When it's time to set out on that road trip, driving the right car (or SUV) can make all the difference in the world. A good road trip car needs to be sporty and fun to drive, yet also offer good fuel economy. It needs to be roomy and filled with convenience, safety, and infotainment features as well.
Roadtrippers with families may want a big SUV like the Chevy Suburban or something more compact like the Lexus UX crossover. Those looking for something sporty may want to go with a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 or with the very fast GMC Yukon Graphite Performance Edition.
Fuel economy is a big part of choosing the best road trip vehicle, and hybrids like the Toyota Prius, Lexus ES 300h, or even the Range Rover P400e provide luxury, performance, and hybrid fuel economy.
Discover the top vehicles for your next long-distance adventure with our list of the best cars for road trips.
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1. Audi A6
Audi's mid-size sedan has evolved into a world-class luxury car. It offers the performance, features, and style of a car costing twice as much, which makes it one of the best cars for road trips.
A four- or six-cylinder engine is available—go for the six for a more spirited driving experience. The A6 is one of those cars that is perfect for solo or getaways for two because it's fun to drive. You can also bring four friends (or family members) and take advantage of the car's interior room and spacious trunk.
That size and comfort comes with the full suite of Audi's legendary performance and safety technology, which starts with the sure-footed quattro all-wheel-drive system. Unlike a front- or rear-wheel drive sedan, Audi's quattro system is always on duty, sending power to all four wheels to ensure, regardless of the weather, your road trip always ends at your destination, not in a ditch.
2. Buick Regal TourX
Buick's version of a Subaru-like crossover is the ultimate modern station wagon. The road-trip-ready Regal TourX comes standard with a peppy turbocharged engine and Intelligent AWD (all-wheel-drive). The car senses which wheel needs traction and adjusts automatically via an active twin-clutch system.
A comfortable and luxurious interior is important for road trips, and the TourX gives you what Buick calls "affordable luxury." This means you get luxury features and performance at a reasonable cost. This includes Buick's QuietTuning technology, which uses things like laminated glass and special wheel-well insulation to give you a quiet cabin.
3. Chevrolet Suburban
Chevy's big SUV offers the total road trip package: room for up to eight of your friends and all kinds of cool amenities like multiple power outlets, an onboard 4G Wi-Fi hotspot, and even (optional) HD rear entertainment screens and a Blu-Ray / DVD player.
And even though it has a seating capacity for up to nine adults, this big SUV isn't as thirsty for fuel as you might think. Advanced fuel management and cylinder deactivation means the Suburban only uses four of its eight cylinders when all that power isn't needed (like when cruising down the freeway). The Suburban also gives you an 8,300 pound towing capacity, enough to haul many campers, toy trailers, or boats.
4. Lexus UX 250h
The new-for-2019 Lexus UX is their brand new compact crossover. The little UX 250h hybrid gets the highest mileage of any non-EV (electric vehicle) SUV on the market with a combined MPG of 39. You can also get the UX with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine. The hatchback design and small cargo area in the back make it practical, and that gas mileage makes it great for long distance driving.
It doesn't feel compact inside, and you get the wonderful array of Lexus' safety and driver aid technology. You also get the automaker's legendary build quality and reputation for bulletproof reliability. The UX is nimble—it has a special suspension that gives it a super tight turning radius of 17.1 feet, that's shorter than the length of a Suburban.
5. Hyundai Palisade
This new-for-2020 SUV is the first three-row offering from Hyundai. Its surprisingly luxurious interior and shift-by-wire transmission makes it probably the most comfortable SUV for long road trips. The Palisade is packed with available options and technology, giving you Lexus-like features and amenities at Hyundai prices.
Perfect for family adventures, the Palisade has some really cool features to help the driver manage their passengers. Driver Talk broadcasts the sound of the driver's voice through the sound system to all three rows of seats. Another helpful feature, unique to the Palisade, is tiny individual warning lights on the dashboard for each seat. One glance instantly tells who is buckled up and who isn't.
6. Cadillac ATS Coupe
Cadillac has really come back into prominence both as a luxury car brand and as one known for serious performance. Their ultimate road trip vehicle, especially for one or two people, is the sleek ATS Coupe. The ATS Coupe seats four adults comfortably, but as a coupe, has only two doors. Although you can kit it out with all kinds of luxury and performance features, even the base model is a very exciting car to drive.
The large, turbocharged V4 gives you almost 300 horsepower and 30 mpg on the highway for a good balance of performance and economy. There's a big trunk for all your gear and a nice array of infotainment and driver safety technologies. Most importantly for road trips, you get a thrilling driving experience with vehicle dynamics and performance technology (like Brembo brakes) proven on a race track with Cadillac's racing team.
Most importantly for road trips, you get a thrilling driving experience, with vehicle dynamics and performance technology (like Brembo brakes) proven on a race track with Cadillac's racing team.
7. Toyota Prius
With seating for five, lots of cargo space, bulletproof reliability, and 50-plus mpg, it's hard to go wrong with a Prius. For long distance driving, the full suite of available in-car infotainment options make it a fun place to spend time, whether you're a driver or a passenger.
The Prius has multiple models, including full, plug-in EV options, but even the standard hybrid Prius will get you north of 50 mpg. In 2019, Toyota introduced available AWD for the Prius, making it the highest mpg vehicle you can get with AWD.
These compact cars are surprisingly roomy inside, easily seating five adults. The rear space is also big and can fit a lot of luggage.
8. Corvette Z06
If you want to head out on a weekend getaway and get to your destination really, really quickly, the Corvette Z06 is the perfect road trip car. With Chevy's amazing supercharged, aluminum 6.2-liter V8 engine, the car has 650 horsepower and 650 pound-foot of torque.
In terms of practicality (yes, Corvettes can be practical), first, you get a huge rear cargo area, well, huge for a two-seat sports car. There is room for several full-size suitcases, even a few sets of golf clubs. Second, the Corvette, which goes from 0-60 in less than three seconds, has an Eco mode. The engine uses cylinder deactivation to only use four of its eight cylinders when only four are needed. With reasonable driving, it will give you 23 mpg.
9. Lexus ES 300h
Like the Audi A6, the Lexus ES also has the mass to give you a serious luxury car ride and driving experience. But unlike the Audi, the ES 300h is a luxury hybrid, providing that smooth ride at the fuel cost of only 44 mpg. In fact, it's considered the most fuel efficient luxury car you can buy, without going full plug-in. The luxurious ride, the bulletproof Lexus build quality, and the high fuel economy numbers make it great for long distance driving.
The ES 300h comes in three trim levels: a base version; a luxury version; and an ultra-luxury version with fancy leather seats, beautiful hand-lacquered wood trim pieces, and handcrafted aluminum accents inspired by Japanese samurai swords
10. INFINITI QX60
INFINITI's three-row mid-size SUV offers a seriously luxurious cabin just packed with all the latest driver aid and infotainment technology. The base "Pure"model delivers all this at quite a reasonable price, freeing up more money for road trips. The QX60 will transport you and six of your friends to any road trip destination in comfort. And unlike many three-row SUVs, the QX60's third row can fit adults comfortably, not just children.
Power comes from an ultra-smooth 295 hp, 3.5-liter V6 engine with a Continuously Variable Transmission, which has a manual shift mode. That technically advanced engine gets you up to 27 mpg on the freeway, an impressive figure for a luxurious three-row SUV. That comfort and fuel economy makes the QX60 one of the best SUVs for long road trips.
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