{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreihjbzkqnwzdkctqs32cehm2s2o6pbmkhjzes73f35g3ubfigfwmtu",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:xoczgo53ahhoei6pror2b43g/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmwy3svxnbbg"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreid3z3rg7vuhkhrs4d27arix7yy5xw4zjc2rbyqfhdpqm2woacpaoe"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/webp",
    "size": 203580
  },
  "description": "Trying to decide whether to rent a car or drive your own for a road trip? Use our free calculator to find the cheapest option and plan smarter.",
  "path": "/road-trip-renting-vs-drive-your-car-calculator/",
  "publishedAt": "2025-03-27T03:31:16.000Z",
  "site": "at://did:plc:xoczgo53ahhoei6pror2b43g/site.standard.publication/3mmwwrtzqnc7k",
  "tags": [
    "Road Trips",
    "United States",
    "Travel Tips"
  ],
  "textContent": "When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. See our Affiliate Policy. Planning a road trip? You’ll probably end up asking the same question we did: should you rent a car or just drive your own? That’s why we built this Road Trip Cost Calculator (jump to it below!) to compare the costs side-by-side. We’re gearing up for a cross-country road trip later this year! Over the past 37,000+ miles and four trips across the U.S, we’ve always driven our own cars instead of rentals. Our Subarus (we have a 2020 Legacy and a 2025 Forester) are comfortable, reliable and get good gas mileage. And since we use them every day for work, we knowing exactly how much trunk space we have, which makes packing easier. However, the trade-off with driving our own cars across the country is that every mile adds wear and tear to our car. Any damage, maintenance and repairs are on us. So, we got curious what the cost difference would be between driving our own vs renting. Should I Rent a Car for a Road Trip? We read that renting a car can be more cost-effective than driving our own, which made us wonder if we should rent a car or just take our own again. Obstruction Point Road, Olympic National Park We looked at a few different cost estimates, such as the IRS’s Standard Mileage Rate of $0.70 per mile, to see if renting would actually save us money on a cross-country road trip (turns out renting would save us a lot!). That rate factors in things like depreciation, wear and tear, maintenance, insurance, registration and more. But that number didn’t quite fit with our real-world costs. We already pay for insurance and registration each year, and most of our road trip miles are on highways, where we get better fuel efficiency. Our go-to road trip car (a 2020 Subaru Legacy) gets up to 27 mpg in the city and 35 on the highway. Since none of the standard estimates felt quite right, I built my own calculator to compare the costs of driving our car (or a minivan or SUV, more on that later) versus renting. I used data from AAA’s Driving Cost Calculator and looked at the top five best-selling cars, minivans and SUVs in the U.S. from 2020 to 2026 to estimate depreciation and maintenance costs. These are the makes and models I used: Cars: Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord & Civic, Nissan Sentra and Toyota Camry Minivans: Chrysler Pacifica & Voyager, Kia Carnival, Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna SUVs: Chevrolet Equinox, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota RAV4 This gave me a good idea of the average costs for each type of vehicle. You can see the full breakdown for all the models in this Excel spreadsheet. How To Use Our Calculator Enter Your Trip Distance & Average Gas Price: Enter how many miles you’ll be driving and the average gas price you think you’ll see on your trip. Choose Your Vehicle Type: Choose the kind of vehicle you’ll be driving (car, minivan or SUV). Each option has a different per-mile cost based on AAA’s driving cost data. Check the Rental Car Price: Enter the final rental rate for the car (including all taxes and fees). Enter Each Vehicle’s Highway MPG: Enter the highway miles per gallon (MPG) for each vehicle. Click Compare Costs: Our calculator will compare the estimated cost of driving your own car (taking into account the average wear and tear) versus renting a car (including rental fees and fuel). These cost estimates come from our research and experience. Please do not consider this to be official financial advice. Every road trip is unique and different. So please run the numbers for yourself and find what works for you. Anything you enter into this calculator stays on your computer. It’s all calculated in your browser, so your information remains private. Road Trip Car Cost Calculator Trip Distance (miles) Gas Price per Gallon ($) Your Car Your Car’s Highway MPG Vehicle Type Car ($0.34/mile) Minivan ($0.45/mile) SUV ($0.38/mile) Rental Car Rental Car Highway MPG Total Rental Cost ($) Compare Costs Reset Note: Costs are estimates, use them as a rough guide. Compare Rental Car Options There are a lot of options if renting is a better deal. Major rental car companies like Budget, Enterprise and Hertz have many different size options (often with unlimited mileage), so you can find one that fits your trip. Not sure where to start looking? Try comparing rates on Booking.com or Expedia. If you have a membership through Costco or Sam’s Club, you might even find better prices there. I was surprised that booking in advance doesn’t always get you the best price. NerdWallet found rental car rates are often cheapest last-minute. Even if you think you have an awesome price, it’s probably worth checking again closer to your trip. We used our calculator for our upcoming 5,000+ mile cross-country road trip, and it looks like we could save up around $1,000 just by renting. Try it for yourself! 💳 Check Your Credit Card Perks: Some cards cover rental car insurance when you use them to pay. Check your cards terms before buying extra coverage. Renting a Car vs Driving Your Own: Pros and Cons Road Trip FactorDrive Your Own CarRent a CarUpfront CostNo rental feeRental rates can be expensive depending on time & locationFuel EfficiencyYou already know your real-world MPGMay get better MPG depending on vehicleWear & TearAdds miles, depreciation, maintenanceNo long-term impact on your vehicleRepairsAny breakdown or repair is on youMechanical issues typically handled by rental companyInsuranceAlready insuredMay need to purchase coverage unless your card includes itComfort & FamiliarityYou know how it drive and fits your luggageNew vehicle (could be better or worse)Vehicle Size OptionsLimited to what you ownCan choose SUV, minivan or fuel-efficient carMileage LimitsUnlimited (it’s your car)Most major companies offer unlimited mileage, but confirmLong Cross-Country TripsMajor mileage hitOften makes more financial senseSpontaneous TripsEasy to get in and go!Requires booking & pickup We love road tripping with our own vehicles, but we also love reducing the costs of our these trips (we are exploring the option of tent camping to reduce hotel / Airbnb costs, too). If you’re planning a road trip and deciding between renting or driving your car, hopefully our tool makes it easier to figure out what works best for you. Happy and safe travels!",
  "title": "Rent vs Drive Your Car for a Road Trip: Use Our Cost Calculator",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-02T19:40:39.000Z"
}