Tired of wearing out your shoes walking along the highway in search of candy bars and a good book? All those vehicles are pretty much there for the taking. Instead of scrounging through them in search of goodies, why not just get behind the wheel of that Honda Accord and give your tired toes a rest? You could even sleep in the thing if you’re looking for a respite from climbing a tree at night and tying yourself to the largest branch. Daryl and Beth were able to climb into the trunk of a ruined vehicle to avoid a zombie attack in The Walking Dead. Something to keep in mind. While you look over the available selection of vehicles, consider a few things: practical use, protection, and all terrain capability.
That limousine hits the mark for a car that doubles as a house. It has ample sleeping compartments, a mini bar, and tinted windows for hiding. With its size, it is similar to driving a tank. Good for ramming through fences and plate glass windows without a lot of danger to the driver. If you don’t have friends with you, the ample seating space will accommodate all kinds of gear, from samurai swords to cartons of food and water bottles. You could even use it as a rolling market, bartering your wares with small groups for ammo and fresh produce. Not a bad choice for the entrepreneur or hoarder, but not that practical if you want a quick get away car or something with all terrain capability.
How about a police car? No longer the vehicle you don’t want to see on the highway, it has several features which are very useful during a zombie apocalypse. Police cars are very rugged, they can hold their own careening through fields and on dirt roads. Also exceptional for quick getaways and high speed chases. If you happen to be in a mountain town, available police cars will likely be adapted from mid size Suv’s like a Jeep Cherokee or A Ford Bronco. Other municipalities in mountain areas could provide you with a really nice all wheel drive sedan, like a Subaru Outback or Toyota Camry. Police vehicles tend to be well maintained by department motor pools, they are very reliable, as well as an excellent choice for spare parts.
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Police vehicles are often outfitted with emergency medical equipment. Count on finding a first aid kit, flares, and even a portable defibrillator, if you happen to need one. Some police vehicles are equipped with lockers or locking racks which store firearms. These are not the handguns a police officer carries, but tactical weapons like shotguns and patrol rifles. A taser is an awesome choice for immobilizing zombies, along with police batons if you’re fortunate enough to find them in the car.
Limousines and police cars are not terribly common, though, and you’re a lot more likely to find a variety of mid size sedans abandoned on the roads as well as in cities and towns. Subaru, Honda and Toyota are always good choices. Subaru themselves declared their Impreza WRX hatchback the official car of the zombie apocalypse. These imported sedans are great vehicles for economic gas use, all terrain, and all wheel drive, and strong mechanical integrity. Go barreling over too many ditches however, and you will most certainly break the suspension. They are great cars, but they’re not tanks.
Speaking of the military, don’t count on finding an abandoned military transport truck (unlike in the movies.) I guarantee you our women in fatigues and their brothers in arms will survive the zombie apocalypse and keep their bases secure as well as maintain possession of all their vehicles. These folks are trained and prepared for a zombie plague, and they will not fail. Our military members are the ultimate survivalists, your not going to find an abandoned military vehicle unless it is completely unusable. As in, blown to pieces and burned down to the tires.
For the ultimate in practical transportation, a dirt bike or motorcycle is tops for gas usage and mobility. In bad weather, a snowmobile is as effective. You can’t carry any friends on them, or any gear, but they will get you in and out of a town overrun with a hoard of zombies in a way that a sedan won’t. You can zip through alleys and yards, avoiding the undead quickly on a motorcycle. In deep snow, a snowmobile is the ultimate escape machine.
Hopefully, you have a friend who is an auto technician to help you out in performing any needed auto repair if you plan on keeping a specific car for a while. If not, be prepared to abandon your vehicle when it breaks down or runs out of gas, and you don’t have a spare supply of petroleum or any clue as to what to do about that tire that just blew out. With so many cars around, it might be easier to just abandon one as it breaks down anyway, and steal a different vehicle.