If they don’t already live without what is often a string of obligations attached to a car, one of the first things identified as an item to be sold by someone planning to go on a long series of trips is indeed their vehicle. Most people in any case only really own a car to drive to a job so that they can afford to pay for that very same car which drives them to their job…

Sometimes though, even the most frequent of travelers find themselves in one location for a prolonged period of time, whether it’s back in their home country or somewhere where they can stay a little longer than the average traveler can. During this period it might make practical sense to get a car they can enjoy autonomous use over and the car of choice in this instance makes for some very interesting discussion.

We’ll get to the car brand most of these travelers in this situation prefer in a bit, but before we do, I think it’s pertinent to discuss the characteristics they’re looking for in that car.

Practicality

Everything actually comes right back down to practicality, but this practicality in turn is contributed to by a number of consideration pointers.

Purchase cost and resale value

The car which comes into the possession of a frequent traveler is often seen as a temporary solution, so they want to be able to get a good resale value on a car that they bought at a good price in the first place. So it’s all about a car that retains its value well and doesn’t lose too much of it as time goes by.

However, since a car is a depreciating asset, it is best to buy it at the most affordable price one can, instead of spending fortunes only to get peanuts in resale value. And the best way to get the car at an affordable rate is by checking its invoice pricing.

Theft target

This might be somewhat of a surprise for people who live in countries where things like car theft aren’t a major problem, but frequent travelers often choose a car which is not a popular target among car thieves. That makes sense though, because sometimes the traveler might not necessarily want to sell their car, rather choosing to perhaps store it in long-term parking or have a friend look after it.

Running costs and maintenance

Granted that most travellers look for a car that lasts, and offers practicality and longevity, but you should also have contact with car crash repairs you can trust. Besides, it should be a car that is easily serviceable, and does not experience breakdowns every time it is pushed to the limit. In addition to reasonable purchase costs and a good value retention rate, a car that is low in running costs can be an absolute blessing. This can assure good fuel efficiency, and reasonably priced service rates to go with reasonable service intervals.

Toyota vehicles fare quite well in that regard. With low maintenance costs and a Toyota service center always within reach, they have gained quite a bit of popularity in the market recently, especially with their Prius and truck models.

The car brand of choice?

Now if we go out into the market and search for cars that fit this set of characteristics, quite a few options are available, but Honda appears to be leading amongst those frequent travelers I’ve discussed the topic with. Many factors were cited, including the ease with which to find a Honda key fob replacement and even get instructions on how to program it yourself, as well as just the overall practicality of the car itself.

Personally I’ve had the pleasure of driving an old Honda, back in the day, which was a 1998 model Ballade. It was a great car, looking back!