# Tesla p85 vs Mercedes cla230 vs Lexus ct250h



## Driving4nothing (May 4, 2015)

Tesla 68k price 32k miles
Mercedes 37k 2k miles
Lexus CT200h 21k 13k miles

Intent- uber select 
Thoughts/advice appreciated 
I would be especially interested to hear feedback from drivers who actually own these vehicles and or have driven them


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## ARIV005 (Mar 4, 2015)

That Mercedes sounds quite pricey unless it's an AMG. The CLA is tiny. It has 2000 miles? Sounds like a demo everyone test drove. It would be a good idea to check insurance rates on these before buying. Tesla is an interesting choice, especially if it comes fully loaded. The Lexus is a high priced Toyota. I've noticed the only model worth getting is the ES350. Reason being, they are purchased by older couples who baby it to play golf. Not the type of car you would see a youngster leasing. You can find some really nice ones, with low mileage for 15k. If you get a black on black, I believe it also qualifies for UberSelect.


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## Driving4nothing (May 4, 2015)

All good points- what I didn't mention is the gas mileage of the Lexus makes it superior to a Toyota since it qualifies for select. Are you sure the leather and paint has to be a certain color to qualify for select?


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## ARIV005 (Mar 4, 2015)

Driving4nothing said:


> All good points- what I didn't mention is the gas mileage of the Lexus makes it superior to a Toyota since it qualifies for select. Are you sure the leather and paint has to be a certain color to qualify for select?


Uber is all over the place when it comes to requirements.mbecause all markets are different. It's best to get something in writing directly from them. You can't go wrong with black on black. You may qualify for Uber black too if it has the correct amount of leg room (36").


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## Driving4nothing (May 4, 2015)

ARIV005 said:


> Uber is all over the place when it comes to requirements.mbecause all markets are different. It's best to get something in writing directly from them. You can't go wrong with black on black. You may qualify for Uber black too if it has the correct amount of leg room (36").


How do you contact uber regarding vehicle questions and fare questions


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## marketmark (Dec 2, 2014)

Unless you actually personally want one of these cars and are using uber to recoup some costs, I would spend much less on a car.
My two uber cars kbb values are about $8k and $15k. 
You should be able to get a "select" car in good shape in the $10-20k range.

As far as the cars....
The tesla is great and I have ubered in one for a weekend. Range would be the only problem as it takes a relatively long time to "fill up the tank" unless you only plan on doing short shifts...
I have a mercedes and it is also wonderful, however mine has only 2 doors and says AMG so I won't be ubering in it. Instead of the CLA, look at an older and more conventional sedan. Cheaper to buy and more roomy...
I have no opinion on the lexus...


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

I would also strongly suggest checking the Toyota Avalon. Some markets allow them for Select making it probably the most cost effective car for the class. The Tesla will turn heads and will probably be a lot of fun but what happens if you are having a great night and get close to the range of the car? It's also going to depreciate like a mf'er.


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## Driving4nothing (May 4, 2015)

Well I got turned down for the loan so the tesla is out. I'll wait till 2018 to get the 3


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## ARIV005 (Mar 4, 2015)

Driving4nothing said:


> How do you contact uber regarding vehicle questions and fare questions


[email protected] ask them where you can get a list of approved cars in your area and what category you want to qualify for. Be advised, most CSRs go off a script, they copy and paste answers and have shit for brains. However, there's a CSR on this forum called thehappytypist, who's a peach.


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## ARIV005 (Mar 4, 2015)

Disgusted Driver said:


> I would also strongly suggest checking the Toyota Avalon. Some markets allow them for Select making it probably the most cost effective car for the class. The Tesla will turn heads and will probably be a lot of fun but what happens if you are having a great night and get close to the range of the car? It's also going to depreciate like a mf'er.


Yea, Avalon is nice. Huge car and 4cyl. The new ones have a really nice front grille till you slap on a plate....


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## Driving4nothing (May 4, 2015)

The Lexus GS 350 is intriguing. I found one for 12900 2007 90k miles. I'm wondering if it's worth it though. I seem to get a lot of surge rates when I'm on x and don't know if select surges ever or often. My current car is a versa I use for x. Bought new in 2009 has 49k. Opinions?


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

Select surges very rarely here BUT given the price difference, you need a 2.8 surge on X here in Raleigh to have the same rates as Select. Figure it out for your area keeping in mind that it's 28% for select only 20% for X. Don't know if a 2007 Lexus will qualify though!


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## Driving4nothing (May 4, 2015)

It's 1


Disgusted Driver said:


> Select surges very rarely here BUT given the price difference, you need a 2.8 surge on X here in Raleigh to have the same rates as Select. Figure it out for your area keeping in mind that it's 28% for select only 20% for X. Don't know if a 2007 Lexus will qualify though!


its 1.20 for x here and only 2 for select. With higher commissions it's hard to see it being worth it. Per mile


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## ARIV005 (Mar 4, 2015)

Driving4nothing said:


> The Lexus GS 350 is intriguing. I found one for 12900 2007 90k miles. I'm wondering if it's worth it though. I seem to get a lot of surge rates when I'm on x and don't know if select surges ever or often. My current car is a versa I use for x. Bought new in 2009 has 49k. Opinions?


I think that GS is AWD. That car has a ton of electronics that could fail at that stage in its life. It's a toss up. If it had more than two owners, no good.


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

Driving4nothing said:


> It's 1
> 
> its 1.20 for x here and only 2 for select. With higher commissions it's hard to see it being worth it. Per mile


Yes, that's a whole different economy. Here it's .85 vs. 2.50 and .18 vs. .35 per minute. So I can afford to do Select and come home empty whch is usually the case. If we were getting $1.20 a mile here I would go with the X because I would have higher demand and much fewer empty miles, I'd end up making more money.

Since they've flooded the market with drivers I have a very simple strategy, I don't worry about how much I make per week ( this is a side gig for me so I have the luxury of saying that), I concentrate on getting the most I can per mile driven. In essence, I'd rather make $60 in 2 hours than $500 in 30 or 40 hours. So where i was once making 600-1K a week, I'm down to 300-400 now but am driving so much less (and watching more bad tv).

So yeah, if you can keep the car full in a beater on X, you are much better off given those prices.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

If the CT200H can qualify for Select then it's a good deal, in fact it's not a terrible deal just fo X. It's just a nicer Lexus branded Prius, and there's a reason why the Prius is the most recomended car to do this with.


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## zandor (Mar 6, 2015)

I'd run away from the Merc CLA. They constantly get dinged in the automotive press for being one of Mercedes's worst models for repair frequency. Their best cars lately are the E and GLK. C is good too though. Their most troublesome models are the really high end ones and the bottom of the barrel cars. If you're going for UberSelect in a Merc I'd look for an E-class diesel with not too many options. A minimally optioned "loaner spec" E-class is still a nice car. The only thing you'd really want to add for Uber is leather just in case they actually check.


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## ARIV005 (Mar 4, 2015)

zandor said:


> I'd run away from the Merc CLA. They constantly get dinged in the automotive press for being one of Mercedes's worst models for repair frequency. Their best cars lately are the E and GLK. C is good too though. Their most troublesome models are the really high end ones and the bottom of the barrel cars. If you're going for UberSelect in a Merc I'd look for an E-class diesel with not too many options. A minimally optioned "loaner spec" E-class is still a nice car. The only thing you'd really want to add for Uber is leather just in case they actually check.


I think you meant the CLS. It's a lemon. The CLA just came out last year and first year cars always have issues.


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## toi (Sep 8, 2014)

Lexus of course.
Unless you drive like 500 miles a day


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

ARIV005 said:


> The Lexus is a high priced Toyota.


hu-ZZAH! Someone else who agrees with me.

You are, of course, aware, also, that an Acura is a Honda with a fancy price tag.
An Infiniti is either a Mazda or Nissan (I forget which) with a fancy price tag.

AND

The crowning glory

An Audi is a Volkswagen with a Mercedes-Benz price tag.


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## ARIV005 (Mar 4, 2015)

Another Uber Driver said:


> hu-ZZAH! Someone else who agrees with me.
> 
> You are, of course, aware, also, that an Acura is a Honda with a fancy price tag.
> An Infiniti is either a Mazda or Nissan (I forget which) with a fancy price tag.
> ...


Infiniti is a Nissan... I agree.


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## azndriver87 (Mar 23, 2015)

look at what people are driving in your area (visit the "cities" section). If everyone's driving a mid size sedan, the Lexus ct200h is a bit too small. It's a Prius C, it's subcompact hybrid. You will get a rating hit for it. 

but it is a nice car to do uberselect, and uber X with it.


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