Quick drive to San Diego--best route?

[miataspeedracer]

So I just signed up to co-drive a friend's Miata from Dallas to Carlsbad/San Diego. There won't be "much" time for sight-seeing. Google Maps is showing me two primary routes:

Northern route through Amarillo, Albuquerque and Flagstaff via I-40
Southern route through Midland, Las Cruces, Tuscon, and Phoenix via I-20 and I-10.

Time/distance estimates are close enough to call it a wash. Any input on which would be the better/more scenic option, and why?

[trickyrix]

I've driven both out to SoCal, and I prefer the 20-10 route. You can fly through TX - especially once the speed limit bumps up to 85 somewhere west of Midland-Odessa. The only thing 40 has going for it is a nice little stretch of Route 66 in Arizona. Other than that, it's a pretty crappy drive - especially once you realize you have to go through Needles, CA. Also, the drive up 287 to Amarillo beats me to death every time I drive it because it's such a bumpy-ass road. Lots of small towns and stops, but nothing to see.

So, yeah... 20-10 is my preference.

[Trendie]

Southern route gets my vote as well. More possible stops, But you also have to go through El Paso on the southern route...
But there was a valley we drove through that was littered with a bunch of massive dust devils. Those things were cool!

I wish you the best of luck.

[Titus]

I just got back last week from driving from CA to TX... We caught I-40 in Kingman, AZ and stayed on it for over 500 miles before heading south to Roswell. There were SEVERAL sections of slow going as they were repaving several sections between FLagstaff and Albuquerque. I was pretty frustrated and suspect it added almost an hour to our travel time.

[redmenace]

North, because of this option:
US287 to I-40 through Wichita Falls & Amarillo to ABQ. From ABQ, take I-25 south to US60 toward Phoenix. At Show Low you can either stay on 60 through Globe, or take 260 through Tonto NF (add 1hr for this option).

[OZMDD]

Southern route hands down. I've done it twice in the last 3 years, and it can be done in under 24 he's if you are ambitious. Las Cruces has good hotels that are reasonable, and it is exactly half-way.

[Trendie]

Oh god I forgot that the northern route is littered with construction. I recall driving 30-40 mph in several sections.

[miataspeedracer]

Thanks for the advice, gents. Sounds like the southern route is the ticket.

[miataspeedracer]

Bringing this back, since the trip is a few days away...

The goal is make it to El Paso the first day, catch a few hours of sleep, and make the El Paso-SD leg the second day. We're definitely taking the southern route, but I'm wondering if anyone has taken I-10 into Casa Grande, and then split off onto I-8 for the rest of the trip through Yuma and into San Diego?

Also, what kind of gas mileage can I expect out of a 2003 at 75-80 mph? 25-28-ish? There ain't much between Odessa and El Paso...

[trickyrix]

Once you get west of Odessa, you can stop for gas in Van Horn. In my '94, I think I was able to get 26-30 while cruising between 75 and 80.

[SirHustlerEsq]

Do yourself a favor and go further than El Paso, stay in Ruidoso or Cloudcroft. Let me know what you pick and I'll tell you where to eat. The drive from Roswell to Alamogordo (take Tularosa Canyon Rd to Apache to Cloudcroft0 is one of the most beautiful drives I've made. It's worth it for the pinon in the air and you get to see where some of Indiana Jones - The Last Crusade was shot.

Expect 23-26mpg at the most at those speeds, probably lower with a 3.90/sixer. I usually go triple digits from Snyder to Roswell, there is NOTHING there, do that part during the day.

[miataspeedracer]

Do yourself a favor and go further than El Paso, stay in Ruidoso or Cloudcroft. Let me know what you pick and I'll tell you where to eat. The drive from Roswell to Alamogordo (take Tularosa Canyon Rd to Apache to Cloudcroft0 is one of the most beautiful drives I've made. It's worth it for the pinon in the air and you get to see where some of Indiana Jones - The Last Crusade was shot.

Expect 23-26mpg at the most at those speeds, probably lower with a 3.90/sixer. I usually go triple digits from Snyder to Roswell, there is NOTHING there, do that part during the day.

We won't be leaving until 2 or 3 on Saturday, so El Paso will be pushing it. And sadly, I don't think we'll have time for any scenic by-passes.

[SirHustlerEsq]

We won't be leaving until 2 or 3 on Saturday, so El Paso will be pushing it. And sadly, I don't think we'll have time for any scenic by-passes.

Too much homo shit going on to stop?

[miataspeedracer]

Too much homo shit going on to stop?

YOU'RE the one going on about pinon smells and pretty vistas...

[tailchaser]

Also, what kind of gas mileage can I expect out of a 2003 at 75-80 mph? 25-28-ish? There ain't much between Odessa and El Paso...

My '02 did 30+ at 75-80 carrying way too much weight... Maybe I was getting ground effects...

[SirHustlerEsq]

YOU'RE the one going on about pinon smells and pretty vistas...

I like to show-off my pinon.

[tailchaser]

I like to show-off my pinon.

If you had a Mac, it'd be easier to show off your piñon properly...

[Trendie]

From what I saw when driving through El Paso... I'd say go past El Paso and sleep somewhere else. You can see frikkin shanty towns right across the border and the whole place seemed pretty sketchy.
Although there is apparently a pretty bitchin taco shack somewhere in El Paso, in which it was described to me as, "the only reason i would go back to El Paso is for the tacos" by two different people who have never met each other.

[Nails]

I bump up my cold tire pressure to mid 30's for highway trips w/o rain and get a few more mpg.

[SirHustlerEsq]

If you had a Mac, it'd be easier to show off your piñon properly...

Unfriend.