There are so many cars to choose from nowadays. But you need to have some kind of a purpose for your vehicle. You will choose that favorite vehicle according to your plans and that purpose. If you are a teenager, for example, and you want to impress your friends (and maybe a girl/ girls) you will choose a muscle car that often spends a lot of gas. If you are a father or a mother, you will choose an SUV that doesn't spend a lot and has a lot of free space for cargo and family members and easy  vehicle maintenance.And if you are an adventurer, you will quite possibly choose an off-road vehicle that can go over any terrain you can possibly imagine. However, there is that one activity for which you would need a lot of different qualities from one vehicle – road trips.

Who doesn't like to travel from town to town, through beautiful nature and countryside? Well, you can travel on foot if you want, and you can travel by some other vehicle. However, if you want to travel with your friends you need some comfortable vehicle that can go far without spending much gas and that can be gentle to your kidneys.

So, our favorite full-size pickup trucks, muscle cars, racing cars, supercars, hypercars, roll-bar cars, time-traveling DeLorean, and batmobiles are out of the picture. Some of them need a whole cistern attached behind them to drive; others are too tight and with hard shock absorbers, while the rest are too crazy. So, stay with crossovers, SUVs, minivans, compact vehicles, and sedans.

#1 Honda CR-V VS Toyota RAV4

We couldn't make our minds on this one. There are these two most popular SUVs on the market right now and they are pretty similar. Except one of them has a hybrid version and the other one doesn't (YET – CR-V hybrid is going to be introduced very soon).

We are going to start with the most obvious one – the best selling crossover vehicle in the United States for a quite some time now.

Honda CR-V

This is a nice vehicle to drive and the gas mileage is pretty decent, considering the options, and even if we consider the low price of gas nowadays.

The Honda CR-V has a great handling and it is comfortable to drive. It gives you an impression of a total loneliness and safety you can't imagine having in any other vehicle. Like that is the only world that has ever existed and that you are the king of it all. Now back to reality – it has a lot of leg room at the back which is a great thing if you have to take your entire family with you with kids jumping all around, asking for a new episode of the SpongeBob SquarePants.

That extra room at the back is quite handy when you start loading all the "necessary" things, your significant other had packed, for that "casual" road trip. CR-V also has two charging ports, a huge center storage for all the stuff you need along the road, and spacey door pockets for bottles of water. The one version that we can recommend for your is the Honda CR-V EX that has all the advanced options you need (adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking, collision warnings, lane departure warnings, etc).

Price: $24,045

Fuel Consumption: 28 city/ 34 highway

The second SUV is 2019 Toyota RAV4.

Why did we take the 2019 version and not the previous ones? Because 2019 Toyota RAV4 is being worked on a new TNGA architecture and there is no point in comparing and mentioning anything that is already old. So, the new 2019 model will be easier to use. Toyota generally has fewer and a lot bigger buttons on the wheel so you can't miss anything while driving. The second plus with this model is that it's actually bigger than the CR-V, although it's a little bit boxier in shape.

The interior is somewhat bigger in Toyota RAV4 and that is a huge advantage if you are planning to take all your kids on the road trip.

The design of the interior, infotainment system, the quality of seats, etc. are almost a match between these two so there are no winners here, however, if the 2019 RAV4 Platinum trim survives this evolutionary change for Toyota, it will get many options which Honda simply doesn't have. The new generation will most probably have some of the 2018 Camry's options like panoramic glass roof, head-up display, and rear cross-traffic braking.

But (and this is one really big BUT) we don’t think that Toyota will do anything for its handling problems. It is not that bad, and the drive is pretty decent, however, it is incomparable to Honda CR-V. Simply Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V placed a bar too high with their new driving performance.

Release Date: Sometime during the summer of 2018

Price: TBA – But it will be around $25,000.

Fuel Consumption: 30.6 mpg combined for the regular model and around 41 mpg combined for the hybrid mode

#2 Chevrolet Bolt EV

This vehicle is a proof that Tesla is not the only car manufacturer that can produce good electrical vehicles. This one is even more affordable than any other electric vehicle from its class and it will most certainly make other manufacturers lower their prices and finally bring this segment closer to an "average Joe".

The Chevrolet Bolt EV can go up to 238 miles on one charge. And it is not just "some EV vehicle". It goes head to head with any other EV and Tesla finally has a true competitor. Although it is relatively small, it has enough headroom and storage space which is sufficient for any luggage you could carry to your trip. The interesting thing is that you get a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot with all the models, starting with the base model. You can connect up to seven devices at once and get unlimited Internet for only $20 per month.

Price: $29,995 (after $7,500 federal tax credit)

Fuel Consumption: 128 mpg city/ 110 mpg highway

#3  Subaru Outback

The one vehicle that you can drive wherever you want on whichever terrain you want and on the top of all you can drive your entire family in it is Subaru Outback. It has a separate climate control system which is also available in back seats. Interior has been updated for the newest model with all new upholstery and infotainment system with updated touch screens and the EyeSight safety suite for additional $1,995. That includes automated reverse braking, which is a lifesaver for some and rear bumper saver for others.

You can get it with one of two engine options. If you go for the four-cylinder version and a standard continuously variable transmission expect an overall fuel consumption to be around 24 mpg (combined). If you go for the six-cylinder version, the Outback will be quicker, quieter, and it would want more juice. That is why you should expect somewhat worse fuel consumption for the six-cylinder version (21 or 22 mpg – combined).

Price: $25,645

Fuel Consumption: 25 mpg city/ 32 mpg highway