If you’re comparing the best family cars for camping trips you will have a lot to think about.
The first question to consider is, what sort of body shape are you looking for? SUVs and MPVs have lots of extra storage space and room enough for even a grown up family, but running costs are usually high.
Hatchbacks are good value and cheap to run but it can be a squeeze for the driver, family and all that camping equipment. Estates offer the storage space you will be looking for but do they suit your driving style?
Saloons meanwhile usually offer a little more space than hatchbacks and better comfort levels but luggage space will still be at a premium.
Factor in the need for them to be reliable and tough enough to negotiate the quagmire that used to be the campsite you were heading for and you can see what a headache this important choice will be.
The team at Sterling, the specialist motor insurance broker, suggest six family cars for camping trips.
Land Rover Discovery
You won’t be surprised to discover the Discovery has made the list of family cars for camping trips. Built to enable you to take the rough with the smooth, Land Rovers were made for the great outdoors at its most challenging.
It has a massive boot, is brilliant for towing, and there’s a host of specialist expedition equipment available, including a spacious roof tent.
Adjustable air suspension smooths the ride and a wading depth of 90cm will help you negotiate the deepest of country fords and flashfloods.
Volvo V90
The V90 is reassuringly Volvo! Obviously great for luggage with its expansive and flat load bay, passenger comfort and safety features, the great thing about this model is that it’s ready for anything.
If there’s a downpour and your tent springs a leak there’s enough room inside the car to drop the seats and snuggle up there instead. There’s ample room for all the family, even if there are a couple of six footers.
That makes it a certainty for our top family cars for camping trips. But above all, the V90 is a looker with some very useful technology to help the ride whizz by.
Nissan X-Trail
Another one that gives you the opportunity of sleeping in the car rather than under canvas. The five rearmost of the Nissan X-Trail’s seven seats fold flat into the floor, making it perfect for an air bed and a nice snug sleeping bag.
One of the more economical SUVs, the X-Trail will give you a very smooth ride and heaps of space for the tent and all the luggage you need.
Comfortable off-road as well as on the motorway and not so massive that it’s a pain in the neck to manoeuvre on those tight country lanes.
Audi Q3
Not an obvious choice for our list of family cars for camping trips, until you discover among its accessories is an inflatable tent designed specifically for attachment to the back of the Q3.
It attaches to the open boot lid, allowing access from the three-person tent directly into the car. It can be used as a freestanding tent too and will withstand winds up to 40mph.
The price may make your eyes water though — it’ll set you back about £1,400. Still, you will enjoy all the creature comforts and performance we have come to expect from Audi.
Vauxhall Mokka
The Mokka gets on the list of best family cars for camping trips because of it’s retractable bike rack. It secures up to two bicycles at the back — and who doesn’t like to get out on the bike during a camping holiday? — without the need for a boot or roof mounted rack. When not in use it folds away very neatly.
The Mokka is also very roomy for passengers and boasts a generous boot space for all the other gear you need along with the bikes to make your holiday memorable.
Subaru Outback
Outback by name and outback by nature. Designed with an outdoors lifestyle in mind, the raised ride makes light work of poor surfaces and the permanent four-wheel-drive will tame any muddy campsite.
It also has a huge boot and roof rails as standard, should you decide you need a roof box. If the box isn’t big enough it’s great for towing if you need a trailer or you are caravaning.
It also has a host of safety features and a very smart infotainment platform guaranteed to keep all the family amused during the journey.
Insure your car and your camping gear
Wherever you are going on your summer 2020 staycation and whatever luggage you plan to take, don’t forget to pack a great motor insurance deal with Sterling insurance. And, just to be on the safe side, they can insure your camping equipment too.
