Survey: The Ultimate Road Trip Vehicle

[-Fred-]

And midway through the roadtrip:

Oh, wait.


In all seriousness, however, this is much harder than I thought it would be. I guess it kind of depends on what kind of roadtrip you actually have in mind, and, more importantly, how many people are coming with you. Because roadtripping alone is boring.

I'm thinking due west across Canada, down and all the way back east, and back up north home, afterwards.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Buick Roadmaster.

Because no offense, but if you're planning a cross-country roadtrip, you'll be tired of a GTi's taut suspension and sports seats within 1000 miles. This is plush, it's smooth, it's indestructible, it can seat 7 (5 in utmost comfort, with a boot big enough to carry 2 coolers and enough spare clothes to last 2-3 weeks), it's simple enough to be fixed easily and cheaply. It's got a huge rear window so you can apply a sticker from every cool place you've visited during your trip... It's got wood paneling.

Yep, Roadmaster.

 

[xXKingJoshXx]

^[/thread]

Another good choice would be an 80's Lincoln Town Car. Not as spacious, but I'm biased towards them so yea...

 

[Slash]

^[/thread]

Another good choice would be an 80's Lincoln Town Car. Not as spacious, but I'm biased towards them so yea...

Agreed, simple car to work on, pretty smooth ride, and very reliable with that 302. It will put you in your seat alright for what it is, a fat pig of a car with an underpowered V8 but it still puts a smile on my face.

 

[GranTurismo916]

A 22B-STi.

Taking a family?

Forester STi.

 

[Pupik]

Yep, Roadmaster.

Go home, you're drunk. Great car, if someone else is driving...and you want to be five years old again, but I don't like being a passenger for very long periods of time.

I'm thinking of a Mazdaspeed 3, if I'm keeping it reasonably priced. Maybe a WRX wagon (although they don't have that much rear space) for the dirt roads. Cargo room for two weeks of clothing, equipment, and tchotchkes/mementos.

I'd probably make do with a 2.3L Mazda 3 wagon, which wouldn't ask for as much attention. Come on, the open road begs for tickets. Nobody's really going to go 100+ mph for very long in this day and age, unless it's the open sections of the autobahn.

 

[BKGlover]

Hmm, this is an interesting one. You have three options, really. Do it fast and loud, rolling in comfort, or simply because you want to.

Fast? No question for me. A Viper. Which one, though? A black ACR, with a radio.

Comfort? It'd need an update, but I've always been fond of these. Plus more comfortable than you'd think.

For the heck of it?

What? I can't help that I'm an idiot.

 

[Joey D]

Your back would be shattered after about a 100 miles in an ACR.

 

[niky]

Two choices:

One: Go incognito. Pick a car that's stylish but not what your typical billionaire would drive.

One that's good on gas, classy, comfortable and which would eat the miles with ease:

Best yet, for all you Scrooge McDucks, you can fill the tank out the back of an Mickey D's you pass. If they don't want to give you free fryer oil, buy the franchise out. Now you have another business to add to your portfolio and free oil to run your car.

-

On a more decadent note:

Comfy? Check. (just look for a long wheelbase car)
Affordable? Assuming typical massive depreciation... Check.
Fun? Double-check.
Reliable? Given the funds, I guess buying a new transmission before the trip is not out of the question...
Cheap to run? Errrh..............

 

[Beeblebrox237]

On that note, a Jaguar XJL diesel would be wonderful on a road trip. Very long range, good mileage, great torque and a lovely interior.

 

[Antonisbob]

Ladies and gentlemen, the Buick Roadmaster.

Because no offense, but if you're planning a cross-country roadtrip, you'll be tired of a GTi's taut suspension and sports seats within 1000 miles. This is plush, it's smooth, it's indestructible, it can seat 7 (5 in utmost comfort, with a boot big enough to carry 2 coolers and enough spare clothes to last 2-3 weeks), it's simple enough to be fixed easily and cheaply. It's got a huge rear window so you can apply a sticker from every cool place you've visited during your trip... It's got wood paneling.

Yep, Roadmaster.

This. This. This.

I was going to suggest a Cadillac or a Wagon, but I see the perfect car has already been found. The 5.7L LT1 can roast the tires pretty good too. Classy looks and I've heard they're very comfortable!

 

[-Fred-]

Go home, you're drunk. Great car, if someone else is driving...and you want to be five years old again, but I don't like being a passenger for very long periods of time.

The whole point of a roadtrip is not the actual driving, but the fun you'll have with the people you're with, and the places you're going. I'm talking Mount Rushmore, Vegas, the Grand Canyon, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Times Square... you don't need a sports car to see all that!

Assuming you're taking friends with you, let's say at least 2 of them. It doesn't necessarily mean they're car people, and most likely don't care just how wonderful the handling is and how easily you can pick up apexes in your sporty car that hurts their back and legs due to the cramped rear seat and stiff suspension.

It's the essence of the roadtrip; drive 600 miles per day, sleep in cheap motels (or in the car, even) eat apple pie in a dive, gas up in the middle of nowhere, get lost because your co-driver can't read a map (I said map, no GPS allowed here, oh no.), blast some old time rock and roll (but not necessarily Bob Seger) with everyone singing and having a good time.



So, basically, an Old Navy ad.

 

[Cano]

Find 1959 Chevy Parkwood, preferably in complete, ran-when-parked condition:

Rehab/subframe connect the chassis and then drop in a complete Alston/Fatman Fab/Morrison/Heidts/TCI/whatever you want front and rear suspension clips with modern brakes all around, steering actually connected to something, and all that. Add good rubber on 17-inch-at-most Torq Thrusts because you don't want to bend expensive wheels during the trip, you need sidewall. Get wide-whites if you want. If you're a show-off, add airbags so you can lay frame wherever you park and have people gawking at the stupidity of the display.

Add interior comfort and ammenities, if you can find a modern luxury SUV that will donate seats and entretainment stuff go for it; if not or simply don't care, restore stock seat or simply build a new interior for the thing. Remember, you're rich. Keep stock dashboard, trim and steering wheel for style but add a restored/modernized stock instrument cluster and some extra gauges in a retractable aluminum panel. Add tunes.

Add a stock LQ9/LS1/4L60E combo because ease of servicing/availability of parts, decent power, relative fuel efficiency and because trendy.

Leave the car's exterior alone so you can paint stuff on it with markers, slap stickers on it of all the cool places you'll visit (thanks, Fred), or paint it a low-maintenance color. Of course replace all rubber moldings and all that stuff. Add flames/pinstripping to taste.

You end up with one of these:

Pros:
- Huge cargo space for friends and stuff, add a roof rack and carry more stuff.
- Style. The same recipe could be applied to any other GM/FoMoCo/Mopar wagon of the era, just replace LSx with 5.7 hemi or Coyote and have at it. I just happen to really like the oddness of the 59 Chevy.
- With style also comes never-endind glass area. No sight will be lost.
- A really memorable car for a memorable road trip. Heck if you're good at it, you can even make it a good handler with today's aftermarket support and have some spirited mountain driving in a 59 Chevy Wagon with 6 friends and a big load of trash behind. Remember, you're rich, you can fabricate a freaking chassis if you want.
- Get pics of your cool car in whatever destination you pass by.

Cons:
- None.

 

[niky]

You know, if we're going that way, and this gets renamed the "wagons" thread...

Want to make memories? Do the trip in jumpsuits, carrying working proton-pack replicas in the back (they whine, they whirr, they spark... they just won't shoot fifty foot electrical discharges...).

Drive up to some random house in every town you pass, knock on the door and ask the homeowner if they have a "pest" problem.

-

Okay... but we're straying... don't we still need something that's fun to drive and can seat four? Like...

Fun being a relative term... I'm sure a week's worth of rollcage fabrication will cure it of any body flex...

 

[Cano]

You know, if we're going that way, and this gets renamed the "wagons" thread...

Well, with cars like that, it doesn't really need to be a wagon. Practically every america car from 1958 up to like 1963 had concert hall sized interiors and trunks so large you could live there. Some even had a panoramic window option:

Even a two-door offers more space than any Volvo wagon nominated in this thread:

Really, any american car from that era, with the upgrades mentioned above, will be a blast driving cross-country.

 

[Slash]

In all honesty I think another vehicle I'd take on a road trip is any of the TTB Ford Trucks of the '80s. The bench seats are very comfortable and the truck rides very smooth. I'm biased though somply because theres one in my driveway

 

[Wolfe]

The whole point of a roadtrip is not the actual driving, but the fun you'll have with the people you're with, and the places you're going.

...[your friends] most likely don't care just how wonderful the handling is and how easily you can pick up apexes in your sporty car that hurts their back and legs due to the cramped rear seat and stiff suspension.

At least half the point of any roadtrip I'm making is the actual driving, because I know I'll be the one behind the wheel. A large boat of a car would be perfect for floating down the interstate, but every pleasant or exciting backroad I come across would be a cruel, tantalizing reminder of what could have been. And you can't have an ultimate road trip by just sticking to the freeway.

I'm not advocating something built for the track, either. This is the sort of task where the average modern daily-driver-tier car, with a relatively pliant but properly sorted suspension, can really deliver the best of both worlds. If you've got luggage and passengers, you don't need to be able to attack corners like it's a time trial. I just prefer to drive something sure-footed, and with a manual transmission.

 

[Space Dynamics]

This

...towing one of these?

 

[hawkeye122]

Having just returned from 2 road trips, I think I can contribute a little.
My first was a ride to Sonoma Raceway to volunteer at the SCCA Regional/National events. I took my 2001 Camry CE (Budget model. Optional CD Player, Manual, A/C, 4 banger)
The second trip which was only a day trip took us down to San Francisco (For me, the 2nd trip to the same place only 2 days after I returned from the first one) We went in my friend's 1999 Camry LE (Automatic, a bit nicer stereo)
I have to say, both cars ticked all the boxes...

The 2.2 liter 4-banger wasnt exactly FAST, but carrying 4 people we didnt feel like a liability merging into Bay Area traffic. Plenty of passing power in the manual, which I believe has an extra gear.

Suspension-wise, they both handled decently. Not track-day worthy, sure, but I felt pretty planted on 101 and Lucas Valley Road. Additionally, the ride was quite smooth.

Both the drivers seat and the passenger seat were pleasant to sit in, even for someone of my stature (6' 3", 240 lbs)

And to top it off, 30-35 MPG. I would gladly take either one on a long, cross-country road trip.


Obviously not a "Dream" car, but since one can be had for less than $3000, I'd say it's probably one of the better bang-for-your-buck road trip vehicles.

I'd have to agree with niky though- once they get the range sorted out, I feel that the Model S would be the car to have.

 

[homeforsummer]

^^^ He gets it.

I think a few people in here are forgetting that I said this would be a LONG road trip. Around the whole country. Would take many, many months. I think some of these cars would get rather tiring after a few weeks.

Depends how much of a wuss you are

The cars I mentioned - Miata, 240Z, old 911 - are easily refined enough that you could do 500 miles a day in them without any ill effects. And on a proper road trip I'd be surprised if you were aiming to cover that much ground in the first place each day, because you'd be missing a hell of a lot of stuff.

On Route 66 back in '07 we probably averaged no more than 150 miles a day. Some days we probably did 250 miles, but others we spent plenty of time in one place and maybe did only 50 miles.

Let's face it, in this little scenario we're all millionaires - who the hell is gonna be telling us to rush?...

 

[niky]

Suspension-wise, they both handled decently. Not track-day worthy, sure, but I felt pretty planted on 101 and Lucas Valley Road. Additionally, the ride was quite smooth.

Come on... you know you want to...

I've driven everything from a Suzuki Alto (not the nice kind, mind you...) to a Suburban on the racetrack. (good luck getting the marshalls to let you on, though... since we rented the whole track, no issues there).

A few months after I took this photo, they banned SUVs from that racetrack completely. Some idiot rolled a Pajero somewhere.

While something like a Land Rover Evoque or a Ford Explorer drives like a bus on the track, it's still worth a lot of laughs if you can do it legally and safely.

But small cars are the best:

(as passenger)

(as driver)

I would even recommend taking one of these:

Just for the hell of it.

And it would make a nice road trip car, as well. Quiet, comfy and spacious.

 

[Crash]

If I'm a passenger and I want something very comfortable:

--

For all seriousness, personally, I think something like this would be ideal:

Power? Check
Speed? Check
Comfort? Check
Ability to have friends and luggage along? Check
Classy? Check

All the right ingredients for a long road trip.

I guess for even more of all that, one can go with the current generation M5, or E63 AMG, or Model S.

 

[Ridox2JZGTE]

How about this insane "4 door Nissan GTR" :

 

[Pupik]

At least half the point of any roadtrip I'm making is the actual driving, because I know I'll be the one behind the wheel. A large boat of a car would be perfect for floating down the interstate, but every pleasant or exciting backroad I come across would be a cruel, tantalizing reminder of what could have been. And you can't have an ultimate road trip by just sticking to the freeway.

This.

I can't understand how an audience that thinks a modern Toyota Camry or Chrysler Sebring is the spawn of Satan would suddenly want to absorb days of essentially arrow-straight roads with something that offers little tactile feedback and physical response, never mind the inconvenience of a huge turning radius. Although, I suppose an exception for an ex-cop car could be made to reduce your chances of getting pulled over for doing 41 in a rural 35. To me, the joy of these vehicles wears out after 30 minutes, unless you're purposely cruising at slow speeds.

I read the initial road trip as being alone, since others weren't mentioned. To be fair, that's what also makes a road trip interesting, but also a compromise.

Bring your family? Bringing your significant other? Bringing your buddies? Going solo? Obviously, different vehicles fit the bill...that's not even counting where the trips are going, what terrain or surfaces one is traveling on, and what types of roads.

I'd quote the OP where he said nothing about bringing others, yet I missed the lottery part. Derp...

(So...gray market Audi RS6 Avant or BMW M5 wagon?)

 

[-Fred-]

So, a Roadmaster with Corvette underpinnings, then.

 

[SVT Cobra GT]

To cruise around the US with a money (fuel) no object car it'd be this.

But for economy + sporty purposes;

 

[TheBook]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the ultimate road trip vehicle isn't actually a car:

The upsides: It's comfortable, sporty, handles well, gets really good gas mileage, and is reliable as any car. The big one, however, is that when you consider this quote:

The whole point of a roadtrip is not the actual driving, but the fun you'll have with the people you're with, and the places you're going. It's the essence of the roadtrip; drive 600 miles per day, sleep in cheap motels (or in the car, even) eat apple pie in a dive, gas up in the middle of nowhere, get lost because your co-driver can't read a map (I said map, no GPS allowed here, oh no.), blast some old time rock and roll (but not necessarily Bob Seger) with everyone singing and having a good time.

you... experience things more (for lack of a better way to put it) on a motorbike. And that makes it a better road trip vehicle than a car.

The downsides: Not much storage. You can add more though, but you'd still have to pack light. There's only two seats, but that's okay because hey, you're rich! You can buy enough of them so that everyone has their own. Unfortunately, though, it's open to the elements and sooner or later it's going to rain and you're going to get soaked. Granted, there's waterproof gear you can buy and all that, but still...

 

[homeforsummer]

But for economy + sporty purposes;

*Lotus Carlton*

 

[Cano]

So, a Roadmaster with Corvette underpinnings, then.

You see? Fred gets it, he's only a few decades too new, but he gets it (:

 

[hawkeye122]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsRVeKOk3RU">YouTube Link</a>

Come on... you know you want to...

I really do want to, but I think I'm going to hold off until I get a rear anti-roll bar and a new clutch... Ever since I've started Autocross, I've been abusing it...

The Prius isn't bad either. In November a 2nd gen model took 4 of us backpacking. The issue we had was a decent, but easily doable, incline. Unpaved, but still worth being called a road. The issue was the traction control flat-out refused to allow ANY slip on the drive wheels, so we eventually just came to a stop. 2 of us had to get out and push it until it had enough forward momentum to reach the flat bit.

The trunk/boot just barely accommodated all of our gear, but it was loaded in our hard-frame backpacks, which aren't really as efficient in terms of space compared to suitcases or bags.

45 MPG, not too shabby. I would have preferred the Camry in terms of leg room, however...

 

[Yauma9]

Big, comfy, fast if you want it, can bring more than 1 friend, nice looking ... what's not to love?

If not get a big bus with space for cars, beds, bathroom and what not.