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Summer is the peak season for road trips and rightfully so as it’s when the UK will be at its hottest point, with thousands of people taking to the roads to go on holiday. Every year during Summer the road is packed full of families on road trips, caravans being towed and sports cars taking advantage of the dry weather.
In this post, we’re going to talk about some great road trip cars to carry you across hundreds of thousands of miles in comfort and style. We’ve factored in reliability, comfort and useful integrated technology features that making driving stress-free.
Audi Q3 Series
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The Audi Q3 is a mid-sized SUV capable of putting out some serious mileage daily without ever complaining. Audi has proven itself to be premium, elegant machines with high levels of sophistication and technology. Standard technology such as a sat nav, Bluetooth functionality, integrated smartphone interfaces, stop-start technology and parking sensors makes driving easy with this machine. The Audi Q3 has a spacious interior and boot size for a big family road trip and averages 30 – 50MPG.
The only issue with this car is that buying new generally isn’t great for buyers on a budget. Second-hand prices are better but there are better options in the market for less expensive cars. Let’s look at some more affordable options below.
Volkswagen Tiguan Series
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Volkswagen is the parent company of Audi, so you know you are purchasing a reliable brand. Volkswagen offers many mid-size to large vehicles and so we could choose many in this category, but our favourite is the Tiguan. The Tiguan combines practicality with style, affordability and fun. Even the most standard model comes with a wide range of practical technologies such as a sat nav, parking sensors, rear view parking camera, parking assistance, cruise control and much more. Boasting a large interior for families and a large boot space for carrying your luggage, the Tiguan is perfect for long distance driving.
MPG returns are on average between 30 – 60MPG which is nothing to scoff at given the size and weight of the car. And unlike the Audi Q3, the Tiguan is far more affordable especially when buying used. Of course, you don’t have to outright buy a car as there are plenty of credit options that are affordable. You could lease a Volkswagen for as little as £190 per month nowadays.
Nissan Qashqai Series
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The Nissan Qashqai has won many awards and is simply put an amazing car for everyday use. It’s spacious, has a refined interior that feels far more expensive than what it costs and has plenty of techno-gizmos integrated that making driving a doddle. The Qashqai is an affordable SUV with a low insurance group and a large MPG figure (40 – 70MPG) to help you conserve fuel costs. There are varying models which contain different features but you have a wide range of them to choose from based on your budget. The usual features can include Bluetooth, a rearview camera, smartphone interface, sat nav, parking sensors, parking assist blind spot warning, tyre pressure monitoring system and lots more. What most people love about this car is the size! The boot space is huge and you could easily fit in multiple people’s suitcases and camping gear.
What makes the Nissan Qashqai attractive is the pricing. Nowadays you can pick up a basic model for £19,000 and you can find good condition used ones for less than £10,000. Again, you can go down the credit route and lease a car which makes them far easier to afford, as you pay in monthly instalments rather than a large upfront price.
Volkswagen Golf Hatchback Series
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So far, we’ve only looked at medium to large sized cars. The Golf is a hatchback which is a smaller size car, but that doesn’t mean it has any less to offer compared to the others. It has received numerous awards and a 5-star rating from popular car reviewers WHATCAR. The Golf is actually fairly large inside with enough space for a family with the 5-door version. The boot space is enough to pack in some suitcases and still have some space left. The interior takes premium tips from other more expensive cars and when you sit inside you are pleasantly surprised by the comfort and materials used on the panels.
The price for a basic model stands at an attractive £17,000. But this £17,000 is money well spent as these cars have strong engines, enough to last 100,000+ miles easily. Some standard features on these cars are Bluetooth functionality, cruise control for longer journeys on motorways, parking sensors, smartphone interface and much more. It’s possible to get this car on credit for less than £200 a month, making it an affordable option for those who prefer to pay per month rather than all at once.
Skoda Octavia Series
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Skoda produces cars at attractive price points for bargain hunters. The Octavia is a large saloon capable of carrying the occupants around for hundreds of miles in comfort and style. With enough interior space to fit an entire family in a large amount of luggage, it’s perfect for road trips or driving to a holiday destination. The basic model comes with nice features sure as parking sensors, sat nav system, cruise control, dual zone air conditioning and LED daytime running lights.
The main attraction of this spacious car is the price. Skoda’s are known for being quite good for buyers on a budget and are priced accordingly. Reliability for these cars are generally quite respected given their prices and you’d find yourself regretting not purchasing a cheap used Octavia with low mileage!
And there you have it. Five very popular vehicles on UK roads that are perfect for long distance travelling. If you have any others you think are deserving of the title then please let us know in the comments section below!
While you are here why not check out more of my travel-related posts?
