Car News
Car Reviews
Cars for Sale
Car Discussion

Kbb.com Names 2008 Best New Road Trip Vehicles

From Sporty to Family-Friendly, Editors Name Top 10 New Vehicles BestSuited for Road Trips

IRVINE, Calif., May 20 -- The expert editors of Kelley Blue Book"skbb.com, today announced their picks for Kelley Blue Book"s2008 Top 10 Best New Road Trip Vehicles. Memorial Day weekend ushers inthe beginning of the summer driving season, and record gas prices will playa large role in trip-planning this year. But even with gas prices reaching$4 per gallon, Americans are still expected to hit the road in droves forsummer road trips. From the two-person weekend getaway to the full-familyexcursion, this year"s Best New Road Trip Vehicles list is certain toaccommodate any road trip.

In choosing this year"s Best New Road Trip Vehicles, the kbb.com editorsevaluated all tangible and intangible attributes that would enhance anylong drive, such as driving enjoyment, passenger comfort, cargo space andof course, fuel economy. Because not all road trips are the same, KelleyBlue Book"s 2008 Best New Road Trip Vehicles provide a potential perfectride or two for every type of driver and every type of journey. Eachvehicle offers different perks such as entertainment options, interioraccommodations and driving performance to keep road-trippers satisfied. Depending on the type of trip and the number of companions the rightvehicle could be a coupe, sedan, crossover, SUV or minivan.

"The concept of "the perfect road trip" means different things todifferent people so our 2008 Top 10 Best New Road Trip Vehicles listincludes vehicles that can accommodate as many as eight with the requisitelevel of style, comfort and convenience," said Jack R. Nerad, executiveeditorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book"skbb.com. "While the current high fuel prices did influence our list, wealso included a couple of cost-no-object choices."

Combining a silky 354-horsepower V8 engine, impeccably tuned suspensionand quattro all-wheel drive, the Audi S5 delivers high levels of bothperformance and comfort, along with the elegance to arrive in grandfashion.

If the price of fuel has impacted your yacht time more than your drivinghabits, you might find the $1.5-million, 1,001-horsepower, 16-cylinder,quad-turbo, 250-mph Bugatti Veyron an ideal alternative the next time thejet is in the shop. Just keep in mind that at full speed, the Veyron burnsthrough its 26-gallon fuel tank in about 12 minutes.

We recently drove six top-selling mid-size sedans in a back-to-backcomparison test, and the remarkably quiet and comfortable Chevy Malibuhandily outshined the competition on the highway. The first automobile in thecategory to combine a flexible six-speed automatic transmission with agas-sipping four-cylinder engine, the Malibu is capable of an impressive 32highway miles per gallon.

While the Tahoe Hybrid"s highway fuel economy rating of 22 mpg is only 2mpg better than that of its gas-only counterpart (the hybrid"s biggeradvantage is in city driving), it"s nevertheless the most fuel-friendlyfull-size SUV on the road and provides seating for eight, plenty of cargosolutions and the ability to tow your boat to the lake.

They say that getting there is half the fun. In the Dodge Grand Caravan,getting there can easily be all the fun. The Grand Caravan"s wide varietyof entertainment options includes multiple DVD players, video game inputs,two overhead video screens, SIRIUS Satellite TV and radio as well asrearward-swiveling second row seats, all helping to transform the oncehumble minivan into a virtual party on wheels.

Due in dealerships this summer, Ford"s new full-size, three-rowcrossover will be turning heads from coast to coast all year, whiletreating occupants to cold drinks with its class-exclusive refrigeratedconsole.

In addition to a plush, flexible interior, the EX35 offers a LaneDeparture Prevention System that can help keep any driver -- quiteliterally -- in line. A small camera detects lane markers in front of thevehicle and, when inadvertent lane departure is detected, the systemapplies a small amount of left or right brake force to nudge the vehicleback on course.

With excellent fuel economy and a fun-loving attitude, the MINI Cooperhas earned its way onto our list of top road trip cars for the second yearin a row. The new Clubman offers more passenger and luggage space than thestandard Cooper, making the largest member of the MINI family an even moreideal long-haul companion.

The iconic Prius doesn"t just deliver the best highway mileage ofvirtually anything on four wheels, it also features a flexible hatchbackdesign and enough interior volume to qualify as a mid-size vehicle.

The Volkswagen Eos is a sporty coupe that"s also a sexy convertible,thanks to a sleek, sophisticated retractable hardtop. This chameleon alsohas an exceptionally wide glass sunroof for when you want the open-airexperience without getting that wind-swept look.

For more information about Kelley Blue Book"s 2008 Best New Road TripVehicles, visit http://www.kbb.com/roadtrip08.

Since 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource(R), has providedvehicle buyers and sellers with the new and used vehicle information theyneed to accomplish their goals with confidence. The company"s top-rated Website, kbb.com, provides the most up-to-date pricing and values, includingthe New Car Blue Book(R) Value, which reveals what people actually arepaying for new cars. The company also reports vehicle pricing and valuesvia products and services, including software products and the famous BlueBook(R) Official Guide. Kbb.com is rated the No. 1 automotive informationsite by Nielsen//NetRatings and the most visited auto site by J.D. Powerand Associates nine years in a row. No other medium reaches more in-marketvehicle shoppers than kbb.com; nearly one in every three American carbuyers performs their research on kbb.com.