The great American roadtrip is still alive and well in the modern age. The freedom of discovering a wide stretch of tarmac is like the opening of a thousand doors, with new possibilities peaking around every bend. Whether you’re heading for one place in particular, or just roaming for the sake of travel, everyone should take a good, long road trip->ke3843 at least once in his or her lifetime.

However, there are certainly more than a few things to consider before getting on the highway. Travel by car means flexibility in terms of where you go and what schedule you follow, but it also means all the responsibility of making sure you actually get there rests firmly on your shoulders.

Part of the preparation involves choosing what car to take, including the possibility of travel by rental. This infographic from Toyota->ke88 takes you through that decision process by outlining some of the most important aspects of picking the right ride. You’ll definitely want something that is reliable, comfortable, and easy on the gas budget, and the infographic comes with some very useful tips to consider.

While the infographic is quite useful, I’d say it’s not totally comprehensive. I recently completed an epic, cross-country road trip from Los Angeles to New York in my own Subaru->ke86 WRX->ke4657, and from this experience, I’d venture there’s at least one additional consideration to make, which is this: what car do you WANT to take? For my trip, a rental might have been more comfortable and fuel efficient, but there’s something special about driving your own personal car all those miles. It’s one more unique aspect to add to the car's character, and when I look back at that roadtrip, I’ll remember seeing the country over the burble of a flat-four boxer engine and a blue hood scoop, and to me, that means far more than a few extra dollars saved on gas.

Click past the jump to read the entire infographic

Infographic