Six cars for surfers and keen beach goers

In typical laid-back surfer style, making the best of any situation – including (and especially) the transportation of the their surfboard – is something they’re accustomed to.

While you could try and build your own campervan equipped to carry and store your surf gear, sometimes it’s best to buy something that is designed with that in mind. And roof racks...

So, when it’s time to choose your next surfboard transporter, why not check out some of our top picks to do it the right way.

The Seltos is by no means the biggest car out there – heck, it’s a compact-SUV. But it oozes style and quirk, has the option of a punchy 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine (in top-spec Sport Plus only), an Aussie suspension tune and plenty of cool features – not to mention practicality.

There’s also a range of genuine accessories for the new SUV, including roof racks ($443) and a surfboard carrier ($281) among others – so getting to beach is no problemo.

Find your next Kia Seltos here on carsales.

Toyota’s new RAV4 is for the environmentally friendly surfer. Sipping just 4.8L/100km (claimed combined) the mid-sized SUV gets its power from a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol hybrid. It’s also well-equipped to tow a caravan, if the Grey Nomads have you inspired to take that surf trip around Oz.

Find your next Toyota RAV4 here on carsales.

Priced from $22,490 (4X2 GLX Single Cab manual petrol) and maxing out at $52,790 (4X4 GLS Premium auto diesel), there’s a Triton for every budget. We know utes make great beach goers and we know how popular dual-cab utes are with the rest of Australia – so the Triton was a no-brainer for our list.

Find your next Mitsubishi Triton here on carsales.

The wagon sibling of last year’s carsales Car of the Year is an obvious pick for beach-bums craving the luxury of German machinery. And it’ll get you to those sick swells quicker (5.9 seconds to 100km/h) than any others on this list with its 190kW/400Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol. Gnarly dude.

Find your next BMW 330i Touring here on carsales.

A quick look around the carpark of any beach will usually reveal two things: salt-water ravaged paintwork and Subaru cars. And, if there’s one model to pick, we reckon it’s the  Outback. Sure, you could get the smaller XV or larger Forester, but the Outback (priced from $37,440 before on-roads) is perfectly sized somewhere in between – big enough for mates and boards and small enough to be the perfect daily.

Find your next Subaru Outback here on carsales.

The HiAce (aka one of the most common campervans/surf mobiles ever) is great if you need a larger vehicle for other purposes. But, if you’re looking for something for passengers and surfboards, check out the Volkswagen Caddy. With seating options for 2, 5 and 7 people and priced from $34,540 plus on-road costs, it’s packed with heaps of safety and tech. And if you really want a Hiace so it’s big enough to sleep in, VW has thought of that too – check out the Caddy Beach for inspo.

Find your next Volkswagen Caddy here on carsales.

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