I'm moving from Boston, MA to Palo Alto, CA this summer and it looks like driving cross country may be the best way (out of a bunch of crappy options) for me to get my car & belongings from coast to coast. As I try to plan this out, I had some questions for the car-savvy folks on this forum:
1. How much can I safely load into my car?
I have a 1999 Toyota Corolla VE and will be traveling with one other person. I am not brining any furniture, but will probably have lots of clothes, kitchen items, a 37" LCD TV, computer, some sports equipment, etc. How much weight can this tiny car safely fit?
2. What maintenance should I do?
My car has 85,000 miles and no serious mechanical issues except that it tends to burn up oil so I manually add some in between regular oil changes. Before the trip, I plan on getting an oil change, having the brakes checked, and getting new tires. During the trip, I plan to add oil as usual. Is there anything else I should do before/during/after?
3. How will the gas mileage be affected?
As I estimate the expenses for this trip, I'm trying to estimate what gas mileage I'll get. From my daily mix of highway/city driving, I usually get 29-30 mpg. Anyone know what mileage to expect during a trip like this, taking into consideration (a) mostly highway driving at 65-75mph, (b) one other passenger, (c) the trunk and back seat fully loaded with my belongings?
1. How much can I safely load into my car?
I have a 1999 Toyota Corolla VE and will be traveling with one other person. I am not brining any furniture, but will probably have lots of clothes, kitchen items, a 37" LCD TV, computer, some sports equipment, etc. How much weight can this tiny car safely fit?
2. What maintenance should I do?
My car has 85,000 miles and no serious mechanical issues except that it tends to burn up oil so I manually add some in between regular oil changes. Before the trip, I plan on getting an oil change, having the brakes checked, and getting new tires. During the trip, I plan to add oil as usual. Is there anything else I should do before/during/after?
3. How will the gas mileage be affected?
As I estimate the expenses for this trip, I'm trying to estimate what gas mileage I'll get. From my daily mix of highway/city driving, I usually get 29-30 mpg. Anyone know what mileage to expect during a trip like this, taking into consideration (a) mostly highway driving at 65-75mph, (b) one other passenger, (c) the trunk and back seat fully loaded with my belongings?