Cars.com can only find one within 100 miles and it's $188K. That's more than we paid for our 75 acres of farmland.
What if I bump it up to $30K? I think I can maybe get a new Mazda CX-5 for that if I shop around and get one with the lowest trim.
Best road trip vehicle?
- Thread starter Elkins45
- Start date
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
If you want practical vehicle, CX-5 won’t cut it.
I would go for Honda Pilot, previous generation or 2nd generation we have. Just get AWD. Pilot is very practical. If you are not too tall, 2nd generation is very boxy, practical. Reason why I mention tall, is that seating position for me in Pilot is horrendous, so much so, that when we got screwed by Southwest that Xmass when they had meltdown, I didn’t want to drive Pilot from Colorado Springs to San Diego, but loaded up my wife’s Tiguan, put Yakima roof box and hit the road. I am 6.2 though.
Third generation Pilot has bit better seating position, and while it looks like orphan made between minivan and SUV, it is practical with decent mpg and good get up and go.
I vote for the Suburban.
I have a 2016 Tahoe [5.3] which easily gets 24 MPG if it is all highway. I only use 87 octane. I have 186K miles on it right now and regularly take long trips. These vehicles are NOT gas guzzlers. Plus the 2015-2020 years hold 26 gallons of fuel so you can go over 500 miles on a tank of fuel.
I have a 2016 Tahoe [5.3] which easily gets 24 MPG if it is all highway. I only use 87 octane. I have 186K miles on it right now and regularly take long trips. These vehicles are NOT gas guzzlers. Plus the 2015-2020 years hold 26 gallons of fuel so you can go over 500 miles on a tank of fuel.
Another vote for a full size GM SUV or a crew cab truck with a tonneau cover.
I love our 2024 Yukon XL. It swallows a lot luggage and will cruise til your bladder can’t take it anymore. My 2021 Raptor and 2007 LS460L were probably the most comfortable vehicles I’ve had from a seats and ride standpoint.
Just saw the budget, a used minivan it is.
I love our 2024 Yukon XL. It swallows a lot luggage and will cruise til your bladder can’t take it anymore. My 2021 Raptor and 2007 LS460L were probably the most comfortable vehicles I’ve had from a seats and ride standpoint.
Just saw the budget, a used minivan it is.
11-18 mpg is a little too thirsty for me LOL.
I know it's a 17 year old car, but that price is nuts. It was $180K new and now asking $37K with 37K miles.
Luxury car market is weird.
A small motor home RV, with comforts of home, a bath room to use that is clean, unlike a public one etc etc.
Pick up and a camper.
Pick up and a camper.
Pulling a tiny trailer with all our stuff and maybe a nice camp kitchen has crossed my mind. I have a couple of small utility trailers and would enjoy building something on one of them.
It would certainly be fun to rent one for a couple of weeks.
wemay
Site Donor 2023
Our Hyundai Palisade has done two roundtrips to Toronto from Miami with 5 people. It was a huge hit. Comfortable, great mpg and rock solid.
I’ve driven my old Avalanche coast to coast many times. It has a ton of room interior, back seat, bed, and roof racks. You can put the mid gate down for more room or if you want to lay down to sleep. Plenty of power (V8), not bad on gas and 4x4. Cheap and easy to repair and maintain. Tahoe / suburban would be just as good if not better. I also drove coast to coast in my old Pontiac vibe / Toyota matrix and it has a ton of room for its size, but I did it solo. Would be super tight w 2 people and gear.
I did a 5600 mile road trip with three adults in my 2020 RAV4 Hybrid. It was great. Very comfortable and averaged 37.9 MPG. It was a 25 day trip total.
Seriosly - take the Titan. Your never going to recoup the cost of another vehicle on gas mileage savings - truly. National average is currently $3.17. At 15mpg you could drive directly from the Ocean in Charleston to the Ocean in LA for $525.00. So a small SUV or something at 30mpg saves you $262.00.
Don't overthink it. Just go.
Don't overthink it. Just go.
We’re in the market for a new vehicle anyway because my wife’s Corolla hit 200k and she wants something more comfortable with fewer miles. I’m just thinking about killing two birds with one stone.
Tell her it's just barely broken in!
Camry hybrid if that has enough room for you. Smooth, quiet highway cruiser rated at 50 mpg highway, 53 city (not a typo).
That is a very different scenario. What does she want? Buy that. If it works take it. Honestly, 2 adults on a road trip, just about anything will work. Even another Corolla with a roof rack.
She’s seriously thinking about maybe taking the 12 xB and driving it until it dies and pooling funds for an “us” vehicle. That would be new for us because we’ve always bought vehicles separately due to differing needs.
She’s fairly ambivalent about what we buy.
