Best Cars for Car Camping in 2022

 Over the last year, we’ve spent a fair amount of time discussing camping with RVs, but how about car camping? We’re here to share some of our experiences with car camping to inform those who want to try it or perhaps to encourage those who have already started camping in their cars.

 First, a note about car camping — particularly long-distance car camping. As always, you need to be prepared for weather that is different than what you are used to. Visit Section Camping

When trying to sleep in a car, a lot of people overlook a crucial part of the process: the car. While the car is your home, it can be the complete opposite. It’s not insulated and it gets cold when the sun goes down. There are a lot of ways to take care of that, and I’ll go through each. Let’s review the best cars for car camping below:

Toyota Prius

If you want to be a real minimalist, a hybrid vehicle is the only choice. Even though it’s considered a large car, it is still extremely compact and offers great weather protection. The Toyota Prius is one of the smallest vehicles you can get and it is a surprisingly adequate shell for car camping.

While camping, there are a few key areas that people need to keep warm, one of which is the legs. I couldn’t understand why people don’t use car seats as sleep pads before this, but now I see it’s simply because car seats don’t fit the way a piece of insulation does.

My arms rested against the glass, my legs were in the small space between the wheels, and my feet were wrapped up in the fabric of my car seat’s back. My temperatures climbed all night. While the outside temp was subzero, the car itself was comfortably warm enough to sleep.

Volkswagen Golf

The Volkswagen Golf may have some of the best cabins for car camping. Sure, it’s a slightly larger car than the Prius, but its layout is the perfect compromise between large and small.

The seats have a lot more legroom, and the way they are constructed makes it easy to position your legs in the area above the front seats. As it’s an SUV, you get the benefit of a huge back seat. This makes it easy to sleep with the door open, and you don’t have to walk to a sleeping area.

When a piece of insulation is a must, you can put it in the front wheel wells and crawl inside. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of space for a person to relax.

Subaru Outback

Subaru is one of the best manufacturers for car camping in general, and I feel this extends to car camping. I know what you’re thinking, that’s the Outback I mentioned earlier. That’s no problem, it’s also a great choice for car camping.

For one, the Outback is a four-wheel-drive vehicle, so it has excellent traction in snowy and icy weather. Furthermore, it has all-wheel drive, which makes it harder for an animal to throw itself into your undercarriage when you’re on the road.

It’s also a huge SUV, making it the perfect roof for those who like to set up their own little oasis while camping. The seats have enough room for a person to stretch out and a ton of storage for supplies. There’s even a 3.6-liter flat-six engine in the back to get the extra power you might need for tailgating or just getting your classic car out and about.