The Lexus ES 350 is our top pick for this trip, and we'll walk through exactly why in the first section. The short version goes like this. The run from Panama City out to St. Andrews State Park, your jump-off point for the Shell Island shuttle, is short on miles and long on full Florida sun, and you'll want a vehicle that cruises US-98 quietly and pulls its cold air back fast when you climb in after four hours on the beach. A used Lexus ES 350 does both better than anything else on this list. The other four picks each solve a specific problem the ES 350 can't.
How These Five Stack Up for the Shell Island Run
| Rank | Pick | Best For | Standout Spec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexus ES 350 (2021-2022) | Solo or couple, highway comfort | EPA 32 mpg highway, 302 hp V6 |
| 2 | Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 (2023) | Compact luxury with real cargo room | EPA 25/32 mpg city/hwy, 59.3 cu-ft max cargo |
| 3 | Lincoln Aviator (2022-2023) | Families needing three rows | 3.0L twin-turbo V6, 3-row seating |
| 4 | Lincoln Nautilus (2021-2022) | Right-sized 2-row, available tow pkg | 250 hp turbo-4, up to 3,500-lb tow (with pkg) |
| 5 | Buick Enclave (2020-2021) | Quiet 3-row at the best used value | Up to 5,000-lb tow capacity |
Pick 1: Lexus ES 350 (2021-2022) - Highway Comfort Wins the Day
The EPA rates the 2021 and 2022 Lexus ES 350 at 32 miles per gallon on the highway, and with your total driving running maybe 25 miles each way, that number matters less for cost than for feel, since a sedan this refined rewards you the moment traffic opens up. A car rated for 32 mpg highway in this segment isn't built for strained effort, just smooth, relaxed cruising. The 3.5-liter V6 produces 302 horsepower, and the eight-speed automatic basically vanishes into the background. US-98 becomes pleasant.
Be honest with yourself about the trunk. The ES 350 carries 13.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats, solid for a luxury sedan and tight once you add a hard-sided cooler, two bags, and a pair of snorkel fins. Two adults traveling light will be fine. Four people with real luggage will be rearranging things at the parking lot. The rear seat also doesn't fold flat, though there's a ski pass-through for longer items. Buy this one if ride comfort and highway efficiency matter more than cubic footage. Skip it if you're leading a family expedition to Shell Island.
Pick 2: Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 (2023) - the Cargo Surprise
The 2023 GLC 300 is a substantially different vehicle from the 2022, because Mercedes redesigned it for that model year and added a mild-hybrid system that brought EPA-estimated fuel economy up to 25 city and 32 highway miles per gallon, a real improvement over the outgoing generation's 22 city/27 highway. Maximum cargo volume with the rear seats folded reaches 59.3 cubic feet. A used Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 from 2023 is the compact luxury SUV that won't make you choose between a refined interior and room for the beach gear.
So what's the catch with the 2023? The interior. The 2023 GLC swapped most physical controls for touch-sensitive panels. Fine when you're focused. Reaching for the A/C with sandy hands on the way home is a different story, and some people flat-out dislike it. If tactile controls matter to you, the 2022 model year keeps a more traditional layout, though you trade away the cargo and fuel economy gains of the redesign.
Pick 3: Lincoln Aviator (2022-2023) - the Three-Row Answer
When the Shell Island crew is a family with kids and real cargo, the used Lincoln Aviator earns its spot, giving you three rows and a quiet highway ride while the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 in the standard non-PHEV trim keeps that ride effortless. Fuel economy runs around 20 mpg combined. That's the honest tradeoff for three-row space and Lincoln refinement.
We always flag one thing when someone looks at early Aviators. NHTSA issued multiple recall campaigns targeting the 2020-2022 Aviator PHEV specifically, including documented defects in the high-voltage battery pack, NHTSA campaigns 23V626 and 25S58, and separate rearview camera issues across the 2020-2023 range. The standard 3.0L gas-only models are a cleaner story overall (the later cars are the cleaner used buy). We point buyers toward 2022 or 2023 model years and the non-PHEV trim, and that's where we'd start any early-Aviator search. The early 2020-2021 production run was still sorting through first-year issues that the later models largely resolved.
Aviator vs. Nautilus: a Straightforward Pros and Cons View
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Aviator: three-row seating for up to seven passengers | Aviator: larger footprint, around 20 mpg combined |
| Aviator: twin-turbo V6 is genuinely effortless on the highway | Aviator: PHEV variants carry documented recall history; steer to gas-only 2022-2023 |
| Nautilus: easier to park, right-sized for couples and small families | Nautilus: two rows only, no option for a third seat |
| Nautilus: 250 hp turbocharged four-cylinder, tow package available (up to 3,500 lbs) | Nautilus: premium fuel recommended |
| Both: quiet, refined cabins built for Gulf Coast highway driving | Both: high-tech interiors have a learning curve on upper trims |
Pick 4: Lincoln Nautilus (2021-2022) - Two Rows Done Right
The Lincoln Nautilus is the answer when two rows are exactly what you need and you'll want Lincoln quiet without the Aviator's larger footprint, because not every Shell Island trip is a full family production. The 250 hp turbocharged four-cylinder handles US-98 comfortably, and with the available towing package the Nautilus is rated to haul up to 3,500 pounds, real utility if you own a small boat and want to launch from the state park instead of booking a shuttle. Upper trims bring heated and cooled front seats, a generous panoramic display, and the kind of cabin refinement that makes the drive home feel short. Even when it isn't.
Pick 5: Buick Enclave (2020-2021) - the Quiet Three-Row You're Overlooking
The Buick Enclave doesn't command the same badge recognition as the Lincoln or the Mercedes, and for a used buyer that's a feature rather than a flaw, since you get a quiet three-row cabin with Buick's QuietTuning treatment doing real work on Gulf Coast highway noise. You'll get three rows of usable adult space. The Enclave is also rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds, and that figure opens up boat-and-trailer options for Bay County families who want one vehicle for the Shell Island day trip and the boat ramp on the same weekend. One vehicle, both jobs.
The tradeoff comes down to the badge. If the nameplate matters to you, this isn't your vehicle. For three-row quiet comfort and the best used-dollar value of anything on this list, a used Buick Enclave is hard to argue against. We keep plenty of three-row crossovers on the lot, and the Enclave has a way of surprising buyers who walked in looking for something else.
The Bottom Line: Start with the Lexus ES 350
For the Panama City to Shell Island run, the Lexus ES 350 is the clearest answer for anyone without a cargo problem. The EPA's 32 mpg highway rating pairs with 302 horsepower and a cabin quiet enough to appreciate on the way home from a long beach day. The trunk is the real constraint, so pack accordingly. If the family is coming and space is the priority, step up to the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 or a gas-only 2022-2023 Lincoln Aviator. For three rows at the best used value, give the Buick Enclave a serious look. Come find us at Bay Cars, 615 W. 15th St in Panama City, and we'll help you sort through what's on the lot right now and match it to the trip you're actually planning.
By the Bay Cars Team | September 2026