Not every SUV is built for the same kind of summer trip. Whether you’re chasing national parks, hauling the whole crew to the beach, or just trying to stretch every gallon, these five SUVs earn their spots on the open road — and each one is a match for a different kind of getaway.
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Summer has a way of turning a regular weekend into a road trip. The playlist’s queued, the cooler’s packed, and suddenly you’re wondering whether your SUV is actually the right companion for the 600 miles ahead. Comfort, cargo room, fuel economy, and how well the thing holds up on hour seven all start mattering a lot more than they did on the morning school run.
We sorted through reliability data, fuel economy ratings, and Consumer Reports’ 2026 picks to land on five SUVs that genuinely shine on long summer drives1. Each one is matched to the kind of trip it handles best — so you can find the one that fits your summer.
If your summer map is dotted with trailheads and scenic overlooks, the Outback was practically designed for you. Standard all-wheel drive, useful ground clearance, and factory roof rails mean you can load up kayaks, bikes, or a rooftop tent without a trip to the aftermarket parts counter. It isn’t built to rock-crawl like a dedicated off-roader, but it handles well-maintained forest roads and rutted campground approaches with no drama.
The Outback also earns high marks for long-haul comfort — supportive seats, a quiet cabin, and predictable steering on twisty routes. Subaru redesigned the Outback for 2026 with a more SUV-shaped body, and Consumer Reports continues to flag Subaru as a standout brand for ride quality and outward visibility1. On the used market, the previous-generation Outback (2020–2025) is the sweet spot for value.
Three rows, 35 mpg combined, and enough cargo space behind the third row to actually fit suitcases — not just reusable shopping bags. For anyone moving five to seven people plus a week of beach gear, the Grand Highlander Hybrid is a hard pairing to beat. It was named Consumer Reports’ 2026 Top Pick for midsized three-row SUVs, edging out its smaller sibling thanks to more usable space and an impressively frugal hybrid powertrain2.
Real-world advantage on a road trip: filling up less often. A hybrid three-row at 35 combined can stretch a tank past 500 highway miles, which means fewer stops with restless passengers and more time on the road. The infotainment system is serviceable rather than slick, but for a family hauler most drivers will take the range over the touchscreen polish.
The 4Runner is the SUV people actually keep. iSeeCars’ 2025 Longest-Lasting Cars Study shows Toyota SUVs routinely leading the pack on likelihood of reaching 250,000 miles, and the 4Runner has been a fixture on that list for years3. It’s body-on-frame, simple where it counts, and built for the kind of trip where cell service disappears a few miles before the trailhead.
Toyota redesigned the 4Runner for 2025 with a more modern powertrain, but for used shoppers the fifth-generation 4Runner (2010–2024) is the classic choice — long production run, huge parts availability, and a reputation that translates directly into strong resale value. If your idea of a road trip involves forest service roads, a week off-grid, or a roof tent and a fishing rod, this is the pick.
Gas prices still swing with the season, and over a 2,000-mile trip those extra miles per gallon add up fast. The CR-V Hybrid delivers around 37 mpg combined and pairs that with the kind of easygoing, comfortable ride that makes long highway stretches feel short4. The cabin is roomy for a compact, and the rear seat has real adult legroom — not the “technically it fits” kind you find in the segment below.
The CR-V’s other superpower is what happens after the trip ends. Honda’s compact SUV has some of the strongest resale value in the class, so the fuel savings on the road don’t get erased by steep depreciation in the driveway. For anyone logging a lot of miles in a normal year, not just in July, this is a quietly smart choice.
The Telluride has been quietly rewriting what “affordable” is supposed to feel like. The cabin genuinely looks and feels like it belongs in a luxury segment, the ride is composed, and the three-row layout has real usable space in all three rows — not just the first two. On a long trip, the seat quality is what passengers actually notice, and the Telluride’s are among the better ones in any price bracket.
It also holds up on the ownership side. Kia’s long powertrain warranty carries real weight on the used market, and the Telluride’s reliability track record has held steady since its 2020 launch. If the crew is big, the budget isn’t endless, and you still want a cabin that feels like a treat, this is the one.
Here’s the honest question worth asking before you leave: is your current SUV actually the right match for the trip you’re planning? A compact crossover is a hero in the suburbs and a little cramped on day three of a family road trip. A thirsty V8 SUV is magic on a towing run and punishing on a coast-to-coast drive. And if your current ride is nearing six figures on the odometer, a long trip is the moment every small issue tends to surface.
The big four: highway comfort (supportive seats, a quiet cabin, steady ride), fuel range (how far you can go between fill-ups), cargo space (what fits behind the last row of passengers), and reliability (one fewer thing to worry about 400 miles from home). Everything else — infotainment, towing, off-road gear — is bonus depending on the kind of trip you’re taking.
For highway road trips, modern hybrids consistently deliver meaningfully better fuel economy than their gas-only counterparts — often 7 to 12 more miles per gallon combined. On a 2,000-mile trip, that can mean hundreds of dollars in fuel savings and two or three fewer stops. Hybrids also tend to be quieter at low speeds, which passengers notice on long days behind the wheel.
Generally yes — more size and weight means more fuel. But the gap has narrowed significantly thanks to hybrid powertrains. The Grand Highlander Hybrid, for example, gets 35 mpg combined, which beats plenty of smaller non-hybrid SUVs. If fuel economy matters and you need three rows, the hybrid versions are where to look.
It depends on two things: how often you take long trips, and whether your current vehicle actually fits the trip. If you’re putting serious miles on an older or unreliable car once or twice a year, a rental can make sense. But if road trips are a regular part of your life and your current SUV isn’t cutting it, it may be worth looking at what your vehicle is worth and shopping for something that genuinely fits.
If you’re shopping for a family SUV, you’re probably juggling the same priorities as everyone else: safety, usable space, comfort, good tech, and a layout that makes daily life easier (car seats, strollers, sports gear, grocery runs… all of it). This list focuses on the best all-around family SUVs—mixing two-row and three-row options—based on recurring top placements in major editorial rankings and family-vehicle award lists.
Vehicle theft in the U.S. is down in 2025, but a small group of very common cars still account for a disproportionate share of stolen vehicles. Using the latest industry data, this report breaks down the most stolen cars of the year, explains why certain models are targeted more often than others, and explores the broader trend behind today’s theft patterns. If you own a popular sedan or pickup, understanding this data — and how theft risk is becoming more concentrated — can help you make smarter decisions about protecting your vehicle.
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