Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com Names Top 10 Road Trip Cars of 2009

IRVINE, Calif., May 21 -- The Top 10 Road Trip Cars of 2009, www.kbb.com/roadtripcars2009, were named today by the expert editors from Kelley Blue Book,the leading provider of new car and used car information.

Memorial Day weekend typically ushers in the beginning of the summer driving season, and with most people increasingly pinching their pennies due to the current state of the economy, Americans are expected to take to the roads for their vacations this year. With hundreds of thousands of miles under their collective tires, the editors at Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com have taken more than their share of road trips, and they can attest that not all are created equal. Some involve the transport of numerous people and literally tons of stuff; others involve nothing but the oneness of car and driver. In an effort to reveal the best vehicle for each journey drivers might take, the kbb.com editors combined their shared wisdom to deliver their list of the Top 10 Road Trip Cars of 2009.

"Given the gloomy state of the economy, the lure of escaping everyday life via the open road is more appealing now than ever," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com. "And if that were not motivation enough, the current crop of cars and trucks offer more than its share of gems that just beg to be driven."

For 2009, the editors broke the list down into common road-trip categories, and then named their top pick for each. In addition to the sampling of categories outlined below, the editors also named their top choice ride for a ski trip, family outing, new grad trip and romantic getaway.