Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Unless you have abused the Rav4 mercilessly, it should be able to make the trip no problemo, but it would not be my first choice to make the long trip (I guess you are going I-95?)
How long are you staying in Miami? What do you have available for a rental car?
Why would you rent? To minimize wear and tear on your own car, to be able to turn any away from home breakdowns over to the rental company, something that gets better MPG, more comfortable car, bigger car or SUV to haul stuff?
I think you can put your car on AMTRAK and ride the train while they haul your car, I know they do that from NYC to Miami (Snowbird express).
Maybe one of the reasons I mentioned - most reasonable of these would be to get something more comfortable for a long trip, or to haul more "stuff" - Like I posted, unless he's really abused the Rav4 there is no reason to think it would have any problem at all making the trip.
From time to time you can get a rental car really cheaply, particularly over the weekend. That said I doubt he's going to save enough on gas to come out ahead financially by renting.
Rav4 is a decent little SUV, but it's short wheel based, tall, not my idea of an *excellent* freeway cruiser.
Me, although I hate to fly anymore, I'd still check out Jet Blue or whatever, I-95 is a boring, crowded interstate, not my idea of a fun drive. While you *could* do the 1000 or so miles in one day, it makes a long day in the saddle.
I guess I would not make much of a truck driver. Droning down the super-slab for hours at a time is not my idea of a good time.
I have a Rav4 Limited and have taken it on multiple long distance drives. Very comfortable. I crew on long distance horse rides and have taken it out to the middle of nowhere and up on logging "roads" in the mountains. Very comfortable. If you need to punch it it scoots. Great sound system. I get compliments on its looks from all the "got bucks" who are driving their Lambos to Target.
Why not? Even with over 100k on it, I don't hesitate to drive my '05 Honda Accord any and everywhere. That's what a car is made for, correct? As far as I-95, traffic really eases up once you get south of Petersburg, VA (I-85 split) and doesn't really pick back up until you reach the Jacksonville, FL area. So you have a good 600 miles of easy driving. Really can't get lost going from DC to Miami either
The Auto Train is limited in that you can get on in Lorton, VA, but the terminus in Florida is at Sanford. So, depending upon origin and destination, there is driving involved with the auto train, just saving the trip through Southern VA, the Carolinas, GA, and Northern FL.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Thanks for posting the correct name of the train, Auto Train. Yeah, it seems like it's Lorton to Sanford, take it or leave it, and the fare for a person is about $200 one way, for a small car it's $383, each way I think. So once again they manage to price themselves out of the reasonable market.
I'm thinking the practical choices are to just drive the Rav you own, or (possibly better deal all round) some sort of discount airline and then rent a car in FL if you need one there.
Maybe the OP will show back up and post up some particulars of why he considers renting instead of driving his own car - I have speculated on a few, but if he does not post back up we will never know.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
