Any vehicle is road trip-worthy if you commit to it. In the 1994 American comedy classic ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ the protagonists’ chosen highway steeds were a van outfitted to look like a dog and a 50cc moped. In more real-life applications, folks could probably make perfectly do with a soft-riding, spacious ‘90s full-size sedan in good mechanical shape that gets halfway-decent fuel economy.
However, there are certainly some new cars that are better suited for cross-country rambling duty than others. We’re providing a list of ten road trip vehicles that are suitable for different types of adventures, from a weekend jaunt to the mountains to a trek from one end of the country to the other.
Determining which car works best for your journey requires some consideration of the trip, what you’ll be bringing, and whether you’ll be going alone or taking the entire family. Here are the best road trip cars we’ve found.
The Best Vehicles for Road Trips in 2025
- Chevrolet Suburban
- Ford Mustang Convertible
- Ford Mustang Mach-E
- Hyundai Santa Cruz
- Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4xe
- Kia Carnival
- Kia Telluride
- Subaru BRZ
- Subaru Outback Wilderness
- Volvo V90
Chevrolet Suburban
Best for: Once-in-a-lifetime trips
You’ve been planning a life-changing summer trip across the United States, hauling a travel trailer, three kids, a dog and everything else you could possibly need to make the trip as memorable as possible before your kids head off to college and their own exciting lives. The vehicle you need is the Chevy Suburban (or the GMC Yukon XL).
There are few vehicles that can haul eight people in comfort while also towing up to 8,200 pounds. If you’re towing a travel trailer bigger than that, it’s time to think about full-size pickups with a fifth-wheel setup. What makes the Suburban doubly interesting is its massive cargo volume. If you’ve only got people occupying the second row, you can fold the rear-most seat up and achieve 93.8 cubic feet of space, enough room that you could bring a good-sized armoire home from your trip. With all the seats stowed, you get 144.5 cubic feet of space, making this essentially a pickup truck in terms of utility. If you’re most concerned about cargo space and towing capability, the Suburban is the best vehicle.
On a road trip, though, the Suburban is comfortable and capable, no matter which of the three engine choices you select. The most suitable for long-distance touring would be the 3.0-liter turbodiesel, which provides 21 mpg city and 27 mpg highway in the four-wheel drive (4WD) configuration. The Suburban is also offered with a 5.3-liter or a 6.2-liter gas-powered V8 for up to 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque.
Ford Mustang Convertible
Best for: Top down pony power
If you and your loved one are considering a cross-country trip to recapture a bit of your youth, the ideal choice is the Mustang Convertible.
The GT Convertible is going to be everyone’s first choice, but a $12,000 premium is a lot to pay for a V8. For under $43,000, we like the EcoBoost Premium, featuring a 315-hp 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder and a 10-speed automatic transmission. You’re better off enjoying that standard level of horsepower and torque while you cruise through the main streets and back roads of the country.
Technologically, the EcoBoost Premium offers Sync 4 with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus voice commands, Bluetooth functionality, and all the connectivity you could use while still maintaining eye contact with the road. This version of the Mustang also includes ActiveX heated and cooled front seats, heated mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators, and selectable drive modes for more spirited performance.
Ford Mustang Mach-E
Best for: Electric adventures
With at least 250 miles of range, and up to 320 miles with the optional range extended battery, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is suitable for a road trip, even one all the way across the country. It might not be the perfect choice for those long road excursions, but it really depends on how often one’s willing to charge up.
What makes the Mustang Mach-E such a strong road trip contender, even as an electric car, is how it drives. Like all electric vehicles, the Mustang Mach-E is capable of running silently. You can opt to have some pleasant “exhaust” noise piped through the audio system if you choose, but the without it you’ll notice how quiet the Mach-E is, and how comparably noisy non-electric vehicles are by comparison.
The five-passenger Mach-E has decent cargo volume for all your stuff. With all the seats in place, the Mach-E offers 34.4 cubic feet of cargo space. With the rear seats stowed, that space balloons to 59.7 cubic feet. You could stash a week’s worth of luggage for four people in the back of a Mach-E without issue, while still leaving plenty of room for two passengers in the back seats.
The challenge—obviously—is charging an electric vehicle on your road trip. That’s where the benefit of the Mach-E’s extended range comes in. With an EPA-estimated 320 miles from a full charge, you could easily drive from Boston to New York City and have battery power to spare. Ford's BlueOval Charge Network is the largest manufacturer-supported network in the country, with over 106,500 charging stations, including DC Fast Chargers.
A rear-wheel-drive (RWD) Mustang Mach-E with an extended range battery is capable of adding 59 miles of range in just 10 minutes at a DC Fast Charging station. In 45 minutes, you can charge from 10% to 80% with the same Level 3 charger.
Ford also offers the Power My Trip function on the FordPass app. It allows you to map out your road trip and plan charging stops along the way.
Hyundai Santa Cruz
Best for: Outdoor adventurers
The crossover/pickup hybrid is on the verge of becoming the next hot setup for a lot of Americans. Honda has offered the Ridgeline for a number of years, but the automaker always priced it well out of the reach of younger buyers. The Santa Cruz and the Ford Maverick are the first entries in this newly resurrected class of vehicles (Subaru was in early with the Baja and disappeared just as quickly).
We spent a week with the Santa Cruz and walked away impressed. The bed is definitely small, but it’s more useful than it might appear. We used it tote 16 boxes of vinyl flooring planks, which clocked in at well over 1,000 pounds. That’s nothing for a full-size pickup, but it was pretty surprising a truck this size.
Towing capacity tops out at 5,000 pounds, which is the peak for any current Hyundai product. The optional turbocharged four-cylinder powertrain is the reason for the latter figure—it puts out a hearty 281 hp. That's enough to haul a couple of personal watercraft or a small travel trailer, but if you’re looking to pull your 27-foot Airstream, you’ll definitely want something larger.
Fuel economy is only bested by the hybrid version of the Ford Maverick. Granted, 27 mpg highway and 19 mpg city in the AWD turbocharged version doesn’t sound terrific compared to the hybrid Maverick’s 37 mpg combined, but 27 mpg on the highway beats every other mid-size and full-size truck (not including hybrids and diesels).
The Santa Cruz is also available with a range of accessories that make use of that bed space, in the form of a rack for rooftop tents, bicycle hauling, kayak mounting, and more.
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4xe
Best for: Off-road adventurers
The two-door Wrangler is the most fun Wrangler, but by far the most useful configuration is the four-door-only Wrangler Rubicon 4xe. Between its great fuel economy, off-road capability, and surprising amount of comfort, it’s a top choice for those looking to hit up multiple national parks next summer.
Not only does the four-door variant offer a second set of doors to haul people around a bit easier, but the cargo space increases to a more road trip-friendly 27.7 cubic feet. The two-door Wrangler has just 12.9 cubic feet with the seats in place, a tiny space that’s only suitable for a few days’ worth of luggage.
The ”Rubicon” in the trim name signifies that is the most off-road capable version. All Wranglers are better at climbing rocky hills and fording mud holes than most other vehicles, but the Rubicon includes a ton of equipment like push-button sway bar disconnects and lockers and heavy-duty axles.
Finally, what does 4xe represent? Pronounced “four-by-e,” it signifies that this Wrangler has the same plug-in hybrid technology as the Chrysler Pacifica, but with the ability to run solely on electric power by means of a dash-mounted switch. That means that you can run the Wrangler Rubicon 4xe in low range while enjoying the massive torque afforded by an electric motor. It’s a great driving experience. When you’re on the road and around town, you can run full-electric for about 21 miles, which should be plenty for running errands and short commutes.
We’ve experienced the 4xe on a lengthy 6.5-hour drive, and while it’s not a Lincoln Town Car, it’s surprisingly pleasant to drive on the highway. Plus, it’s ready to take on any of America’s off-highway excursions, thanks to being one of the most capable off-road trucks, ever.
Kia Carnival
Best for: Family road trips
The Kia Carnival is one of the newer entries in the wide-open minivan space, and it’s been redesigned for the 2025 model year. This thing is handsome! It also offers the most pleasant interior space of any minivan on the market today. In SX Prestige trim, the second row is the best seat in the house, with fully reclining chairs (with leg support), along with a surprising range of interior colors.
And unlike most crossover three-row SUVs, the third row in a Kia Carnival offers up to 38.6 inches of third-row headroom, 35.6 inches of third-row legroom, and a seat back that doesn’t point you straight up like a church pew. That’s better headroom than a Chevrolet Suburban, and just an inch less legroom. This is especially great for rear passengers on long-haul trips.
Bolstering its appeal as a long-hauler is its new available hybrid variant, which, between its 72-hp electric motor and turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, produces 242 horsepower. This helps it achieve as much as 33 mpg combined, 34 mpg city, and 31 mpg highway.
Not as important for passengers, but just as nice for the owner, is the fact that the Kia Carnival is the only minivan on the market that actually looks cool. Kia designers went out of their way to build a premium minivan inside and out. There are details on the exterior that you won’t find in any other minivan and that are even missing from a lot of crossover SUVs.
Kia Telluride
Best for: Family travelers on a budget
There’s a reason that the Kia Telluride was selling at or above manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for a few years: It was underpriced. It was probably the only vehicle we’ve seen in the last quarter century that could be legitimately described as such, and it's garnered top rankings from just about everyone who’s driven it.
The Kia Telluride delivers sophisticated travel for up to eight, something that was previously limited to the Chevrolet Suburban/Lincoln Navigator class. The Jeep Grand Wagoneer is certainly an outstanding candidate for such a trip, but its starting MSRP is more than double that of a base 2025 Telluride.
No matter which Telluride you select, you get the same power plant: The 291-hp V6 engine that powers other large Kia and Hyundai vehicles. It's a great engine, and you won’t feel like the Telluride is down on power unless you’re maxing out its 5,500-pound towing capacity. You’ll appreciate the better-than-average gas mileage (20 mpg city and 26 mpg highway) in the FWD version, but AWD drops EPA-estimated fuel economy to 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. The seating is easily as impressive as any luxury SUV on the market, with synthetic or genuine leather upholstery depending on trim level.
Technology is on par for the class and includes a head-up display, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, USB ports for every outboard passenger, and an innovative Kia Connect app that offers remote start, remote climate control, Find My Car, Rear Occupant Alert, and remote door lock and unlock.
Subaru BRZ
Best for: Weekend road trips
Since the demise of the BMW Z4 Coupe, the Subaru BRZ is the closest thing to the grand tourer, or GT, class of British and Italian sports cars that existed in the 1960s and early 1970s—cars like the Triumph Spitfire, the MG MGB GT and the Alfa Romeo Alfetta.
These cars were specifically designed to take you and your favorite person to the mountains for a weekend or week-long getaway. That’s it. No more, no less. The Spitfire and MGB-GT were both designed for two, while the Alfetta had a rear seat suitable for small dogs, but never humans. The cargo area was intended for weekend luggage.
The BRZ fits that bill to perfection and was fully redesigned for the 2022 model year, with improvements in every way. The Subaru BRZ is a joint venture between Subaru and Toyota, where Toyota did all the chassis development and Subaru provided the drivetrain. It’s the only non-AWD vehicle in the Subaru stable, and the only RWD Subaru ever to be offered for sale. The six-speed manual transmission is the obvious choice, but the six-speed automatic is also a legitimate transmission with actual gears—as opposed to the continuously variable transmission, or CVT, that shows up in every other gas-powered Subaru model these days. Thankfully, it’s very roomy for its size inside, too, with ample cargo room to boot.
The base BRZ trim is the Premium, and it’s exceedingly well equipped with a 228-hp boxer four-cylinder, a Torsen limited slip differential, Subaru Eyesight adaptive cruise control, and Starlink Multimedia Navigation with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. The Limited trim costs around $3,000 more and adds leather and ultrasuede trim, 18-inch alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4s, and heated seats. For that, you’re still under $34,000. Subaru will sell you dozens of accessories, but the only actual option is the automatic transmission. The range-topping tS trim debuted last year, featuring STI-tuned suspension bits, Brembo brakes, and unique 18-inch wheels, among other enhancements. It's priced at about $36,500.
If you’re at the stage in life where you either have no kids or your kids are grown, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining car for this kind of money.
Subaru Outback Wilderness
Best for: All-around touring
The base-level Outback has been an adventure tourer ever since it was launched way back in 1996. It combined the agility and fuel-efficiency of a sedan with the storage capacity of an early crossover SUV, and it has provided hundreds of thousands of Americans with pleasant journeys ever since.
The 2022 model year marked the debut of the Subaru Outback Wilderness trim level. At first glance, we kind of expected it to be a glorified appearance package that didn’t really separate itself that distinctively from the other Outback trims, but we were wrong. There are mechanical differences between the Outback and the Outback Wilderness that make the latter more well-suited to all-around touring, especially if there’s some light off-road paths on your tour map.
Yes, you can search the aftermarket for a lift kit that will provide the ground clearance and the approach and departure angles of the Outback Wilderness. But those kits won’t be covered by a new Subaru warranty, and they don’t offer the other mechanical advantages that the Outback wilderness does. First, the Outback Wilderness has a unique final-drive ratio that makes a slight dent in fuel efficiency but it uses the boxer engine's torque more effectively off-road. Plus, it provides a little more snap from the throttle. Second, Subaru has recalibrated its EyeSight suite of advanced safety features specifically for the Outback Wilderness.
For those interested in hauling a rooftop tent on their road trip, the Wilderness is the only Outback trim level that has a roof rack designed for a 700-pound static load, suitable for a tent and its occupants.
Volvo V90
Best for: The Cognoscenti
Volvo has cut out the bodyside cladding and off-road wheels and tires in recent years, transforming the beloved V90 wagon into a sleek, more paved road-ready steed. And, one of the classiest in the United States, to boot.
The base B6 Plus trim features twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four-cylinder coupled with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. It’s a very sophisticated means of getting up to 29 mpg from a vehicle that boasts 69 cubic feet of cargo space and standard AWD.
The interior is exemplary. It’s classy and not at all busy, and you’ll never confuse it with anything else in this class. Interior material presentation is museum quality, and there’s ample room in the back seats for its size. About the only thing that needs an update is the infotainment screen, which has been around for a good long time at this point. It has all the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, but unlike a lot of other competitors in this price category (and under it), the V90 still requires plugging it in.
That said, this is truly a singular vehicle in today’s marketplace. There are a few other wagons from the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Audi, but this is the one that really looks the part, and its 3,500-pound towing capacity is comparable to many midsize crossovers.
