a fantastic Easter.