Driveaway vs driving it yourself: which is worth it?
Last updated: June 2026
Driving your car yourself is almost always cheaper in cash. A driveaway service costs more in dollars but gives you back several days, the hotels and meals, the fatigue and risk, and the headache of getting yourself home from a one-way trip. The right choice comes down to how far the move is, whether it is one-way, and what your time is worth.
We run SelectDrive, a driveaway service, so we have an interest here. We will still give you the straight version: for plenty of moves you should just drive it yourself, and we will tell you when. Here is the honest math.
The real cost of driving it yourself
The gas number is the easy part. The costs people forget are the nights in hotels, the meals on the road, the days off work, and, on a one-way move, the price of getting yourself back. Here is a worked example for a roughly 1,500-mile cross-country drive, about three days each way.
| Driving yourself, ~1,500 miles | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Fuel (about 25 mpg at ~$3.20/gal) | ~$190 |
| Hotels (2 nights) | ~$300 |
| Meals on the road (3 days) | ~$150 |
| One-way flight or rental to get home | ~$200 to $400 |
| Out-of-pocket cash | ~$840 to $1,040 |
| Your time (3 days, one way) | Not in the cash number |
| Wear and road risk on the car | Same miles either way |
Rough figures for illustration. Your real costs depend on the route, season, and how you travel. The point is that "just drive it" is rarely free once hotels, meals, and the trip home are counted.
What a driveaway actually saves you
A driveaway does not save you miles. The route distance goes on your odometer whether you drive it or Dan does, so anyone claiming driveaway "saves wear" is not being straight with you. What a driveaway genuinely replaces is everything around the miles: the three days of your time, the hotels and meals, the fatigue of long highway days, the risk that comes with them, and the one-way problem of stranding yourself at the destination. You fly in on your own schedule and your car is waiting, drive-ready, with photos and live GPS the whole way. For a SelectDrive driveaway, that is a flat $0.75 per mile with a $500 minimum, fixed at booking.
When to just drive it yourself
- The distance is short to moderate, say under 600 to 800 miles and a single day.
- You have the days to spare and no work or family conflict.
- You actually enjoy the road trip, it is part of the move.
- You are making a round trip anyway, so there is no one-way problem to solve.
- Budget is tight and your time is more flexible than your cash.
For these, doing it yourself is usually the better value, and we will say so.
When a driveaway is worth the money
- It is a long, one-way move and you do not have several days to drive.
- You cannot make the drive for health, age, or work reasons.
- You are flying to the destination anyway, so a driver is simply more efficient.
- You want to send a pet or packed belongings without driving them yourself. Driveaway allows that; trailer carriers do not. See moving your car with pets and belongings.
- You are a snowbird making the same trip twice a year and would rather not. See snowbird car shipping.
What about putting it on a trailer instead?
Trailer auto transport is the third option. It does not add miles to your car, which matters for a low-mileage or collector vehicle, but it is arranged through a broker and an assigned carrier, the quote is often non-binding, and you cannot send a pet or belongings. We lay out that trade-off in full on driveaway vs auto transport and the honest guide to all the options.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to drive my car myself or use a driveaway service?
Driving yourself is almost always cheaper in cash, often a few hundred dollars in gas, hotels, and meals on a long trip. A driveaway costs more in dollars but replaces several days of your time, the lodging and meals, the fatigue and risk, and the one-way logistics of getting yourself home. The right answer depends on what your time and a one-way trip are worth to you.
Does a driveaway put extra miles on my car?
Yes, the route distance is added to your odometer, exactly the same miles you would add by driving it yourself. Driveaway does not save miles. What it saves is your time, your hotel and meal costs, the wear on you, and the hassle of getting yourself to the destination. If keeping miles off the car is the goal, a trailer carrier is the right tool, not driveaway.
When should I just drive my car myself?
Drive it yourself when the distance is short to moderate, you have the days to spare, you actually enjoy the drive, or you are making a round trip anyway. For those moves, doing it yourself is usually the better value.
When is a driveaway service worth it?
A driveaway is worth it for long, one-way moves when you do not have several days to drive, cannot make the drive for health or work reasons, are flying to the destination anyway, or want to send a pet and belongings without driving yourself. You pay more in dollars and get back your time and the one-way logistics.
How do I get an exact number for my move?
Use the cost calculator for a driveaway estimate, or tell Pilot your route for a flat, itemized price. If driving it yourself is the smarter call for your trip, we will tell you that too.
Not sure if it is worth driving yourself?
Tell Pilot your route and your dates. We will give you a flat driveaway price and an honest take on whether you should just drive it.