When a slight chill first permeates through the air in the fall season, for millions of Americans it means one thing: Football season. Across the country, people devote time, effort, and a larger-than-average snack budget every Sunday to hang out and watch their favorite team face off against another. But sitting at home or at the bar is only so fun for some—why not bring the party to the big game?
Whether you’re inclined to pull up and party down at a local high school game, college game, or an NFL game, football fans across the country will fill their cars with barbecue grilles, coolers, folding chairs, pop-up tents, and cornhole sets, to recreate a backyard party in the parking lot of the local football stadium. We’re talking about the quest to put on one heck of a tailgate party.
When it comes to a great tailgate, the automotive aspect is almost as important as the hot dogs and burgers. You don’t necessarily need a crew-cab pickup truck, but the best tailgate vehicles need to provide plenty of cargo space, they should keep electronic appliances powered and charged, and most importantly, there should never be any question about their ability to make it to the stadium.
The Best Tailgating Vehicles of 2025
- Ford F-150 Lightning
- Ford Transit
- Honda Ridgeline
- Hyundai Ioniq 5
- Jeep Gladiator
- Jeep Grand Wagoneer
- Kia Carnival
- Mazda CX-50
- Subaru Outback
- Toyota 4Runner
- Volkswagen ID.Buzz
Ford F-150 Lightning
Football is America’s most popular sport, and the F-150 is America’s most popular truck. It’s a match made in heaven. The Lightning is the latest and greatest F-150. It’s not just the only electric F-150, it’s also the only one with a front trunk, or frunk. It’s almost like Ford designed that frunk specifically with tailgating in mind, because it’s got a lot more than 14.1 cubic feet of storage space to haul all of the tailgating essentials. The whole compartment is fully sealed, complete with a drain. That means you could actually pack it full of ice and use it as a cooler. It’s easy to clean, too—just hose it down. The frunk also offers four full power outlets plus USB-A and USB-C ports: device-charging heaven. Combined with the additional outlets located in the cab and the bed, this ought to be enough to keep your game-day party going for hours, margarita machines and all.
Ford Transit
You are your team’s biggest fan. You’re out there every weekend, rallying the others and cheering them on. Maybe it’s time you went all in and got yourself a dedicated tailgating vehicle. If you’re ready to take the plunge, you could do a lot worse than the Ford Transit van. It’s offered with your choice of low, medium, or high roofs, plus regular, long, or extended wheelbases, so you can get plenty of head room and space to trick it out with couches. Or, get more creative—these vans are highly customizable. There are factory options from Ford to consider, plus a whole host of companies out there offering aftermarket conversions, and you can find tons of inspiration on Instagram thanks to #vanlife. Design your own perfect tailgating setup; you’ll never have to worry again that your friends might trash your daily driver on a Sunday afternoon and leave you dreading the Monday commute.
Honda Ridgeline
The Honda Ridgeline shook up the pickup-truck marketplace when it made its debut in the 2006 model year, but it solidified itself as one of our favorite—albeit quirky—pickups after it staged a comeback in the 2017 model year. With a unibody architecture similar to the Honda Pilot’s, the Ridgeline is supremely comfortable, considering its hauling capabilities.
Payload capacity measures a respectable 1,583 pounds in Sport trim and the bed is large enough to carry all your tailgating equipment. A versatile, dual-direction multifunction tailgate makes accessing all that stuff easy, too. It can be lowered like a regular truck’s tailgate, or it can swing out like a car door—think of it like the truck version of the first-generation Honda CR-V. You don’t need to rely on the car’s regular sound system, either; Honda sells the Ridgeline with available in-bed stereo speakers. And, once the tailgate is out of the way, you can easily access the Ridgeline’s under-floor storage compartment. This handy bin is watertight until you pull the drain plug, meaning it’s ideal for use as a cooler, keeping drinks and other items nice and cold.
Jeep Gladiator
You’re out there in the parking lot all day because you’ve got team spirit, right? Well, with the relatively wide palette of colors available for the Jeep Gladiator, we’re sure you can find one that’ll be a great match for all the bumper stickers you’re going to plaster on it. The open truck bed can be used for storage, seating, or a buffet spread. And more fun still, most of the Gladiator trims are available with a removable wireless speaker. It charges while docked behind the rear seats, so it’ll be ready to go when it’s time for tunes. The weatherproof, dust-resistant, Bluetooth speaker ought to be plenty hardy enough for the circumstances (this truck was engineered to drive off-road, after all). And best of all, it can be connected to the speakers from other Gladiators for a true surround-sound experience.
Jeep Grand Wagoneer
Few vehicles balance work and play quite as effectively as the Grand Wagoneer. Though this vehicle looks more like an upscale Land Rover than a rugged Jeep, it still boasts the workmanlike capabilities that made the brand famous. With the third-row seat in place, the Grand Wagoneer provides about 28 cubic feet of cargo space, but that number balloons to newly 73 when the third row is folded. Additionally, maximum towing capacity measures 9,810 pounds, meaning the Grand Wagoneer shouldn’t have any issues dragging your homemade drum smoker on its trailer. Or, maybe even your whole living room for that matter. For even more room, Jeep also offers an extended version dubbed the Grand Wagoneer L.
And if the skies were to open up, the Grand Wagoneer is chock full of tech and comfort features to keep folks happy while they wait out the storm. In addition to the center-mounted touchscreen, the Grand Wagoneer comes standard with a second screen mounted in front of the front passenger, plus two additional seat-back screens can be optioned for second-row passengers. Add in the McIntosh audio system (up to 23 speakers!) and the available 4G Wi-Fi hotspot, and the Grand Wagoneer is a rolling entertainment system.
Kia Carnival
In an SUV and pickup-truck world, the humble minivan still reigns supreme and sits on the throne of practicality. Or, if you’re talking about a Kia Carnival, the “not so humble” minivan. Now available in gas and Carnival Hybrid versions, Kia's people-mover is an excellent choice for any tailgater looking for lots of space and practicality without the ho-hum styling found on most minivans. This thing looks downright cool.
Better yet, because it is still a minivan (no matter how it looks or how Kia markets it), the Carnival provides plenty of room. Open the hands-free liftgate, and 40.2 cubic feet are available behind the third row of seats, and it’s all easily accessible thanks to the vehicle’s low load height. That number grows to 89.9 cubic feet of cargo space when the third row is folded. Enough to put on the ultimate tailgating experience. As we noted in our Test Drive Review, that means the Carnival can carry five people plus the same amount of cargo as a Kia Telluride—if the Telluride is only carrying two.
Mazda CX-50
Mazda put a lot of effort into making the CX-50 an SUV fit for adventure, and it turns out features tailored for camping are also great for tailgating. The roof rack was specifically designed to support a rooftop tent and its occupants, so it will have no trouble transporting your camp chairs and canopies. Up to 50.8 cubic feet of cargo space is set up for ease of access, with a long floor that’s flush with the lip of the hatch opening. The only way loading your cooler in and out could be any easier is if it were lighter, and let’s be honest, you’ll take care of that yourself by the end of the day. The flat floor also makes for a great seating area in a pinch: Huddling under the liftgate to avoid the rain is a lot nicer when you can comfortably dangle your legs over the edge. They don’t call it “tailgating” for nothing.
Subaru Outback
One of the (many) things that make football great is that it’s played in all sorts of weather. Barring a vicious lightning storm, football will be played. Pouring rain? They’re playing. Zero degrees? They’re playing. White-out, blizzard conditions? Yep, just ask all those die-hard Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers fans.
If your football team is going to brave the conditions, then you’d better be sure your vehicle can, too. Enter: the Subaru Outback. Thanks to its symmetrical all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, Subaru’s station-wagon-turned-SUV has a hard-earned reputation for managing mud, rocks, and snow with relative ease. The Wilderness trim, in particualar, boasts ground clearance, all-terrain tires, and a roof-rail system capable of holding a 700-pound static load. Adding to its tailgating bona fides, the midsize Outback delivers a long, 32.6-cubic-foot cargo area behind the rear seat, and a maximum cargo volume of 75.6 cubic feet. So, not only will an Outback get you to the game, but it should be big enough to get your stuff there, too.
Toyota 4Runner
Toyota’s 4Runner is a classic for a reason, and it got a brand-new generation for the 2025 model year. It walks the line between truck and SUV, giving you all the cool of the former with the practicality of the latter. Like its bedded sibling the Tacoma, it’s got enough of a fan base to be at home in any company, but it doesn’t demand attention, so you won’t have to worry about attracting vandals or thieves while you’re inside the stadium. And if you’re always the designated driver of your group (the world needs more heroes like you), you can opt for seven seats instead of five. We recommend accessorizing your 4Runner with the available sliding rear cargo deck package, which essentially expands the functional surface when the trunk is open, and adding the exclusive 40-quart cooler accessory, custom-fitted to the 4Runner. Showing up to the big game with one of these is a real pro move.
Volkswagen ID.Buzz
This electrified VW ID.Buzz may seem more fit for hauling surf boards and Patchouli in bulk, or some other stereotype behind the VW Bus’ lore, but it would actually accompany an ace tailgating party, too.
That’s because this rig is a cargo-hauling masterpiece. Thanks to the ID.Buzz’ three-row seating, it not only can haul a good number of fans to the stadium, but also, folding the third row unveils an epic amount of space that’d be easy to load and unload with a grille, coolers, frosty cold ones, and more. Cargo capacity exceeds 75 cubic feet, which is more than enough for most folks. Not only that, but the fact that its an enclosed long rectangle as opposed to a pickup truck makes securing one’s stuff a little easier, too. Plus, with its fresh new design, it could be the perfect conversation starter for those who are a little more extroverted.
