Your favorite highway cars that aren't boring everywhere else?

This is mostly a thought exercise based on my experience last weekend. Some friends and I decided to go check out Harpers Ferry on an overnight trip, which is about a 3.5 hr drive with some considerable hills to climb on I68 in between. We took my Montero, which is the only vehicle I have that's roomy enough for 4 passengers and their luggage. I have a 2010 Frontier, but no one wants to be in that back seat more than an hour. The Montero worked fine, but on a trip like that it's far from relaxing to drive - it has to work hard to climb the hills at speed, it's shaped like a refrigerator box so wind slows you down and adds noise, and I think we averaged less than 18 mpg. Harpers Ferry and some of the surrounding towns are really cool by the way, if anyone was wondering. Plan on walking around a lot if you visit.

I kept thinking how effortless the trip would've been in a big sedan with over 200 hp, but how most cars that would be really comfortable on a highway trip would also be boring on winding roads and less than ideal for track days. Has anyone experienced a happy medium? I've been told that the Chrysler 300 is actually quite a bit of fun on track, and it would certainly eat up the interstate. The G37 also came to mind, but those look a little tight for 4 people on a longer trip. Kia Stinger maybe? The answers that seem most obvious to me are also exorbitantly expensive (Blackwing Cadillacs, Panamera, M5). I'm not trying to buy anything, I'd just like to hear some of your experiences. 

E38 740iL ate up the interstate, and could do the backroad dance pretty well for a big girl.

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

E38 740iL ate up the interstate, and could do the backroad dance pretty well for a big girl.

Seconded.  Mine is a 740i sport, but still an excellent highway cruiser.  On really tight backroads it starts to feel like a bus due to size, but as long as it fits on the road, the handling is quite competent (and with plenty of room for improvement and clearance for plenty of tire). 

As far as fuel consumption, I count on ~23 - 24 mpg at 75 mph in mine.  A non-sport with taller rear gears should get 25 - 27 mpg at the same speed. 

This is why I enjoyed my Dodge Intrepid R/T back in the day. It was awesome on long drives because it had La-Z-boy seats, good power, a decent suspension, and slick aerodynamics making it a quiet, comfortable place to be at high speeds. Once you got to where you were going, it could flog a back road with ease, and of course being an R/T, it was at home on the track. OK, that is an overstatement, but it would do OK at a track day, just avoid autocrosses and drag strips with its 4-speed slushbox. 

Fast forward to 2023, and I am once again in a powerful 4-door sedan that I love. The EN will eat up highway miles and get 30+ mpg. The seats are less Barcolounger and more race buckets, but much more comfortable than they look. I have put in full days without issue...my wife's Buick hurts my back after about an hour. The difference here is that once you arrive, you can also hit the track, the strip or the autocross. Back roads are a blast, and she even looks respectable for a date night.

I'll also throw this out there, most cars that eat up the miles in comfort are wallowing pigs. There are precious few models that strike a good balance, and that's why I bought a Sienna SE. The sports version of the Sienna makes road trips a piece of cake for the family because it is big and comfy. Dad doesn't mind because it has nearly 300hp and a great suspension so I can set the pace wherever I want. It's no back-roads weapon of course, I am not itching for the Tail of the Dragon, but for daily commuting chores I don't have to slow down much. (provided I have no passengers or cargo of course) 

Today, long-haul comfort and sportiness is the domain of cars like the Cayenne and X5M. If you are not a baller, your only option is the Kona N, which is a GREAT option, but I wish there were more to choose from. CR-V Type R anyone? 

LS400, LS430, LS600hL.  Excellent highway cruisers, owned 5 of them since 2005.  I do a Los Angeles to Montana drive in the LS. Perfect car, if you want to be left alone, and enjoy a smooth drive. 

If you want to do the same drive, but get chatted up at every gas station, do it in a 1967 Cadillac Deville convertible. Same luxury, but lot more interesting. 

Then again I have done cross country trips in my brand my new Elise, and on my Ducati 748.  So I am all over the map. 

Good luck.

E39 M5. The most effortless cruise this side of a Tesla, but a complete nutter when you let it off the leash.

987.1 Cayman S. Awesome GT car.

rslifkin said:

Seconded.  Mine is a 740i sport

 

insert drooling Homer here

Apparently, while not officially an "SRT" model, you can now order a brand new 2023 300 with the 6.4L (392) Hemi, 4 piston Brembos, and adaptive suspension:

The last SRT 300 was essentially the same hardware, and can be found in the mid 20 if you're considering used options.

It's also probably worth considering older CTS-Vs or even the V-Sport, which was a bit more sedate but still offered 420hp/430ft-lbs and a sportier suspension:

Not a car, but the Touareg seats 4 in comfort, eats the interstate like nothing and does the mountain dance well enough to make driving a car not worth the smaller size. It is also a reasonably capable soft-roader. That combination makes it a very good road trip machine. I'll be putting 1000+ miles on mine this coming weekend. 

I loved my '02 Audi S6 Avant for being both effortless and comfortable on the highway and competent in the twisties (I even did a track day with it once). Who doesn't like a 340 hp station wagon?

On the road, it could pass anything (except maybe gas stations), and the kid liked the heated rear seats (and plenty of leg room). Could haul a bunch of stuff as well. These (and their A6 cousins) have depreciated quite a bit, but can still make for good travel companions if you can handle their maintenance needs.

A 3 series BMW is more balanced towards "not boring elsewhere," but is still a pretty good highway car. 

pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) said:

Today, long-haul comfort and sportiness is the domain of cars like the Cayenne and X5M. If you are not a baller, your only option is the Kona N, which is a GREAT option, but I wish there were more to choose from. CR-V Type R anyone? 

The Kona N is an absolute riot to drive and comfortable at that; however, fitting 4 grown humans and luggage in one would be a difficult task. I had a tough time with two kids, a dog, and luggage. 

Honestly, while it's had its issue, the Raptor I bought eats up highway miles, rips a sub 6-second 0-60 and a 14.2 1/4 mile time, while also being very capable off-road. Plus I can toss stuff in the bed and tow a decent amount. It's also turned a lap at Sebring, albeit at 35mph. I will say it's a great all around vehicle that's hard to beat for almost any situation you can imagine. 

I've come to the conclusion that there is no perfect all around car for everything and why I have too many cars. 94 Accord for endurance racing, S2000 for Sunday cruises and track days, Raptor for everything else. 

If I were going to purchase a reasonable priced fun Sedan based off your anecdote. An Elantra N or an Accord with the 2.0T would be on my short list. 

E-class Merc.
P71 Crown Vic as long as you don't expect cornering glory
Many BMWs fit that bill, 5 and 7 series particularly
Larger Audis
X350 jag, and X308 jag, as long as you don't mind a bit of a small cockpit.  Particularly the R version of either.
 

The Porsche Panamera seems to be a good candidate for this, although it's definitely a bit out of most people's price range...

In reply to STM317 :

I was unaware of the V-sport cars, kinda like the F sport Lexus stuff?

I didn't expect the love for the E38, I assumed that car was an "only buy one with detailed service records" type deal if you didn't want to end up working on the car more than driving it. I drove an E39 M5 very briefly once, and if it was within my means I would've almost certainly looked for one, what a great intake noise it made. The Elantra N is definitely cool, but I've never brought myself to love anything fwd. (Other than a Mk1 Scirocco.) Some interesting choices so far, I love that this forum has a small Jaguar cult, hate that 99% of those cars have cream-colored leather.

dannyp84 said:

In reply to STM317 :

I was unaware of the V-sport cars, kinda like the F sport Lexus stuff?

I didn't expect the love for the E38, I assumed that car was an "only buy one with detailed service records" type deal if you didn't want to end up working on the car more than driving it. I drove an E39 M5 very briefly once, and if it was within my means I would've almost certainly looked for one, what a great intake noise it made. The Elantra N is definitely cool, but I've never brought myself to love anything fwd. (Other than a Mk1 Scirocco.) Some interesting choices so far, I love that this forum has a small Jaguar cult, hate that 99% of those cars have cream-colored leather.

Without good service records an E38 is likely to take some work to get everything back to where it should be.  But at the same time, they're not all that hard to work on, the points of concern are well known, etc.  And if the car is generally in decent shape, getting neglected wear items, etc. sorted out isn't that big a deal.  The only big axe hanging over your head is the timing chain guides on the V8 cars. 

E38s can be a little bit needy maintenance wise, but at the same time, they're generally reliable. 

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

E-class Merc.

 

My W211 E350 with whatever the sport package is called is an excellent highway cruiser.  No idea how comfy the backseats are, but there's a good amount of legroom.  I wouldn't say it is anywhere near as fun as my Miata on backroads, but it is definitely not a wallowing pig.

I'm down with the Audi.....I've had both of my Allroads on a track, done plenty of mountain driving with them, and both have gone coast to coast. The earlier A6 chassis was even more comfy than my later A4 based one, but the "smallroad" gets incredible fuel mileage.

dannyp84 said:

In reply to STM317 :

I was unaware of the V-sport cars, kinda like the F sport Lexus stuff?

Yeah. BMW and AMG did similar things as well where they offered a handful of sporty bits and a few more ponies without stepping up to the full monty performance models.

I think the CTS was the only V sport that came out before they changed their branding. Now the spot in the lineup that used to be known as "V Sport" is just "V", and what used to be "V" is now "Blackwing" because Cadillac's branding people got bored or hated logic and continuity

I would say my favorite in my fleet right now is the E39 528 Touring I picked up for my son. I would rather drive it to Ohio tomorrow over the wife's X3. The X3 is more fun when the road gets bent but its a little stiff for long hauls. I also trust the E39 more with twice the miles of the X3,lol.

eastsideTim said:

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

E-class Merc.

 

My W211 E350 with whatever the sport package is called is an excellent highway cruiser.  No idea how comfy the backseats are, but there's a good amount of legroom.  I wouldn't say it is anywhere near as fun as my Miata on backroads, but it is definitely not a wallowing pig.

I had a W210 with the TD.  170hp wasn't wicked, but the nearly 300 lb-ft was.  I found it to be whisper quiet and smooth, but the thing that amazed me was how it can ride so smoothly and not be a marshmallow in the turns.  Handled quiet nicely.

Isn't this why powerful but non-M BMWs are a thing? 

Pick a BMW that has a number before the number in its name that's 35 or higher and you'll have a good time. 

B9 Audi S4 with the Sport Diff. This is my currently daily, replacing a W213 Mercedes E350 4Matic. The Audi seats are miles more comfortable for long distance than the E350 and passing power at highway speeds is significantly better.

Get the S4 on winding, hilly backroads and switch the ZF 8 speed into S mode and you find that while its heavy and there isn't much steering feedback and the weight balance is all kinds of bad that the quattro and sports diff combine to make it extremely chuckable and confidence inspiring.

Really digging my V60 for this niche. Averaged 36.5mpg on two different road trips, with 2 adults, 2 dogs and a ton of luggage. 

It can hold its own on backroads, but there are lot of cars that would eat its lunch. Finding a Polestar V60 would tip the scales, provided you're willing to give up 15mpg