MSN Autos picks the 10 coolest vehicles to take to the shore this summer.
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MSN Autos
By Claire Martin of MSN Autos
The best beach cars are big enough to carry a surfboard or two, zippy enough to hug a coastal highway, and so rugged that you can hose them out when they get too sandy. Preferably, they're all of the above, with a convertible top to boot. From cheap rides that help you work a beach rental into your budget to the coolest convertibles, from solar-powered cooling systems to luxury trucks that convert into campers, here are our choices for the best beach cars of 2010. Each one fits at least one of the above criteria. A few even fit them all. …
[MSN Autos lists 9 other neat vehicles that should be considered, and Claire Martin demonstrates fine, witty writing about all of them. Check out the entire article by clicking the title. I am highlighting only the Volkswagen Routan in keeping with the theme of the blog.—DMW.]
Volkswagen Routan
Volkswagen Routan
Reminiscent of the classic surfer-mobile, the VW bus, the Routan is wide and long with plenty of space for surfboards, beach chairs or even a kayak. The rear seats tilt all the way back — a configuration that allows for sitting in the way back and dangling your feet out the back door and over the sand while you're parked beachside. You can even participate in a Frisbee toss, grill a marshmallow over a campfire or watch the surfers hang ten from the comfort of the car. A storage space under the floor in the second row is ideal for stashing pails and shovels, volleyballs and other essential beach gear.
Compare: Volkswagen Routan vs. Kia Sedona vs. Honda Odyssey
