You're correct. I did think about that. I did check the weather - the only real hazard was fog and we mostly avoided driving during the early morning. As far as wear and tear - decided that we needed a bigger, more comfortable vehicle than any in the garage for this trip, so we rented one; presumably, the wear and tear is covered in the price. Still cheaper than flying, and faster than Amtrak. HSR, as noted, might be a different story (many variable still) if it were available, but it's not.