Top 10 cars for tailgating

Cars.com has announced their editors’ list of the top cars for the 2012 tailgating season.

“Tailgating is a time-honored tradition that has always revolved around one central item—the perfect car,’’ said Patrick Olsen, editor of Cars.com. “We’ve compiled a list of the best all-around cars for pre-game festivities in the stadium parking lot.’’

Check out which cars made the list. – Cars.com

2012 Honda Odyssey

The ultimate tailgating machine. Packed full of fan-friendly features, the Odyssey can carry up to eight fans with enough room behind them to pack a small grill. Or, it can carry five fans, collapse the third row and have 93.1 cubic feet for even more storage. The higher trim levels even offer technology features like Honda’s 16.2-inch split screen entertainment system.

2013 Dodge Caravan

The Grand Caravan boasts 33 cubic feet of space behind the third row and 83.0 cubic feet behind the second. Its standard Stow ‘n Go seats create large under-floor compartments in front of the second row that can stow drinks, food and gear. The third-row seat flips back for a rear-facing tailgate seat.

2012 Toyota Sienna

While the Sienna lacks the Grand Caravan’s tailgate seat, it offers a 16.4-inch dual-view screen, much like the Odyssey that also can play two side-by-side screens (though without the HDMI input). The cargo area has an optional household outlet, as well as 39.1 cubic feet of room — the best if you plan to carry people in all three rows.

2012 GMC Acadia

Behind the third row is 24.1 cubic feet of cargo room, and the Acadia offers cargo-area stereo controls so you don’t have to go up front to skip tracks on your “Hail to the SEC’’ mix. A rear entertainment screen is optional, and small storage well below the cargo floor lets you hide your valuables.

2012 Honda Ridgeline

The Ridgeline’s ace in the hole is a standard 8.5-cubic-foot trunk under the pickup bed. With durable siding and a drain plug that empties below the truck, the Ridgeline becomes a 255-quart cooler on wheels. You’d need two large rolling coolers to match that capacity. Inside the crew cab, the second-row seats flip up to enable taller storage for a grill.

2012 Nissan Xterra

The Xterra has modest cargo space — 36.3 cubic feet behind the second row — but the available Easy Clean cargo area covers the cargo floor and second-row seatbacks with a hard coating that’s quick to wipe down. Leave the tarp at home; you won’t have to scrub out stains after this.

2012 Toyota 4Runner

An optional sliding cargo deck in the five-passenger 4Runner extends up to 440 pounds of food and beverages within easy reach of tailgaters. Leave the folding table at home; this has one built in. Be aware, though: You have to choose between a third row and the cargo deck; you can’t have both.

2012 Ram 1500

The Ram first offered the RamBox for 2009, and since then the storage compartment has increased in availability. Locking compartments sit above the pickup’s rear fenders, with drain plugs similar to the Ridgeline’s in-bed trunk. In fact, Ram says that a Ram with the 6-foot-4-inch bed can fit up to 280 cans in its RamBox.

2012 Honda Fit

Not every tailgating vehicle needs to be a giant. The Fit is among the most space-efficient cars on the market, so go ahead and pull in next to the big guys. With 20.6 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats plus a flip-up second row for taller storage, it can handle a lot more than its exterior suggests.

2012 Subaru Outback

The Outback has 34.3 cubic feet behind the second row, plus some under-floor storage — nothing to get too excited about — but its trump card is a standard washable cargo tray. That beats even a washable floor: make a real mess back there and you can take the tray out altogether to hose it off.