Road trips may instill a desire to jump in an SUV and hit mountain trails. Depending on your definition of hopping in the car and heading into the sunset, your ideal car will vary. My ideal car is a safe, comfortable vehicle with excellent gas mileage. Albeit, I am practical minded.

On my last road trip, I took my Honda Accord and was delighted. It had a smooth ride, neither my boyfriend nor myself were sore, it offered excellent lumbar support, and we were thrilled at the almost 40 mile per gallon gas mileage amidst our summer of soaring gas prices. Through the mountains and twisted roads, it took corners with ease, had good traction, and never over heated.

Driving long distances, it's important that you choose a reliable car that has recently had an inspection. No matter what make or model, be sure that your tires are properly inflated, you've just had an oil change, and you have a spare tire, jumper cables, flares, and whatever else you may need in an emergency.

Before you set out on your travels, be sure you drive the car around a bit. If you are taking your car, notice what you do and do not like about the ride. If you notice lower back pain when you sit in traffic too long, bring a pillow for extra support for your lower back. If you are getting a rental, rent a model that you know will be comfortable.

Driving a car that has good gas mileage is not only important for the environment, but also easier on your pocketbook. Hondas and Toyotas offer great gas mileage, both extending into the upper 30 to lower 40 miles per gallon. These cars also have spacious interiors for family travel, or long treks with added luggage.

I've heard friends with little children rave about cars that have DVD players and added gadgets to entertain children during long hauls. While these bonus features are great, families can still play the alphabet game or buy travel board games to save on the extra expense.

I would caution would be travelers to chose an automatic car. Your manual transmission may be fun to zip around curves, but as soon as you hit mountainous terrain, you'll be grimacing. With steep grades going up and down, manual cars are not ideal.

Another would be caution, corvettes and sporty cars may look exciting with the wind whipping through your hair, but being unable to keep anything with you for fear of it being ripped our by the wind, and have little if no storage does not for a fun road trip make.

When choosing the car for your travels be practical. Safety is the name of the game. Choose a car with excellent safety reviews, good support, excess storage space, and good gas mileage for the most successful and enjoyable road trips.

Learn more about this author, Molly Carter.
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