Renting compared to driving your own vehicle on a road trip

Many Manitoba families are getting ready for the holidays and that may include a road trip to see relatives.

But should you rent or take your own ride? The short answer, it depends.

For example, a road trip from Winnipeg to Banff, Alta. and back is more than 3,000 km, and about $275 in gas.

But, if you have a big family or lots of luggage, taking a second vehicle doubles your costs.

If you could all squeeze into something like a rented minivan, that same trip will cost you $650 between the rental fee for a week and the fuel.

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RELATED: Winnipeg airport ready for holiday traffic

Sometimes it’s more about convenience than the money.

“When you’re on the road generally maybe you have extra people, but definitely extra luggage so the ability to rent a bigger vehicle than you currently own is also a huge advantage,” Rick De Dominicis from U-Drive Car Rental said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "When you're on the road generally maybe you have extra people, but definitely extra luggage so the ability to rent a bigger vehicle than you currently own is also a huge advantage," Rick De Dominicis from U-Drive Car Rental said.

However, it may pay off to rent if you have an unreliable vehicle.

“You don’t have the wear and tear on your own vehicle and also these vehicles are all brand new vehicles so you don’t have to worry about any maintenance to the vehicles,” De Dominicis said.

If you have a reliable ride, the extra miles may not actually be so bad for your car, as mechanic Rudy Epp from Rudy’s Auto Service explained.

“Typically a big road trip isn’t going to do any harm to your vehicle at all. It’s going to pack some miles on it but highway travel is typically a lot better for your vehicle than city driving,” Epp said.

Before you hit the road in your own vehicle, mechanics recommend an inspection, looking at the fluids, tire pressure and brakes.