Best cars for road trips

So, you’re heading on a road trip! What fun, but also… kind of a headache if you don’t have the right vehicle.

What is a road trip? A road trip is any car travel that entails some sort of sense of adventure (or misgivings, if you’re visiting the rellies at holiday time) and generally a couple of hours plus of travel time.

Often a road trip involves multiple travel spots and that means you should have a great itinerary that shows the best rest stops, activities/tours to do on the way and accommodation options.

It also means you should have a decent vehicle to travel in that suits your needs! A crappy car can completely derail your travel plans and take away a lot of pleasure from a trip.

The best cars to travel in will be: reliable, well-maintained, comfortable to sit in, comfortable to drive and fit your crew and your gear for whatever adventure you have planned.

The best road trip cars will depend on the where, the what and the who.

The Where

Where are you going on your road trip?

If you’re heading out to the Flinders Ranges, a sedan or hatchback ain’t gonna cut it. An AWD at the very least but preferably a proper 4x4 would be able to tackle that sort of trip because it has the engine capacity and ground clearance. Bonus points if you have all the recovery gear you need (and go with a friend who be tow you out of trouble).

The What

What are you doing on your road trip? Again, if you’re doing off-roading, tackling a beach camp site or going to the ski fields – an AWD or 4x4 will be your best bet because of the off-road abilities and the storage options. However, if you’re mainly doing highway driving with some adventures like winery tours or sightseeing then a plush sedan will be a wonderful road tripper for you.

The main point for any type of trip is that you don’t want a vehicle that always feels like you’re scraping the bottom of the power barrel. Something gutsy with plenty to spare will make a long trip far more tolerable.

The Who

Who are you taking with you? If you have all the kids, a pet and gear then buckle up because there won't be a true 'winner' when it comes to the best travel cars that will satisfy everyone but there are great options that might tick most of the boxes. If it’s just you or another passenger, the world is your oyster when it comes to vehicles. Lucky you!

Most comfortable car for long trips Australia

The best vehicle to travel around Australia is one that will be able to head off the paved stuff every once in a while because a lot of Australia is remote! It also has to be a comfortable cruiser on the open-road and city and have enough amenities to satisfy more than just the driver. The below car is a great all-rounder example.

1. 2025 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series - VX from $120,991 MSRP

• 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel engine (227kW/700Nm)
• Combined cycle fuel economy 8.9L/100km & 110L fuel tank (up to 1235km driving range)
• Wading depth 800mm / Ground clearance unladen 234mm / Turning circle 11.8m
• Adventuring: Up to 3500kg braked towing capacity, 4X4 with 4L, four-camera multi-terrain monitor

Pros: Electric front seats with heat and ventilation functions. Four-zone climate control, so middle seat passengers can get comfortable too. Sat nav, 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia display, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, 220-volt socket and multiple charging options. On-road comfort is very high and you can take it pretty much anywhere.

Cons: Relatively pricey, no matter what grade you get into.

If you're interested, click here to view our listings.

Best car for long distance driving

This is a different type of road trip to the one a grey nomad might take and you might not necessarily be towing. This is the type of long highway trip which requires a vehicle where comfort, efficiency and amenities reign supreme. Think plush sedan or upmarket SUV. This one deserves a few examples.

2. 2025 Toyota Camry - SL from $53,990 MSRP

• 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid engine 138kW/221Nm (up to 170kW combined power, but Toyota doesn’t quote the combined torque figure).
• Combined cycle fuel economy 4.0L/100km & 50L fuel tank (up to 1250km driving range)

Pros: up to 524L of boot capacity, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, sat nav, dual 12.3-inch displays, 360-degree view camera system and a full safety suite. The Camry is a beautiful highway car that is comfortable, easy to handle and has all the modern technology you need.

Cons: You have to get into the top-model-grade to get most of the premium features.

If you're interested, click here to view our listings.

3. 2025 Volkswagen Touareg - 210TDI Elegance from $103,490 MSRP

• 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine (210kW/600Nm)
• Combined cycle fuel economy 7.4L/100km & 90L fuel tank (up to 1216km driving range)

Pros: Sumptuously styled with some of the most comfortable front seats I’ve sampled for a long trip because of their heat, ventilation and massage functions! Upmarket and easy-to-use technology throughout, as well as a powerful engine that feels like it has heaps of power left in the wings. All of the needed journey requirements like satellite navigation, Bluetooth, and phone mirroring, plus a large 810L of boot capacity and up to 3500kg braked towing capacity. This model could also take the crown for the best car for country roads Australia as its suspension delivers a smooth ride no matter the surface.

Cons: Only has a collapsible spare tyre, which isn’t ideal.

If you're interested, click here to view our listings.

4. 2025 Mercedes-Benz E-Class - E300 from $132,000 MSRP

• 2.0-litre four-cylinder mild hybrid turbo-petrol engine (190kW/400Nm)
• Combined cycle fuel economy 7.2L/100km & 50L fuel tank (up to 694 driving range)

Pros: A visual feast for your eyes inside with its upmarket technology and 'MBUX Super Screen', which gives the front passenger access to the multimedia system. Promptly delivered power and superb on-road handling. Comfortable seats with multiple adjustments available and all of the needed journey requirements like satellite navigation, Bluetooth, phone mirroring and a great Burmester surround sound system. Big boot space of up to 540L.

Cons: Not a sedan that the average person can get into because of price point and lower driving range than others.

If you're interested, click here to view our listings.

Best cars for road trips with the guys

Whenever I see a car load of dudes, they always seem to be in a ute or a 4x4 like an older Nissan Patrol, Mitsubishi Triton or Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series. I’ll obviously preface this section with a big ‘not always’ caveat with the type of storage a roadie with the boys would need.

Why would you take a ute with a bunch of guys on a road trip? The tray back provides excellent storage for items like golf clubs, slabs of beer, fishing gear, the Esky and swags. Which means activities, passengers and accommodation can be sorted all in the one vehicle.

A 4x4 Ute like the below examples can all go off-road, tow and offer relative seat/amenities comfort for all passengers on a road trip.

5. 2025 Ford Ranger - 4x4 XLT from $63,650 MSRP

• 2.0-litre 'Bi-Turbo' diesel engine (154kW/500Nm) with four drive modes ('Normal', 'Eco', 'Tow/Haul', 'Slippery') jumping up to the Wildtrak model ($69,640 MSRP) gives you the 'Mud/Ruts' and 'Sand' drive modes.
• Combined cycle fuel economy 7.2L/100km & 80L fuel tank (up to 1111km driving range)
• Wading depth 800mm / Ground clearance unladen 234mm
• Adventuring: Up to 3500kg braked towing capacity, rear diff locks, part-time 4X4 with 2H/4H/4L
• Tray storage: 1468mm L x 1520mm W (1217mm between wheel arches) x 831mm H

Pros: Looks great and can tackle the rough stuff

Cons: Need to jump up from the base models for extra amenities

If you're interested, click here to view our listings.

6. 2025 Mitsubishi Triton - GXL+ from $53,290 MSRP

• 2.4-litre twin-turbo diesel engine (150kW/470Nm)
• Combined cycle fuel economy 7.7L/100km & 75L fuel tank (up to 974km driving range)
• Wading depth 800mm/ Ground clearance unladen 228mm
• Adventuring: Up to 3500kg braked towing capacity, rear diff locks, part-time 4X4 with 2WD/4H/4HL
• Tray storage: 1555mm L x 1545mm W (1135mm between wheel arches) x 820mm H

Pros: Long warranty periods and more affordable than the Ranger with similar specs.

Cons: Nice-looking but not mean looking.

If you're interested, click here to view our listings.

Best cars for road trips with kids

The best car to take on a road trip when you have kids in tow is one that will make your life as a parent/carer easier. You want to be able to tick the boxes when it comes to gear storage, people stowage and amenities. Other family friendly features like rear climate and fan control that can be accessed from the front, rear window shades and noise reduction in the sound system go a long way in keeping the peace.

In top place is the 2025 Kia Carnival because it’s one of the most practical family vehicles on the market as it ticks all of those boxes but it doesn’t drive, handle or look like a people mover.

The below top-spec model is the best example when it comes to available features and comfort.

7. 2025 Kia Carnival - GT-Line from $72,910 MSRP

• 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine (148kW/440Nm)
• Combined cycle fuel economy 6.5L/100km & 72L fuel tank (up to 1107km driving range)

Pros: Only has an 11.8m turning circle (hello car parks), up to 627L of boot capacity when the third row is in use and up to 2827L of capacity when the third row is stored. Proper eight-seater. Removeable middle seat in second row allows for internal walk-way. Has a 360-degree view camera system. Full safety suite. Heated and ventilated front seats, and heated outboard seats in second row. Nine cupholders and four drink bottle holders!

Cons: Doesn’t have any adventuring capabilities and best for highway drives, rather than off-the-beaten-track type trips. Also features synthetic leather upholstery.

If you're interested, click here to view our listings.

8. 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe - Hybrid Calligraphy from $75,000 MSRP

• 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged hybrid engine (172kW/367Nm)
• Combined cycle fuel economy 5.6L/100km & 67L fuel tank (up to 1196km driving range)

Pros: Nappa leather upholstery. Has an 11.6m turning circle, 628L to 1949L of boot capacity, seven seats and a full-size spare wheel. Wants for nothing when it comes to safety. Heated and ventilated front seats, and heated outboard seats in second row. Total of 14 drink holders (six in the middle row alone).

Cons: New-gen models are relatively pricey and don’t have the most handsome rear-end on the market. Can go off-road BUT the 'XRT Peak Option Pack' that would enable this adds $9990 to the price tag.

If you're interested, click here to view our listings.