Gas for returning the rental car?

We will be in Las Vegas (Delano) for two weeks in July. We will have a rental car for two weeks and I have some questions regarding gas:

-how can I find out at which gas station, gas is cheapest? Preferably in the Delano vicinity.
-when I will return the car, I will have to bring it back with a full tank. What is the nearest gas station to 7135 Gilespie St, the rental car center. I did find one at 220 E Warm Springs Rd. But maybe there are others.
-what is a reasonable fee to pay upfront to the rental company so I won't have to fill up the car before returning it?

 

Googlemaps can do all the nearest gas stations with prices, and even directions. When returning a rental, it has to be full in the sense the gauge is on 'F." Cars are good 15-25 miles on "F" after fill up. So pick a station that is convenient, but its doesn't necessarily have to be the exact closest.

Rental car companies do with half or full tank pre paid refills. The call it the "fuel service option." In all my travels for work I've rarely optioned for it as I usually consume less than half a tank and you don't get a refund on the fee if you need less.

 

Gas buddy helps with gas prices

 

Yes, pick a station within 5 miles or so and you are fine.
Google maps is really a great way to find just about anything.

Link to Google Maps

 

There is a station right across the street from the rental center. Sixt rental used to be right beside it.
For me convenience is the key! If it’s $.20 more a gallon it’s less than $4 difference for A full fill

 

Yes this is where I always fill up. We usually only use 4 or 5 gallons the whole trip so it's not bad

 

There are a couple of stations on Warm Springs road, on the right (north) as you are heading west toward the rental center, that seem to always have sane prices.

 

I never fill up gas before returning. Car rental places are so busy right now that 50% of the time they don't charge me for gas. In the cases they do, it is uusally around 30 cents more a gallon compared to a gas station. So not worth the effort.

 

That's a gamble. A lot of places I've seen advertise charging 9.99/gallon if you don't prepurchase or return full. Unless something's changed.

 

As of today it looks like the Rebel station at Tropicana and Koval Lane. $5.179 per gallon. Only 2 cents more than Sam's Club and 4 cents more than Costco (they are typically the cheapest) which are several miles away and require a membership.
https://www.gasbuddy.com/gaspricemap?fuel=1&z=13&lat=36.0874969209263&lng=-115.171499395483

 

My favorite and recommended car-rental return experience is to stop at the Jack In The Box out on S. Las Vegas Blvd across from the airport (just south of DeLano) and enjoy one of their "world famous" sausage, egg and cheese biscuit and a strawberry shake. Then in the adjoining lot is a self-serve Chevron, fill-er-up then head just a tad south on LV Blvd past Town Square and the 215 and turn left on Crockett Rd... takes you right into the rental car return. I’ve done this hundreds of times.

BTW... to return a vehicle without filling it up is just stupid, unless you have a contract that allows that, which some do.

 

The past couple of times I've rented Enterprise vehicles (Las Vegas and Columbus) I remember the guy who escorted me to the vehicle asked me to tell him if the fuel gauge showed full or not. It may indeed be the case that at least some agencies are not as diligent in checking and topping off the fuel as they once were.

One thing I like about Enterprise is that there's no pressure to prepay for fuel (or to take out the LDW) as there is with others. (Dollar, I'm talking about YOU!) That fuel prepayment con has to be a total gold mine for them!

 

We use the Gas Buddy app religiously.

When we rent from Fox or Ace, we always are able to find cheap gas a few miles up Blue Diamond Rd.

Years ago we had a problem (unrelated to not having enough time) and I had to return the rental with half a tank... and I was never charged. But I'd rather not do that again.

 

My favorite place to fill up before returning a rental is the Maverick on the SW corner of Bermuda and Warm Springs. Prices seem to be significantly lower than the stations that are just a few hundred yards closer to the rental center.

 

If you are a Costco member their prices are worth the drive to either of the two locations in Henderson.
One is near Sunset Station and the other is close to the M Resort.
They are always the cheapest I've seen in the LV area.

If not, the further you get away from the strip and airport the less it will cost you.

What I always do is fill up at Costco the day before leaving and then top off at the gas station on the corner of Warm Springs and LV blvd which is just a couple of blocks
from the rental return center.

 

Definitely use the Gas Buddy app. Choose the map view to see what's best near-ish the airport.

 

That would be the Sinclair. I use that too

 

I used to be big on Gas Buddy (username: AnnieR) but when they got bought out and took out some of the features I kinda lost interest. IIAC, they are now owned by one of the larger convenience shop chains (Wawa?).

I'm still active on a local board (GBO) which took over some of the forum functions jettisoned by Gas Buddy.

 

"... then head just a tad south on LV Blvd past Town Square and the 215 and turn left on Crockett Rd ..."

Thanks for this tip. It'll come in handy someday.

As far as filling up versus not, it's been my experience that whether the exorbitant rate to refill is charged or not, there's a good chance no fill up was done. I've picked up a number of cars and been told the tank is only, say, 5/8 full, and to turn it in at the same level. Which can be problematic.

 

I use the Chevron at Warm Springs/LVB. Just a creature of habit, but easy in and out. Been using them for years. The only problem is the receipt hardly ever prints, so a trip inside is sometimes needed.