Question about gas mileage

LenaGardner

LenaGardner

New member
I am trying to figure out the most economical way to make a long trip next month. I will be taking all 3 kids to Florida and I have to factor in EVERYTHING....cost, time, and hassle. We are going to see my dad and it will be a two week trip. I have researched flying, amtrak, greyhound, driving while renting a car, or driving my own minivan. At the moment I'm leaning towards renting a car. I am dreading the drive but I flew to Florida to see my dad last year...that was with Nathan and a 6 month old Naomi and I barely survived it. I don't think I could do Nathan, a toddler and an infant. Not to mention I'm not certain I want to fly anyway...there are a few quick stops I'd ideally like to make.

Anyway, to get to the point...exactly how good can I get on gas mileage? The van is TERRIBLE! It only averages like 18 miles to the gallon. So, it's a 2,000 mile trip, round trip....and at 20 mpg/$4 a gallon that's $400 worth of gas to make the trip in the van. That is fine, but I want to offset that figure with the cost of renting an economy-sized car and factoring in the gas savings. How many mpg highway can I figure an economy sized car to get?

I still may fly anyway, to avoid the long drive. I'm just trying to make an educated decision.
 
I drove my Pontiac Grand Am when I went to my grandma's house in April. It was a 1600 mile trip and I only spent $187 to get there. I would suggest renting a small car that gets good mileage.
 
The only suggestion I have is to look at each of the "newer" cars and check out the gas mileage, I know that the Yaris gets great gas mileage but I am thinking that it is a tad too small to be traveling with 3 kids so I would maybe check into a Caravan or something. I heard they get pretty good MPG.

I wish you luck whichever you decide to do!!!!! You are a brave girl to be taking that long of a trip with the kiddos!!!!!
 
Some smaller sedans will average 30-35 MPG. You may be able to rent something like a Prius, that will do better. Car rentals, after taxes and fees average about $35/day (for a standard-size) ... I oversee rental for a large auto insurer, so I fairly well-versed on the topic. If you carry comp/coll on your own policy, you will not need to purchase the damage waiver, etc ... since your own policy should transfer (double check with your insurer). If you don't bring your own car seats, they are an extra $10-15 each per day. Personally, I do not recommend the train, but that's just me. Good luck with what you decide!
 
The other thing you need to factor in is how cranky the kids will be in a smaller car. I know when we went from driving a Nissan Pathfinder which is pretty good sized to driving a Dodge Stratus which is kinda on the smallish size comparatively they get really cranky on long trips and they are older kids LOL. Another thing to consider is that what you get around town is going to be alot less then on the interstate. Your van just may get upwards of 20-22 mpg on open roads. If you decided to take your van having it tuned up right before you leave (oil/filter change, spark plugs and wires, checking tires etc) would likely improve your gas mileage too.

If you decide to rent a car make sure to read the contract and that you are able to leave state. We have rented cars before and the contract stated the costs would be different if we left the state.

If it was me I would probably take my own vehicle but that is just me. I do not fly and taking a bus/train would be too stressful IMO.
 
I large size sedan should get around 27-32 mpg and still be able to fit car seats in the back and all your schtuff in the trunk. (I'm looking into buying a car, so I'm used to looking at mpg's, lol)
 
Just to give you a comparison on the difference on MPG on our Stratus we get really sucky mileage in stop and go traffic but driving out in the country on open roads a month ago(about 80 miles each way) we only used about 5 gallons of gas!! If we drove that many miles in town with all the stopping and going we would have easily went through twice that.
 
I'm leaning towards just taking the van. We'll see! I'm thinking the bus and train will be stressful. The thought of flying with 3 with a layover makes me just want to end it (LOL!)

I don't think the gas savings in a small car will do enough to offset the cost of the rental (about $350 for two weeks).

The nice thing about the small car is that I can REACH the kids easier...to pick up binkies, thrown sippy cups and toys, etc.

However, I will have Nathan with me...he'll be 8 in a few weeks and he's pretty helpful.

I want to go visit my dad because my dad's house is a blast...Olympic sized pool with fountains, go-karts, etc. Nathan and Naomi will love it and my dad hasn't met Parker of course. I'm concerned that on the off chance we get stationed in Italy or Alaska we won't see him for a long time.
 
you may know this stuff already but I saw this article about ways to improve gas mileage. Also I think I saw somewhere that clean exterior with improve gas mileage.
 
I almost always drive anywhere, my mom lives 36 hours drive away, and I still drive, even if I'm alone with the kids LOL. I live in Canada, so it's hard for me to calculate what the difference in km/l is compared to g/mi. I just really like having my own car when I'm wherever, and not be on anyone's schedule only my own.

I flew with Amelia (aged 16 months) and Benjamin (age 3) when I was 6 months prego with Rae, to my moms. I had such a hard time lugging all my luggage, 2 car seats, my big pregnant belly, carry ons, diaper bag, a toddler and a preschooler, that I swore I would never fly with them again, until they were big enough to carry their own crap LOL. And I never have!

I love driving, I love driving with the kids, they love to be in the van, so those are also factors you must consider doing a long-haul drive. Mine love the van, and love travelling, so it's a non issue for us.

Good luck deciding! I know it's not easy!
 
If you happen to have AAA you can sometimes get better deals on a car rental through that. We rented one in CA a few years ago and AAA saved us about $150 for the week.
 
We flew with our 2 year old and 1 year old last month, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. But it will be quite pricey, since flying in the summer is never a cheap proposition.

I would just take the van. For all the hassle and cost of renting a car and trying to fit 3 car seats in it, I think you might be better off.
 
I just drove 500 miles from Southern California to Redding in March.

I ended up taking the bigger car because it could handle all of our crap better and once I got there it was nice to not have to take 3 cars to go to one place.

I stuck my kids in the 3rd row, luggage in the 2nd row, and food and water in the passenger seat. When the kids hollered about hunger or thirst, I tossed them what they needed. It was also super helpful because they had their leapster and Nintendo DS with them.

If I had small kids, I'd do the same except not put them in the 3rd row! LOL

My kids slept most of the 12 hour trip. I did try to stop every 2 hours for potty, coffee, and to stretch our legs out.
 
SamaraGugler said:
I just drove 500 miles from Southern California to Redding in March.

I ended up taking the bigger car because it could handle all of our crap better and once I got there it was nice to not have to take 3 cars to go to one place.

I stuck my kids in the 3rd row, luggage in the 2nd row, and food and water in the passenger seat. When the kids hollered about hunger or thirst, I tossed them what they needed. It was also super helpful because they had their leapster and Nintendo DS with them.

If I had small kids, I'd do the same except not put them in the 3rd row! LOL

My kids slept most of the 12 hour trip. I did try to stop every 2 hours for potty, coffee, and to stretch our legs out.
Click to expand...

Samara, were you in Redding for vacation? My dad lives in Weaverville! I lived there for a little while. I LOVED it!
 
Heck yeah!!! When I'm driving by myself I get REALLY bored and tired, it just so happens that there is a Starbucks about 2 hours apart! LOL
 
I stop every 3 1/2 to 4 hours. When you're driving 36, you can't stop much more often than that, or it'll take forever to get where you're going. Of course, if anyone needed to pee, I'd stop sooner LOL
 
I'll be stopping every 2 hours or so to breastfeed and change diapers. I think at this point I'm leaning towards renting something small like a Prius or Aveo. Nathan will sit in the passenger seat, Naomi and Parker will be in the back and I'll squeeze our schtuff in the trunk. Naomi has a portable DVD player and Nathan a gameboy...so we'll see how Parker does...he's the wild card. I think the deciding factor is the peace of mind. My van has been very reliable for me but I cringe at the thought of being stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire or mechanical problem that I can't call and have fixed for free, thus derailing my trip budget.
 
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