Planning a Texas road trip? Use this guide to make sure you get the best road trip car for your family.
With nearly 80,000 miles of roads across the Lone Star State, countless Texas-sized adventures are just a road trip away. Head to a Hill Country vineyard, wander out west to car camp under the desert stars, dine on fresh seafood along the Gulf Coast, or venture through the windswept plains of the Panhandle—in a state as big and diverse as Texas, the opportunities are endless. The hardest part of your trip might be choosing where to go first. Figure that out and then all you’ll need is a good car for road trips.
When it comes to the best vehicles for long road trips through Texas, you want to find the right balance of comfort, fuel efficiency, cargo space, and technology for your family. And since getting there is half the fun, let’s make sure your hours on the road are as safe and enjoyable as they can be. Here’s a look at the best road trip cars Hicks Family Nissan has to offer for your trip across the largest state in the lower 48.
When it comes to safety and technology, some of Nissan’s best features come standard across all three SUV models below. This list of standard tech includes Nissan Safety Shield® 360, NissanConnect®, and ProPILOT Assist that can help make driving significantly safer and easier for the long haul.
Six powerful safety features come standard with Safety Shield®:
What’s more, each model comes with available NissanConnect® to turn your car into a Wi-Fi hotspot that allows connections from up to seven devices.
Lastly, each model comes with varying levels of Nissan’s driver assistance technology, called ProPILOT Assist, to make long hours on the road easier. The basic ProPILOT system combines adaptive cruise control and steering assistance for effortless driving, while more advanced versions allow for increasingly hands-free driving.
If your current vehicle doesn’t have modern safety and driver-assist technology like Nissan, it may be time to purchase a new car.
For couples and small families hitting the open road, the Nissan Rogue isn’t just a fun ride—it also gives you options. The versatile Rogue is compact, with available all-wheel drive and excellent fuel economy. That means you could be zipping through dips and turns in the Texas Hill Country one day, and backing into tight city parking spots the next. Add in an impressively fuel efficient 37 mpg highway rating, and your stops at the pump will be far and few between—just don’t skip a visit to the famous Czech Stop to fuel up on kolaches.
Don’t let the Rogue’s compact size fool you, though. For a five-seat SUV, the interior feels airy and surprisingly roomy. A spacious 32 cubic feet of cargo space offers plenty of room for luggage in the back and the cabin offers multiple clever storage spaces for things like water bottles and small items. Parents of small children will appreciate the easy-to-access LATCH points and wide rear doors for quickly getting kids in and out of car seats.
With the Rogue’s punchy, turbocharged three-cylinder engine, thoughtful interior, and road trip-friendly gas mileage, you’ll spend hours on the road—and enjoy every minute of it.
If you’re driving the nine hours from Corpus to Amarillo—or any other long stretch of road in the Lone Star State—you may want to prioritize comfort for your long road trip. And when it comes to comfort, the Nissan Murano takes things to a whole new level.
While long hours on the road usually leave you stiff and sore, the Murano comes equipped with Zero Gravity seats in the front and rear, designed to help reduce fatigue and keep your posture just right. But that’s just the start of this SUV’s premium interior. Available leather-appointed seats, ambient lighting, and dual 12.3 in. infotainment displays almost make the Murano feel more like a lounge than a car.
Beyond comfort, the Murano comes equipped with a power liftgate for easy access to the 33 cubic feet of rear storage space, a respectable 27 mpg highway fuel economy, plus a host of safety features including lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control.
Top everything off with excellent soundproofing, and the Murano delivers a truly quiet, comfort-forward ride. Perfect for keeping the kids asleep and for your peace of mind hours into your road trip.
For big families looking for big Texas adventures, look no further than the Nissan Pathfinder. The Pathfinder offers three full rows of seating with plenty of room for up to 8 passengers—including the family dog. The trunk holds a modest 16.6 cubic feet of storage, but laying the third- and second-row seats down gives you a wide open 45 and 80.5 cubic feet respectively. Plus, lots of storage space for things like sunglasses, electronics, and snacks keeps your road trip crew organized.
On the outside, the Pathfinder is built to handle Texas’ varying terrain. The available intelligent 4WD and multiple drive modes help you tackle all the conditions you might find on your adventure, including snow, rain, sand, dirt, and gravel. Heading to Palo Duro Canyon? Pathfinder’s hill start assist and available hill descent control help prevent rollback and keep you in control on steep roads, too.
Finally, for when you’d rather go big than go home, the Pathfinder ensures you can take all the gear you need with up to 6,000 pounds of towing capacity available. Take a boat to Possum Kingdom Lake, a camper to Big Bend National Park, or even just a trailer full of gear to grandma’s in McAllen—it’s all possible in the Pathfinder.
Before you leave on your next adventure, make sure you’re prepared for the road ahead with these must-have road trip accessories:
Keep your navigation in sight and hands on the wheel on long Texas highways or winding Hill Country roads.
Stay refreshed and save money during pit stops with a cooler full of cold drinks and snacks for the journey.
Extra gear? No problem. Take everything you need while maximizing storage space for everything from beach bags to camping gear.
Long stretches across the Lone Star State can make anyone sleepy, especially little ones. Snooze without getting a stiff neck with a compact travel pillow and blanket.
Keep everyone’s devices powered up, from phones to gaming devices and tablets.
Perfect for short hikes in state parks or spontaneous stops at roadside attractions like Cadillac Ranch or the Inner Space Caverns.
Beat the Texas sun and help your car cool down faster during summer travel.
For snack-time cleanup, spills, lunch breaks, and side-of-the-road bathroom breaks, keep things sanitary with wipes and sanitizer.
Long hours on the road wear on tire pressure and tread. Keep tire pressure topped up anytime you need it with an electronic pressure gauge and inflator.
Texas weather can be unpredictable and roads stretch for miles with nothing around. Make sure you’re prepared for car breakdowns and health emergencies with essential kits containing first aid, flashlights, jumper cables, tire repair tools, and more.
A Texas road trip requires the perfect vehicle—one that delivers comfort, efficiency, and plenty of space for your family and gear. Whether you need the versatile Nissan Rogue, the spacious Pathfinder, or the adventure-ready Murano, Hicks Family Nissan has the right SUV for your next big journey. Visit us today to explore our lineup, and don’t forget a pre-trip service appointment to make sure your vehicle is road-trip-ready!
