# Dear Prius Owners,



## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

I've seen several threads and posts about how a Prius or similar hybrid is the ultimate for UberX or Lyft. Based on mileage, perhaps. BUT, based on a pax I had this morning, your Prius would be laughed off the street.

PING
30 sec. later Phone rings--
Hello
Hi, this is XXXXXX your Lyft passenger
Yes
Um, I want to make sure we and our stuff will fit, we already chased away two cars ( a Prius and a Camry). We have 3 adults, a toddler, 5 suitcases and three mtn. bikes packed in bicycle boxes and 3 carry-on's.
Not a problem, it will fit with room to spare.

I rolled up in my Nissan Frontier pickup, sure enough, 2 adults, a teen girl, 3 yr old, 5 suitcases, a car seat that converts to a childs bike seat, 3 bicycles packed in airline boxes, and 3 carry-on's. Fit with room to spare, $100 cash tip upon drop off at the airport. Oh, and they have my number to call me for airport pickup when they return from a 3 week bicycle trip around Vietnam.


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## Manotas (Dec 2, 2015)

I'm glad for you


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## Ben105 (Feb 27, 2016)

Maybe they should order Uber XL or a U-haul!


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## limepro (Mar 7, 2015)

Yep they should have ordered xl.


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## MattyMikey (Aug 19, 2015)

Frontier Guy said:


> I've seen several threads and posts about how a Prius or similar hybrid is the ultimate for UberX or Lyft. Based on mileage, perhaps. BUT, based on a pax I had this morning, your Prius would be laughed off the street.
> 
> PING
> 30 sec. later Phone rings--
> ...


I'm more laughing at you for driving a big pickup for X rates. Long term you're not making wise sense. MPG is how you maintain any hope of no loss, along with other maintenance costs. Your one off situation you got lucky on. The passengers were being cheap and should have ordered XL. Now think if this happened again (the majority of times) you would get no tip. You'll still feel great? Hell no. And I don't have a Prius, I personally don't like them and they're over saturated in Seattle. I have an Energi so gets better MPG.


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

MattyMikey said:


> I'm more laughing at you for driving a big pickup for X rates. Long term you're not making wise sense. MPG is how you maintain any hope of no loss, along with other maintenance costs. Your one off situation you got lucky on. The passengers were being cheap and should have ordered XL. Now think if this happened again (the majority of times) you would get no tip. You'll still feel great? Hell no. And I don't have a Prius, I personally don't like them and they're over saturated in Seattle. I have an Energi so gets better MPG.


Actually it's a midsize, and the only reason I do X rates is because Fuber is jacked about what it considers a Select vehicle, only reason I don't qualify for Select is no leather, yet I constantly get people saying they didn't request a Select vehicle when I pull up. It's all in the care and condition of the vehicle. Since it's under warranty, my maintenance costs is an oil change every 5K miles, about $90 unless I DIY it.

An XL would not have worked from a safety standpoint. Unless it was an ESV Escalade or Suburban. I laid the suitcases and carryon's flat in the bed, we put the bicycle boxes on top, the car seat was in use, my tailgate and topper were closed. Those 3 bicycle boxes were almost 48x48x12 each. In an enclosed XL vehicle, those boxes would have been a safety hazard, in an accident they would easily have flown forward, and you really can't stack the suitcases on top of them without breaking the boxes.


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## MattyMikey (Aug 19, 2015)

Frontier Guy said:


> Actually it's a midsize, and the only reason I do X rates is because Fuber is jacked about what it considers a Select vehicle, only reason I don't qualify for Select is no leather, yet I constantly get people saying they didn't request a Select vehicle when I pull up. It's all in the care and condition of the vehicle. Since it's under warranty, my maintenance costs is an oil change every 5K miles, about $90 unless I DIY it.
> 
> An XL would not have worked from a safety standpoint. Unless it was an ESV Escalade or Suburban. I laid the suitcases and carryon's flat in the bed, we put the bicycle boxes on top, the car seat was in use, my tailgate and topper were closed. Those 3 bicycle boxes were almost 48x48x12 each. In an enclosed XL vehicle, those boxes would have been a safety hazard, in an accident they would easily have flown forward, and you really can't stack the suitcases on top of them without breaking the boxes.


You're lucky in your market. Out here they don't allow any pickups. So they certainly wouldn't consider one for Select. They are nice trucks though. $90 for an oil change? Yikes. Go to Walmart you can get full synthetic for like $40


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

I hate the prius with a passion , I cancel rides if I get a prius . I won't be a part of the biggest automobile scam in the word , people are all about judging VW I can guarentee you a Diesel Jetta does less harm to the enviorment then that POS Prius you drive. Look into how they make those stupid batteries and what happens to them at the end of life . Not to mention the premium you pay for what is bascially a Corolla 
Also prius drivers are just awful 

Sorry for my anti Prius rant it's really one of the only vehciles I truly hate

Also I'm shocked you drive a Frontier on Uber that's a pretty small truck . I highly doubt you would qualify for Select even if you had leather as the Frontier is not on the Select list and actualy no Pick up is on the select list.
Now back to the major problem ... Those passangers are idiots they are ordering Uber X with 4 Passangers and a bunch of crap . Take the bikes out of the equations and they're still idiots . They should have been ordering a Uber Black SUV or maybe an XL but if I pulled up in a Van and they had all that crap I would have drove away as you had no idea they would be big tippers especially considering they weren't even ordering an XL . The thought of these people infurites me almost as much as the Prius haha


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## OC Lady Uber Driver (Jun 26, 2016)

My Chevy Equinox is not the largest SUV on the road, but my pax seem surprised the backseat is so roomy and it almost took out a Prius the other day.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

I'm not sure why you are making fun of a Prius, that luggage plus 4 pax would not fit in any normal car, they literally needed a pick up or decent sized SUV to fit all that.

The Prius has one of the largest trunk on the market, I don't know why you are singling it out. Day to day the Prius driver earns a lot more money than you do, they are better off driving a Prius than getting the occasional $100 tip. You were just fortunate to find someone stupid enough to not order an XL, and even many XLs might have had an issue with that load.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

Fauxknight said:


> I'm not sure why you are making fun of a Prius, that luggage plus 4 pax would not fit in any normal car, they literally needed a pick up or decent sized SUV to fit all that.
> 
> The Prius has one of the largest trunk on the market, I don't know why you are singling it out. Day to day the Prius driver earns a lot more money than you do, they are better off driving a Prius than getting the occasional $100 tip. You were just fortunate to find someone stupid enough to not order an XL, and even many XLs might have had an issue with that load.


Only because the Toytoa Prius is a bigger Enviormental Scam then the VW Diesel . Not to mention it drives like piss , rides like crap , Uncomfortable for both Passangers and driver as well as being one of the ugliest vehicle I've ever seen .

I don't think there is a prius driver in Denver that makes more money then I do . Does he save a little on gas year , I did the math on buying a Prius and it would have only saved me $10-$15 a week in gas , not to mention wouldn't have had leather (nasty ass fabric), very small back seat and would have cost about $3,500 more then my car which has leather , gets 44 mpg on the HWY , 33 mpg Ubering , more rear legroom then a BMW 750i , 0-60 in around 7 seconds (so not slow but not fast ex . Prius does 60 in 10 seconds) and has a better warranty . Should I go on ???

Oh and I almost forgot , I don't have to turn in my nuts


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

MattyMikey said:


> You're lucky in your market. Out here they don't allow any pickups. So they certainly wouldn't consider one for Select. They are nice trucks though. $90 for an oil change? Yikes. Go to Walmart you can get full synthetic for like $40


IMO, Wal-Mart has a slightly better reputation than for vehicle service than does Jiffy Lube, and even then it depends on how much the employee had to smoke before working on the vehicle. I go to my local Grease Monkey, full service full-synthetic mobile one oil change is $90.02 with a coupon. The dealer for the same service is $99.00. DIY it is not always an option, but it would cost me around $50 for oil and filter, then I have to dispose of the old oil.


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> Also I'm shocked you drive a Frontier on Uber that's a pretty small truck . I highly doubt you would qualify for Select even if you had leather as the Frontier is not on the Select list and actualy no Pick up is on the select list.


The F-150 is listed as a select vehicle, BUT, only with leather. When I met with them at the office, they said my only disqualifier was no leather, otherwise they would have approved me for select. I wouldn't consider it small, it's actually considered a mid-size, in 1,200 combined trips, I've only had 4 people with legit complaints (and one that complained about everything from water to oxygen) about lack of room in the back, 2 of those were 6'6 300+ lbs, unless they requested an XL they would have been cramped, I offered all to sit up front, and I can easily move the seat all the way up. I still get a chuckle from the people who comment about not seeing an Uber or Lyft truck before. Last week I had 4 male college student, 3 in the back seat, 1 in the front, LoDo to Highlands, no complaints about space.


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

poopy said:


> But... but... I drive a Prius!


poopy


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## DaysAtSea (Jul 9, 2016)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> Only because the Toytoa Prius is a bigger Enviormental Scam then the VW Diesel . Not to mention it drives like piss , rides like crap , Uncomfortable for both Passangers and driver as well as being one of the ugliest vehicle I've ever seen .
> 
> I don't think there is a prius driver in Denver that makes more money then I do . Does he save a little on gas year , I did the math on buying a Prius and it would have only saved me $10-$15 a week in gas , not to mention wouldn't have had leather (nasty ass fabric), very small back seat and would have cost about $3,500 more then my car which has leather , gets 44 mpg on the HWY , 33 mpg Ubering , more rear legroom then a BMW 750i , 0-60 in around 7 seconds (so not slow but not fast ex . Prius does 60 in 10 seconds) and has a better warranty . Should I go on ???
> 
> Oh and I almost forgot , I don't have to turn in my nuts


Jimmy, you forgot to mention what type of car you drive, with it's faster 0-60 and leather that makes you feel like you didn't need to turn in your nuts...


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

DaysAtSea said:


> Jimmy, you forgot to mention what type of car you drive, with it's faster 0-60 and leather that makes you feel like you didn't need to turn in your nuts...


I'm sure he will reply, but from discussions on other threads, I can answer for him, he drives a Passat that qualifies for Select.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

I drive a 2015 Passat on Select 
I just picked up a Lincoln MKZ but not sure my plan for it yet. I also occasionally drive a BMW 335xi

I was mainly referring to the Passat, which I would never own if it weren't for doing rideshare but now when I need a rush I have my 500hp twin turbo bmw for fun



DaysAtSea said:


> Jimmy, you forgot to mention what type of car you drive, with it's faster 0-60 and leather that makes you feel like you didn't need to turn in your nuts...


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

Maybe alternate between the Passat and MKZ, I see quite a few MKZ with Livery plates


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

Frontier Guy said:


> Maybe alternate between the Passat and MKZ, I see quite a few MKZ with Livery plates


Yeah I'm gonna get it registered with uber select and lyft next week and give it ago. The back seats are kinda smaller then I thought they would be but I mainly bought it because I got it so cheap. It is black on black and qualifies for black if I wanted to go that route. It's the hybrid model also


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

Does it qualify for the new Lyft Premier that is rolling out?


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

Frontier Guy said:


> Does it qualify for the new Lyft Premier that is rolling out?


Yeah it does


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

There ya go, get it registered, see how it works out (pax complaints about space) and maybe just run it and keep the Passat as a spare


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

I kind of bought it to sell for profit but we'll see I have way too many cars. 4 cars and only 3 spots at my downtown apartment so I'm gonna have to figure something out lol


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## UberLuxbod (Sep 2, 2014)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> Only because the Toytoa Prius is a bigger Enviormental Scam then the VW Diesel . Not to mention it drives like piss , rides like crap , Uncomfortable for both Passangers and driver as well as being one of the ugliest vehicle I've ever seen .
> 
> I don't think there is a prius driver in Denver that makes more money then I do . Does he save a little on gas year , I did the math on buying a Prius and it would have only saved me $10-$15 a week in gas , not to mention wouldn't have had leather (nasty ass fabric), very small back seat and would have cost about $3,500 more then my car which has leather , gets 44 mpg on the HWY , 33 mpg Ubering , more rear legroom then a BMW 750i , 0-60 in around 7 seconds (so not slow but not fast ex . Prius does 60 in 10 seconds) and has a better warranty . Should I go on ???
> 
> Oh and I almost forgot , I don't have to turn in my nuts


Who cares what the 0-60 time is? It's a work vehicle.

And comparing highway fuel economy is disengnenious as it is in traffic or round urban areas where the Prius scores.

They are not the most common Private Hire vehicle in London for nothing.

And people I know that have gone from a diesel car (Mondeo or Insignia size in UK, Fusion is US) are reported decent savings.

Some are spending £50/60 a week when before they spent over £100.

I do always wonder why people who are anti Prius like to involve the entire production of the vehicle in their argument.

It's a car for work.

Why would you want to drive a massive uneconomical pickup for work?

Why would you want to ruin a nice car for work unless the work you got demands it?

Such as using an SUV or a LWB Chauffeur car such as an S Class or XJL.

If the OP enjoys using his Frontier then that's great, but making a business decision because of one customer with unrealistic expect ions of an Uber X vehicle is laughable.

They really needed to request 2 cars.

They wee too tight to order two cars.

The OP has saved them money. Nothing more and nothing less.

I should point out that I am not fan of the Prius.

But for this kind of work, and rates, they are the tool for the job.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

I agree on using a pick up might not be the best choice but the opportunity is making it work
Hell my bmw that got 22 mpg was a bad choice to start with lol

I did the numbers on a prius and the savings in gas would have been less then $15 a week. Figuring 1000 moles a week (which is high for me) I work 45 hours on average so that is 33 cents an hour less I make then driving a prius but I enjoy my car, my passengers love the massive back seat, heated leather etc... 
I also figure a lot of the tips I get I wouldn't get in a prius, and I doubt the regulars I have would be regulars if I drove a prius, so really I make more money in a Passat then a prius (not even factoring in the fact I can use it on select)

I took an uber 35 miles the other day in a regular prius, kinda pissed the app said he was in a prius v then pulled up in a regular prius. I would have cancelled if it was a regular prius. It was a miserable ride, our 2 suite cases barely fit in the boot and the car was just miserable to be in for 45 minutes.
I have been in a prius V and it's not bad at all if I were to buy a prius it would be a V, the rear reclining seats are very nice


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

I guess it also depends on your market, in Denver our airport is roughly 30 miles away from the city. I make my money driving to the airport and back it's 50 miles round-trip from my usual pickup areas. I know a prius isn't getting 40mpg + on the highway. I've ha d calculated a round trip airport ride and I usually get 40 to 45 mpg. On regular unleaded

If I lived in new york, Chicago or LA I would probably drive a hybrid (not a prius) as u can't beat the city stop and go milage of a hybrid they just don't return that much on the highway

Has anyone seen the prius vs m3 mpg test video from top gear?


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## yucklyftline (Mar 23, 2016)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> I guess it also depends on your market, in Denver our airport is roughly 30 miles away from the city. I make my money driving to the airport and back it's 50 miles round-trip from my usual pickup areas. I know a prius isn't getting 40mpg + on the highway. I've ha d calculated a round trip airport ride and I usually get 40 to 45 mpg. On regular unleaded
> 
> If I lived in new york, Chicago or LA I would probably drive a hybrid (not a prius) as u can't beat the city stop and go milage of a hybrid they just don't return that much on the highway
> 
> Has anyone seen the prius vs m3 mpg test video from top gear?


Interesting. I drove a Prius for awhile here in San Francisco and I'm by no means light on the pedals.

Even with the hills and constant jackrabbit starts, my worst mpg was 37.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> I know a prius isn't getting 40mpg + on the highway.


I know, 40+ would be rough, mine usually does 50+ on the freeway.

The only time I see under 40 is on incredibly cold days, well below freezing, or when I idle for massive amounts of time, particularly with the AC running. Of course on very short trips a Prius does bad as well, it doesn't really kick into full hybrid mode until the engine is warmed up, so 1-2 mile trips might register as 30 something.



> If I lived in new york, Chicago or LA I would probably drive a hybrid


Finally some intelli...



> (not a prius)


...wait, what? Why would you exempt the industry leader, the cheapest mile for mile of the bunch, the one that exemplifies city driving?



> they just don't return that much on the highway


Unless you name is General Leadfoot or your city has 90mph freeways the Prius does quite well on the freeway. The gen 3 is rated 48mpg freeway, the gen 4 is rated 50m0g freeway. Even my C which is only rated 46mpg freeway gets around 50 on the freeway, unless there is traffic, in which case it does even better.



> Has anyone seen the prius vs m3 mpg test video from top gear?


A lot of misconceptions there.

1. Nickel mining _was_ that bad years ago, nowadays it's a significantly cleaner operation.

2. Much of that study was based on how bad Nickel mining used to be. Much of that study has been debunked. Toyota has introduced lithium batteries in the gen 4 (in all but one model), pretty much throwing throwing the nickel argument out.

3. The Prius is being redlined, which means the test was likely done somewhere over 100mph, regardless of how slow and boring he called it. Any engine in that range will perform miserably, the other car would easily report single digits if it was in that range the entire time.

4. The Prius isn't geared for high speed, it's unusual planetary gear system acts somewhat like a single speed transmission. It works well in its effective range of around 0-75mph, but it can not upshift to handle higher speeds. Driving a Prius at 100+ is like driving a normal 5 speed manual at that speed in only 3rd or 4th gear...and actually, the Prius probably handles it better.

5. He can't pronounce Prius right.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

And you enjoy driving your prius? 

My big reason for not owning a prius is I enjoy driving, I spend over 40 hours a week in my car I want to enjoy it and be happy. Being in a prius is miserable as a passanger and even more miserable as a driver. I cancel rides as a pax if they have a prius or prius c. 
Prius gets great gas milage everyone knows that but who cares it's not that much better then it's Toyota counterparts with regular engines. How long will it take to make up the extra cost of a prius over a corolla with the gas savings? Even driving 4k miles a month. Although a corolla is a pretty terrible car also. As of 2015 it still uses drum brakes lol


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## Lindsay3222 (Jul 13, 2016)

their fault


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> Although a corolla is a pretty terrible car also. As of 2015 it still uses drum brakes lol


If you want that cheaper price tag then you thank them for the rear drum brakes. They're cheaper and in the rear really don't matter that much. If you want rear disc there are models that come with those. The base Corolla is dirt cheap for what you get, a better deal than a Prius, but then the Prius more falls more between the Corolla and Camry...it does after all have those rear disc brakes.

Numbers wise the Corolla actually wins out over the standard Prius until you are well past 100k miles (more like 200k+). I drive a C though, it beats the Corolla cost wise in under 100k miles, far fewer when I bought it and gas was 75% more expensive than it is now (60k was the magic number then). I win, I'm at around 101k miles now, so the C was the better option in the long run.

Yes, I like driving my Prius. It's done over 6k trips and I've worked plenty of 40-50 hour weeks out of it, no issues.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

Fauxknight said:


> Yes, I like driving my Prius. It's done over 6k trips and I've worked plenty of 40-50 hour weeks out of it, no issues.


Well there ya go, I'm not gonna stop bashing the prius. It's just who I am, I'm a petrol head I love cars. 
If you enjoy it who gives a crap what two A holes from Denver think?


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

Fauxknight said:


> A lot of misconceptions there.
> 
> 1. Nickel mining _was_ that bad years ago, nowadays it's a significantly cleaner operation.
> 
> ...


The battery in the Prius is now Lithium based, perhaps you've never looked at how bad for the environment Lithium mining is.

Personally, I despise Prius, 90% of the drivers are arrogant, self righteous douchbags. Uber/Lyft is not my primary gig, driving a semi is, I've yet to encounter a Prius driver that wasn't discourteous, that didn't drive in a dangerous manner. On a daily basis I encounter them driving well above the posted speed limit, which defeats the entire purpose of a Prius. Personally, I believe that those individuals should be shot when stopped by police for being idiots, but, that's my opinion.


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

And I'm laughing at you. Last night I picked up two Oriental ladies and took them to the airport. They were both very small, each around 5 feet tall, and because they were so teeny tiny, all they had were two tiny suitcases. The pint-sized pax slotted so very easily into the back of my Corolla, and the trunk easily swallowed their miniature-sized baggage.

Imagine if I had rolled up in a large 4x4. Apart from everything else, because of their stature, I would have had to lift the dimunuitive duo into the cab of the truck. That would have been very awkward.


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

UberLuxbod said:


> Who cares what the 0-60 time is? It's a work vehicle.


because my vehicle used for more than just work, and I want it to be fun to drive



UberLuxbod said:


> Why would you want to drive a massive uneconomical pickup for work?
> 
> Why would you want to ruin a nice car for work unless the work you got demands it?
> 
> Such as using an SUV or a LWB Chauffeur car such as an S Class or XJL.


Because I'm not going to waste my money on having multiple vehicles, you're right is uneconomical, so what, I'm not in this to make millions.



UberLuxbod said:


> If the OP enjoys using his Frontier then that's great, but making a business decision because of one customer with unrealistic expect ions of an Uber X vehicle is laughable.


If Uber had any brains, my vehicle would qualify for Select, the only thing, in their own words, that prevents it is the lack of leather interior



UberLuxbod said:


> They really needed to request 2 cars.
> 
> They wee too tight to order two cars.
> 
> ...


No, they should not have ordered two cars, they ordered the correct vehicle. By your own words, some vehicles are a waste, and now you want a pax to waste money. So, for 3 adults and child, luggage, 3 bikes and a car seat they should have ordered two vehicles? Perhaps you are correct, they could have ordered two cars. They tipped me $100 and Uber charged them $27.95 for the trip. They could have paid $27.95 twice and saved $72.05. Making two cars work for the money and stiffing both drivers on the tip. OR, they could pay $127.95 and reward one driver for being prepared. Almost every night I work I get someone thanking me for a having a decent sized vehicle, where they didn't feel stuffed or cramped. In combined 1,200 trips, I've now had 7 people comment about not having enough backseat leg space, only 5 were legit, and even then they were offered to sit up front. This past Tuesday morning I picked up a pax heading to the airport, he'd been here for a sales meeting, on the ride he commented about the oddity of my truck, but he like it being different. During the trip, he was discussing with his office the $1.6 million deal that he and his partner (he was leaving on a later flight) inked the previous day with local oil additives company. When finished with the call, I made an off-hand remark he should have treated himself to a black car, he laughed and said no, he preferred to save the company money and not waste it on a luxury that wasn't needed for a trip to the airport.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Frontier Guy said:


> Personally, I despise Prius, 90% of the drivers are arrogant, self righteous douchbags. Uber/Lyft is not my primary gig, driving a semi is, I've yet to encounter a Prius driver that wasn't discourteous, that didn't drive in a dangerous manner. On a daily basis I encounter them driving well above the posted speed limit, which defeats the entire purpose of a Prius. Personally, I believe that those individuals should be shot when stopped by police for being idiots, but, that's my opinion.


Personally, I despise *truck drivers*, 90% of the drivers are arrogant, self righteous douchbags. Uber/Lyft is my primary gig, not driving a semi, I've yet to encounter a *truck driver* that wasn't discourteous, that didn't drive in a dangerous manner. On a daily basis I encounter them driving well above the posted speed limit, which defeats the entire purpose of speed limits. Personally, I believe that those individuals should be shot when stopped by police for being idiots, but, that's my opinion.

The argument could go both ways. I don't see dangerous Prius driving around here, but I suppose it could happen. No, I don't really see truck drivers like that, but you do occasionally run into the bad egg. We had one truck driver tip over his tanker of ethanol while on a ramp into the city that he wasn't even allowed to take (hazmats have to take the outerbelt around the city). He ended up melting down a major freeway bridge, when was the last time a Prius driver took out a bridge?

I have a bad ass pickup as well. No one would ever guess I drive a Prius all day by looking at my truck, but the Prius is the bread earner and one of the primary reasons I can even afford to have the truck. Driving a Prius for Uber doesn't make you a wuss or something, it makes you smarter than the average driver...and it makes you more money than them as well.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

Fauxknight said:


> I have a bad ass pickup as well. No one would ever guess I drive a Prius all day by looking at my truck, but the Prius is the bread earner and one of the primary reasons I can even afford to have the truck. Driving a Prius for Uber doesn't make you a wuss or something, it makes you smarter than the average driver...and it makes you more money than them as well.


Except you can't get the bigger Select Fares in the Prius , yesterday I made $350 in 5 Uber Select Rides, 4 UberX rides and 1 Lyft Ride . I'm not sure a prius could have made that much with out doing at least double or triple the rides I did . My average MPG yesterday was 36.1mpg (my computer tracks the day as well as the last 1000miles ) is 36.1mpg as good as a prius ? no but even if I got 50mpg it wouldn't have made up for the fact I would have never gotten the $2+ a mile trips working the slowest part of the day 830am to 5pm (1 hr break around noon) 
So saying driving a prius " makes you smarter than the average driver...and it makes you more money than them as well" kinda doesn't work out here ?

I personally couldn't drive just UberX and expect to make any money even in a Prius , I look back to when I first started working 45 hours a week for $800-$1000 a week working every Fri and Sat night until 2 or 3 am . Now if I make under $1200 in 45 hours I'm upset , I don't work with drunks any more either which is very nice and I never work past midnight and usually I'm off the road by 4pm (9pm Friday and Saturday) .


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> Except you can't get the bigger Select Fares in the Prius


If you can Select in a Passat I don't see why a Prius wouldn't qualify. Personally I'd be emailing a complaint to Uber if I ordered Select and a measly Passat accepted the call.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

Fauxknight said:


> If you can Select in a Passat I don't see why a Prius wouldn't qualify. Personally I'd be emailing a complaint to Uber if I ordered Select and a measly Passat accepted the call.


LOL you've never been in a new passat then, Prius is a terrible car and a rattle box. Not to mention as far as I know I don't think they can even get leather in a prius

If I was getting a 45 minute ride to the airport I'd choose a Passat over my Lincoln mkz or bmw 335i. And the Lincoln qualifies for Black
The new passat have more rear leg room then a bmw 750i

Passangers always go on and on about how comfortable the Passat is I never got that in the Lincoln or bmw


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

If I order select I expect something nicer than a basic $22k sedan to pick me up. Nearly every manufacturer has a decent mid-sized sedan (and the Camry trumps the Passat hands down), but that doesn't make them select vehicles.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

Fauxknight said:


> If I order select I expect something nicer than a basic $22k sedan to pick me up. Nearly every manufacturer has a decent mid-sized sedan (and the Camry trumps the Passat hands down), but that doesn't make them select vehicles.


SELs are around $30k which is what you would need to qualify for Select
So the Camry (a nice car I looked at them also) actually does qualify for Select with the right options it's on the same tier as the Passat , Fusion and Accord (and some other cars) Meaning the Camry , Accord and Passat need to be 2015 or newer and the Fusion can be a 2013
But what about the Camry Trumps the Passat Hands Down ??
Is it the fact that Camry gets worse gas mileage?
Maybe it's the fact the Camry is Slower?
Wait Maybe it's the less leg and head room ??
What about the smaller trunk??
No No , maybe it's the longer braking distance ??
I got it , it's the fact that the Camry doesn't handle as well?

I also think that you are confused by UberSelect or you're mixing it up with UberLux
Uber Select isn't a luxury car service it's pitch line is "A Step Above the Ordinary"
What's more ordinary then a Prius??
Toyota is a reliable brand but they make the most mundane cars on the planet , everything about every toyota I test drove could be summed up in one word "NUMB"

If Uber Select was all BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Lincoln why would anyone take UberBlack ??

Uber Select is for people who don't want to get into a Corolla , Civic, Prius , Yaris, Cruze etc... or they don't want to get into a 2001 Camry with Stained Cloth Interior . It's for someone that wants to guarantee they ride in a nice car not some hoopty ,

If someone wants a Luxury car and a highend brand they would order a UberBlack, I am pretty much an exclusive UberSelect passenger, I'd say at least 3 out of 4 rides I do select . The worst select car I was in was an Acura TL (crazy small back seat and it was pretty old and ratchet lol) , I've also gotten Suburbans, BMWs, Chrysler 300 , Lincolns , another Passat and an Accord . I was happy with pretty much all of them , they all had leather , the drivers knew what they were doing and it was very nice. Every time I take a UberX I swear I get the worst cars and the newest drivers , there is always an issue . My last UberX (Prius Driver) was arguing with me that I didn't put in the destination and that the destination was my pick up location at the East DIA Terminal, I had to show him 4 miles into the trip that he never started the trip , then he wasn't using a phone mount so he was holding his phone, missed a turn and the car sounded like it was going to fall apart there were so many tings rattling , guy said it was a 2014 . What was nice is that he was maybe 5 foot 3 so I had a good amount of room in the rear (Prius actually has a decent back seat not spacious but not tight)

Most passengers I talk to say they take Select because and I quote "I couldn't handle riding in another Toyota" or "I take select because I hate fabric interior it's disgusting" "I was sick of riding in a Prius"

When I first was looking at cars I was looking at BMW 328, 335 ,528 and 535 , after noticing that I could get a cheaper car on Select such as the Accord, Passat , Fusion and Camry , I figured I'd buy a cheaper car and Keep my BMW 335 and dedicate it to Track only use since it's paid off. I researched them all , then test drove them all. I actually picked the Ford Fusion Titanium with a 2.0T EcoBoost . I just got a better deal on the Passat and the Microsoft Sync system along with the fact the fusion has no Buttons or Dials (everything is digital) wasn't for me and now working with the Sync system in the Lincoln I bought I'm glad . It's a cool system but the Fusions was even more complicated with no buttons . Call me old school but I like me regular buttons and dials for my cars HVAC system


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

While you already guessed it, I'm going to agree with Jimmy, but from a different angle. I've had an Audi, great car, blast to drive, when it wasn't taking me to the cleaners, $2K per year in repairs on average. When my wife and I bought her Buick Verano in 2014 (2013 model), we looked at everything in that segment. She didn't want another import, although we did give serious thought to a VW, except VW had just ended the sign/drive sales event two weeks before we started looking. We looked at Toyota (when I was in the market for my pickup I looked at Toyota as well), we looked at Ford, Chrysler, Nissan and Chevy. For the money, we got a better deal, and a nicer car in the Buick. Priced the same as a Cruz, with a nicer interior, cheaper than a similar Toyota or Nissan, and as much as I like Chrysler products, the 200 didn't impress me. The only reason we took the Buick over the VW was price, and actually we were looking at a loaded Jetta TDI, that was $2,400 more in price. If it had been up to my wife, we would actually have bought a Buick Regal Turbo, that was a holdover and the dealer wanted to get rid of it, I could have probably bought it for cheaper than what I paid for our Verano, but I didn't want a black car.


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

Fauxknight said:


> Personally, I despise *truck drivers*, 90% of the drivers are arrogant, self righteous douchbags. Uber/Lyft is my primary gig, not driving a semi, I've yet to encounter a *truck driver* that wasn't discourteous, that didn't drive in a dangerous manner. On a daily basis I encounter them driving well above the posted speed limit, which defeats the entire purpose of speed limits. Personally, I believe that those individuals should be shot when stopped by police for being idiots, but, that's my opinion.
> 
> The argument could go both ways. I don't see dangerous Prius driving around here, but I suppose it could happen. No, I don't really see truck drivers like that, but you do occasionally run into the bad egg. We had one truck driver tip over his tanker of ethanol while on a ramp into the city that he wasn't even allowed to take (hazmats have to take the outerbelt around the city). He ended up melting down a major freeway bridge, when was the last time a Prius driver took out a bridge?
> 
> I have a bad ass pickup as well. No one would ever guess I drive a Prius all day by looking at my truck, but the Prius is the bread earner and one of the primary reasons I can even afford to have the truck. Driving a Prius for Uber doesn't make you a wuss or something, it makes you smarter than the average driver...and it makes you more money than them as well.


Did you know that in an accident, if the battery on your Prius is ruptured or breached in any way, it becomes a HAZMAT spill and most likely you don't have enough insurance to cover the cleanup.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

The Buck LeSabres are crazy nice , I actually rode in one about a year ago and the back seats are crazy big about the same as the passat but the car was nice . If it got better gas mileage I would have gotten it over the Passat , Roughly the same price too

Buicks are some of the smoothest riding cars for the price


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

People should buy and use the car they want to use and whats best for them.
I make a lot more money in my Passat then I could dream of making in a Prius
But for some they'd make a lot more money in a Prius . It's all about your style of driving , the schedule you want to work and the market you're in

I also thought about the fact that Uber/Lyft is one of the most unsure things out there , I could easily one day have a passenger say I was drinking or I made a sexual advance or whatever lie they want to say for a free ride and I'd be deactivated permanently . Last thing I'd want to do is be stuck with a car I don't want granted you can always sell but you get the idea

Plus if you're doing this full time you have to drive a car you enjoy being in, the 6 weeks I was in a rental 2016 Hyundai elantra were so miserable I didn't even want to work , I hated everything about that car . I wanted to run it into the side of a building . My ratings went down because it was such a bad car that my mood wasn't as good. Tips went down I was miserable every second in that thing
I had my worst weeks money wise in that car


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> The Buck LeSabres are crazy nice , I actually rode in one about a year ago and the back seats are crazy big about the same as the passat but the car was nice . If it got better gas mileage I would have gotten it over the Passat , Roughly the same price too
> 
> Buicks are some of the smoothest riding cars for the price


In China the Lacrosse is considered a Limo


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

40 inches of rear leg room


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> LOL you've never been in a new passat then, Prius is a terrible car and a rattle box. Not to mention as far as I know I don't think they can even get leather in a prius
> 
> If I was getting a 45 minute ride to the airport I'd choose a Passat over my Lincoln mkz or bmw 335i. And the Lincoln qualifies for Black
> The new passat have more rear leg room then a bmw 750i
> ...


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

Did that mustang run over the crowd goers after this picture ha


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## Older Chauffeur (Oct 16, 2014)

MattyMikey said:


> I'm more laughing at you for driving a big pickup for X rates. Long term you're not making wise sense. MPG is how you maintain any hope of no loss, along with other maintenance costs. Your one off situation you got lucky on. The passengers were being cheap and should have ordered XL. Now think if this happened again (the majority of times) you would get no tip. You'll still feel great? Hell no. And I don't have a Prius, I personally don't like them and they're over saturated in Seattle. I have an Energi so gets better MPG.


Both the Ford Fusion and CMax (plugin hybrid) models are rated at 38 MPGin combined hwy/city driving on gasoline, and 88 eMPG on battery only. (YMMV) The regular Prius hybrid is rated at 50 MPG combined hwy/city driving. The Prius Plugin hybrid, to which in fairness you should be comparing your Energi, is rated at 95 eMPG on battery only, and 50 MPG combined hwy/city driving on gasoline. So I would have to question your statement that your Energi gets better mileage than a Prius.
Source: fuel economy.gov (there's an option where you can compare up to four cars side-by-side.)
An advantage the Energi models have, in my opinion, is their rated 20 miles on battery only (EV) on a full charge. (YMMV) But as a practical matter, running in EV mode while driving for Uber, I'm going to guess you use that up pretty quickly. The Prius Plugin is rated at only 6 miles in EV mode, however I routinely get 11-12 miles on a charge. It has something to do with how the EPA engineers test the cars.
I like the Fusion Energi in particular, given its size, and it would be on my short list along with the Chevy Volt and the upcoming next generation Prius Plugin, were I in the market for a replacement for my current Prius Plugin.
Other posters have criticized the Prius for comfort and space issues, but I'm on my third, and have driven close to 175,000 miles in total. (I might add that I averaged 54 MPG overall with the first two; the plugin is doing even better at around 80 MPG with about 42% EV only driving.) I'm at an age where driving anything, including my Lexus LS430, for more than a few hours results in stiffness, etc. But other than that, I find the Prius to be reasonably comfortable.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

I haven't been to impressed with my Ford Hybrid (Lincoln MKZ) it's not bad gas milage but not great , gets about the same as my Turbo 4cy Petrol Passat I honestly thought I'd see over 40mpg . 

I really like the Cmaxx I think it's a much better option then the prius but I wonder if they do the typical American car company thing and overestimate HP and MPG lol
It's why I love the Sweds and the Germans they always underrate their cars


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## DaysAtSea (Jul 9, 2016)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> LOL you've never been in a new passat then, Prius is a terrible car and a rattle box. Not to mention as far as I know I don't think they can even get leather in a prius
> 
> If I was getting a 45 minute ride to the airport I'd choose a Passat over my Lincoln mkz or bmw 335i. And the Lincoln qualifies for Black
> The new passat have more rear leg room then a bmw 750i
> ...


Fact: 
Most Passat owners (and apparently those at Uber who approve cars) think they have leather, when it's actually "V-Tex leatherette seating surfaces". In fact, I don't even see a leather option on Any of the 2016 Passat models, not even the top of the line V6.

Don't get me wrong, I Love VW's, I have owned several. I love the driving dynamics and comfort of most VW's, and I think the Prius I currently drive is boring as hell (not as bad as I had anticipated), but still, boring. 
But for my market, DC, the 0-60, etc doesn't matter with the mostly city driving and stop-go-worst-rated-highway driving I do, ...my Prius is averaging 50.6 mpg.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

DaysAtSea said:


> Fact:
> Most Passat owners (and apparently those at Uber who approve cars) think they have leather, when it's actually "V-Tex leatherette seating surfaces". In fact, I don't even see a leather option on Any of the 2016 Passat models, not even the top of the line V6.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I Love VW's, I have owned several. I love the driving dynamics and comfort of most VW's, and I think the Prius I currently drive is boring as hell (not as bad as I had anticipated), but still, boring.
> But for my market, DC, the 0-60, etc doesn't matter with the mostly city driving and stop-go-worst-rated-highway driving I do, ...my Prius is averaging 50.6 mpg.


Yeah most come with vtex leatherette, but the sel model has leather. I agree a hybrid in a city like DC is a must but a city like Denver it's not needed unless you're a fool and drive during rush hour lol


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> I really like the Cmaxx I think it's a much better option then the prius but I wonder if they do the typical American car company thing and overestimate HP and MPG lol
> It's why I love the Sweds and the Germans they always underrate their cars


The CMax was originally rated at 47, because it uses the same drivetrain as the Fusion hybrid. Legally Ford wasn't required to test the drivetrain again even though the CMax is a larger heavier vehicle. When riders started complaining they were getting sub 40 Ford decided to put more appropriate numbers on it.

The CMax is larger than a base model Prius, if you wanted to compare you'd have to go with the larger PriusV.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

The prius V is nice, rear reclining Seats are awesome and if you strip the badges 99% of the population wouldn't know it's a prius


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Older Chauffeur said:


> Both the Ford Fusion and CMax (plugin hybrid) models are rated at 38 MPGin combined hwy/city driving on gasoline, and 88 eMPG on battery only. (YMMV) The regular Prius hybrid is rated at 50 MPG combined hwy/city driving. The Prius Plugin hybrid, to which in fairness you should be comparing your Energi, is rated at 95 eMPG on battery only, and 50 MPG combined hwy/city driving on gasoline. So I would have to question your statement that your Energi gets better mileage than a Prius.
> Source: fuel economy.gov (there's an option where you can compare up to four cars side-by-side.)
> An advantage the Energi models have, in my opinion, is their rated 20 miles on battery only (EV) on a full charge. (YMMV) But as a practical matter, running in EV mode while driving for Uber, I'm going to guess you use that up pretty quickly. The Prius Plugin is rated at only 6 miles in EV mode, however I routinely get 11-12 miles on a charge. It has something to do with how the EPA engineers test the cars.
> I like the Fusion Energi in particular, given its size, and it would be on my short list along with the Chevy Volt and the upcoming next generation Prius Plugin, were I in the market for a replacement for my current Prius Plugin.
> Other posters have criticized the Prius for comfort and space issues, but I'm on my third, and have driven close to 175,000 miles in total. (I might add that I averaged 54 MPG overall with the first two; the plugin is doing even better at around 80 MPG with about 42% EV only driving.) I'm at an age where driving anything, including my Lexus LS430, for more than a few hours results in stiffness, etc. But other than that, I find the Prius to be reasonably comfortable.


The HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID gets 44 M.P.g. city ,but has SO much more room and comfort.100,000 mile warranty too.


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## DaysAtSea (Jul 9, 2016)

If money were no object, I would want to get a new 2017 Accord Hybrid with Leather for Select. 49mpg, massive back seat and superior interior materials...but it's not a rational cost decision for driving uber, lol.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

The new accord is damn sexy


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## Older Chauffeur (Oct 16, 2014)

F


Fauxknight said:


> The CMax was originally rated at 47, because it uses the same drivetrain as the Fusion hybrid. Legally Ford wasn't required to test the drivetrain again even though the CMax is a larger heavier vehicle. When riders started complaining they were getting sub 40 Ford decided to put more appropriate numbers on it.
> 
> The CMax is larger than a base model Prius, if you wanted to compare you'd have to go with the larger PriusV.


Actually the Fusion is heavier than the CMax by a bit over 50 pounds. Passenger room is more in the Fusion, but the CMax had more cargo space. They are close enough in size that the EPA that the EPA considers them, along with the Prius, to be midsize cars. The Prius v is labeled by the EPA as a midsize wagon, however. Begs the question, "Does size matter?"


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## UberLuxbod (Sep 2, 2014)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> I agree on using a pick up might not be the best choice but the opportunity is making it work
> Hell my bmw that got 22 mpg was a bad choice to start with lol
> 
> I did the numbers on a prius and the savings in gas would have been less then $15 a week. Figuring 1000 moles a week (which is high for me) I work 45 hours on average so that is 33 cents an hour less I make then driving a prius but I enjoy my car, my passengers love the massive back seat, heated leather etc...
> ...


$15 a week saving?

Everybody I have spoken with over the years (the Prius started to be used for this kind of work in London back in 07/08) has reported fuel savings off up to 50% easily.

Drivers that have used a manual diesel Avensis have jumped into a Prius and fuel costs have gone from £130/140 a week to £50/60.

I know fuel costs are higher in the UK and diesel has at times been more expensive than petrol, at the moment diesel is usually cheaper.

Back in 08 I drove for three months.

First car was a Company Prius and I averaged 55mpg.

Second car was a Company Passat (2.0tdi 140bjp with DSG box) I averaged 40mpg.

Hammering the Passat round town or in traffic could easily drop it to 35mpg.

No matter what I did the Prius gave 55mpg.

You are looking at a best case scenario of nearly 7 gallons extra fuel a week (based on a typical 1000 mile week)

Worse case scenario would be around 10 extra gallons.

Considering the average turnover back then was about £600/700 a week and with car rental/insurance deducted you are around the £450/550 mark.

At the time you are talking around £30/40 a week in fuel savings.

So not that far off a 10% of your profit (before tax and NI)

I understand fully the thought process of using a car you desire for work.

But in essence you are just making less money and burning your asset into the ground.

Passats are not as reliable as a Prius.

That company I worked for made VW buy back the entire fleet of Passats, they were a nice spec aswell, full leather, metallic paint etc.

But reliable they were not.

The Passats were replaced by more Prius......


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## t5contra (Dec 24, 2015)

I can fit all that in my sedan


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## Way2Lucky (Jul 14, 2016)

I'm driving a military surplus deuce and a half. Got plenty of passenger and luggage space and 6WD lets me roll over Prius' like a boss. Thinking about adding a roof-mount .50 cal for "difficult" pax.


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## Thomas M. Snow (May 3, 2016)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> I hate the prius with a passion , I cancel rides if I get a prius . I won't be a part of the biggest automobile scam in the word , people are all about judging VW I can guarentee you a Diesel Jetta does less harm to the enviorment then that POS Prius you drive. Look into how they make those stupid batteries and what happens to them at the end of life . Not to mention the premium you pay for what is bascially a Corolla
> Also prius drivers are just awful
> 
> Sorry for my anti Prius rant it's really one of the only vehciles I truly hate
> ...


I'm surprised you dislike the Prius. I've got a 2010 level 3 and my riders love it.
With driver rates down it makes the best sense.


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