Top Vehicles for Your Family’s Favorite Activities

Top vehicles to consider for family activities

You spend a lot of time in your car carting around your kids to practice during the week and taking family trips on the weekends. Whether you’ve got a family of outdoor enthusiasts or adrenaline seekers, the right type of vehicle can complement your family’s active lifestyle.

Here are some options that may be suited to your children’s favorite activities:

Motocross

Loading up dirt bikes into the bed of a truck requires plenty of space in the box, and towing a trailer of outdoor toys requires the right amount of towing capacity. If your kids love all things motocross, the best vehicle to suit this active lifestyle is a pickup truck.

Car and Driver picked the Ram 1500 as one of the best pickup trucks of 2015 for its luxury interior, brawn, and efficiency. If you’re ready to purchase a truck, check out DriveTime’s selection of affordable used trucks.

Before you hit the road, make sure you have the proper equipment for transporting your bikes, including tie-down tracks, wheel brackets, and aluminum truck ramps. If you’re using a trailer to transport the bikes, always make sure the trailer and hitch connection is locked.

Hockey

If bags of equipment and hockey skates are taking up (and stinking up) all of the space in your compact car’s trunk or backseat, leaving minimal room for your team of little hockey players, it may be time to upgrade your vehicle from car to SUV. U.S. News ranks the Cadillac Escalade as the No. 1 luxury SUV with three rows.

An SUV with three rows can fit all of your hockey star’s gear, plus a couple of his teammates. If your budget is stretched and you would rather save up some money for ice time and private skating lessons, U.S. News awarded the Chevrolet Tahoe a No. 1 ranking in the affordable SUV class.

As far as getting rid of the stink, Happy Hooligans offers a guide on how to wash your children’s hockey gear at home. After all, you’ll want to enjoy that new car smell for as long as you can.

Cycling

If your kiddo went from training wheels to two wheels in an instant, it might be time to upgrade your own set of wheels. Bicycling.com recommends the electric Nissan Leaf as one of the best cars for cycling enthusiasts and parents looking to adopt a green lifestyle.

The Leaf is 100 percent electric and gets up to 126 miles per gallon. Plus, it leaves no emissions. Plug the Leaf in, let it charge, and explore your city’s cycling paths with your family when it’s ready.

Hiking

Longing for a vehicle that can take you and your family out of the city to the remote outdoors? The Subaru Forrester, with symmetrical all-wheel drive, maybe the vehicle you’re looking for. The Forester comes equipped with a heavy-duty roof cargo basket that can carry hiking packs, mountain bikes, kayaks, and all of your family’s outdoor gear.

There’s also a removable cargo tray in the back of the vehicle that can be detached and cleaned after your muddy adventures. And, the Forrester isn’t a gas guzzler; with up to 32 miles per gallon, you’ll be able to explore the wilderness without having to worry about expensive stops at the gas station.

Plus, many Subaru vehicles are also optimized for dog lovers – so you can take Fido along on all of your family hikes, too.

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