Gravity Road Trip: If you had to pick just ONE legendary route.

[bob the builder]

Hey guys,
Now that the Gravity is officially "World Luxury Car of the Year," I’ve been spending way too much time in the configurator daydreaming about where I’d actually take this thing first (I'm currently stuck between Lunar Titanium and going with the full Stealth look).
If you had to choose one "bucket list" road trip to really put the range and that massive glass roof to the test, which one are you picking?
I’m torn between these four:
The Pacific Coast Highway: Classic Big Sur views. Imagine the DreamDrive on those coastal curves.
Blue Ridge Parkway: 400+ miles of no stoplights. Seems like the perfect "Zen" drive for the Sanctuary interior.
Historic Route 66: The ultimate test. I'd love to see how it handles the "Mother Road" and if people at the old diners think it's a spaceship or a minivan lol.
The Overseas Highway: Crossing those 42 bridges into the Keys with that glass roof would be unreal at sunset.
Where’s the first place you’re heading? Or if you already have your GT, what’s the most iconic spot you've taken it so far?

 

[Coyote]

Good choices. For me, it would likely be a loop through most of the mountainous areas of Colorado. I love the curves involved, and being able to look up through the glass roof at the mountain peaks.

 

[Need4Sleep]

I'd say it'd be pretty hard to pick on one legendary route because it'll depend a lot on what's within reasonable reach. At the very least, I can provide some resources I like to use when scouting out driving roads:

Road Curvature - a map highlighting twisty roads and what kind of roads they are

Go Sunday Drive - If you ever find yourself in British Columbia or Ontario, this is a great resource of member-generated driving routes

Drive Rods - If you want to make the drive a bit more interesting, this app turns your navigation into a co-driver that will read out your upcoming turns like in rally

 

[037]

I’m gonna go on record and say the medium and small wheels are not amazing at braking so I wouldn’t recommend going too crazy outside the large wheel and summer tire setup.

My personal experience with a medium wheel loaner was bad enough not to ever trust it again and I am happy no police cruiser was t-boned that day by a 6000lb missile that couldn’t stop rapidly from speed limit speeds on a city road.

 

[Hammerthyme]

I have the Gravity GT with the 21"/22" Michellin tires. Never noticed a problem with stopping, but I rarely use the actual friction brake. Most of the time I stop with only the regenerative braking. Might have been an issue with your loaner?

Staying on topic... I'd pick the Blue Ridge Parkway in springtime, because it's closer. The drive out to Key West would be pretty awesome, too.

 

[borski]

I’m gonna go on record and say the medium and small wheels are not amazing at braking so I wouldn’t recommend going too crazy outside the large wheel and summer tire setup.

My personal experience with a medium wheel loaner was bad enough not to ever trust it again and I am happy no police cruiser was t-boned that day by a 6000lb missile that couldn’t stop rapidly from speed limit speeds on a city road.

Our medium wheels brake perfectly fine. Those brakes are massive. I would not hesitate to drive aggressively on the medium wheels, though the larger ones are definitely stickier.

Moving forward, let’s keep it on topic.

 

[037]

Our medium wheels brake perfectly fine. Those brakes are massive. I would not hesitate to drive aggressively on the medium wheels, though the larger ones are definitely stickier.

Moving forward, let’s keep it on topic.

Massive brakes and efficiency tires don’t play well together, I felt like I was sliding on mud. But yes, you guys can go back to topic, hope you never need emergency braking or hard braking on wet roads.

 

[borski]

Massive brakes and efficiency tires don’t play well together, I felt like I was sliding on mud. But yes, you guys can go back to topic, hope you never need emergency braking or hard braking on wet roads.

…or, perhaps, something was wrong with your loaner. I have tested it on heavy snow and in mid, with plenty of hard braking. It handled fine.

Anyway, moving on.

 

[037]

…or, perhaps, something was wrong with your loaner. I have tested it on heavy snow and in mid, with plenty of hard braking. It handled fine.

Anyway, moving on.

The only truth that counts is yours, I keep forgetting.

I am sad you don’t know the difference between poor braking and good braking.

I went out and got some hard data to take the guessing out.

I guess compared to a Caddy IQ your stock tires are doing excellent.

 

[borski]

The only truth that counts is yours, I keep forgetting.

I am sad you don’t know the difference between poor braking and good braking.

I went out and got some hard data to take the guessing out.

I guess compared to a Caddy IQ your stock tires are doing excellent.

Please start a new thread if you’d like to discuss this. I said there may have been something wrong with your loaner; I never said “the only truth that counts is [mine],” so please do not put words in my mouth.

There is absolutely no need for that kind of personal attack.

 

[037]

Please start a new thread if you’d like to discuss this. I said there may have been something wrong with your loaner; I never said “the only truth that counts is [mine],” so please do not put words in my mouth.

There is absolutely no need for that kind of personal attack.

I was on topic to make sure a Gravity doesn’t end up in a ditch. The way you talk makes your words final, just keep that in mind, my opinion.

 

[TahoeMichael]

A drive I've always wanted to do is up the California coast, all the way into Canada, then into Alaska.

 

[borski]

I was on topic to make sure a Gravity doesn’t end up in a ditch.

The topic was which bucket list routes to drive for fun. This has absolutely nothing to do with your opinion on the tires or braking of the Gravity, even tangentially. Please stay on topic. There are plenty of threads to discuss your opinions about tires and braking, as you know, as you have done that plenty.

The way you talk makes your words final, just keep that in mind, my opinion.

I am rarely certain of anything other than I am regularly learning.

This will be the last off-topic post in this thread. Further ones will be deleted.

 

[TahoeMichael]

Don''t think it counts as legendary because it's not well known, but Wentworth Springs Road, from Georgetown in California, East into the mountains.

 

[borski]

Two of my favorite routes are Hwy 17 here in CA (though I way prefer it in the Air than the Gravity; something about the tight lanes still makes me cautious) and Skyline Dr

 

[Need4Sleep]

Don''t think it counts as legendary because it's not well known, but Wentworth Springs Road, from Georgetown in California, East into the mountains.

If it's a good driving route then we can call it a legendary route.
You also had me at mountains

 

[RandomDesign]

Interesting question as we're actually planning a few of these right now. Our next big trip will likely be from San Diego to Seattle in the late summer/early fall and then San Diego to New Orleans sometime after that. We had hoped to do one of these in the spring and the other in the fall but other things got in the way, definitely doing one of them in the fall though.

The northbound trip will definitely include places like Big Sur with a few Jack Kerouac-centric stops in there.

 

[DeaneG]

Interesting question as we're actually planning a few of these right now. Our next big trip will likely be from San Diego to Seattle in the late summer/early fall ...
The northbound trip will definitely include places like Big Sur with a few Jack Kerouac-centric stops in there.

In Bodega Bay, dinner at Terrapin Creek
In Mendocino, dinner at Trillium Cafe & Lodge
Trinidad, CA is pleasant too

 

[RandomDesign]

In Bodega Bay, dinner at Terrapin Creek
In Mendocino, dinner at Trillium Cafe & Lodge
Trinidad, CA is pleasant too

Thanks! Adding to my planning document.

 

[hwy17er]

Interesting question as we're actually planning a few of these right now. Our next big trip will likely be from San Diego to Seattle in the late summer/early fall and then San Diego to New Orleans sometime after that. We had hoped to do one of these in the spring and the other in the fall but other things got in the way, definitely doing one of them in the fall though.

The northbound trip will definitely include places like Big Sur with a few Jack Kerouac-centric stops in there.

Note sure if you're planning to be taking hwy 1 from Morro Bay up to Big Sur or heading up 101 and heading there through Monterey, but I highly recommend you just stay on hwy 1 up around the Monterey Bay and on up at least up to hwy 92 and skip the Silicon Valley as the coast between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay still looks like it did in 1860 with beautiful ocean views and unspoiled beaches galore and is way less windy than the Big Sur coastline.
A nice short detour about half way up that stretch for a special treat is to venture a mile or so off hwy 1 on Pescadero Rd to the little town of Pescadero where you'll discover an old tavern called "Duarte's" that serves a Cream of Green Chili and a Cream of Artichoke soup that are to die for. Locals order both soups swirled into a single bowl for extra yummy fun.
Once you get to Half Moon Bay, hwy 92 heads inland 11mi to the 280 where you can head north through SF across the Golden Gate Bridge on your way through NorCal proper.

Oh, and remember, in the northern half of our state fall is our real summer weather (summer can be foggy)
Enjoy!