Cool spring breezes and gorgeous roadside wildflowers make it extremely difficult for me to sit in blandairports and board stuffy airports at this time of year. What I really want to do is head west fromAustin to see burgeoning blue bonnets, from Denver to see the mountains awaken from winter, or asfar west as I can get without swimming in the Pacific to take that famous 17-mile drive at Pebble Beach.And, I want to do it on my own time, driving a car that makes me feel like part of nature but also likeIve traveled first class even after eight hours on the road.
Auto touring companies have become very popular recently. So, even if your home range offers nothingspectacular within a couple days drive, you can schedule the luxury car of your choosing complete withmaps, itinerary, hotel reservations and many other amenities to meet you at the airport. Or, you cando it the old-fashioned way and pack your backs for a multi-day road trip, miles be damned.
Every luxury car fit for touring shares common elements with its peers: a smooth ride, panoramicwindows, extremely comfortable seating, a sound system worthy of great road music, and enough spacefor a little luggage. Beyond that, its a matter of personal taste what drives you to take a long drive.Ive chosen five modern luxury vehicles that cover the spectrum of great road-tripping automotivecompanions and one of them might just make you un-box your driving moccasins.
Bentley Continental GTC
The point of a spring road trip is not to make it fly by at 198 miles per hour but if you needed to,say, get through an ugly stretch, the Bentley Continental GTC could do it for you with 567 horsepowerfrom its 12 cylinders. And, with the top down! The Conti, redesigned for 2012, might be the perfectconvertible for an extended road trip. The interior is breathtaking with bespoke leather seats, hand-crafted wood trim, chrome dials and yoga-level quiet and tranquility when the top is down. Thetouch-screen navigation and information center brings the perfect level of technology to a cabin thatotherwise harkens back to the glory days of Rolls Royce and Duesenberg. A premium sound system fromNaim with 30 GB of digital music space
Of course, even with update exterior styling, nobody will fail to recognize the Continental GTC as aBentley. The convertible, push-button roof stows itself in less than 20 seconds. Despite its rather heavyweight, the Conti moves quickly for such a big car. It has good trunk space, but the back seat is verysmall one of its few draw backs. Well, that and fuel economy which is generously listed as 19 mpg onthe highway. Still, if you want to waft along in un-excelled luxury in a convertible, no less you cantdo better than the Bentley Continental GTC.
Land Rover Range Rover
Well explore the other end of the touring vehicle spectrum with the Range Rover! Where the Bentleyis speed and sculpture melded, the Range Rover is refined muscle, blatant attitude and glorious space.Other large luxury SUVs are pretender to the venerable Range Rovers throne. If you want to hit theroad with another couple, or your children, the Range Rover has all the legroom and luggage room youll need. Dry roads or slippery trails, it has capability and handling that will surprise you in such a big pieceof equipment. This is what you want for a drive through the mountains to Big Bear or Aspen. Handlingmight not match most sports cars, but with a computerized air suspension that self-adjusts 100 timesper second, this is no land yacht, either.
Youll find no better view than provided by a Range Rovers large windows, and youll be extremelycomfortable in premium leather seats. The sound system is provided by Harman/Kardon, and you willfind it lacks nothing. Styling never changes much with the Range Rover, and I suspect Land Rover findsno reason that it should. And, theyre likely right. Refined and capable, the Range Rover has only oneflaw gas mileage that will be somewhere south of 18 mpg at best.
Porsche Panamera
Fast. Four doors. Leave it to the venerable German brand, Porsche, to make opposite qualities attractivein the same package. The Panamera delivers all of the famous speed and performance of the brand,but with an interior that is legitimately comfortable for four adults. And, the trunk is large enough for anormal amount of luggage, but if youre traveling by yourself or one other person, the back seat foldsdown for extra cargo room. Luxury items like Bluetooth connection, various drive settings, hand-stitchedtop grade leather, and metal and wood trip are de rigueur.
Amazingly, the top-end Panamera Turbo S can go from 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, reach a top speed of 190mph, and yet, when touring on the open road, get a reasonable 23 miles per gallon! Panamera comesstandard with a parking assistance feature that audibly warns when an object is behind the car whilein reverse. A reversing camera can be added that displays video from the rear on the center dashcommunication center with superimposed guidelines to help you back up. If, for some odd reason,youd rather listen to music than the thrilling Porsche engine tones, Porsche offers both Bose andBurmester sound systems that cannot be duplicated. Frankly, the Porsche Panamera proves that you canhave it all at least in a sports luxury sedan.
Mercedes SL550
Sometimes, you want to be seen, and acknowledged, and envied. Driving the Mercedes SL550 willaccomplish all of that nicely, thank you very much. The body styling is new for 2012, and it showsultramodern imagination, while still hewing to the Mercedes sensibility. It will move you down thehighway dashingly, obviously, and most importantly fast.
Yes, this is a roadster, like the Bentley, but completely unlike the Bentley. With a panoramic glass roof,you dont have to put the top down to feel the outside. Where the Bentley is heavy and solid, theMercedes is light and nimble. They both have their place.
The leather cabin and amazingly comfortable seats are built for long hauls. Paddle shifters give you fullcontrol of the transmission when you want it, or you can let the automatic mode carry you along withnearly as much fun. Comfortable, fast, convertible, great handling did I mention fast? For those whocan afford a six figure car, this Merc is a dashing and daring vehicle that will make a long drive come to life with fun.
Jaguar XJ
Jaguar has been on a decade-long quest to put its namesake cats power and dynamism back into itscars. Even with the big XJ sedan, it has succeeded. It has a lightweight aluminum body, standard V8engine, and adaptive suspension all hallmarks of a car seeking to be a fast and powerful bully. But,Jaguar harnesses them in a way that keeps the traditional Jaguar grace and elegance.
What England seems to do better in its cars than Germany or Japan is the overall feeling of old-worldcraftsmanship. The Jaguar XJ wraps you in piped leather seats, surrounded by solid wood accents andactual metal trim. Plastic has its place, but with a Jag, its kept in its place.
Jaguars styling has changed from its formerly familiar curves, but the XJ is no look-alike luxury car.The grill and hood are aggressively styled, the sloping roofline and trunk lid ooze aerodynamic appeal.Everything about it comes together to make a sumptuous cocoon that speeds you along at freewayspeeds without a hint of strain. There are some quibbles with the way the touch-screen informationcenter functions its not particularly intuitive and operating a touch screen while driving makes youwish for old-style knobs and switches. But, the Jaguar XJ is a counterpoint to the Porsche Panamera. Youchoose the XJ for grace, power and style where you choose the Porsche for speed and thrills. Theyreboth great, but theyre vastly different.
