Best Summer Road Trip Cars

Both Kelley Blue Book and about.com have compiled a list of the top 10 cars in 2010 for summer road trips:

Top 10 Road Trip Vehicles
Summer Road Trip 2010: 10 Places to Go, 10 Cars to Take - Kelley Blue Book

About.com’s list emphasizes space and comfort, while KBB’s list seems to emphasize ‘going out in style’. KKB took it a step further and suggested a summer event (festival, etc.) to go to with each car.

Most of the cars found on these lists are not currently found on the lot at Earthy Cars. But, that doesn’t mean that we don’t have cars that are not ideal for road trips. We have cars that have plenty of room for a pack of friends or family with a loaded itinerary while driving from one part of North America to another. We also have cars that make you ‘look good’ while going out on the road all day.

Even if your ideal road trip car isn’t currently on the lot, Earthy Cars may be able to get it for you personally. Mind you, we take requests - we can purchase a specific car model just for you if we can find it at auction! Take a look through Kelley Blue Book and about.com’s lists, or do your own research.

Meanwhile, here’s a list of 6 vehicles currently found at Earthy Cars (as of 06/03/2010) that are g8r for road trips:

Lots of Room, but Great Fuel Economy
Scion xB: Scion xB’s boxed-shaped design maximizes comfort and space. There is plenty of leg room, and it has a huge compartment in the back need you bring a lot of stuff with you. Even with its size, the Scion xB gets an over 30 MPG rating – 35 MPG on the highway, and 31 MPG in the city. Not bad. There are currently two 2005 Scion xB’s on our lot:
2005 Scion xB Sedan White $10,900
2005 Scion xB Sedan Blue $7,900

2007-2008 Toyota Prius (2nd generation): We currently have three second generation Prius’s on the lot. The Prius is the most fuel efficient vehicle on the road (51 MPG city rating), yet it is also a very spacious car, with 36 in. legroom for those sitting in the rear, 53-55 in. shoulder room for each passenger and 51-52 in. of hip room for each passenger (whether they are sitting in the front or rear.
2008 Dark Grey $15,900_40,242 mi
2008 Dark Blue $14,900_52,008 mi
2007 Light Blue $14,900_46,472 mi

Ridin' With the Top Down
2003 Saab 9-3: This is currently the only convertible that is on our lot. This car is a *pleasure* to drive during a late summer evening with the top down, whether on the back roads or city. It is ideal for a couple of friends looking to hit the city for some fun!

Lots of Extra Room
2007 VW Jetta 2.5 (5th generation): The Jetta is the biggest sedan that VW currently produces. Its interior space in similar to that of the Prius, yet it has a cooler leather interior. Its reliability rating on autos.msn.com is perfect: 2007 Volkswagen Jetta Reliability - MSN Autos. As an added bonus, the stereo system has MP3 capacity, so you won’t be bored during a road trip!

Subaru Tribeca: If you need lots of room (for humans), because you’re a mom and dad carrying 3 kids, plus their grandfather, then look no further than the Subaru Tribeca.

See my previous blog post about the Tribeca: Subaru Tribeca Hearts Soccer Moms

For the Rugged
2000 Jeep Wrangler: Okay, perhaps this vehicle is more perfect for an OFF-road trip. This vehicle is suitable if you are planning to take a trip among more rural settings, rather than from city to city. With a 4.0 liter in-line 6-cylinder engine, the Wrangler can withstand steep terrain and rocky roadways. It is ideal for those going on a weekend camping trip away from home.

Hope that all of you have a nice summer :) I will be making more summer road trip car recommendations during the summer. Chao.