The best cars for road trips in Canada 2025

If you catch yourself constantly daydreaming about road trips, then you need a vehicle as ambitious as you are. It’s in that spirit I’ve pulled together this list of the best cars for road trips in Canada for 2025. As a professional automotive journalist, I drive upwards of 50 or more new cars each year, often for long distances. In that context, there are always a few vehicles that rise above the rest.

Truthfully, unless you’re constantly driving, road trips shouldn’t be the first thing you consider when shopping for a new car. You’ll want to drive something that’s easy to live with day to day that also provides the space, comfort, fuel economy, and features that make road trips easier.

I’ve kept this in mind with this list of the best cars for road trips in Canada for 2025. The vehicles below are great daily drivers and awesome road trip vehicles. They’re also relatively affordable and come with great safety ratings. Within the segments listed, these are vehicles I’ll happily recommend time and again.

Have any questions, or just think I missed the mark and want to defend your favourites? Head over to our Facebook community to continue the discussion!

Best car for road trips for 2025: Toyota Camry

^{Photos courtesy of Toyota Canada}

The Toyota Camry has been fully redesigned for the 2025 model year, and the new version has a whole lot going for it. It comes with a hybrid powertrain by default, meaning you can enjoy fuel economy ratings as low as 4.9 litres per 100 kilometres. All-wheel drive (AWD) is standard on every trim but the base model, which can help when bad weather hits. Its 428-litre trunk isn’t the largest around, but it’s got plenty of room for a family of four’s road trip gear.

Plus, the 2025 Toyota Camry receives the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)’s highest Top Safety Pick+ rating. With this unique combination of features, it’s possible Toyota has all but perfected the midsize sedan.

Best sports car for road trips for 2025: Mazda MX-5

There’s something so freeing about dropping the top, hitting the throttle, and heading off for adventure in what’s essentially a street-legal go-kart. The Mazda MX-5 is currently winding down its fourth generation with a new version rumoured to be on the way for 2026. Mazda hasn’t ignored its popular little roadster, though. It received updates to its power steering system for 2024, and they make just enough of a difference that a 2024 or 2025 Mazda MX-5 is the one to get.

Sure, you’re restricted to two seats, and the 130 litres of trunk space deters some drivers. But my boyfriend and I have gone on three or four-day road trips by packing into multiple smaller soft-sided bags. Trust me, it’s worth it. Drop the clutch, and let’s go.

Best small SUV for road trips for 2025: Mazda CX-50

With the addition of a hybrid powertrain for 2025, the Mazda CX-50 line-up is officially one of the most versatile in the compact SUV segment. All versions of the CX-50 are designed with a low roofline, making it easier to load adventuring toys like bikes and kayaks. For those who need to go further, there’s the higher-powered Meridian Edition with all-terrain tires and up to 256 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque.

And that hybrid isn’t just any hybrid. Thanks to an arrangement between Mazda and Toyota, the CX-50 Hybrid’s powertrain is the same one used in the popular Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. In the CX-50 Hybrid, it averages 6.2 L/100 km in combined city and highway driving. Plus, the Mazda CX-50 is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+. Between the three available setups and its overall versatility, there’s a road trip ready Mazda CX-50 for just about anyone.

Read RoadTripper.ca’s full review of the 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid >

Best midsize SUV for road trips for 2025: Toyota Grand Highlander

^{Photos courtesy of Toyota Canada}

Toyota added the Grand Highlander to its line-up in 2024. With sizing slightly larger than the Toyota Highlander, its third row is more usable every day and allows comfortable seating for up to eight passengers. Every trim has standard AWD comes with an available hybrid powertrain, which brings fuel consumption down as low as 7.0 L/100 km combined. That’s an exceptionally low number for a three-row SUV.

Every version of the Toyota Grand Highlander comes with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, the brand’s latest safety technologies. Thanks to this combination of features and capabilities, the Toyota Grand Highlander was named 2024 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

Best large SUV for road trips for 2025: GMC Yukon

^{Photos courtesy of GMC Canada}

When it comes to the industry’s largest SUVs, General Motors produces the gold standard. There’s a more affordable version in the Chevrolet Tahoe and a luxury version in the Cadillac Escalade. My preference is the GMC Yukon, which slots in between Goldilocks style. It offers great space in all three rows, an available air suspension for better on-road comfort, user-friendly tech. With towing capacity of up to 3,810 kilograms (8,400 pounds) and up to 13 camera views, you can transport you, your crew, and your stuff safely.

For a premium feel, choose the Denali and Denali Ultimate trims with 16-way power-adjustable and massaging front seats, and available Super Cruise for hands-free highway driving. A refresh is on the way for the 2025 GMC Yukon that revamps the front-end and dashboard styling and offers improvements to the available diesel engine.

Best vehicle for going off the beaten path for 2025: Subaru Outback Wilderness

^{Photos courtesy of Subaru Canada}

The Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco fans will be here shortly, so let me preface this selection right away. I didn’t choose the winner in this category for its ability to climb rock walls or support desert overlanding. To me, that’s not what most road trippers want. Instead, I considered a balance of everyday driving versus off-road functionality and features that help on backcountry adventures. And in that context, the Subaru Outback Wilderness delivers.

The Subaru Outback Wilderness has standard all-wheel drive and a whopping 24.1 centimetres of ground clearance. Its roof can hold up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds) while in motion and 315 kilograms (700 pounds) at a stop. It comes with 17-inch all-terrain tires, built-in recovery hooks, and upholstery that’s easy to clean. Add in its IIHS Top Safety Pick status, and the Outback Wilderness delivers the goods.

Best minivan for road trips for 2025: Toyota Sienna

When it’s time to move a crowd, don’t underestimate the power of the humble minivan. I’ve had seven full-grown adults in a Toyota Sienna minivan for hours at a time without a single complaint. In fact, the Sienna stands out for several reasons. Its standard hybrid powertrain offers fuel efficiency as low as 6.6 L/100 km combined, and its available AWD is a rarity. The IIHS names it a Top Safety Pick.

The only reason to choose a van other than a Sienna is if you really need access to a van’s full cargo space since the second-row seats can’t be removed. Otherwise, it’s hard to go wrong here, as long as you can get past being seen driving a minivan. (And if you regularly have more than six people in your vehicle, I strongly suggest you try.)

Check out our Toyota Sienna road trip to the Oxford County Cheese Trail >

Best plug-in hybrid for road trips for 2025: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Plug-in hybrids offer a great balance between zero-emission electric driving and long-distance range. If you’re looking for a vehicle that can let you commute for up to 61 kilometres without burning any fuel but can go more than 600 kilometres between pit stops on road trips, check out the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

One qualifier, though: the Outlander PHEV is sold as a seven-seat SUV, but I don’t recommend buying it as one. The third row is extremely tight on space, and most people will find it too impractical to use regularly. But if you keep the third row folded and drive this as a five-seat SUV, it’s stylish, functional, and fuel-efficient. It’s an all-around great pick for a city-dwelling family of four who regularly escapes for road trip getaways.

Read our review of the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV >

Best EV for road trips for 2025: Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Who knew a future-oriented electric vehicle could inspire such deep nostalgia? Sure, the Volkswagen ID.Buzz has its flaws: it rides rough, in-cabin storage could be better, and it’s too expensive (in its first model year at least). Its 372 to 377-kilometre estimated range is middling, too. But the ID.Buzz has a magic about it that gets people dreaming about seaside breezes, favourite campsites, and days spent rolling on the open road, myself included.

Any vehicle that lights this kind of fire in people gets top marks from me. I’m already drumming up ideas for where I could head to a campsite, throw an air mattress in the back, and fall asleep gazing up at the stars.

Read our full review of the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz >

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