Picking the Best Car for a Road Trip

If you’re looking to plan a road trip, one of the most important elements of your journey is obviously going to be the car! Normally, you’re not going to buy a car based solely on its ability to handle a road trip. However, if you’re in need of a new car and you plan on taking many more road trips in the future, then you might want to think about looking for the best car for a road trip that will suit your needs. Whether you are buying a new car or selecting the best rental car for your trip, here are a few important things to consider when choosing your vehicle.

Fuel Efficiency

When you’re planning to make a long drive, you need to think about how much you’re going to be paying for gas. To that end, you might want to choose a car that’s more fuel efficient. There are two types of fuel efficiency measures for cars – miles to the gallon for city driving versus driving on the highway. When selecting the best car for your road trip, always pay attention to the miles per gallon for highway driving. Websites like Fuel Economy can provide helpful information by comparing the fuel efficiency of a range of different cars.

Also be sure to calculate when you have to stop and charge if you drive an electric vehicle. While electric cars don’t need gas, it does take time to charge, which needs to be factored into the planning of your trip.

Comfort

The comfort of your car becomes much more important when you’re also spending a lot of time driving. Because comfort is critical for long car trips, sites like Edmunds can provide with you with information and reviews on cars, along with notes on various features like air conditioning, cruise control, seats, storage, etc. When you take a vehicle out for a test drive, you’re not going to get as much of a comprehensive look as you would if you drove it for hours. So be sure to do your research to select a quality car for your road trip that provides a whole lot of comfort for those in the front AND back seats.

Road Noise

Road noise is not something many people think about on a day-to-day basis. However, when you’re cruising down the highway at 75 miles per hour, road noise definitely comes into play. When selecting the best car for a road trip, be sure to choose one with a powerful, yet quiet engine and one with excellent sound insulation. Often, luxury cars have the best ratings in road noise, yet there are plenty of mid-range vehicles that offer satisfactory ratings.

Technology

Nowadays, most car manufacturers offer navigation systems in their vehicles or have compatibility with Apple CarPlay, which allows you to use online maps. Other technology that’s very helpful to have in a car includes features like Bluetooth pairing, a top-notch entertainment system, safety and driver aids, built-in cameras, charging ports, and voice controls. Top-notch technology not only makes long drives safer, but also more enjoyable.

Reliability

Everyone wants a reliable car. After all, you want to make sure that you come back from your road trip in the same vehicle, without any problems along the way. Although you might not be able to do anything about getting a flat tire on your trip, you can make sure that your car is a lot less prone to malfunctions and failures by learning more about its reliability. Sites like the Reliability Index take a deeper look at the long-term resilience of vehicles on the market. Aside from an overall reliability score, the site also highlights which parts are likely to fail on you first, allowing you to get an idea of how much it’s going to cost for some of the most frequent repairs on that model.

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Unfortunately, we all don’t own the latest and greatest vehicles. So, if your own car isn’t well suited for road trips, you always have the option of going with a rental. Just make sure you have done your research to get yourself and your family the best car for your road trip before you set out on the open road.

Happy Travels!

Julie