Car options for our loooong road trip. Help!

[Brancaneve]

Hi friends! We are driving from CA to FL in June of 2011 and are debating on which car to take for this long road trip. It will be me, DH, DS6 and DD8. Please review our options and tell us what you think would be the best option, with consideration that sometimes comfort, and family happiness trumps saving a buck.

Option 1: Take our Toyota Tundra. Pro: comfort, space, and it's ours. Con: Gas guzzler, wear and tear on the car, and no trunk to stash luggage, except for a locked truck box. Note: our 2nd car is a Mini Cooper, so totally out of the question.

Option 2: Rent a Prius. Pro: We rented one on our road trip to Arizona. Gas savings paid for rental. Fairly comfortable. Con: A little tight, as far as space. Wind in the desert made car hard to control.
Otherwise, loved it and wouldn't mind buying one someday.

Option 3: Rent a van. Pro: Super comfy, lots of space, better gas mileage than the truck. Con: Rental fees will be $800+.

What would you do? Thank you to all my budget minded, smart companions on the dis! drive:

 

[lovesmurfs]

If it were me, probably none of the above. I would rent a full-size car rather than a van. The cost would be less than the Prius (and the van), and you'd have more trunk space. You can also get better deals on cars versus vans from the rental agencies.

ETA: Is flying an option? Unless you're planning side trips there and back, the amount you'd spend on hotel and meals would eat up any savings you'd have by driving.

 

[Brancaneve]

Yes, a full size car is another option. My DH suggested the same, but I forgot to add that as an option. Would I prefer to fly? Yes! But my DH has a dream of traveling cross country. And I guess.....I have to support him on this one. We are planning on stopping in Tuscon, San Antonio, New Orleans and then Orlando. All of those are places that would be fun to see.

 

[tavettava]

What about a Ford Escape? They are very comfortable and roomy. They also get 28 mpg.

 

[DisnyMama]

First, I aplaud your decision to drive from CA to FL . When I lived in the Dallas area a couple years ago me and my teenage DS made two trips where I did all the driving to WDW and we LOVED it. I grew up in a family that took only driving and touring vacations-never WDW type and I hated them. For years when I grew up I only flew and parked my behind but now I am doing the driving thing and DS loves it. Theres so much to see and do and as long as you stop and see and do it can be so much fun and create memories to last a lifetime.

As far as a car goes, if you don't want to put the mileage and wear and tear on your Tundra you might consider renting the Chevy Impala. I have rented them many, many times and taken them on long drives and they are a very comfortable car to drive and ride in plus they get 29 mpg hwy. Also, if you do choose to rent go to Mousesavers.com and get the codes from the car rental links. They will save you a great deal of money.

Have a Great Trip!

Shannon

 

[DawnM]

How much is a fill size car rental? Which option is less expensive?

Dawn

 

[LovesTimone]

I belivie that the more space that the kids have the better off you will be.
You too will want to be comfortable especially on the way back.
We rented a van one year, It was worth every penny at the end of the day.


To save on the cost of gas, food, hotels.
You could ask family for GC instead of birthday, Christmas or other gift giving celebrations.

Restaurants - just make sure that you can use all of them along the route. Cracker barrel, Golden Corral, Chili's, Applebees, Ruby Tuesdays, Olive garden, even fast food GC are good. Great stocking stuffer for the kids.

Hotel - stay on points and where they offer a free breakfast.

Gas - Gas GC - our nephew is going away to college and has been asking for these for GC, he has been saving them so that he will have so that he will be able to come with out asking for money from dear old mom and dad.

 

[adisneymama]

Honestly, I would rent the van. You will want the room, especially driving that far. It will allow space for the kids and all the luggage. You will also be able to pack a cooler with lots of drinks and also have room for snacks etc. This will also help with the budget. Look for codes etc and most vans now get great gas mileage on the interstate. $800 isn't anywhere near what plane tickets would cost, so look at it that way as well.

 

[Mom2Ben02]

I have a completely different option. I have seen ads for driving rental cars out of Florida for super cheap - some as low as $1/day. What about flying to Orlando, renting a car, and taking the scenic route back?

It appears that a lot of cars end up in Florida, so they make it cheap to take them out.

 

[Brancaneve]

Thank you for all the great opinions! I especially liked Mom2Ben02 for suggesting the flying/driving COMPROMISE, since I am a little hesitant about the long drive. Also, loved Disnymama for her positive feedback on the road trip experiences. Surely, a midsize car like the Impala might be a good option, but many of you loved the experience of a van.


KEEP IT COMING FRIENDS!

 

[Leleluvsdis]

I personally would vote for the truck. Our cars are a honda civic and a chevy diesel 2500 mega cab long bed. So yea big truck, but it is SUPER comfy. This is what we travel in and as long as it holds up will be our family car when we decide to have one. My suggestion would be to put your things either in the tool box, this is what we do, or if you have more what about a cover to go on the bed of your truck? We are considering doing this as DH parents bought a camper and we have free use of it as long as they aren't so we are taking more trips either with family or friends and our truck will be the mode of transportation. Good luck on whatever you decide, and have a great trip!!!

 

[Longsx3]

What kind of gas mileage does your truck get? My Toyota Sienna only averages 22 so it might not be worth the cost of renting a van. I miss my Volvo I could get 30mpg on the Highway.

 

[DawnM]

I think you are going to have to just sit down and run some big cost difference spreadsheets.

The cost of a rental van is $800.....does that include EVERYTHING or are there taxes and fees on top of that. How much will gas be if you do that??? Add EVERYTHING in there.

If you fly one way, sure the rental to leave FL might be better, but is the cost of a one way ticket about the same as a R/T anyway? That is often the case.

You might find, after factoring in everything, that your truck isn't such a bad idea. I have a Sequoia and get 18 mpg, I assume the Tundra is similar. What would the Van be? Maybe 22? Not that much better....so the gas might be almost the same as your truck.

Dawn

 

[apnep]

Yes, a full size car is another option. My DH suggested the same, but I forgot to add that as an option. Would I prefer to fly? Yes! But my DH has a dream of traveling cross country. And I guess.....I have to support him on this one. We are planning on stopping in Tuscon, San Antonio, New Orleans and then Orlando. All of those are places that would be fun to see.

I wouldn't rent a van, there are only 4 of you. I agree with a PP, get a midsize car.

P.S. I'd stop in Austin too!

Ang

 

[apnep]

I have a completely different option. I have seen ads for driving rental cars out of Florida for super cheap - some as low as $1/day. What about flying to Orlando, renting a car, and taking the scenic route back?

It appears that a lot of cars end up in Florida, so they make it cheap to take them out.

Oh, great idea. My SIL planned this for their family and it worked out great.

Ang

Also, I want to add, that my DH and I just drove our three kids almost 3000 miles roundtrip from the Dallas area to Florida and back. It was a 20 hour drive that I wasn't necissarily looking forward too, but once on the road, it was no big deal and we really enjoyed it. We stopped at the Mississippi river and happened to get there at sunset for a beautiful view. We did Orlanda, went to Miami, stopped at several beaches on our return trip home and just took our time. We saw so many things and the kids really enjoyed it. Enjoy your time on the road, it will be a great family experience and you all will have a chance to talk and bond even more.

Whatever you do, in whatever car you take, be safe. Good luck!

 

[cheshireqt]

Have you thought about driving the car you like and purchasing a small utility trailer? We have driven long distances with one and it is not much hassle. The one in the link costs $79. We purchased waterproof Rubbermaid style boxes that had lids we could lock in place and holes for our own lock. We drove last year to Disney from VA with one just so we would have it to haul the scooter we rented for my Grandmother around easily. The boxes fit easily in the rear of our SUV once all the other luggage was out but also would work in the room with one used as extra seating near the table in the room and the other in the closet area. We originally purchased it to drive to beach with so we could load up beach chairs and boogie boards. Anyway just one more possibility for you to consider.
http://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-aluminum-cargo-carrier-92655.html

 

[treeface]

Yes, a full size car is another option. My DH suggested the same, but I forgot to add that as an option. Would I prefer to fly? Yes! But my DH has a dream of traveling cross country. And I guess.....I have to support him on this one. We are planning on stopping in Tuscon, San Antonio, New Orleans and then Orlando. All of those are places that would be fun to see.

We did something like this this summer. My DSD graduated from high school in El Paso and we drove from northern IN. We took the scenic routes, used the interstates some, but not the whole trip. We visited 13 states (although some were just brief to drive through) and had a nice trip. Stopped off in Galveston and San Antonio, really enjoyed both cities.

We also had to consider transportation options, ended up taking our Sebring Converitble (just three of us) and it was fine. Would probably rent a car another time though, just because of wear and tear, our trip was about 5200 miles, but it was a great chance to show our son many parts of the country he hasn't seen, especially the mountains in Colorado on the way home.

 

[worm761]

I vote for taking your Tundra. We have Titan so I totally understand your gas dilemma but comfort wins out. Your family is comfy in the truck. That is what it always boils down to for us. We are driving to upstate New York from Florida next month and are taking the Titan. As much as we want a cover for the bed of the truck we just haven't bought one yet. What I did was buy waterproofing spray and waterproofed our luggage. I also pack anything that doesn't go in the luggage in a locking rubbermaid tote. (I think they are sterilite brand) The waterproofing spray is found in the camping section at Walmart. It runs about $5 a can. It works great and I haven't had a problem yet. After I spray them and they are good and dry I put towels in them and put them in the shower and really soak them to make sure that they don't leak.

 

[3boymthr]

And totally loved it.

I put DH off for years, but it was his dream and I caved and we did it. It was the best thing ever. Mass to CA and back. We drove the northern route out (I90) and the Southern route back (from Los Angeles to KY on I40 then swung north).

Would I do it again, in a heartbeat.

Can I honestly say NO vehicle is big enough when driving cross country unless you are driving a full size RV. We had a Full Size Ford Econoline Cargo van with a Seat added in the back and we were sooo pressed for space. It's just the nature of the beast, when you spend that much time in a vehicle. You would definitely HATE the Prius by the time you got there. The full size car or the Tundra are probably your best option. Plan on getting an oil change at the AAA service center when you arrive and if you drive your own truck make sure you have the brakes checked. All those miles thru the mountain passes will do a number on the brakes.

Would I do it with WDW as a destination? Hmmmm, maybe, maybe not. It depends upon how much time you have to go across and back vs how much time you want to spend at WDW. We also drove from MA to WDW and can I tell you I'd never do that again. I just felt too rushed to really enjoy the drive. We only had 10 days for that trip and it was just too much driving since the focus of the trip was to spend most of our time at WDW. By contrast, our trip to CA was 4 weeks and even then we had just enough time to see the sites and do all those miles (7,000+ with all our jigs and jogs to hit the good stuff).

If you'd like more info about our cross country adventure feel free to PM me.

 

[Brancaneve]

So far it appears that no one is pushing the Prius. Ok...we'll rule that out. With just us 4, a van would be comfortable but so would the mid size car for better gas mileage and a better price. The truck is still highly considered, but the wear and tear, etc. would be a bummer and we would probably need to replace the tires, which tacks on a lot more money. My DH did a spreadsheet, and with hotel, gas, rental fees, etc. as part of the formula, the best net cost is the mid size car. The van is very expensive and the truck is pricey with the gas.

I would still like to research buying one way tickets and driving back, but it seems cheaper to return the car back to where you rented it from. Is that entirely true??

Our itinerary is to drive from Sacramento to a little past Tuscon. Then the next morning head to San Antonio, then New Orleans and then Orlando. This would take 4 days. Then relax in Orlando with our DVC points, then take a 4 day DCL, then return to WDW to hit the parks for another 4 or 5 days and then return back home. The drive home is what I am most worried about!!!