Looking for a car for long drives? Consider these factors before making a deal

Love long drives and road trips with family and friends? Looking for a car that is suitable for long road trips? No wonder, searching for such a car could be a tiresome and confusing task as there are plenty of cars in the market. It is really confusing to decide which car would be best fit for long drives, offering the blend of driving comfort, stability, good ride quality, better handling, less body roll, value for money etc.

1 Sitting comfort

During long drives and road trips, the sitting comfort of a vehicle ensures the journey experience remains pleasant and not tiresome. If you think a very soft car seat will offer great comfort, it is not the case actually. Such a soft seat will offer comfort for an initial couple of hours, but after that, you may end up having back pain. Hence, it is best to have a seat that has a blend of 60 per cent hard and 40 per cent soft materials. The seats must have good under-thigh support and great back support. A bucket car seat with good bolster support will ensure your body remains in perfect position during lateral movements, ensuring greater comfort. A seat with lumbar support is a great factor ensuring a comfortable long journey experience. However, this can be ensured with a cushion at the back.

A car seat that is straight or too inclined is not recommended. Make sure the car seat is about 20 degrees inclined at maximum. This is a reason why most sedans offer great comfort during long drives as they usually come with perfectly inclined seats. Having adjustable headrests is a boon during long drives. It not only ensures great comfort during long journeys but also ensures greater safety for the occupants. hand rests for front and rear occupants also play a key role in enhancing driving and ride comfort.

2 Space

A car suitable for long drives must have generous space inside the cabin. Ample knee room, headroom, and shoulder room for occupants play important roles in enhancing comfort. Larger windows make sure the occupants get a spacious feel inside the cabin. The interior theme should be of light colour like Grey, White, Beige or Ivory instead of dark like Black. The colour theme also plays a key role in enhancing the spacious feel. Having a large boot space is a boon in a car meant for long drives. Otherwise, if the luggage needs to be kept inside the cabin, the occupants need to compromise their comfort. A boot with about 350-litre capacity or more is recommended in a car meant for road trips.

3 Handling

Handling of a car is a highly important factor when choosing a car for long drives. The handling of a car majorly depends on the steering. Light steering ensures the driver doesn't need to give extra effort while driving, but the steering needs to be hard when the vehicle runs at high speeds. This brings more confidence while driving. Turning accuracy, feel, feedback and returnability are crucial factors of a good steering system, which in return ensures good handling. The tyres too play a key role in handling quality of a vehicle as they handle the roads directly.

4 Stability

Stability is another important factor that must be considered while choosing a car meant for long drives. Contrary to popular belief, sedans offer better stability at high speeds on highways due to their lower ground clearance compared to SUVs. The lower ground clearance means the centre of gravity of the vehicle remains closer to the road surface, which results in better stability. If the suspension of the car is slightly on the firm side, the ride quality of the vehicle gets better as well as it offers better stability, especially during high-speed turning or cornering. Wider and low-profile tyres also play a crucial role in enhancing a vehicle's stability. The heavier the car, the more stable it is during a high-speed run. Better stability ensures better handling of a car.

5 Low body roll

While SUVs equipped with larger tyres, ladder frame chassis, high riding stances and spacious cabins are often dubbed as perfect for long drives, they have some negative points as well. Due to their boxy shape and high-riding stance, the SUVs have high body roll. These body rolls are enough to bring fatigue during long journeys. When a car is turned or cornering at high speed, the occupants' body leans on the opposite side, which is higher in taller cars. This is called body roll and it plays a key role in defining comfort level during long journeys.

Get insights into Upcoming Cars In India, Electric Vehicles, Upcoming Bikes in India and cutting-edge technology transforming the automotive landscape.