These Are The Best Cars To Take On A Round-The-World Adventure

“Having driven to the remotest parts of Mexico and Central America, some observations.

“1) Gas mileage is a consideration. Gas is expensive outside the US. Also I’ve been down roads where its over 200 miles to the next gas station.

“2) A vehicle you can fix with your own two hands. Mechanics in many of the sparsely populated countries fix things with wire and bubble gum.

“But, if you can get the broken part off, they rebuild every single part (like welding aluminum and drilling it out to make a housing – think human 3D printer.)

“3) Ground clearance. Pot holes and speed bumps are legendary. Think 7"-8".

“4) Space - you’re gonna be hauling a lot of tools, spare parts and gear.

“5) Comfortable seats – your butt is gonna spend a lot of time riding rough roads.

“6) Roof rack

“My choice? 1998 Honda Odyssey. Think first gen with the 4 doors. Lifted 1.5 inches and all terrain tires. Never wanted for more, didn’t need 4 wheel drive and neither did the locals.”

Experience tells this poster that the 1998 Honda Odyssey is the perfect car for any trans-continental adventure. It’s certainly got the space for sleeping and storage, but could it really last the trip?

Suggested by: colddeadfinger

“Unimog with standard truck size tires or a big Diesel engined Land Cruiser. Then you can pretty much go anywhere and get going again anytime after a mishap too.”

Ah the Unimog, a very popular choice among posters today. This Mercedes-designed monster has been in production since 1948. The behemoth of a vehicle has a go-anywhere mentality that will be essential for any round-the-world adventure.

Suggested by: Michael Gray (Facebook)

“Sure, it would seem the Land Cruiser or a Land Rover would be the obvious answer. After all, worldwide both vehicles are as common as dirt, so if you have problems, parts will be available to git ‘er done.

“But the stipulation is ‘to explore automotive cultures around the world’ and thanks to the monster influence of American pop culture around the world with movies and TV shows, everyone knows about 2nd gen Chargers.

“So between the Bullitt ‘68 Charger, the Gen Lee ‘69, the F&F ‘70 Chargers, the Blade Charger, the Ghost Rider Charger, blah-blah for a list about a mile long; when you show up with one of these big-block Chargers, you will instantly be the center of attention. So by default, you will have it made-in-the-shade easy with the car clubs when you are the American cruising in a classic Charger.

“And since these cars are so stick-simple, when you have problems, you can easily get it fixed— like a Land Rover, only gorgeous to look at — win-win.”

This poster woke up today and chose madness. But then again, their handle suggests their judgment may be a touch clouded here.

Suggested by: the1969dodgechargerguy

“The only two companies I’d trust to have a global supply chain that could get me parts in places like Kyrgyzstan or Burkina Faso would be Toyota and Mercedes. Of the two, I’d go with Toyota and one of their non-usa trucks (Hilux, Prado, Land Cruiser) but tooling around in a Unimog would be cool (or an old diesel G-wagon with an OM606).”

Top Gear proved that this car could survive a trip ‘round Bristol, an expedition to the North Pole and a quick trip to a volcano, I guess that just about covers any terrain you might encounter on your travels around the globe.

Suggested by: Grayson Williams (Facebook)

“4th-gen V8 4WD 4Runner. I’m partial because I have one, but it really is my answer as well. It’s not as wide or long as a Land Cruiser, but is just as capable in most respects and is still incredibly comfortable for long journeys on- or off-road.”

Oh hey, another Toyota. The shortest route to drive around the world is via Russia and North America and covers more than 10,000 miles. I guess that counts as a “long journeys on- or off-road” in which to enjoy the 4Runner’s “incredible” comfort.

Suggested by: mustangiimatt

“Land Cruiser with an auxiliary gas tank. They’re very capable, but very thirsty.”

And another one.

The Land Cruiser was easily the most popular suggestion in today’s Question of the Day. Maybe that’s because it has more than 60-years of off-road experience, maybe it’s the ample power, or maybe it’s the hefty towing capacity.

Suggested by: WR Johnson (Facebook)

“All you people suggesting trucks/SUVs that don’t float? Pshaw!!

“This little cutie will get you pole-to-pole.”

Finally, a little imagination. The Sherp is classed as a “Utility Task Vehicle” and it’s quite the machine. With space for four or more people, the Sherp is an amphibious car capable of going almost anywhere.

Suggested by: majordawlish

“Everyone is going off-roaders but since all the ones that I could think of as appropriate are taken I’m going to go on a slightly different direction.

“The thing you want is something that is everywhere. Something that you’re going to see in most countries you can find, something that you know is going to be durable, something that can blend in and something that is often used as a taxi in poorer countries. I can think of a few potential options (Nissan Tsuru, Peugeot 505, VW Beetle, the Toyota Land Cruiser everyone else has picked already) but my personal pick is the Mercedes Benz W123.

“It’s pretty much un-killable and can clearly handle the worst the world has to offer.”

A car with an ample stream of spare parts is a good way to go about this exercise. And the Mercedes W123 fits that bill down to a T. During its 10-year lifespan, Mercedes built more than 2.5 million W123s across Germany, South Africa, China and Thailand.

Suggested by: citricola

“An Amphicar. It’s the only one that can actually make it.”

Another person that tried to address the ‘ocean’ issue you might face on a round-the-world trip, this time with a 1960s convertible. The Amphicar 770 was manufactured in West Germany and marketed from 1961 to 1968. Just 3,878 were built, so sourcing any spare parts after a breakdown may be a struggle here.

Suggested by: kahlessj

“I mean it isn’t a car but... motorcycle. Any of the ‘adventure’ bikes will work. I think an HD, BMW, and a Yamaha have traveled from the most northern point in Alaska to the most southern point in Argentina that you can get to without using a boat. Multiple times.”

There is always one bike fan that decides to chime in. But as Ewan McGregor has proven on several occasions, a bike is the best way to travel across the globe. And are you going to argue with Obi Wan?

Suggested by: ikaiyoo