7 tips for an awesome road trip

Coast-to-coast excursions, summer getaways, and visits home to see family are some of the most memorable adventures to happen when you hit the open road.

To keep cruising, planning ahead is key. Whether you’re hitting the road for a few hours or embarking on an epic cross-country trek, these driving tips will help you keep your car in good condition – and save you money during your journey.

For many of us, cars are one of our most valuable possessions. Before embarking on a long drive, make sure your vehicle is road-trip ready. To do so, you’ll need to check to see if you need an oil change. You’ll also want to inspect your tire pressure, replace clogged air filters, and try to use the right grade of gasoline while filling up along the way. Not only can simple vehicle maintenance help you avoid bigger problems down the road, but it can also help increase fuel efficiency. And during a road trip, that can translate to major savings!

Mobile auto apps have opened a new horizon of possibilities when it comes to making your road trip the smoothest ride possible. They can help you find the cheapest gas prices, and if you're an EV owner, there are a few apps that can assist with mapping out all the available charging stations along your trip so you can save at the pump and not have to worry about having the energy you need to make it to the next state.

And for many of us, nothing can kill the buzz of a road trip like unexpected traffic. But you can plan ahead with mobile apps that detail how congested the roads will be on your route, before you ever find yourself stuck in gridlock.

Mobile apps can essentially help you plan and map out your entire trek - some are even packed with road-trip-focused features like reviewed and searchable hotels, campgrounds and places of interest along your route.

Apps can also help you stay in touch with those important things back home, like managing your bank account or making car payments online (and one of the perks of banking with Ally Bank or financing through your dealer and Ally is that we have an app for both).

It’s no secret that some vehicles, like SUVs, tend to guzzle more gas than a smaller sedan. If your car uses a lot of fuel, It may be cheaper to rent a vehicle that gets better gas mileage for a long drive depending on rental prices in your area. If you choose to go the rental route, check with your insurance company to make sure it’s covered in your policy. Some insurance plans automatically extend coverage to rental cars, allowing you to avoid paying for duplicate coverage.

When you’re picking up BBQ from that place you saw on the TV or waiting for your road trip partner to grab snacks at the rest stop, try to be mindful of how long your car is idling. While many of us have this long-held notion that stopping and starting a vehicle can use some serious gas, most evidence shows that idling is far more costly.

It does take a little extra fuel to get your car started, but once you idle for a minute or more you actually use more fuel than it would take to shut off your engine and start it again. Stop-start technology in newer vehicles, which shuts off your engine while your vehicle idles for a period of time (at a red light, for example), can help reduce fuel use by around 5 percent.

While car top carriers have their own special nostalgic place in road trip history, they can really wreak havoc on your gas usage. Luggage stored on a roof rack can affect a car’s aerodynamics and increase drag that reduces fuel economy. What can you do instead? Try fitting all your luggage in the trunk and back seat space. It can also pay off to pack lightly. In most vehicles, every 100 pounds of weight can decrease fuel economy by 1 percent.

The road trip is as American as apple pie. Follow these tips and tricks to keep things simple and sweet as you cruise along Route 66.