How to Find the Best SUV for Road Trips With Kids in Boerne, TX
Cramming a growing family into a tiny car can lead to arguments before you even get on the highway. The kids are already complaining, and you still have five hours of driving left. Upgrading to a proper family vehicle changes your whole vacation. You will stop dreading the long drive and actually start enjoying the trip.
At Boerne Dodge, we want to help you find the absolute best SUV for road trips with kids so you can travel across Texas in total comfort.
What Makes a Vehicle Great for Long Highway Drives?
Car makers pack modern vehicles with endless digital gadgets, but only a few features actually matter when you are hundreds of miles away from home with your kids. You need practical solutions that keep your passengers comfortable and your cargo safe. Here is our ultimate five-point checklist to use when shopping for your next family hauler:
1. Lots Cargo Space
A long weekend trip requires heavy coolers, big suitcases, and bulky sports gear. You need a dedicated cargo area that holds everything without blocking your view out the back window. Having a power liftgate makes loading those heavy bags incredibly easy when your hands are full.
2. Easy Access to the Back Rows
Climbing over a folded seat to reach the back gets exhausting very fast. You want a smart layout that lets your kids easily access the third row. They should be able to get in and out without needing your help every single time.
3. Top Safety Features
Driving through heavy Texas rainstorms or dark country roads is stressful. Finding a vehicle awarded as a top safety pick gives you peace of mind when hauling your most precious cargo.
4. Smart Driving Help
Features like driver assistance tech and active lane keeping reduce your physical fatigue on long trips. These systems help you stay perfectly centered in your lane. They automatically adjust your speed to match the heavy highway traffic.
5. All Weather Traction
An unpredictable storm can ruin a road trip fast. Having a reliable all-wheel drive system keeps your tires firmly planted on slick pavement. AWD gives you the absolute confidence to push through bad weather safely.
Which Family SUVs Offer the Best Experience?
Finding the perfect family vehicle means matching the physical vehicle to your daily lifestyle. Our showroom floor features incredible new cars designed specifically to handle tough family duty from our core Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram lineups.
The Dodge Durango
Some folks think that having a family means giving up on driving a fun vehicle. The Dodge Durango proves that a practical family car can still be exciting. It looks aggressive and sounds incredible when you step on the gas pedal.
This powerful midsize SUV offers three rows of seating and great passing power on the busy interstate. Maybe your family road trip involves dragging a heavy boat down to the Gulf Coast. If so, the Durango powertrain provides great towing capacity to get the job done easily.
You get to enjoy the thrill of a heavy-duty engine without sacrificing the interior space your kids desperately need.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee L
Jeep took their most famous luxury vehicle and stretched it out to comfortably fit much larger families. The Jeep Grand Cherokee L provides incredible legroom for your growing passengers.
The interior feels exactly like a premium VIP lounge. It features beautiful stitched leather and an available panoramic sunroof. That huge glass roof makes the entire cabin feel huge and airy. You also get that legendary off-road capability built directly into the frame. Your summer road trips might involve camping way off the beaten path.
The advanced four-wheel drive system makes sure you never get stuck in the deep mud. You can even look into the plug-in hybrid options if you want to improve your gas mileage around town.
The Jeep Grand Wagoneer
When you have tall teenagers and tons of heavy luggage, you absolutely need to step up to a true full-size SUV. The premium Grand Wagoneer offers one of the roomiest third-row seats on the entire automotive market. Full-grown adults can sit comfortably in the very back without their knees touching their chins.
This full-size SUV rides incredibly smoothly on the highway. The advanced suspension system absorbs harsh potholes easily. That smooth ride makes it one of the absolute best SUVs for traveling with kids over long distances.
The cabin remains whisper-quiet. Your kids can easily watch their movies on the backseat entertainment screens without turning the volume all the way up.
Features You Need in the Best SUV for Road Trips with Kids
Shopping for a dedicated road trip vehicle means focusing heavily on what specific features you need inside the cabin. The physical layout of the seats completely dictates how peaceful your drive will actually be.
Captains Chairs vs Bench Seats
Choosing the right second row changes everything about how your family travels.
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The Captains' Chairs Advantage: These individual seats provide amazing personal space for your older kids. They prevent annoying arguments by keeping a clear physical boundary between siblings. They also create a wide center aisle. That open space makes walking to the very back incredibly easy.
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The Standard Bench Setup: A traditional bench seat gives you one highly valuable extra seat belt. This layout works perfectly if you need maximum passenger capacity for daily school carpools.
Wide Door Opening for Easy Carseat Access
Installing a bulky child seat into a tiny compact SUV is a totally miserable experience. You end up twisting your back just to reach the hidden buckles.
A large family vehicle provides wide door openings and easily accessible metal anchor points. You can easily lock down multiple car seats in the second row while still leaving plenty of physical room for older kids to access the third-row seats.
Fuel-Efficiency to Get Rid of Unnecessary Stops
Nobody wants to stop for expensive gas every two hours when they finally get the kids to sleep in the back. Finding fuel-efficient SUVs that are actually good for family road trips keeps your vacation budget totally under control.
You have to look closely at the official gas mileage ratings before you sign any paperwork. A massive V8 engine provides incredible towing power. However, that huge engine will definitely lower your overall MPG on the highway.
If you do not plan on towing a heavy trailer, choosing a smaller turbocharged engine gives you a fantastic balance. You get quick passing power and great fuel economy. Keeping your tires properly inflated and packing your cargo securely inside the cabin also improves your fuel efficiency on long trips.
How Much Towing Capacity Do You Actually Need for Your Outdoor Gear?
Figuring out exactly how much towing capacity you need for a family road trip SUV depends entirely on your specific outdoor gear.
A standard midsize model easily pulls a small utility trailer or a pair of jet skis. Most midsize models can pull around five thousand pounds when properly equipped.
You absolutely must upgrade to a full-size SUV or a dedicated pickup truck if you plan on dragging a heavy travel trailer across the state of Texas. Full-size SUVs like the Wagoneer can easily pull over seven thousand pounds without breaking a sweat.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best SUVs for Family Road Trips
Parents constantly ask us the same great questions when they visit our dealership. We compiled these quick FAQs to help you narrow down your search before you even step onto the lot.
Which SUV is the most comfortable for very long road trips?
The Jeep Wagoneer easily takes the crown for ultimate highway comfort. The premium air suspension absorbs every single bump in the road perfectly. Your passengers will likely fall asleep before you even cross the county line.
Which car provides the best overall drive with family?
If you want the absolute best cars for a long drive with family, you need something that perfectly balances interior space and digital entertainment. The Dodge Durango offers incredible rear-seat entertainment screens to keep the kids quiet. It also delivers a genuinely thrilling drive for the parents behind the steering wheel.
What are the top SUVs with the best safety technology for kids?
The top SUVs for road trips with kids all share a few highly important traits. The Jeep Grand Cherokee L and the Wagoneer consistently rank at the top. They offer incredible safety technology, smooth rides, and large cargo areas to protect your family on the highway.
Find the Best SUV for Road Trips with Kids at Boerne Dodge
At Boerne Dodge, our team knows exactly how to match your family with the perfect vehicle. We provide a totally relaxed environment so you can shop with total confidence. Bring the kids, strollers and carseats to the dealership to test the cargo space for yourself. Visit our website today to browse our online inventory, and get ready to upgrade your next family road trip.