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I had to return my rental today with a "full" tank. If I filled up closer to home, I had to drive about 25 miles to the airport. Even though the fuel gauge would probably still say "full", I thought that would be unfair to the next driver. So I had to go through a lot of trouble finding a gas station near the airport. So how many miles would you drive and still claim the tank is "full?"
Usually around 100 miles before it moves off the full mark in my experience. I would not go to extremes to be sure "full" was as full as possible. Just whatever fillup is convenient on the day of turn-in, avoiding the price gougers near airports.
I usually try to fill up 10 miles or less before returning it. I keep an eye out for stations near the airport and make note of the prices when I pick it up. If the prices are higher (more than a few cents), I'll fill up closer to my departure site. Smartphones make it easy to locate the closest and cheapest gas.
I've driven rentals to the point where the gauge doesn't move, and they take maybe 1.5 gallons of gas. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have topped it off, but I'd hate for someone to do that ahead of me and now find I have to pump 3 gallons of gas in, vs 1.5.
10-ish miles ...
I pull the airport (or rental location) up on Google Maps and then search for "gas stations" ... then just GPS to one near the airport.
I've driven rentals to the point where the gauge doesn't move, and they take maybe 1.5 gallons of gas. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have topped it off, but I'd hate for someone to do that ahead of me and now find I have to pump 3 gallons of gas in, vs 1.5.
Only $2 or so, but that's not the point.
I guess to me the fact that it's only $2 *is* the point. If the gas gauge is still on "F", I say I'm good. Probably the guy before me and the next guy will be equally cavalier about it. I don't see this as a heavy moral issue. Now a guy who is consistently trying to cheat by a couple gallons, I see this is more neurotic than truly dishonest. Maybe I am morally "relativistic" which I guess suits a physics guy.
Around here a 48 hour rental ends up about $130 from Enterprise. That really lets you drive the car home, have it for your one day of driving where you wanted a rental car for whatever reason, then you drive it back into town. At least for me as the nearest Enterprise is about 40 miles from home, but right close to work. So anyway if it's $138 or $142 with gas (assume $10 worth of gas is what I actually burnt), I am not going to get excited about it either way. Got bigger fish to fry.
Lately Enterprise seems to turn the car over to me with a random amount of gas in it, 5/8 tank or whatever. "Bring it back with the same amount of gas". I generally end up bringing it back with a bit more gas than what it had when I picked it up.
I had to return my rental today with a "full" tank. If I filled up closer to home, I had to drive about 25 miles to the airport. Even though the fuel gauge would probably still say "full", I thought that would be unfair to the next driver. So I had to go through a lot of trouble finding a gas station near the airport. So how many miles would you drive and still claim the tank is "full?"
Depends on the gas gauge.
If the gas gauge reads full, it's full. If it doesn't it isn't. It's not hard.
I had to return my rental today with a "full" tank. If I filled up closer to home, I had to drive about 25 miles to the airport. Even though the fuel gauge would probably still say "full", I thought that would be unfair to the next driver. So I had to go through a lot of trouble finding a gas station near the airport. So how many miles would you drive and still claim the tank is "full?"
Never fill up near an airport. Gas is always at a premium near airports. Top off the tank before you get near the airport, and it will be fine.
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