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Toronto Star
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- Toronto Star
Trump sparks a surge in homegrown road trips. Here's where to look for savings on your next adventure
U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff war is even affecting a great Canadian summer ritual — the road trip. According to a recent survey by the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada, 51 per cent of drivers have recently cancelled their road trips to the U.S., with a whopping 88 per cent looking to explore Canada by car this summer. Having lived in four different cities across Canada, Jessica Robinson, a content marketer based in Toronto, has taken her fair share of road trips — long and short — and picked up tips for saving money along the way. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'You tend to be a little bit more budget-conscious on a longer road trip than on a shorter one,' says Robinson, whose longest trip has been from Toronto to Halifax and back. The car itself is the biggest expense. Robinson has rented, borrowed and even used a car-share service for her journeys. The price of a rental depends on several factors, including the pickup and drop-off locations, the type (gas, hybrid or electric) and size of the vehicle and the car rental supplier. Personal Finance Breaking your mortgage to land a better interest rate ahead of renewal? Be prepared to pay up Refinancing your mortgage can include securing a lower rate with a different lender, changing According to Kayak, you can expect to pay an average of $78 to $115 per day, depending on how big — and nice — a vehicle you end up renting. Travel services sites like Kayak let you set price alerts on car rentals for the dates you plan to hit the road so that you can score the best deal. The next largest expense is fuel. Calculate the distance of your trip in kilometres to figure out just how much fuel you'll need for the trip. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Loyalty programs like Shell Fuel Rewards or Petro-Points can also help you stretch a buck on filling up through discounts and rewards that can be redeemed later on — or right at the pump. Shell, for instance, offers per-litre discounts for both CAA and Air Miles users. Using both cards can cut five cents a litre at the pump. It may not seem like a lot, but over a several-thousand-kilometre adventure, the savings can add up. Personal Finance My company offers a deferred profit-sharing plan. How does it differ from my group RRSP? There are many differences between a DPSP and an RRSP, experts says, not the least of which is Trip calculators, like the one from GasBuddy, can estimate how money you'll spend on fuel on the trip. 'See if there are opportunities to get car rental deals through your loyalty programs that might be affiliated with your credit cards, CAA memberships or even your Costco card,' says Jackie Porter, certified financial planner at Carte Wealth Management in Mississauga. Some credit cards offer additional discounts and insurance coverage options for car rentals. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW For instance, the American Express Cobalt, Scotiabank Gold American Express and TD Cash Back Visa Infinite cards offer some type of rental car coverage. Scotiabank Scene+ Visa offers up to 25 per cent off base rates at select Avis and Budget, while the RBC Avion Visa Platinum and RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege offer discounted base rates at participating Hertz locations. Personal Finance Amid U.S. tariff storms, you really need a rainy-day fund. Here's where to park your money Experts says keeping emergency cash liquid is crucial, in an account that earns at least some Porter recommends budgeting for a road trip in a savings account so 'even if you use your cards to give you more points, the money is there when you come back from that trip to pay that bill.' Budgeting for souvenirs and snacks sometimes goes overlooked, points out Robinson. You might tell yourself you won't make a pit stop on the road, she says, 'but when it's three o'clock, you've been driving for five hours and you're a little bit tired, you're going to pull over and get that next coffee.'
Hamilton Spectator
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hamilton Spectator
Vast majority of Canadian motorists plan on taking summer road trips – but most will avoid the U.S.: survey
TORONTO, May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadians are planning to embrace the open road for summer travel with 82 per cent of motorists planning a day or overnight trip. However, the vast majority of drivers are choosing to stay in Canada and avoiding travel to the U.S., according to a new Probe Research survey for the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC; ). U.S. road trips decline as Canadians decide to stay close to home Gauging interest in cross-border and inter-provincial road trips, the survey results reveal that 88 per cent of Canadians would rather take road trips within Canada than venture to the U.S., and only 8 per cent plan to cross the border as of the time of the survey. Fifty-one per cent of drivers cancelled road trips to the U.S. they had planned for this year. Within Canada, 69 per cent plan to take a road trip within their province, while 28 per cent will drive to another part of the country. Tire Maintenance: An important and often overlooked road trip element TRAC's survey also gauged insights into drivers' attitudes and knowledge around proper tire maintenance which is crucial to road safety. It prevents blowouts, enhances fuel efficiency, extends tire lifespan, improves vehicle handling for better control, and saves money by avoiding unnecessary repairs and replacements. Driver disconnect between tire maintenance intention and practice The survey highlights the disconnect between drivers' awareness of the importance of tire maintenance and their actions. The majority (89 per cent) of Canadian drivers agree that proper tire inflation and maintenance are more beneficial than ever, particularly given current financial pressures, as it improves fuel economy and increases tire longevity. However, this essential practice often goes overlooked and many drivers lack the knowhow about proper tire maintenance, including determining the correct tire pressure for their vehicle, and the right time and right interval for checking tire pressure. 'Our findings reveal that Canadian drivers need more education about how to do tire maintenance right. This is especially true among younger drivers, who may be taking a road trip for the first time this summer,' says Carol Hochu, CEO of the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada. 'Proper tire inflation and maintenance aren't just safety measures – they're economic ones. Improper tire inflation – both underinflation and overinflation – increases fuel consumption, shortens tire lifespan, and even increases the risk of tire failure on poorly maintained tires during long road trips. So, while Canadians are staying on Canadian roads this summer, they should check their tires before embarking on a road trip adventure. It's simple, easy, and helps keep drivers safe.' Key geographic road trip findings Key tire maintenance knowhow findings Despite high awareness of the importance of proper tire inflation, the survey found major – and potentially dangerous – gaps in knowledge about how to measure and set the correct tire inflation level, particularly among younger drivers. $490 million wasted on fuel According to Statistics Canada, in 2019 Canadians purchased 43 billion litres of gasoline. With a 0.6 per cent gas mileage improvement resulting from proper tire inflation, drivers would have avoided having to buy 258 million litres of gasoline and saved about $490 million. Saving this much gasoline would also avoid the release of 593,000 metric tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, which equals the emissions of 125,000 vehicles in a year. (Based on $1.90 per litre fuel cost between January and April 2022, and one litre of gasoline producing 2.3 kilograms of CO2). Impact of tire pressure on fuel economy Industry studies show motorists can improve their gas mileage by 0.6 per cent on average – up to 3 per cent in some cases – simply by keeping their tires inflated to the vehicle manufacturer's recommended pressure. Additionally, underinflated tires can lower gas mileage by about 0.2 per cent for each one PSI drop in the average pressure of all tires. Driving a vehicle with just one tire underinflated by 56 kPa (8 PSI) can increase vehicle fuel consumption by 4 per cent. Learn more about how drivers can maximize the safety, performance, and longevity of their tires by visiting TRAC's YouTube channel: . Four easy steps to measure tire pressure correctly: Step One Find the recommended inflation pressure for your tires on the vehicle placard, which is commonly located on the driver's door jamb. If you can't find it, check the owner's manual for its location. Step Two Remember to only measure pressure when the tires are cold. If you have been driving more than two kilometers, wait three hours before measuring. Step Three Use a tire gauge when measuring pressure. Remove the cap from the valve stem, press the tire gauge onto the valve and take the pressure reading. Step Four Add air until the recommended air pressure is achieved. If you overfill the tire, release air by pushing on the metal stem in the centre of the valve, then re-check the pressure. Survey methodology An online survey of 1,000 Canadian drivers was completed between April 14 and 21, 2025, using a national online panel. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/-3.1%, 19 times out of 20. About the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada The Tire and Rubber Association of Canada ( is the national trade association representing tire makers, rubber products manufacturers and importers as well as rubber recyclers and suppliers of goods and services related to the industry. TRAC helps shape public policy that supports tire and rubber industry innovation, performance, safety, and sustainability including end-of-life tire management. Media Contact Michelle Magee Senior Consultant, Xposure PR michelle@
