Road-trip friendly cars that can go the distance

Memorial Day is fast approaching and that means millions of Americans will be hitting the road for a family trip. The roads will be crowded and you should expect lines at gas stations. A car bred for long-haul driving, with bladder-bursting range, can give a distinct advantage, especially on cross-country journeys. To aid travelers, we have compiled a list of the best road-trip friendly cars that can go the distance.

If you are in the market for a new car or looking to rent one for travel, these best-fuel economy vehicles with their lengthy cruising ranges will help you reduce stops for fill ups.

For the summer travel season, regular gasoline retail prices are projected to average $3.63 per gallon with it peaking in May at $3.69 per gallon and ending at $3.57 in September. The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects prices to average $3.56 per gallon in 2013 compared with $3.63 in 2012, so there is some relief, but gas will continue to be a big part of the travel budget. Choosing a fuel-efficient model can provide dividends for years to come, no matter how gas prices fluctuate.

The list below highlights the top three vehicles in a variety of categories that have the longest cruising range. Be aware, however, that not all cars that can go the distance have the best mileage. For example, in the large car category, the V6-powered Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger only get 22 miles per gallon overall and 32 highway in our tests, even though their range is over 420 miles. The Land Rover Range Rover Evoque has a range of 385, but it only gets 21 mpg overall and 29 mpg highway.

The vehicles that can travel far and return the best fuel economy are hybrids and diesels. The Volkswagen Passat TDI and Golf TDI have a 690- and 545-mile cruising range, respectively, with highway mileage around 50 mpg. The Toyota Camry Hybrid has a range of 650 and returns 43 mpg on the highway.

There's no question that hybrids and diesels are the fuel economy champs. However, they often cost more to buy. To save money, consider going for a simple four-cylinder model. For example, the Mazda6 returns 32 mpg on the highway, as well as having an impressive 525-mile cruising range. The four-cylinder Nissan Altima got 44 mpg on the highway in our tests and can go 560 miles between fill ups. Another worthy candidate is the four-cylinder Honda Accord- 40 mpg highway and a 510-mile cruising range.

All those cars free you from a fill up for quite a while!

Plenty of other vehicles have great gas mileage in our list of best cars for fuel economy, but small cars are limited by small tanks, even though many get over 40 mpg.

Buying a vehicle with good fuel economy is one way to save money, but also make sure the vehicle performs well in our tests and is reliable. You don't want the savings in fuel to go to repairs. For more on saving fuel and alternative fuel vehicles, see our special sections. Also, check out our summer road travel guide to help you prepare for your next driving vacation.