I just got back from a long road trip from Florida to the New England area. I took the 96 G Voyager and put a bit over 4000 miles on it, taking it from 209,000 to 213,000 (approx). My first day was the most dramatic. Not only were the temperatures scorching on June 29 as I went through the Carolinas and Virginia, but there were some huge storms that went through when I was camped up in the Shennadoah National Park that night. When I got up the next morning there was a large tree down in front of my van and a small one down behind it. As I walked around the campsite, I saw damaged campers and tents that had blown down. People took refuge in the restrooms for protection. I ended up being trapped in the Park until about noon since Skyline Drive was blocked with downed trees. I heard of no injuries in the area that I was in and later, I heard that there were millions of people without electricity, especially in the DC area. When I finally got out, I had a tough time getting gas because with no power the pumps would not work. I finally got gas in Elkton, VA and the van fuel gauge had been on empty for the past 20 miles. It took 19.8 gallons! What a day that was.
Anyhow, I hiked another 180 miles on the Appalachian Trail and now have all of Massachusetts and 3/4 of Vermont complete. I have about 450 miles to go to finish the trail with the toughest part; the White Mountains, to come.
I was very happy with how the 96 van performed. These (newer mini's) are certainly one of the more comfortable vehicles to drive on a long trip. I averaged about 20.5 to 21.5 MPG with the 3.0, 3 speed engine. Of course most of this was highway mileage, but we did take a few side trips through the forests and back roads. The AC performed fairly well in 105 to 110 degree temps. Thankfully the weather was a bit cooler in New England, especially in New Hampshire were it was really pleasent.
Now it is back to the regular grind, but overall, the vacation was super nice.
Anyhow, I hiked another 180 miles on the Appalachian Trail and now have all of Massachusetts and 3/4 of Vermont complete. I have about 450 miles to go to finish the trail with the toughest part; the White Mountains, to come.
I was very happy with how the 96 van performed. These (newer mini's) are certainly one of the more comfortable vehicles to drive on a long trip. I averaged about 20.5 to 21.5 MPG with the 3.0, 3 speed engine. Of course most of this was highway mileage, but we did take a few side trips through the forests and back roads. The AC performed fairly well in 105 to 110 degree temps. Thankfully the weather was a bit cooler in New England, especially in New Hampshire were it was really pleasent.
Now it is back to the regular grind, but overall, the vacation was super nice.