There are some folks saying they fill their tank when it gets to half empty. That means filling every one or two trips for those of us who drive moderate distances, for most cars. E.g. my Civic has about 350 mile range (10.6 gal tank, 35 mpg). The Insight hybrid has the same 10.6 gal tank but gets about 70 mpg so it can go 700 miles which gets you a lot further out of Dodge if no gas is available. Plus it's "greener", etc.

There's also the idea of a secondary vehicle, that you might have anyway, like a trail bike, mountain bike, minivan, camper, or whatever. Or if you already happen to drive a 4x4 or pickup, maybe you want a trailer for it as some have described. Or if you're shopping for a pickup, maybe you want to choose one with towing capacity.

I'm a part owner of a dilapidated cargo minivan acquired for moving computer equipment around but in fact almost never used. I'm imagining setting it up as a camper for recreational purposes but that could come in handy in all sorts of situations.