# What Uber XL car do I buy?



## mileena (Feb 24, 2018)

Sorry this is such a long post. I am brand new to Uber and am so excited in my new job role!

Facts:

1. I am disabled and haven't worked since 1993. I only make $848 a month.

2. I never ever considered Uber or Lyft, since I didn't want to put the wear and tear on my personal car.

3. My current 2007 Toyota Sienna is on its last legs at 281,000 miles, but I have about $35,000 to spend on a new car. I was planning on getting a 7-seater Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey minivan.

4. My friend who is in federal prison now for 5 years for tax fraud drove Lyft during the two years of his (pre-)trial and made a good living that way, so that inspired me.

Then today happened:

I rode in an Uber today for the first time ever. My driver was a senior citizen who drives for both Uber and Lyft part-time in Carson City, NV. He convinced me to become an Uber driver (he actually said do Lyft since they pay their drivers more and charge their riders less, but whatever). He said some of their drivers make a 6-figure salary a year. He said if you work 40 hours a week you can easily pull in $4,000 a month, before Uber takes their 28% cut and before mileage expenses. You make $1.75 a mile plus tips. He says Uber and Lyft also insure you, so you don't have to worry about. If you cause an accident, Uber will pay for your car and the other party too.

He said he gets lots of business around the Lake Tahoe casino and ski areas. And some people get drunk and even leave you huge tips. A $25 tip is not uncommon. Bringing people to the Reno airport is also huge business. But avoid night times when the drunks and college kids are out and go bar hopping.

Since I am getting a new minivan or SUV anyway, I figured might as well drive for Lyft and Uber part time, at least. I can drive Uber XL. But instead of getting an 7-seater minivan that I planned to buy, I want to get an 8-seater to accommodate parties of 7. This will get me more pings than someone who just has a 7-passenger van or SUV.

This would also allow me to get a better car and to drive a new car every 4 years. Uber customers expect the best; they expect things like power sliding doors and power liftgates that a higher trim affords, so I have to get them. Uber will probably be more pleased with that too and steer more business my way??????

Also, here is how I calculate things: let's say I drive an extra 15,000 miles per year for 4 years. That's 60,000 extra miles. And say I deduct $0.60 per mile for my car depreciation (plus insurance) from what Uber and Lyft pay me . That comes to $36,000 in 4 years, and I can buy a new car with that then, as well as sell my old car for a profit, or keep it as an extra. And anything beyond the $0.60 per mile is net profit or income for me. I have to deduct more than the IRS allows for car mileage, since I have an expensive $35,000 car, and of course that costs more than what the IRS allows. A minivan or SUV will be able to deduct more than an hatchback.

I believe I can choose any operating cost I want to deduct for mileage. So if I wanted a new car every two years, I just have to claim $1.20 per mile for costs instead of $0.60 then. Anyway, it's probably not good idea to drive a TNC car past 100,000 miles or so, so Uber drivers have to get a new car anyway. It would be embarrassing if your car died while a fare was in the car. I think 100,000 miles is a good limit, although even that is risky. 60,000 is better, right when your powertrain warranty goes.

I like the idea of driving a new car with all the bells and whistles ever 2 or 4 years. And Uber is making this possible.

I also need to save gas. Is there a hybrid, 6-cylinder, 8-passenger AWD minivan that is a Toyota or Honda for $35,000 or so? I want those two makes because they are reliable. I have driven a Sienna for the past 11 years and love it! I won't drive a disgusting Mopar Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivan than JD Powers just rated as the worst in reliability (tied with Fiat).

Or should I keep my personal and business life separate, by having one car for Uber, and one car for personal use? Or do I just rent a car from Hertz on a monthly basis to drive Uber? Also, if there is an insurance claim while I am doing TNC, I don't want my insurance company to know about it. I only pay $375 a year now for full-coverage through Liberty Mutual.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

He's selling you down the river for a referral payout.

First hit free / have you considered a glamorous career in escorting lol

Sort of like friendly well-dressed gentlemen offering random Moldovan 18yos jobs as "nannies" or "berry pickers" in Buenos Aires

PS your car is PERFECT for fuber....2007 sienna with almost 300k odomiles is no-not-kidding the ULTIMATE uber starter vehicle (long as your market allows 2007)

Keep the $35k for a car for yourself later once that thing passes on to Valhalla


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## Aerodrifting (Aug 13, 2017)

mileena said:


> This would also allow me to get a better car and to drive a new car every 4 years. Uber customers expect the best; they expect things like power sliding doors and power liftgates that a higher trim affords, so I have to get them. Uber will probably be more pleased with that too and steer more business my way??????


I wonder if the OP is just trolling us.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

Aerodrifting said:


> I wonder if the OP is just trolling us.


TL/DR can't say lol


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

I'd just drive your mini van into the ground , it's the perfect Uber/Lyft car


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## mileena (Feb 24, 2018)

Hi, thanks for your answer. My car has severe body damage (still drives though) and is missing the two middle seats. It also overheats and needs $7,000 in mechanical repairs. Thus, I am buying a new one. Do I buy an 8-passenger minivan or an AWD 8-passenger SUV with ski rack, the latter of which will allow me to to UberSKI, and get paid an extra $8 per trip?


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

8 bucks aint worth the hassle


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## mileena (Feb 24, 2018)

Thanks Adieu. I liked the idea of having AWD, but I guess you are right.


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

Nobody ever orders UberSki either they almost always just order XL when they have skis or boards or they order X and I turn them down 

Also the Lyft and Uber are really about the same price for PAX (lyft tends to surge more than Uber in my Market ) also the only benefit on pay Lyft vs Uber is that you'll only be paying 25% on Plus/XL rides compared to 28% on Uber but that's not a huge deal .

I have a question for you is this car going to be primarily for Uber and are you planning on doing Uber full time for over 18 months ? 

If this is going to be your primary Uber car buy the cheapest car that qualifies for every platform including Lyft Lux SUV . They can be had used for as low as $10k if you look for a bit 

If you're not sure or are going to do it part time you should just buy a car that you actually want , you don't want to buy a car that's perfect for Uber and then decide 6-12 months down the road that you don't want to do Uber anymore and now you have to sell it or live with a car you don't really want


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## mileena (Feb 24, 2018)

Thanks so much UberDezNutZ!

The problem is I don't want want a used car for my personal car, and I can't afford a new luxury SUV for Uber Black. I would only get a new car if I would be guaranteed a new car in the $35,000-$40,000 range every two years.

I think I need to try this first to see if I like it. Now that I think of it, I wouldn't want to put the miles on my own personal vehicle, absent any income guarantees from Uber. I would have to have a second car to use for rideshare. Maybe pay for my new personal vehicle in cash and then take out a loan for a another car. I don't know. I mean I want to rideshare, but I am worried now using my own vehicle, for mileage and insurance reasons. I don't feel like having my personal car in a shop for a month from an accident that Uber is delaying payment for, all while I am paying for a rental car.


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## Aerodrifting (Aug 13, 2017)

UberDezNutz said:


> If this is going to be your primary Uber car buy the cheapest car that qualifies for every platform including Lyft Lux SUV . They can be had used for as low as $10k if you look for a bit


Mind sharing what model would that be? 

I am getting tired of my old beater so I am in the market for a "new" vehicle, Something bigger and more comfortable (Hopefully reliable and cheap to maintain as well, With a decent safety rating, But I understand you can not get everything so I am willing to make compromises).

I do Uber part time so I won't drive it to the ground, It will be split between Uber and my personal use.


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

So your market might be different but for most markets these vehicles can be had under $15k they need to be at least a 2011 for Lyft Lux so you might wanna spring for a 12 so you'll get 2 years , select is what's going to be market specific 

Volvo XC90 (3.2 V6 stay away from the V8 model ) 

Acura MDX (Make sure to get one that doesn't have the electronic suspension it breaks and is an expensive repair)

Buick Enclave (these are based on the GMC Acadia and are nice but have high transmission failure rates, the headlight bulbs fail a lot to which wouldn't be a big deal but from my understanding you have to remove the bumper to replace)

Lincoln MKT (my favorite on this list mainly because it was built for this type of work in mind)

Lincoln Navigator (Based on the Expedition awesome car but probably the worst for mpg on the list)

Anything Based on the Chevy Tahoe/Suburban but get the 5.3L engine it cuts down to 4 cyl when on the highway for gas savings just make sure to keep up on oil changes as the eco mode can cause engine failure if not maintained properly but I'd say this is the most reliable of the vehilces on this list 

If you can go to $20k you can get a Mercedes Benz GL350 diesel (the gl450 and 550 gas mileage is just too terrible for rideshare )do a couple of emission and exhaust modifications and get 30mpg in a full size SUV (watch for turbo seal leaks on these )


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## Skepticaldriver (Mar 5, 2017)

i cant take op seriously


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

mileena said:


> Sorry this is such a long post. I am brand new to Uber and am so excited in my new job role!
> 
> Facts:
> 
> ...


Right model wrong vintage.

The sienna are a good car but you need to get little older than brand new,

I would look at the 2010-2012 age range and buy used. 1/3 the price and it will last half as long...

that's a huge savings.

Personally i would look in the 50,000-75,000 mile range and 2010-2012 vintage

DO NOT get into the car rental/lease programs through uber/lyft. They will sink in most markets across the US.


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## JTTwentySeven (Jul 13, 2017)

$848 a month for income, but can afford at $35,000 car.
As a money guy, I'm not seeing how this adds up.

Also, you will not make $1,000 a week driving 40 hours. For every SUV request, you'll get 5 to 10 regular requests where pay is substantially lower.


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## corniilius (Jan 27, 2017)

Used Grand caravan for around 10 grand. At least, that's what I'm looking at. Payments will be around $200 a month.


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

How cute. He thinks he'll make $52,000 a year driving 15,000 miles.

So what was that drivers referral code? He aint selling thinga that hard unless hes getting a referral bonus! Lol


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## Skepticaldriver (Mar 5, 2017)

Op is trolling everyone so hard.


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## carlm21 (Mar 3, 2018)

woahh that is something else


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

Well with that budget you should get an used Infiniti qx60, Acura mdx or Lincoln mkt so you qualify for all platforms. To spend that much money on am xl vehicle To do uber is foolish.

That being said you need to be able to afford the car without uber.


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## Whistler (Jul 5, 2016)

If this is a serious post ... try it first. 

Do 100 trips and see if you make the money you think you'll make. Your crappy old Sienna is fine for Uber already, and you can't depreciate it anymore anyway.


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## ShinyAndChrome (Aug 18, 2017)

mileena said:


> He said some of their drivers make a 6-figure salary a year. He said if you work 40 hours a week you can easily pull in $4,000 a month, before Uber takes their 28% cut and before mileage expenses. You make $1.75 a mile plus tips. He says Uber and Lyft also insure you, so you don't have to worry about.


The only way to make this money driving uber is either by selling drugs out of the car or turning tricks to your guests. He was talking out of his ass.


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## Hugo (Oct 13, 2015)

ShinyAndChrome said:


> < . . . > He was talking out of his ass.


That takes practice.


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## Tom Harding (Sep 26, 2016)

mileena said:


> Sorry this is such a long post. I am brand new to Uber and am so excited in my new job role!
> 
> Facts:
> 
> ...


1. Never buy a new vehicle for UBer/Lyft. A 3 to 5 year old with less than 35,000 is perfect
2. Dodge Grand Caravan or similar to yours is OK. Don't pay more thaan $15,000 in any case. The cheaper the better
I have a 2015 Ford Transit Connect XLT Wagon. No power anything except windows. Got it when it had 35K (for $16K),now it has 105K and is still moving well. I'll keep it until it has over 200K
You'll probably drive close to 60K a year, so the car should last 4 years at least. Just do all the required maintenance. You'll probably go through one set of tires a year. Don't skimp of maintenance. I take mine to the dealership to make sure it is taken care of properly.
Get commercial (ride share insurance). Costs about the same as regular insurance and covers you when you are out, but have no rider.
The Uber/Lyft rates don't warrant a new vehicle, considering it looses 20% of the value when you drive it off the dealer's lot.
Depreciate your car over 4 years and keep it for 4 years.
Very few Uber/Lyft drivers, full time, make that $100K a year. Unless they're driving a $60K to $70 vehicle and have a chauffuers license and are Uber Black, SUV or Lyft premium.
A new 8 seater, hybrid, from what I seen at the Chicago Auto Show last month will cost more than $45,000.


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