Summer is right around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to plan a road trip with family, friends, or solo! Planning to buy a new or used car, truck, van, or SUV before your trip? Whitten Brothers Automotive shares our list of the seven best vehicles for road trips this summer.
Before discussing the vehicles themselves, it’s helpful to know what makes a car, truck, van, or SUV road trip worthy.
Fuel efficiency: One of the most important features of the best road trip cars is fuel efficiency. You’re going to log a lot of miles, so you’ll want each full tank to last as long as possible and get you the most for your money. When shopping for a road trip vehicle, checking the EPA-estimated gas mileage is a must.
Reliability: Whether you’re headed to the next state over or across the country, no one wants to break down on the side of the highway or run into other issues. That kind of zaps the fun out of the adventure! Choosing a vehicle known for its reliability helps give you peace of mind that you can make it to your destination without experiencing any problems along the way.
Safety: Speaking of peace of mind, opting for a vehicle with good safety ratings is imperative. You want to keep yourself and any passengers as safe as possible, whether you’re cruising down a highway, city street, or dirt road. Knowing your car, truck, van, or SUV has advanced safety features allows you to focus on driving.
Comfort: When heading out for long-distance travel, comfort is key. The best road trip cars, vans, SUVs, and trucks have comfortable, well-appointed interiors. Look for a vehicle with plenty of space, so no one feels cramped, and make sure everyone (if you’re road tripping with others) agrees that the seats are comfortable enough to sit in for long periods of time.
Cargo space: Road trips can require ample baggage and/or equipment, depending on your plans, so it’s helpful to know what and how much you can fit in the cargo area. Do you need room for multiple suitcases? Are you bringing sporting or camping equipment? Ensuring you have space for all you need prevents you from having to cram storage items in and around seats.
Technology: Having the latest technological features can make a road trip more enjoyable, especially if you’re traveling with kids. Make sure the infotainment system feels user friendly to you, and find out if it’s compatible with wired or wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Some vehicles have screens built into the front headrests for second-row passengers, and some have access to technology like Alexa Built-In or Google Built-In. You may also want to check the number of USB ports, should you want to connect your own technology. Some of the best vehicles for road trips also offer wireless charging for smartphones.
Now that you know what makes a vehicle road trip worthy, here’s our list of the seven best vehicles for road trips.
Chrysler Pacifica: For a family road trip, it’s hard to beat a minivan. The one that consistently ranks at number 1 is the most awarded minivan ever, the Chrysler Pacifica. This minivan is available as a traditional gas-powered or hybrid model.
This Chrysler minivan is available with front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) and is ergonomically designed for comfort. The 2026 model year gets an EPA-estimated 19 mpg/city and 29 mpg/highway with FWD or an EPA-estimated 17 mpg/city and 25 mpg/highway with AWD.
There’s plenty of storage space, thanks to the Stow ’n Go seats. You have covered in-floor storage when the seats are up. If you need cargo room for bigger items like a tent or surfboard, the seats fold directly into the floor.
RAM 1500: While you may not immediately think of a truck as one of the best road trip vehicles, the RAM 1500 certainly is. As a full-size pickup truck, there’s plenty of room in the cabin for everyone to ride comfortably. Depending on the cab size, the RAM 1500 seats between three and six people.
MotorTrend noted that the RAM 1500’s “suspensions are the most comfortable in this class”. If you opt for the RamBox® Cargo Management System, you get additional secure storage for road trip essentials.
When properly equipped, the RAM 1500 towing capacity is 11,610 pounds, so you can pull a camper, trailer, or other large loads. The base trim gets an EPA-estimated 20 mpg/city and 25 mpg/highway.
Jeep Wrangler: If you’re planning off-road adventures during your road trip, the Jeep Wrangler is a must. This Jeep SUV is designed for off-road driving with four-wheel drive (4WD) and trims with the Trail Rated® badge.
Both the two-door and four-door models have roomy interiors with enough space for cargo and passengers.
Depending on the number of doors and engine option, the Jeep Wrangler gets an EPA-estimated 18-20 mpg/city and 16-23 mpg/highway.
Jeep Gladiator: If you love the Jeep Wrangler but prefer the style of a truck, the Jeep Gladiator will be your road trip choice.
Like the Wrangler, this Jeep truck offers off-road capabilities and open-air driving thanks to a removable roof and doors. The truck bed is spacious enough for cargo and/or equipment, and the interior is comfortable for longer rides.
It doesn’t skimp on safety. New models feature a high-strength steel chassis and features like adaptive cruise control, rear cross path detection, and blindspot monitoring.
Mazda CX-5: The all-new Mazda CX-5 was fully redesigned for the 2026 model year. It’s bigger than the previous model, adding space in both the cargo area and the cabin. This two row SUV seats up to five people.
It features Mazda’s i-Activsense® suite of safety features, including 10 advanced airbags, a new advanced driver assistance system, road keep assist, blindspot monitoring, and head-on traffic avoidance assist. Standard safety technology also includes blindspot assist, emergency lane keeping, Mazda radar cruise control, and traffic sign recognition.
The 2026 Mazda CX-5 gets an EPA-estimated gas mileage of 24 mpg/city, 30 mpg/highway, and 26 mpg/combined.
Mazda CX-90: Traveling with a bigger crew? A three row SUV is a great option for your road trip, and the Mazda CX-90 is one of the best on the market. This Mazda SUV seats seven or eight, depending on the trim. There’s a 10.25-inch or 12.3-inch touchscreen to access the infotainment system, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and Alexa Built-In.
The CX-90 gets an EPA-estimated 23 mpg/city and 28 mpg/highway, and i-Activ AWD® (all-wheel drive) is standard. The Mazda CX-90 towing capacity is 3,500 pounds when properly equipped.
This Mazda SUV also has the i-Activsense® suite, including standard Rear Seat Alert, lane keep assist, blindspot monitoring, lane keep assist, and more.
The 2026 CX-90 earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and the 2025 model earned a 5-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Mazda MX-5 Miata: If you’re planning a solar road trip this summer, what better vehicle to drive than the sporty, yet efficient and reliable, Mazda MX-5 Miata. Whether you’re cruising along a beach, driving through a forest, or navigating city traffic, this convertible coupe will make every mile fun.
With the manual transmission, this Mazda car gets an EPA-estimated 26 mpg/city and 34 mpg/highway. With an automatic transmission, it gets an EPA-estimated 26 mpg/city and 35 mpg/highway. With
The Miata, like all Mazda cars and SUVs, features the i-Activsense® suite of safety features, which includes blindspot monitoring, smart brake support, lane departure warning, an adaptive front lighting system, and more. The Miata is also equipped with Alexa Built-in, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Bluetooth.
With three new and used car dealerships in Richmond and Ashland, we’re sure we can help you find the perfect road trip-worthy vehicle for you.
Our inventory includes new vehicles from Mazda, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and RAM, as well as used vehicles from all the top brands.
Contact us to learn more about these road trip-ready vehicles or visit one of our Ashland or Richmond car dealerships to take a test drive.