Cross country drive...which vehicle do you take?

[samster747]

Please don't take this as rude, but is driving a very light car 3k miles, interfacing w 1000s of unique drivers at high speeds vs the safety of an airplane...wise? All because your children are in a age bracket (0-8) that has seen a total of 68 covid deaths throughout the entire pandemic? Your children are at far more risk from pnemonia/car accident around town than Covid. The CDC has provided plenty of easily accessible data wrt children that should ease your wife's misplaced fear.

If no side trips that call for the LC, fly. Otherwise LC 100% for safety. $300ish gas mileage concern driving $90k vehicle w 2 children in equation kind of an odd place to pinch.

I won't take it as being rude as long as you didn't mean to be rude.

Look, I'd rather fly too. The thought of 30 hours of driving is not something I'm looking forward to, no matter which vehicle. I tried to convince the wife about flying, but at the end of the day, she wins. Happy wife, happy life right? Plus, she makes the big bucks and lets me buy all the toys I want. Can't really complain there. With regards to risks, yes there are inherent risks with everything. Even flying, can you believe that? I worked at Boeing doing functional tests and on the flight line as a mechanic. A lot of days I came home with the same prevailing thought that I shared numerous times with my wife...."babe, you wouldn't want to fly on these things knowing who built them." So yeah, all kidding aside, there are risks with everything and I wouldn't say my wife has a misplaced fear regarding Covid. Especially since she's seen firsthand in the ICU what it does to people.

And no, we're not penny pinching. Fuel economy is the big elephant in the room and thus, I felt it had to be mentioned. I'm just asking if you had those two vehicles, which would you take considering the pros and cons of each vehicle.

 

[stonepa]

Funny - i am leaving in about 10 minutes to drive with my family from Seattle to northern Minnesota. Taking the LC instead of either of our 2 Lexus Hybrid RXs. The space is worth it over the improved mileage.

 

[04UZJ100]

Just walked past a RAV4 in a parking lot. I wouldn’t ever drive that tin can on more than a short drive, let alone put my entire family jam packed in it on a XC trip.

 

[Angelo1]

Get a bigger garage and add something far better for long road trips. I’ve travelled cross country both times in my 200 and it was just fine. If you’re running highway tires vs A/T even better. However, we flew into Denver several days ago instead of driving from TN. We rented the new Lincoln Navigator while in Colorado w/kids and I’m now sold on adding a large Nav, Cadi or X7 for all future road trips. The 200 feels like a dinosaur and lacks so many creature comforts, tech. To answer your question, the 200 would be my choice over the RAV4.

 

[gx2lc]

Moving to CO from Texas on Tuesday. Done the drive 3 times in prep/dropping possessions/etc in a month, with one more remaining on the 29th.

Want to know what car I’m NOT doing it? Anything other than my 200-series.

Just moved from NY to Texas and did the drive in the cruiser.

Yes she was a gas hog. Yes she got scraped up a bit bc coming out of a DC parking garage bc of her longer wheelbase and driver negligence.

however the cool box of prosperity combined with insulated cabin made her a very pleasant place to be. We even did some off roading visiting farmers markets along the way. The biggest advantage was the V8 in some harrowing moments with 18 wheelers merging, this thing freaking hauls at high revs to take over in a hurry.

 

[Mbarron37]

Simple answer, takes whatever vehicle will provide the most comfort for the family. You have two vehicles you know very well, only you can decide.

 

[gx2lc]

Get a bigger garage and add something far better for long road trips. I’ve travelled cross country both times in my 200 and it was just fine. If you’re running highway tires vs A/T even better. However, we flew into Denver several days ago instead of driving from TN. We rented the new Lincoln Navigator while in Colorado w/kids and I’m now sold on adding a large Nav, Cadi or X7 for all future road trips. The 200 feels like a dinosaur and lacks so many creature comforts, tech. To answer your question, the 200 would be my choice over the RAV4.

My vote would be the Model X (as a former Model 3 owner) that thing pretty much drives itself and is getting nearly 400 miles of range now. But I agree with the sentiment that a dedicated road tripper would be the best bet if these drives are regular. I haven’t experienced GM or Fords self driving features first hand.

 

[Angelo1]

My vote would be the Model X (as a former Model 3 owner) that thing pretty much drives itself and is getting nearly 400 miles of range now. But I agree with the sentiment that a dedicated road tripper would be the best bet if these drives are regular. I haven’t experienced GM or Fords self driving features first hand.

Cadillac has super cruise being released that’s supposed be pretty amazing and apparently better then the Tesla for highway driving but not as good for around town as the Tesla. The Navigator isn’t as good as the Tesla but it’s a 1000x more comfortable and roomier then the Model X. I have been averaging 17.5mpg mix between mountain and around town driving. Straight highway from Denver to Colorado Springs was closer to 19mpg.

 

[04UZJ100]

Get a bigger garage and add something far better for long road trips. I’ve travelled cross country both times in my 200 and it was just fine. If you’re running highway tires vs A/T even better. However, we flew into Denver several days ago instead of driving from TN. We rented the new Lincoln Navigator while in Colorado w/kids and I’m now sold on adding a large Nav, Cadi or X7 for all future road trips. The 200 feels like a dinosaur and lacks so many creature comforts, tech. To answer your question, the 200 would be my choice over the RAV4.

Is the X7 actually as big as a Navigator/Tahoe?

 

[Angelo1]

Is the X7 actually as big as a Navigator/Tahoe?

No, but you can get 2nd row captain chairs and it’s pretty roomy without being as big compared to the other two.

 

[FerrisBueller]

Land Cruiser is my vote. More space is always better for naps etc. more expensive, but less stress. Environmentally, RAV4 for sure, but depends on your family dynamic for that kind of drive.

This is my sentiment exactly. It's hard to put a price on family members having more space during such a long drive. We've taken tons of very long roads trips this past year (most of them straight-shot 15-hour drives each way). The amount spent on gas is pretty high after all of our trips, but we were comfortable and happy during all of the drives.

 

[MTN2SND]

Having done that cross country I-90 / I-94 drive back to Minneapolis and Chicago before in summer and also in middle of winter, I'd take the RAV 4 for summertime drive in decent weather. The drive is boring as hell, nothing out there, once you cross over the northern Rockies all the way until you hit the outer suburbs coming into Twin Cities. If doing same drive in winter...Cruiser all the way.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Straight shot on the interstate- if you don't use RAV4 why even bother owning it? My first choice would be flying though.

 

[Big Timber]

Even in these crazy f'ed up times, flying is so much safer for you and your family.

 

[04UZJ100]

Even in these crazy f'ed up times, flying is so much safer for you and your family.

Have flown ~ 30 times in the past 6 months, without the 5G shot. No issues.

 

[TeCKis300]

Cadillac has super cruise being released that’s supposed be pretty amazing and apparently better then the Tesla for highway driving but not as good for around town as the Tesla. The Navigator isn’t as good as the Tesla but it’s a 1000x more comfortable and roomier then the Model X. I have been averaging 17.5mpg mix between mountain and around town driving. Straight highway from Denver to Colorado Springs was closer to 19mpg.

Supercruise better than Tesla... they'd like you to think that. The reality is that the Tesla Autopilot isn't a static ability to bench against. It's evolving and learning everyday with the billions of miles it's racked up with its huge fleet of sold cars. And continues to evolve using neural net deep learning. Hard to catch up with to be released capability that's with a relatively small pool of cars.

The Cybertruck may be my ultimate road trip partner that has some things my current cruiser does not. Autopilot. Tech. 1000hp/tq. Efficiency.

 

[300blk]

Supercruise better than Tesla... they'd like you to think that. The reality is that the Tesla Autopilot isn't a static ability to bench against. It's evolving and learning everyday with the billions of miles it's racked up with its huge fleet of sold cars. And continues to evolve using neural net deep learning. Hard to catch up with to be released capability that's with a relatively small pool of cars.

The Cybertruck may be my ultimate road trip partner that has some things my current cruiser does not. Autopilot. Tech. 1000hp/tq. Efficiency.

Bat s*** crazy super villain Elon Musk doesn’t care how many people he kills with his half-baked auto pilot technology, human lives are a drop in the bucket to what this tech may be worth one day.

Either way, there are no roads where he’s going: Mars.

 

[taylorbrooks]

I just did Austin to Jackson Hole and back in my 200.

Stopped more than would've liked, but it was dope.

 

[coleAK]

Bat s*** crazy super villain Elon Musk doesn’t care how many people he kills with his half-baked auto pilot technology, human lives are a drop in the bucket to what this tech may be worth one day.

Either way, there are no roads where he’s going: Mars.

Well this just happened. So can’t deny the dominance across the board. 0-60 <2 sec, 1/4 mile in low 9’s...

2021 Tesla Model S Plaid: Feel the Force—0-60 in 2 Seconds

Though largely unchanged on the outside, the new Model S is a technical tour de force: the fastest, hardest-accelerating, most aero-efficient production sedan ever. Dan Neil takes a road trip.

www.wsj.com

Having owned a Tesla for almost 7 years now (s for 4 now 3 for almost 3 years) I pretty much only drive the LX when towing our camper or going off road. Like others I can’t wait for the CT.

As per the original discussion. I’d take the RAV4. And even with my teens recently fully vax’ed I’d drive it as well. Similar experience to your wife, seen way to much morbidity and mortality first hand and getting flooded with post acute. That said it is a risk benefit calculation for each one to make and to each their own.

 

[300blk]

Well this just happened. So can’t deny the dominance across the board. 0-60 <2 sec, 1/4 mile in low 9’s...

2021 Tesla Model S Plaid: Feel the Force—0-60 in 2 Seconds

Though largely unchanged on the outside, the new Model S is a technical tour de force: the fastest, hardest-accelerating, most aero-efficient production sedan ever. Dan Neil takes a road trip.

www.wsj.com

Having owned a Tesla for almost 7 years now (s for 4 now 3 for almost 3 years) I pretty much only drive the LX when towing our camper or going off road. Like others I can’t wait for the CT.

As per the original discussion. I’d take the RAV4. And even with my teens recently fully vax’ed I’d drive it as well. Similar experience to your wife, seen way to much morbidity and mortality first hand and getting flooded with post acute. That said it is a risk benefit calculation for each one to make and to each their own.

lol.

needs to be prepped for 10 minutes and needs to do it on a drag strip.

Teslas corner like garbage because they’re so heavy.