Best cars for road trips 2025

The drudgery of the commute, the school run, traffic jams, and parking charges can take the gloss off daily driving. But the dream of just being able to pack up and take off on a long road trip anywhere you like explains why so many of us still love our cars; who’d blame you for sitting in front of a road atlas (or, more likely, its virtual equivalent) and pondering where that ultimate road trip may take you.
The route is only half the decision, though. You need the right car for the job. So here are some of our picks for the best cars for road trips, either to buy or rent as a one-off.

Some great road trip cars make brilliant daily drivers too. But in the words of Mr Tumble, you might want something special for an amazing one-off road trip. Hiring a car presents opportunities far beyond home soil, and can also open up the option of a ‘point-to-point’ trip, like the classic coast-to-coast run across America. If that’s your dream, how about the Hertz Mustang.This tie-up between the rental giant and Ford relives a classic partnership from back in the day.
And, of course, if any of the below cars are either out of your ordinary budget, or just won’t work for your day-to-day existence, renting one is an option.

Long before Gran Turismo was a video game it represented the dream of decadent, extended road trips across Europe from one glamorous hotel to another. In abbreviated ‘GT’ form it has been used for everything from sporty trim lines to entire model line-ups, the Bentley Continental GT perhaps the classic embodiment of what the letters stand for. But if you’re going to do it properly, why not go for the car that spells its intentions out in full – the Maserati Gran Turismo. A classic Italian sporting coupe, it maintains the proud traditions of this ultimate road trip machine but with a modern twist, given the choice between old-school petrol engines or all-electric power. In either form it’s living the upscale road trip dream in style.
Read about the Maserati Gran Turismo Auto Trader

Any ‘combi’ or ‘crew’ van with a second row of seats will do. But our experiences running a Ford Transit Custom mean this one has a particular place in our hearts, not least after taking it on an extended summer holiday road trip round Europe packed with bikes, luggage and more. While a van like this actually takes up no more road space than a typical large SUV, the amount of carrying capacity is in a different league. Fully loaded with the air-con blasting on full and at a 100mph cruise on the German Autobahn, ours was still doing nearly 40mpg, meaning well over 500 miles between fuel stops. For active families with loads of stuff to haul, nothing else comes close.
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We love the Dacia Jogger, and not just because it’s incredibly affordable to buy or finance. The no-nonsense looks have proper anti-fashion appeal, but the best thing about the Jogger is the amount of stuff – or people – you can cram into it. It's a proper seven-seater, and if the small boot space that remains isn’t enough, you can turn the roof bars 90 degrees to make a rack onto which you can fit a top box, bike carrier or whatever else. Or you can remove the third row and run it as a five-seater, leaving you with a huge space into which you can chuck all kinds of stuff and still have space for the dog. And because it’s so cheap to buy and run, you’ve got more money to enjoy yourself at whichever destinations the Jogger may take you.
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OK, while much of the fun of a road trip is in the driving, the BMW i7 is actually better enjoyed from the back seat. So, you’ll need a designated driver. With a suitable volunteer recruited you can then stretch out in ultimate luxury, with powered reclining seats upholstered in the softest of leather and offering heating, ventilation and even massages from a smartphone style touch-screen embedded into the door handles. Sitting comfortably? OK, now you can really relax as the full-width screen folds down from the roof of the car, connects to the streaming service of your choosing and the miles fly by as you enjoy your favourite movies and box sets. Long-haul travel never felt so good.
Search for a BMW 7 Series on Auto Trader Watch Rory’s video on the BMW i7 Read our Expert Review of the BMW i7

If your road trip itinerary reads more like an expedition, you need a car that’s up to the job and won’t let you down in the toughest of environments. Which is what the Ineos Grenadier has been built to do. While the Defender has evolved in its current form into a more conventional posh SUV, the Grenadier taps into the spirit of older Land Rovers and is designed as the Swiss Army Knife of 4x4s. The neat ‘utility belt’ mountings along its sides and in the boot mean you can securely attach all manner of accessories, be that sand ladders, storage lockers, extra fuel tanks and more. And when you set up base camp they can support awnings, tables or whatever else you may need. The huge roof rack can carry bikes, canoes or a dedicated tent, all accessible via a ladder on the back door.
Read our Expert Review of the Ineos Grenadier

You might think an electric car wouldn’t be suitable for an extended road trip, given the complexities of range anxiety, charging in unfamiliar places and all the rest. But the Tesla isn’t any electric car, given the huge range (more than 300 miles) and superb infrastructure of Superchargers stretching across the UK, Europe and beyond. No matter how far you go, the charging experience will be just the same, the network carefully planned so you’ll always be within reach of the next plug-in point. As for the car itself, with up to seven seats, the refinement of silent electric drive and the Active Road Noise Reduction using the speakers, and even the option to play games on the central screen when you do stop, the Model X is the electric car you need for those epic journeys.
Read our Expert Review of the Tesla Model X

MPVs – Multi-Purpose Vehicles – have rather dropped off the radar as families rush to buy SUVs. Thank heavens for the VW Multivan, then. The funky two-tone paint schemes bring some pizzazz to an otherwise functional format, while the ability to slide seats around to configure the interior means incredible flexibility for all your stuff. The all-electric VW I.D.Buzz may look cooler, but the Multivan is much more spacious and practical, while the plug-in hybrid powertrain means you can keep on trucking on electric or petrol power as suits.
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The MX-5’s combination of brilliant driving dynamics, excellent reliability, reasonable used prices and cheap running costs make it a sensational additional household car for fun road trip times. Obviously the used market is the used market – click here for advice on being a smart used car buye – but upwards of about £2,000 will get you something suitable. There’ll be compromise, of course. Mainly, the MX-5 is a tiny two-seater, ostensibly designed for little people who never have a bag or anything of note to carry. But hey, get some sort of luggage rack, hit a twisty road… enjoyment.
Read our Expert Review of the latest Mazda MX-5

We love the Mazda MX-5 for its sense of fun and its affordability, but if it’s a little on the small side for a longer trip away, step up the Porsche 718 Boxster. True, it’s rather more expensive and getting on a bit now. But it’s utterly fabulous to drive, especially if you’ still like shifting gears yourself with a manual gearbox. Prefer an auto? No worries, this is also one of the best in the business. The Boxster’s real trick, though, is the fact it has two luggage compartments: one in the nose and one in the rear. With room for more than just a change of underwear and a toothbrush you can travel in style, safe in the knowledge you can pack all the stuff you need for a proper long-distance drive.
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