For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only! (II)

[dvczerfs]

Can anyone recommend what gas calculator site is most reliable? I tried AAA & GasBuddy and they're WAY different. AAA is telling me $900 and GasBuddy is saying $435.

I know that neither will be right on, but that's a huge variable.

your best bet would be figure how many miles you have to go and what the gas mileage you get on the highway. im guessing, pending were in nj you are, 1100 to 1300 mile drive each way. the reason why those things dont work is, i can drive your car and you can drive your car, over 2600 mile round trip, you can get a big diff. in gas mileage. i, drive like mario andretti, you may be a more "defensive' driver.figure $4 per gallon,for now. i live near the pa nj border. near phillipsburg nj,i78. my van gets about 18mpg. i use 100 gal. of gas total round trip.

 

[MinnieTink]

Hi! Best of luck to all of you on your pending trips!

I don't have a recommended gas calculator but I can tell you our experience recently. We drove from NNJ (1100 miles) in our 2010 Honda Odyssey on April 7 and back on April 14. On the way down we made it to the Disney Hess (rolling in on empty) and we spent $163 on the drive down, plus another couplebucks for driving around down there. So approx $200, I guess you could say, for the one way. The gas prices ranged from $3.59 to $3.79.


For the total trip it was about $400,or just under. (Our neighbors flew, same dates, 2 adults/3kids -same as us- for $1700! So a BIG difference)

Again best wishes for safe and FUN trips everyone!!!

 

[sharadoc]

Can anyone recommend what gas calculator site is most reliable? I tried AAA & GasBuddy and they're WAY different. AAA is telling me $900 and GasBuddy is saying $435.

I know that neither will be right on, but that's a huge variable.

I never used AAA's version, so I decided to do a comparison based on your post.

Gas Buddy told me $324.25 with around $32 in savings by using their recommended fill-ups.

AAA told me $380. Major complication is that I can only pick major cities, so I had to do Philadelphia to Orlando. Then I could only pick one version of a Dodge Caravan. GasBuddy had 4 different choices, so it had my actual size tank and average mileage.

You must have clicked on something different from your actual vehicle or origination city. Try it again, there shouldn't be that much of a variation. Or did you not click round trip on GasBuddy? That would explain it.

 

[dvczerfs]

I never used AAA's version, so I decided to do a comparison based on your post.

Gas Buddy told me $324.25 with around $32 in savings by using their recommended fill-ups.

AAA told me $380. Major complication is that I can only pick major cities, so I had to do Philadelphia to Orlando. Then I could only pick one version of a Dodge Caravan. GasBuddy had 4 different choices, so it had my actual size tank and average mileage.

You must have clicked on something different from your actual vehicle or origination city. Try it again, there shouldn't be that much of a variation. Or did you not click round trip on GasBuddy? That would explain it.

what, no crack on my driving????

 

[pamkev]

Why would you fly out of BWI when you are so close to MDT? That would be my airport of choice -- a whole lot less hassles.

Also, the little airport in Hagerstown, MD, starts flights June 23 several times a week to Lakeland, FL. for $99.00. Airline is DirectAir.

Sometimes a whole lot cheaper than although I have go out of there. I also don't like the times Air Tran return from Disney its only one flight and leaves MCO at 8 am the trip down is fine its the coming back

 

[donnaf516]

I never used AAA's version, so I decided to do a comparison based on your post.

Gas Buddy told me $324.25 with around $32 in savings by using their recommended fill-ups.

AAA told me $380. Major complication is that I can only pick major cities, so I had to do Philadelphia to Orlando. Then I could only pick one version of a Dodge Caravan. GasBuddy had 4 different choices, so it had my actual size tank and average mileage.

You must have clicked on something different from your actual vehicle or origination city. Try it again, there shouldn't be that much of a variation. Or did you not click round trip on GasBuddy? That would explain it.

I can't believe the 2 are sooo off. I went back to gasbuddy to run it again and confirm that I had it marked for round trip and it was. I even changed it to one way and it recalculated and came up with $217.

Here's my rough estimate - hope I'm doing this right. I'm rounding up to be safe.

4.00 per gallon/14=.29 per mile
.29*1100 miles = $319 each way

 

[dvczerfs]

I can't believe the 2 are sooo off. I went back to gasbuddy to run it again and confirm that I had it marked for round trip and it was. I even changed it to one way and it recalculated and came up with $217.

Here's my rough estimate - hope I'm doing this right. I'm rounding up to be safe.

4.00 per gallon/14=.29 per mile
.29*1100 miles = $319 each way

how many miles to the gallon does your car get on the highway?

 

[donnaf516]

The sad truth...probably 17-18

 

[sharadoc]

what, no crack on my driving????

Sometimes the humor comes from the silence grasshopper.

Although Mike would say I drive like Danica Patrick (just trying to use a woman's name!). Your philosophy of keeping up with traffic is mine too. So what if everybody's doing 85?? That's why I can't say anything to you.

I have to consciously keep my eyes off the GPS when Mike is driving. Speed limit is 70, why are you driving only 72??

 

[dvczerfs]

The sad truth...probably 17-18

our town and country gets 18 mpg, i drive 1086 miles one way, i burn 100 gallons of gas total. if your budgeting your gas, figure 100 gallons at 4 bucks a gallon. thats how i can tell what im going to spend on gas, i use 100 gallons of gas round trip. gas is 2.85 like it was in december, its $285. now were pushing $400.00

 

[dvczerfs]

Sometimes the humor comes from the silence grasshopper.

Although Mike would say I drive like Danica Patrick (just trying to use a woman's name!). Your philosophy of keeping up with traffic is mine too. So what if everybody's doing 85?? That's why I can't say anything to you.

I have to consciously keep my eyes off the GPS when Mike is driving. Speed limit is 70, why are you driving only 72??

i see. those big blue signs say 95 on them??? i use those in stead of the square white ones.

 

[sharadoc]

I can't believe the 2 are sooo off. I went back to gasbuddy to run it again and confirm that I had it marked for round trip and it was. I even changed it to one way and it recalculated and came up with $217.

Here's my rough estimate - hope I'm doing this right. I'm rounding up to be safe.

4.00 per gallon/14=.29 per mile
.29*1100 miles = $319 each way

I think you're doing it right, but 14 mpg is kind of low for a highway. Do you have a big SUV or Hummer? Or an older vehicle? My van is a 2005 and gets around 25-28 on the highway when we drive it to WDW. Unless you drive mostly highway at home, you can't use your regular fuel consumption to estimate a long driving trip. I drive around 350 miles a week on a full tank of gas, which is 20 gallons, so I only get around 17 or 18 mpg at home. Highway driving is SO much different.

So anyway using your formula, we pay around 15 cents per mile, at 1025 miles RT, a little over $150 each way which matches up with GasBuddy's $325 RT.

At today's plane ticket prices, even if you pay $500 - $600 for gas RT, you're still coming out ahead!

 

[donnaf516]

I think you're doing it right, but 14 mpg is kind of low for a highway. Do you have a big SUV or Hummer? Or an older vehicle? My van is a 2005 and gets around 25-28 on the highway when we drive it to WDW. Unless you drive mostly highway at home, you can't use your regular fuel consumption to estimate a long driving trip. I drive around 350 miles a week on a full tank of gas, which is 20 gallons, so I only get around 17 or 18 mpg at home. Highway driving is SO much different.

So anyway using your formula, we pay around 15 cents per mile, at 1025 miles RT, a little over $150 each way which matches up with GasBuddy's $325 RT.

At today's plane ticket prices, even if you pay $500 - $600 for gas RT, you're still coming out ahead!

We drive a 2007 Dodge Durango...aka gas guzzler! I'm hoping it's closer to @ 17mpg but using 14 just to be on the safe side.

Thanks for all the advice! With a family of 4 it's still much cheaper to drive.

 

[pmdeve]

There are 6 of us driving down so it will still be cheaper than air.

 

[nytimez]

I can't believe the 2 are sooo off. I went back to gasbuddy to run it again and confirm that I had it marked for round trip and it was. I even changed it to one way and it recalculated and came up with $217.

Here's my rough estimate - hope I'm doing this right. I'm rounding up to be safe.

4.00 per gallon/14=.29 per mile
.29*1100 miles = $319 each way

$4 a gallon? Those were the good old days...

 

[pamkev]

i see. those big blue signs say 95 on them??? i use those in stead of the square white ones.

I was under the impression those blue signs were the speed limit at least if I get pulled over that is what I will tell Mr. Policeman

 

[pamkev]

Sometimes the humor comes from the silence grasshopper.

Although Mike would say I drive like Danica Patrick (just trying to use a woman's name!). Your philosophy of keeping up with traffic is mine too. So what if everybody's doing 85?? That's why I can't say anything to you.

I have to consciously keep my eyes off the GPS when Mike is driving. Speed limit is 70, why are you driving only 72??

Totally agree this is DH and I we can go a little faster can't we

 

[BC1836]

Our rule: never go faster than the traffic flow, especially heading north in southern South Carolina!

All the best.

 

[dvczerfs]

Our rule: never go faster than the traffic flow, especially heading north in southern South Carolina!

All the best.

i never "lead the pack" i dont know why but i always like having someone in front of me for pacing and i dont feel as bad speeding for some reason.

 

[MidgeD79]

With gas prices on the rise, I'm trying to lower my speeding on the expressway to get more out of my mileage.