Last fall I had to make a last minute trip to the midwest and was left renting a car and driving, then had to drive all day thanksgiving to make it back for the weekend. Needless to say, I experienced many cups of coffee on the round trip. Since I live in Boston and have options for real food and real cafes, I never go to McDonald's or Starbucks, in fact this trip was my first time ever at a starbucks (as a 3 cup-a-day quaffer who seeks out cafes constantly, this was a distinction I was sad to lose). I've had their coffee other places, it's unavoidable, but never the "real" thing. Well anyway suffice to say I wasn't really excited for either, but it was more promising then the other coffee in the rest stops. I went into both with equally low expectations, and really McDonald's surprised me. It was remarkably good. I'm not about to stop going to Flamepoeira or Cafe Paradiso, but for highway coffee it was great. Better balanced than the Starbucks, which tasted like they threw cinders in it. Over roasted to mask poor coffee I'm guessing, people think darker coffee is inherently better quality for some reason. Anyway, at half the price of a cup at starbucks, next time I'm fungwah-ing it or driving I'm definitely choosing McD's over starbucks