The best car for road trips in the UK and Europe
Take a look at some of our top picks for the best cars for road trips in 2024
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The best car for road trips in the UK and Europe
Taking a road trip is one of the best things about owning a car. Is there anything better than packing up with friends and family and anticipating an adventure?
Finding the best car for road trips will depend on your wants and needs, but our top picks tick plenty of boxes for different motorists.
What makes a used car good for road trips?
The best car for road trips will depend on the type of adventures you’re planning, but one of the main things to consider is the reliability and safety of the car. You’ll likely want a secure car that won’t have any issues on longer trips.
While on those longer trips, you might also want to maximise your fuel efficiency. Choosing a car that is frugal on fuel will stop you from dreading longer trips.
Comfort is also a huge factor – making sure that the car is comfortable to drive and be driven in is important for a smooth road trip. A car with plenty of driving seat adjustments and legroom is ideal.
You may also want to consider infotainment systems and navigation to make your drive even easier. A helpful setup will keep you entertained and on the right route.
Best car for travelling
Dacia Jogger
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The Dacia Jogger is a great car for travelling with plenty of people, offering seven seats and a useful 160-litre boot space at the rear.
Even the rear seats are big enough for adult passengers, and the interior itself is comfortable and hard-wearing. It’ll get you through plenty of road trips without sagging under use.
The Jogger offers petrol and hybrid engines, with the hybrid offering up to 56.5mpg and being more than capable of keeping fuel costs low on a long trip.
There’s also an easy-to-use infotainment setup that’s made up of an eight-inch screen and includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems.
Best road trip car
Volkswagen Passat
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If you want something smaller than a Jogger but still need plenty of space, the Volkswagen Passat is a great road trip car.
As a five-seater estate with plenty of room, the Passat is perfect for smaller families who’ll be grateful for safety features like blind spot monitoring, rear traffic alert, and rear-view cameras while on the road.
The Passat Estate has a massive 650-litre boot that will easily fit suitcases and pushchairs, and it can extend to 1,950 litres if you fold down the rear seats
Fuel efficiency is impressive and will be perfect for long trips. VW claims that you can get up to 60.1mpg from the 2.0-litre TDI SCR DSG model on the combined cycle, but this will differ with real-world driving.
Best cars for touring Europe
BMW 3 Series
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If you’re touring Europe then you’ll want to look sleek and stylish, and the BMW 3 Series beats out all other models for the job.
It’s a handsome car with a loyal fanbase, and it will be dreamy to whip around European roads. The 330e models claim up to 217.3mpg if you fancy a plug-in hybrid, while the 3320d Sport claims up to 58.9mpg.
The interior is gorgeous and is filled with tech that will keep you focused and entertained on long trips. There’s a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel on offer that sits alongside a 14.9-inch touchscreen unit, along with the classic iDrive rotary controller that we know and love.
The latest 3 Series has a 480-litre boot and five comfortable seats in the airy cabin. It’s ideal for a lengthy road trip, even with all seats taken up.
Best car for a UK road trip
Audi A1
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If you’re looking for a smaller car for your road trips, the Audi A1 is a great pick. It’s a luxury model that’s still ideal for daily use and will be more than comfortable on long trips.
Despite being one of the smaller models on this list, the A1 has a roomy and comfortable interior with a 335-litre boot that will fit your essentials.
It’s easy to drive and can also be efficient. The 25 TFSI model with five-speed gearbox is capable of up to 52.3mpg combined, so longer journeys shouldn’t be too painful at the fuel pump.
Even if you choose an entry-level trim, you’ll still get a 6.5-inch infotainment screen. The latest editions get features like a 10.25-inch digital cockpit as well.
Cars for travelling across the country
Honda Civic
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The Honda Civic is a comfortable car for travelling in and won’t have you spending too much on fuel. The hybrid petrol engines on offer can achieve up to 56.5mpg combined – perfect for road trips.
The 410-litre boot will fit suitcases and other essentials for your adventures, and you can fold the seats to extend that space up to 1,267 litres depending on the model.
It’s a really easy car to drive, with features like parking sensors and a reversing camera for visibility. You’ll be comfortable on the motorway in the quiet cabin, and the accurate steering will have your back down winding roads.
Plus, features like adaptive cruise control, driving modes, traffic sign recognition and lane departure warning make it easy to work with on long drives.