Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Is it really that big of a deal to stop for gas for 10 minutes?
Yes.
I can't count the number of times I've been in a great line of traffic only to have to get off the highway for some reason. Only to find a completely different line of traffic, moving 10mph (or more) slower, when I got back on the highway. That and picking what place to stop at it. Some exits advertise gas & food but if you stop you find that it's 5-10 minutes of driving to find where those places actually are.
We have a 3.5 hour drive we routinely take, and we try not to stop at all on it. Else it turns into 4+ hours.
That said, it truly isn't a bad idea to stop every 5 hours or so. For all the reasons stated. But it's way nicer to stop because the driver wants to stop, and not because the car needs gas.
I guess it depends on the situation. I live and commute in the big city. I fill up every Monday after work, most of the time it's over 400 miles but my commuting mpg is only 26 mpg or so, so the tank is quite low.
Out on the highway with our Camry's, they'll get over 600 miles on a tank. They supposedly have a 18.5 gallon tank and I wasn't sure if I believed it. But I have filled it with 18.283 gallons so I know it's real.
In the OP's situation I don't see it as that big of a deal, he's trying to get to his destination but if he fills up 50 miles before, he'll have a full tank of gas while he's there and not be on fumes.