Summer 2023 travel trends

by Turo

posted on May 24, 2023

Search results data reveals evolving tastes

Summer travel is heating up as travelers pack their bags and hit the road. Turo guests have already booked summer trips in over 2,700 different cities and towns,* signaling that road trips continue to be a top summer activity this year.

As the cost of airfare continues to rise to new highs, experts suggest driving instead of flying to your summer destination. To check in on how Turo guests are approaching car travel this summer, we combed through Turo search results data from the first few months of the year, and examined what early planners are looking at for their upcoming trips this summer. The numbers indicate a sharp uptick in family trips and visits to traditionally more seasonal markets, but they also reveal considerable interest in buzzed-about new models, most of which travelers can only book here on Turo.

Trending summer destinations and cars**

Top trending US summer destinations

The list of the 10 US cities with the largest increase in searches in the first quarter of the year is, unsurprisingly, topped by New York, where the Turo marketplace launched just last year.

1. New York City, NY
2. Boston, MA
3. Long Beach, CA
4. Santa Ana, CA
5. Morrisville, NC
6. Eglin Air Force, FL
7. Arlington, VA
8. Kansas City, MO
9. Juneau, AK
10. Panama City, FL

Top trending non-US summer destinations

The 10 cities outside the US with the largest increase in searches in the first quarter of the year include a number of northern cities where the summer months are far more welcoming than in the winter.

1. Montreal, Canada
2. Charlottetown, Canada
3. Halifax, Canada 
4. Edinburgh, United Kingdom
5. London, United Kingdom
6. Mississauga, Canada
7. Calgary, Canada
8. Quebec City, Canada
9. Vancouver, Canada
10. Richmond, Canada

Top trending summer rides

These are the 10 models with the largest increase in searches in the first quarter of the year. Here you’ll see some of the most exciting new or recently refreshed models, as well as large family vehicles fit for road tripping.

1. Lucid Air
2. Mercedes-AMG G63
3. Rivian R1T
4. BMW X7
5. GMC Yukon
6. BMW 7 Series
7. Toyota Sienna
8. Jeep Wagoneer
9. Cadillac Escalade 
10. Ford Bronco

Travelers are buzzing about electric vehicles

Unsurprisingly, interest in electric vehicles hit a record high last year, and Turo expects that interest to continue to grow — there’s already a 139% increase in the use of the “electric” filter for 2023 summer trips. Last year, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, and Florida saw the strongest number of electric vehicle bookings as guests sought to reduce their carbon footprint while traveling in these popular destinations.

Whether travelers are starting to overcome “range anxiety” or are enticed by the ballooning variety of new electric models, the numbers say they’re increasingly comfortable jumping into an EV. As carmakers continue to struggle to meet the increased demand for and interest in EVs, travelers are flocking to Turo to get behind the wheel of some of today’s buzziest models. The Lucid Air, Rivian R1T and R1S, Hyundai IONIQ 5, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and of course Teslas are trending as this summer’s most searched-for electric models.

Luxury’s warm embrace

For these warm summer months, travelers are willing to splurge on more luxurious and exclusive rides. Guests are using the “Deluxe” and “Super Deluxe” filters, which highlight models valued $55,000 or higher, 21% more for trips this summer compared to the first five months of 2023.

Of the desirable “Super Deluxe” models guests are looking at the most this summer, the opulent Rolls-Royce Ghost captures the most attention, followed by the BMW 7 Series, Cadillac Escalade, Ford Bronco, and Chevy Corvette. BMW and Mercedes-Benz have historically been popular brands on Turo, and this summer is no different. With BMW’s recent redesigns and Mercedes’ launch of their electric EQ line, guests are gravitating towards these two iconic luxury brands for a memorable summer road trip.

Family travel is on the rise

School’s out and the whole family is ready to hit the road. Use of the “family friendly” category filter, which combines SUVs, crossovers, and minivans, has increased 162% this summer — travelers are booking bigger cars to fit the whole family. Summer searches for minivans and SUVs are up 33%, and searches with the “child seat” feature selected have grown over 88% compared to trips booked over the first five months of 2023.

Convenience continues to be a top priority for summer travelers — 38% of trips booked in 2022 included delivery to guests, and Turo expects that number to rise. The list of Extras, an optional perk that hosts can offer for added convenience, is also expanding to include goodies like national park passes, fully equipped coolers, surfboards, camping tents, fishing rods, and more.

Forward-looking statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements including, among other things, statements regarding trending summer destinations and cars on Turo, electric vehicle demand, luxury vehicle demand, car delivery demand and the expansion of the Extras feature on Turo. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “looking ahead,” “look to,” “may,” “move into,” “plan,” “project,” “seek,” “target,” “will,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, including, among other things, market risks, trends, and conditions, changes in adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles, changes in the luxury vehicle market, and changes in laws and regulations in cities where Turo is available. These risks are not exhaustive. If any of the risks materialize or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements relate only to events as of the date of this press release. Turo undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information, actual results, revised expectations, or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

*Cities and towns with booked trips beginning between June 1 to August 31, 2023, as of April 26, 2023.

**Unless specified otherwise, data in this document is from January 1 to March 31, 2023 globally (compared with the same period in 2022). “Summer” is defined as trips occurring between June 1 and September 1.

Previous post: Look at this car: McLaren GT

Next post: May car of the month: Rivian R1S