SGF-ELP
 

Planning on going to El-Paso and found that I can drive (rental) or fly based around the same price. (flying requires a rental once I land) lodging is required regardless of type of trip took.

Would you reccomend flying or driving? I was thinking of driving just because I can plan a trip to stop at various sites in New Mexico and Texas. Based on driving, is there any reccomended stops? The drive I planned would be to drive threw NM and then down to El-Paso.

Since its flyertalk, naturally I'd fly but either way if you have a car once you get to ELP, I really like Mesilla NM around 40 miles away as it has a time warp old town area:
http://www.oldmesilla.org/index.html

Back to flying, If my work is buying I go from SGF on UA for the miles but if I was paying I'd compare the $ for Southwest from TUL.

Apples to oranges

$200+ depending on a ding fare
$100 for minimum 3 day rental in ELP

lodging is required regardless of travel mode decided
fuel is avoidable

1 week rental is $200 and allows the freedom to go wherever. With the addition of the usaa rate and a $30 coupon gives me the rental for under $180 including taxes.

This is a leisure trip so the flight from SGF is not even close to an option.
MCI would have been but now that is is a week away, the fares have started there steady climb.