8 Best Cars for the Arizona Heat
8 Best Cars for the Arizona Heat
When you live in a place like Arizona, you’re probably interested in finding the best car for desert climate conditions. Desert conditions can be brutally hard on vehicles. Just as you wouldn’t want to run around in the heat and heat and sand all day, our environment here in the Valley of the Sun is rough on cars.
You can still make sure your vehicle lasts a long time by keeping up with regular preventative maintenance. Still, you may notice that you need more car maintenance than people do in parts of the world with more forgiving climates or that your vehicles don’t seem to last as long.
There are two primary reasons vehicles don’t last as long in the desert as they might in other places:
- Most vehicles struggle with extreme temperatures. Extreme heat can be bad for the battery because the water inside evaporates faster. The oil, gas, coolant, and other fluids in your vehicle can also heat up when your car is baking in the sun all day. Even the tires can start to dry out.
- The sand gets everywhere. It’s not just making your car’s exterior look dirty– it’s getting under the hood. This means it could be coating critical components of your vehicle, clogging up the air filter, and possibly even getting into some of your fluids.
Sticking to a strict preventative maintenance schedule can help some with these issues, but it’s still best to find a vehicle that is built to last in the desert. Simply put, some vehicles are more rugged and dependable than others. If you don’t want to be running to the auto shop every few months for repairs (or buying a whole new car before it’s time), choose something that’s up to the challenge. With that in mind, here are eight of the best cars for Phoenix and the surrounding areas.
1 – 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer
What’s in a name? In this case, the name of this small SUV tells you a lot about what it’s capable of doing. The 2021 Trailblazer isn’t huge in stature, but it’s an absolute giant when it comes to performance and capabilities. Wherever it is you plan on going, this vehicle is designed to get you there. This vehicle was designed with rugged performance in mind, including in desert environments.
Even if you don’t plan on taking your vehicle off the road and over large rocks, sometimes it’s nice to know you could if you wanted to. Either way, since this vehicle is built to handle dusty trails and intense conditions, it can certainly handle whatever your commute to downtown Phoenix throws at it.
Unlike some of the other vehicles on this list, which are strictly made for high-performance outings in the desert, the 2021 Trailblazer is designed for everyday, comfortable driving. That means all of the technology features and the spacious interior have been fine-tuned to make sure you never feel like you’re roughing it, even when the vehicle is working hard.
If you decide that you want to get a little bit off the beaten path and explore some of the more rugged areas Arizona has to offer, the Trailblazer can easily handle that. Available all-wheel drive will help you get good traction even as you venture through the sand. Whether you’re taking a more extended trip deep into the desert, loading up for a move across town, or just hauling a bunch of gear to practice, you’ll appreciate features like the following:
- Flat-folding passenger seat
- Flat-folding second-row seats with a 60/40 split-folding design
- Maximum cargo volume of 54.4 cubic feet
- Maximum cargo length of 8.5 feet
- Available hands-free liftgate
This new edition of a classic vehicle lives up to its legendary reputation. It’s rugged, capable, and versatile enough for almost any type of lifestyle and situation. It’s even efficient, with up to 29 miles per gallon city and 33 miles per gallon highway. It also sets itself apart from many other options on this list because of how incredibly affordable it is. The 2021 Trailblazer starts at only $19,600.
2 – 2021 Mercedes G-Class
If your price was one of your favorite things about the Chevy Trailblazer, the Mercedes G-Class probably wouldn’t be very interesting to you. This luxury SUV starts at $131,750 and can get a whole lot more expensive from there. At that price, you’re paying for a lot more than just the ability to function in the heat and the sand. This doesn’t even consider the high cost of ownership thanks to abysmal gas mileage (under 20 miles per gallon) and expensive maintenance.
Still, the Mercedes G-Class is a superb vehicle if your car budget is that high. As it’s often called, the G-Wagon has its roots in the military and is commonly used among serious off-road enthusiasts. They’re popular in places like the United Arab Emirates, where long-distance off-road desert driving is relatively standard. The interior is the swankiest you can find from any vehicle on this list, and the car is a status symbol in addition to being a competent desert driving machine.
3 – 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser
The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser is much more affordable than the G-Wagon, but still one of the pricer items on this list, with an MSRP starting at $85,665 just for the base model. That price comes with plenty of creature comforts, though this vehicle is still more focused on function over form. The new Land Cruiser provides touches of luxury without ever becoming completely lavish. It also has impressive off-road capabilities and a high predicted reliability rating, both of which are important when you’re choosing a car for the desert.
4 – 2021 Chevy Silverado
The Chevrolet Silverado is one of the most famous trucks of all time, and it’s only getting better. The 2021 Silverado is a masterpiece of automotive engineering that’s designed for those times when only the most robust, most advanced truck will do. This vehicle is built to get the job done right every time, even when you’re driving in the desert. Rugged dependability is one of the biggest things people are looking for in pickup trucks, and this option has it in spades.
It also has all of the other things people love about trucks, like powerful trailering capabilities and a massive cargo area. It even has some things you might not expect to love about a truck, like best-in-class highway fuel economy of up to 33 miles per gallon. This hardworking pickup is even better than before, and it’s definitely making its case for why it’s the best truck for Arizona.
5 – 2021 Land Rover Defender
The 2021 Defender is a beast off of the road, which means it’s designed to stand up to conditions even more challenging than what most Phoenix drivers will encounter daily. It also has incredible style inside and out, plus lots of modern comforts.
The most significant downsides are a tiny optional third row, mediocre efficiency from the standard four-cylinder engine, and a high price tag compared to other capable SUVs like the Trailblazer that can be had on a budget. The 2021 Defender starts at $46,100.
6 – 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van
Compared to the other Mercedes vehicle on this list, the Sprinter seems like a bargain. Even so, it does start at $36,355 for the cargo van and $43,120 for the passenger van. This is a reasonable option for anyone who needs to haul a ton of cargo or people back and forth in Arizona.
If you can get by with something smaller, though, it may be better to find something that’s a little bit easier to drive and burns less gas. On the other hand, this is probably one of the top options if you need a massive size.
7 – 2021 Chevy Malibu
Driving in the desert doesn’t always mean you need a vehicle that’s capable enough for off-road adventures. Sometimes it just means you need a dependable car that can stand up to the heat and the dust while you take the paved roads around town. In that case, look no further than the 2021 Malibu. It’s a bold and sophisticated SUV that still offers Chevrolet’s famous durability and a relatively low cost of ownership, which will be nice any time you decide to schedule an extra maintenance visit before a long road trip down desert roads.
8 – 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe
The Tahoe is a favorite vehicle among those who need to assemble professional fleets. This is mainly because they offer size, performance, and unparalleled reliability in a wide variety of conditions. The new 2021 Tahoe is for you if you need a large SUV that can last a long time in the desert. It’s suitable for all drivers because of its dynamic interior, surprisingly agile handling, and beastly power. It’s no wonder the Tahoe is considered one of the most durable SUVs ever made.
Test Drive the Best Cars for Arizona Heat
Chevrolet vehicles are among the best cars for heat because they all offer the manufacturer’s renowned durability and dependability. When it comes down to it, most of the best vehicles for Arizona are also the best cars for everywhere else– the types of vehicles that are built to function reliably no matter what your life throws at it.
To test drive a rugged, long-lasting vehicle, find your nearest Arizona Chevy dealer location and stop by today!
Featured Image: Kichigin/Shutterstock
