(MONEY Magazine) – If you are like many Americans, you're probably spending more time than ever in your car. For instance, the Federal Highway Administration reports that the average auto commute in the 10 biggest metro areas increased 6% from 1980 to 1990, to 25.4 minutes. Moreover, a record 184 million Americans will drive to their summer vacation spots this year -- 9 million more than in 1993. At the same time, your little cream puff is probably more rattle-prone today. The typical auto on the road is now 7.3 years old, up from 6.5 a decade ago. When $ you put these facts together, you can easily see why it makes more sense than ever to join an auto club that provides emergency roadside assistance. Fortunately, thanks to fierce competition among the 17 national clubs that now compete with the venerable 36-million-member American Automobile Association (AAA), there has never been a better time to sign up. The eight biggest U.S. clubs all offer similar roadside services for basic annual membership fees of $22 to $60. Among other tasks, they'll fix flats, jump-start engines and deliver gasoline to stranded motorists. For an extra $6 to $25 a year, you can get a so-called premium or deluxe membership, which entitles you to such enhanced coverage as extra trip-interruption insurance. What's new, though, is that today's intense competition among clubs means that even many basic memberships now come with additional goodies -- such as 10% to 50% discounts on everything from hotel rooms to prescription drugs. In light of the stepped-up rivalry, Money sought to find out which of the eight biggest national clubs that accept individual memberships -- AAA, Allstate, Amoco, Montgomery Ward, Cross Country, Exxon, Road America and Chevron -- provides the best overall value. To decide, we carefully reviewed each club's basic offerings and fees and spot-checked the clubs' trip-routing services. Specifically, we asked each for driving directions on a 976-mile test route from Marietta, Ga. to Lampassas, Texas. The winner of our coveted three-tow-truck award for best auto club value: 600,000-member Exxon, which edged 2 1/2-truck AAA because it offers the greatest number of contracted emergency service providers plus generous family coverage for a reasonable $39 annual fee. (AAA's basic dues vary widely among its 127 affiliated clubs -- up to $55 in Hamden, Conn. and $45 in New York, for example -- plus a one-time initiation fee averaging $12.) Amoco, Cross Country and Montgomery Ward came next with two-tow-truck grades, followed by Allstate and Road America with 1 1/2. Bringing up the rear with one truck: Chevron, principally because it offers less convenient road service.

While signing up with the top-rated club can give you basic peace of mind, it may not be the best move you can make. In many instances, you may be better off going with a lower-rated club whose individual services may be of greater utility to you. Here's how to make the wisest choice: If you own a car that's more than three years old, focus first on the club's road services. Most large clubs contract with towing garages that then dispatch their crews for free when you call the club's hotlines. The best plans, offered by all of the big eight except Chevron, allow you to use either the contracted service or another of your choice. However, if you opt for the latter, you must pay up front and you'll get reimbursed only up to a preset limit, usually $30 to $80 per incident for basic memberships. Chevron has no contracted service providers, which is especially problematic when you're in an unfamiliar area. If you have a family with several licensed motorists, pick a club that charges the least to cover extra drivers. Best bet: Exxon, whose basic $39 membership fee extends to spouses and kids up to age 19 as well as to unmarried domestic partners. While most clubs include your spouse in their basic fee, they usually add $12 to $20 a year for each extra family member. If you take long car trips in unfamiliar areas, pick a club with a superior trip-routing service (free with all memberships). When Money asked each club for directions on our Georgia-to-Texas test route, Allstate sent the best information: detailed computer-enhanced maps with exact driving times, bound for easy reference. Amoco, however, sent only two pages of written directions and a regular map highlighted with a marker -- something you could easily do yourself.

If you worry about losing your keys or locking them in your car, go for one of the clubs with a generous lockout plan. The best: Amoco, Exxon and Cross Country, which pay for a locksmith to get you in your car as well as your home, if you've lost those keys too. If you're concerned about accidents, choose Allstate, Chevron, Cross Country, Montgomery Ward or Road America: Their basic memberships include free trip-interruption insurance. It reimburses you for expenses such as meals, lodging and transportation that you incur if your car is disabled in an accident and you're at least 100 to 150 miles from home. Montgomery Ward's $1,000 ceiling is the most generous. If you're a bargain hound, examine the club's discounts at hotels, restaurants and other establishments. Among the best: AAA, whose year-old discount card gives you 10% to 40% off at 45,000 merchant outlets nationwide. AAA and Exxon offer discounts of up to 50% at the widest variety of major hotel chains, including Hyatt (AAA) and Ramada (Exxon). Finally, if you frequently drive outside North America, grab AAA. They're ( the only one to provide contracted free roadfrom Argentina to South Africa. Of course, if you try driving that route, you'll need more than AAA's help.

CHART: NOT AVAILABLE CREDIT: NO CREDIT CAPTION: AND THE THREE-TOW-TRUCK AWARD GOES TO... . . . $39-a-year Exxon, which we rated best value among the nation's eight largest automobile clubs. None were judged unacceptable. Key: three trucks (excellent), two (good), one (fair)