Coast to Coast US roadtrip - in which car?

First I'm not a fan of American cars, especially the 40's, 50's and even the 60's. So I won't recommend any!

If it wasn't for the dog, Id say early 90's BMW M5, good performance and cheap to buy. With room for everyone but the dog.

Since you mention big old American cars, performance is obviously not an issue. Id get any year Ford Excursion diesel. I only like American trucks and the Excursion is truck like with excellent passenger room. Not only that, room for the dog. Big fuel tank, means huge range. Like 700+ miles on a full tank. Plus they are popular everywhere, easy resale.

 

Mmm, a '59 Fury for 10000 miles seems like an excedrin dream, especially enduring the bench seat after 100 miles. Imho, I'd go for a Flex Ecoboost with 365 hp and acres of room. Push the dealer or former owner and they'll get close to 20k. Look for a 2012 - 13 to keep costs down.

 

E39 wagon with a 6-speed.

 

Have you checked out any of the Mercedes Benz Sprinter van conversions? Airstream has one that pops to mind. It won't sleep 5, but if you're going to spend 4 months on the road with 5 people and 1 dog, I can imagine the space + amenities (TV, small kitchen, bathroom, etc) would be nice to have.

 

If I were in your shoes, I'd go for either a manual Cadillac CTS-V Wagon, manual first-gen Porsche Cayenne GTS, or an APR Stage III manual Audi Allroad 2.7T. Guess I'm just not a big 50s/60s-era American car fan.

 

No chance of a V wagon for $15-20k.

 

If you want American you could go with an SRT-8 grand Cherokee.

 

First gen Cayenne TT with Thule box for your budget. For four months, space for everything, and least worry-free driving, I'd rent a Mercedes Sprinter or something similar.

 

How young are the kids? Do you need baby seats? If they do you'll need something with proper anchors.
For 20k you could find yourself a nice e39 (1999-2004) M5. That would be awesome!

Safe, reliable, fast, decent MPG, fun to drive

 

Oh shoot, I completely missed that. Haha

 

The Excursion, is an SUV, it was the biggest one made. Tons of room. It was built on the F350 truck chassis. Handles o.k. cruises 80mph nicely. You can also get the DVD entertainment system in them. Good for kids and dog.

 

Chevy Suburban! For the cost of the RV rental you can buy suburban's in the 1995 vintage and leave it in NYC and will cost less than renting an RV. A 2005 vintage will cost you under 10K and have video for kids, dual HVAC etc. and can get fixed at any dealer across the country. Kids can have 2 rows of seats, dog can kennel in the entire 4x4x4 ft box in rear. Torpedo on roof houses all your gear.

 

If you want to stick with something uniquely American and a truck is okay, consider a Jeep Grand Wagoneer from the late '80s - the last of that classic style from the early '70s, but with more modern fuel injection (reliability), and maybe even air bags (not sure on that).

Similarly, you could go for an old school GMC Suburban, but I think the Jeep is your better bet in terms of finding a good one, as well as the "experience".

Another fun option would be a conversion van of any era. Something like that, with the window curtains, captain's chairs and fold-down rear bench is a lot more fun and exciting for a kid who is stuck in a vehicle for what seems an eternity.

Lastly, you could go with a 1980s VW Vanagon with the Westfalia package. Again, exciting for the kids, lots of room, and the amenities may come in handy.

What the Wagoneer and Westfalia have in common are a strong followings of devoted enthusiasts, which means that good examples are appreciated and considered worth preserving; it will be easier to find a well maintained example in good to excellent condition.

 

A few choices, currently in the L.A. area:

1965 Mercury Commuter station wagon

Dodge Royal Monaco 77

1978 Cadillac Deville Station Wagon

1959 RAMBLER CROSS-COUNTRY WAGON

1957 chevy Wagon

Not near L.A., but...

Chevrolet Caprice Wagon 50K MI | eBay

1976 Mercedes-Benz L206 DG Camper Van -

 

The Jeep Grand Wagoneer, was carb not fuel injected. It was the last carb model sold in America in 1991. Its a little small for kids and a dog, plus luggage. They do have a cult following and are well made. Parents had one when I was growing up.

Suburban's like all GM are lousy build quality. If you must go American, the Grand Wagoneer is nice. But after 91 and Chrysler influence Jeeps became lousy, only Ford offers half decent vehicles.

 

That's a good option. I had one, 2005 diesel. Could get 1700km the the tank! It's 200L

 

I bought one in 02 and then another in 04. If I really topped off the tank, the range via the trip computer was 740 miles. Lived in the states when I had them.

People still love them. A clean California example will sell fast in New York.

 

Mine sold quick, low K and all the mods to make the 6L powerstroke live!
checking prices now i think they went up in price since i sold it 2 years ago.

 

The only mod I did was delete the egr valve. Not better performance, the egr clogs up and creates problems.

Its very popular, low miles are now hard to find. Prices have gone up, the demand is so strong for them.

 

I'm thinking about the same question; I've decided to drive to Amelia for the auctions instead of fly, and then am going down to the Keys. So, from Houston and back, call it a 4K+ mile round trip.

I'm actually thinking about taking an 87 560SL that I acquired recently. My wife said "you're going to drive THAT car all the way to Florida"? I responded that I couldn't think of a better cruiser.

I may change my mind and take the Lexus. But, what's the fun in that?

 

560SL is a fine car, especially on long trips. Most are pretty trouble free. Its on my list of cars to buy. My mother foolishly turned down one, when new. She didn't like the steering wheel. Her car at the time was a Jaguar Vanden Plas V12.

 

I've done the trip twice to see different parts of the country. I was in no hurry...

But you don't say if you would prefer to stay in an RV or hotels... If you wanted to stay in nice hotels, I'd prob. go with some type of mid sized SUV. You are going to need the room with kids.

If you want to camp on the road, I think an RV is a great choice. I haven't done it this way, but I think there are a lot of advantages, esp. for a family on an adventure.

Seriously wouldn't think about doing it in old American vehicle... You have a family to consider and there's been a lot of advancements in vehicles since then. I guess they're ok to drive around as an adult or around for short trips. But, I just did 4100 miles from the EC to LA and no way would I take a family in something vintage like that.