[maswastage]

The girlfriend and I are taking a road trip from DC to just north of New York City this weekend to visit some relatives. I just realized today that this is not only my first time driving up to NYC, it will be my car's first true road trip (discounting a trip to Ocean City this past summer) since I got her nearly 3 years ago. I'm excited to see what she can do when she gets to stretch her legs for a long distance on the highway; the D was made to gobble up the mile effortlessly in exactly this kind of driving.

That said, does any one have some tips for driving up to NYC? I've heard mixed opinions on which roads to take and how bad the traffic gets, and like I said this will be my first time driving up that way so any pro tips are appreciated. We're planning on leaving right around sunrise Sunday morning so I'm hoping there won't be too much traffic out on the road.

[sA x sKy]

Funny, I did the exact trip backwards last week to drop off my sis at Georgetown. The roads are fine for the most part assuming you take i95N and evtually i678. I wouldn't worry until after you get into NYC. Pothole heaven.

[asus389]

Practice your pothole dodging skills?

[bimmerguy288]

Get an E-Z Pass if you don;t have one already, it will save you a lot of time.

[chumpion]

Consider 287 as an option to Westchester, if that is where her family is. Allows you to avoid the GW Bridge, pyscho truckers and idiot tourists. 287 is exit 11ish off the NJ Turnpike.

[gunnerxq]

Take the garden state. Oh maybe get a bumper buddy if you are going to park on the street. I don't have one but when I go I usually leave it at parking garages.

[Coolieman1220]

Originally Posted by asus389

Practice your pothole dodging skills?

AIN'T THAT THE TRUTH!!!

Originally Posted by bimmerguy288

Get an E-Z Pass if you don;t have one already, it will save you a lot of time.

Yes and some money too as its cheaper

Originally Posted by chumpion

Consider 287 as an option to Westchester, if that is where her family is. Allows you to avoid the GW Bridge, pyscho truckers and idiot tourists. 287 is exit 11ish off the NJ Turnpike.

Yes but getting from NJTP or even if you hop over to the GSP is out of the way and extra distance.

Originally Posted by gunnerxq

Take the garden state. Oh maybe get a bumper buddy if you are going to park on the street. I don't have one but when I go I usually leave it at parking garages.

If he's coming from DC, why on hell would he take the GSP?

My advice:

1. Fill up in Jersey. its 50 cents cheaper than NY. Fill up on the Turnpike it should be about $3.70 maybe less. The Diesel pumps are all the way to left, it has its own sperate pump.
2. Where exactly are you going? If you take the GWB, it gets VERY confusing.

I can't believe you've never taken the d on the highway for a long trip, thats what its made for!

[captainaudio]

I have taken that trip dozens of times in a wide variety of vehicles. The bottom line is that for the most part you will be driving at fairly steady speeds on flat, straight interstates and the experience doing this drive in a BMW is not all that different from doing it in an Accord.

The OPs BMW will be loafing along and very comfortable on this trip. Best route is to take I95 to the Delaware Memorial Bridge and then the New Jersey Turnpike (which will eventually become I95). If you are heading north of NYC and you have to cross the Hudson I would suggest avoiding the GWB and NYC traffic and crossing at the Tappen Zee.


CA

[maswastage]

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I don't think we'll be in New York city proper, her relatives live in Suffern. I think we'll be taking 95 to the NJ turnpike, and getting off at the garden state parkway which is supposed to take us up to Suffern.

Coolieman, thanks for the advice on fueling up. With the D I could probably make the round trip without having to fill up but I probably will just to be safe. I am slightly anxious about the full service in NJ though - I'm afraid the attendant will mess up and put gasoline in my car.

[Coolieman1220]

Originally Posted by maswastage

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I don't think we'll be in New York city proper, her relatives live in Suffern. I think we'll be taking 95 to the NJ turnpike, and getting off at the garden state parkway which is supposed to take us up to Suffern.

Coolieman, thanks for the advice on fueling up. With the D I could probably make the round trip without having to fill up but I probably will just to be safe. I am slightly anxious about the full service in NJ though - I'm afraid the attendant will mess up and put gasoline in my car.

Ok I see where you're going. If thats the case my best way to go, instead of getting on the Garden Staten Parkway, it may be easier to take the NJTP to I-80 West, take that to Rt17 which will take you to I-287 which will get you to Suffern. I take this way all the time when I'm going skiing upstate. Sometimes I can take the Garden State Parkway but it's eh.



17 will take you closer to suffern than the GSP

If you don't need to full up, I'm telling you wait till Jersey. Those guys are pretty good, they never mess up, the nozzles don't fit if its gas. Tell them diesel and sometimes they give you a funny look. I usually get out and watch them/stretch my legs.

[maswastage]

I'll have to check out that alternate route when I get closer, thanks coolieman. And you're right about the gas nozzle not fitting, of course, i guess filling diesel has become so second nature to me that I forgot about that little safety feature.

We're about to set off on our journey now, I'll let everyone know how the not so new diesel performed on its long overdue first trip. Thanks again!

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by maswastage

I'll have to check out that alternate route when I get closer, thanks coolieman. And you're right about the gas nozzle not fitting, of course, i guess filling diesel has become so second nature to me that I forgot about that little safety feature.

We're about to set off on our journey now, I'll let everyone know how the not so new diesel performed on its long overdue first trip. Thanks again!

Isn't it the other way around? Diesel nozzles are bigger and won't fit in a gas filler, but gas nozzles will surely fit in a diesel? I'd go out and look, but I sold my most recent diesel last weekend!

Pretty sure all the diesel pumps I have used on the NJT are off by themselves though.

And DC to NYC area is a long trip???

[chumpion]

[QUOTE=Coolieman1220;11152073]Ok I see where you're going. If thats the case my best way to go, instead of getting on the Garden Staten Parkway, it may be easier to take the NJTP to I-80 West, take that to Rt17 which will take you to I-287 which will get you to Suffern. I take this way all the time when I'm going skiing upstate. Sometimes I can take the Garden State Parkway but it's eh.



Just take the turnpike to 287 north as I mentioned above. Get gas in Booton where it is cheap (exit 45).

[Coolieman1220]

Originally Posted by chumpion

Just take the turnpike to 287 north as I mentioned above. Get gas in Booton where it is cheap (exit 45).

Why would you tell him to drive around and a further distance? That makes absolutely no sense. Gas in Jersey on a whole is cheap.

It's longer to take 287, the Turnpike to rt17 is MUCH more direct.

Originally Posted by krhodes1

Isn't it the other way around? Diesel nozzles are bigger and won't fit in a gas filler, but gas nozzles will surely fit in a diesel? I'd go out and look, but I sold my most recent diesel last weekend!

Pretty sure all the diesel pumps I have used on the NJT are off by themselves though.

And DC to NYC area is a long trip???

I think gas is 21mm, car diesel is 24mm and truck is 27mm. I could be wrong.

If a gas nozzle is inserted to a diesel, it wont work because it is designed to have a knob pushed in order to flow.

[maswastage]

Post trip report: the D performed admirably, especially given the absolutely frigid temperatures I asked it to operate in. On the way up we cruised at a steady 80 mph in -9 degrees Celsius, and even with the high speed and cold, sense aid, the average mpg was a pump-verified 36 (the trip computer read 34.5). On the way back the temperature was a comparatively mild but still quite cold 3 degrees, and denser traffic meant we averaged "only" 65 mph. At the end of the return trip, the computer read 37.9 mpg. I haven't filled up yet to pump-verify but given the computer's estimate, my guess is we actually averaged 40 mpg.

All in all, it was a good weekend trip. As far as the car is concerned, I was left more impressed than ever with the diesel's ability to haul ass and return spectacular fuel mileage all at the same time.

[chromisdesigns]

Originally Posted by Coolieman1220

I think gas is 21mm, car diesel is 24mm and truck is 27mm. I could be wrong.

If a gas nozzle is inserted to a diesel, it wont work because it is designed to have a knob pushed in order to flow.

Then how do you explain being able to fill a jerry can from the gas pump?

I think it would be quite easy to fill a diesel tank with gas if someone is not paying attention. Not the other way, obviously.