Best Cars For a Summer Road Trip

The 2008 Lincoln MKX SUV, above, has 32 cubic feet of cargo space when all its seats are folded down. Along with the Nissan Quest minivan, that tops the list for largest cargo areas of all vehicles tested.

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Slightly more drivers than last year are expected to jump in their cars from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends, the American Automobile Association reports.

One of the best autos to handle the road? The Honda CR-V. It has 36 inches of cargo space, the roomiest among its closest contenders in the compact SUV category. And that space is key for travelers who want ample room to load luggage, golf clubs and coolers.

In Depth: Best Cars For Road Trips

The Nissan Sentra topped the group of compact sedans; the Ford Focus won among coupes, and the Ford Taurus won among large sedans. This trio provides a winning combination of fuel economy, comfortable leg room for front- and rear-seat passengers, and better-than-average road handling.

2008 Mini Cooper

Whether they're driving an SUV, coupe, sedan or minivan (four of the nine categories we measured), drivers taking to the road are looking for fuel-efficient, roomy cars capable of handling a variety of traffic and road conditions, supplying enough trunk or cargo space to accommodate beach and sporting gear, offering an ample amount of leg room for front- and rear-seat passengers, and providing safety protection in the event of a crash.

With that in mind, we used Consumer Reports' most recent routine handling ratings to measure performance. The ratings judge how a vehicle maneuvers on the road and reflect a car's turning circle, which indicates how easy it is to park and turn a vehicle. All of our picks rated "very good," with the exception of the Volkswagen GTI, which rated "excellent."

We looked at front and rear leg room to determine comfort. The Kia Optima registers 44 inches of front leg room; the Nissan Quest offers riders 42 inches of rear leg room.

We also calculated trunk or cargo space when all seats are folded. Both the Nissan Quest minivan and Lincoln MKX SUV top this measure at 32 cubic feet each.

We used combined ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency to gauge fuel economy. The Ford Focus coupe is the most fuel-efficient of the group, with a combined EPA rating of 28 miles per gallon. In some vehicle classes, consumers will have to sacrifice fuel economy for roominess and cargo space, and vice versa. The Mini Cooper, for example, has the best combined EPA rating of all vehicles considered, at 20 miles per gallon, but it also has the smallest trunk space, at six cubic feet.

2008 Nissan Quest

All of the vehicles considered earned a minimum of four stars in the most recent National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration frontal and side crash-test ratings. All are equipped with front and side airbags.

These qualities are important because "consumers don't want to compromise" comfort, handling and storage space, says Alexander Edwards, automotive division president of Strategic Vision, a market research firm. "The capabilities of vehicles today can handle quite a number of things, like added comfort, a well-enhanced capacity and capability of holding people, and correctly organizing and holding stuff."

The 25-mpg Chevrolet HHR wagon delivers on those measures. It comes with a six-speaker CD stereo and auxiliary audio jack, air-conditioning with cabin filtration, split rear folding seats and optional leather seating with heated front seats. It is equipped with electronic stability control and tire-pressure monitoring systems and comes with an optional nine-speaker sound system with voice-activated navigation system and rear entertainment system.The dual-stage airbags can detect if an adult or child is in the front seat and will deploy at a level based on that detection.

Another good pick: the 25-mpg Volkswagen GTI hatchback. Road-trippers in this vehicle enjoy a pollen filter, a height-adjustable, telescoping steering column, and an optional navigation system. The car also includes a side curtain-protection supplemental system.

But some families might need more space than the Volkswagen GTI can offer. The Ford Taurus large sedan gets 28 mpg and has eight cup holders and fold-flat seats. A power moonroof, navigation system, and eight-way power driver's seat are optional.

So while your kids or heavy workload might sideline you this summer, these cars most likely won't.

In Depth: Best Cars For Road Trips