# Prius King for Cars but what about Trucks/Vans



## Ridesharedriver99 (Nov 1, 2015)

The Prius is king for UberX. But which Van or Truck is Best for XL?

Im trying buy a beater as a second vehicle in case i ever need to have the Prius in the shop or in case the X rates ever drop like they did in other cities

Hoping to take on XL calls only if the rates on X we're to drop


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## IckyDoody (Sep 18, 2015)

2006 dodge grand caravan.


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## Ridesharedriver99 (Nov 1, 2015)

thanks IckyDoody


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Minivans have terrible resale values so they beat suvs out for cost every time if you want to do XL. I might not go Dodge myself (Honda/Toyota for me), but that's the gist of it.


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## zandor (Mar 6, 2015)

I'd go for a minivan. They're more or less expected on XL, so you won't get dinged on ratings for having a crappy vehicle unless your minivan is in bad shape. They're also much better for pax comfort than most of the cheaper 7 seat SUVs.

As for the Prius, I'm not sure I'd consider a standard Prius the gold standard. The Prius V kicks it's ass from a pax point of view and is only slightly more expensive. They have reclining rear seats and much better luggage capacity. They're also superior for personal hauling needs and driving friends and family around.


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## Lag Monkey (Feb 6, 2015)

Doge grand caravan...loved my old swag wagon. Cheap and versitle


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## UberXking (Oct 14, 2014)

You don't get paid a cent extra driving new or passenger friendly vehicles. I drive a Prius 2006. Have put well over 100,000 uber miles on it. It is an awesome car and hasn't cost an EXTRA penny yet except for oil. After 300,000 miles eats a lot of oil. Still the battery is expensive $4,000 dealer installed and just less than $2,000 for rebuilt. There are other non-hybrid Toyota and Hondas that may cost virtually the same per mile without risk of Hybrid battery failure.


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## Manotas (Dec 2, 2015)

zandor said:


> I'd go for a minivan. They're more or less expected on XL, so you won't get dinged on ratings for having a crappy vehicle unless your minivan is in bad shape. They're also much better for pax comfort than most of the cheaper 7 seat SUVs.
> 
> As for the Prius, I'm not sure I'd consider a standard Prius the gold standard. The Prius V kicks it's ass from a pax point of view and is only slightly more expensive. They have reclining rear seats and much better luggage capacity. They're also superior for personal hauling needs and driving friends and family around.


Problem w/ the Prius V is that is more sluggish to drive and burns more gas that a standard Prius, I considered the Prius V but decided to take a Prius and my Pax like it


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## Santa (Jan 3, 2016)

GMC Terrain or Acadia. Both are 7 seaters just like a van. The seat configuration is also same as a van. Get a black coloured with leather interior so you can do Select as well. It's better to be on 3 platforms than on one to make $.


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

To qualify for XL, you'll need to seat 6, so that rules out any pickup. You'll need a Suburban, Tahoe, or larger Minivan. As for the Prius, the only reason it rules is for MPG, I use a 2015 Nissan Frontier pickup, on a daily basis I get people thanking me for having a "real" size vehicle that they don't feel like a sardine being stuffed into.


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## Hannibalb (Jan 19, 2016)

Nobody is into a 8 seat Toyota Highlander hybrid?


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## JimS (Aug 18, 2015)

I only know of a 7 seat highlander hybrid. The rear bench only seats two. I've openly considered it here, but the more I think about it, a mini van seems to be the best choice. Automatic sliding doors are cool to open when arriving, and the open space in between the 2nd row seats is imperative for efficient loading and unloading. No one wants to mess with a fold and scoot seat to access the rear bench.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

Pfft... Cars = diesel SELECT rides are king

$5 fuel costs per $100 payout (REAL fuel costs, including lights and traffic and wasted mileage... an ideal case scenario like LA-SF runon cruise control at night could be done on <$20 fuel)

beat that on your lil Prius


PS oh yeah I actually measured. Full tank - $130 earned - $6.70 pumped back in to full tank... and that on a car that has just south of 300hp and sprints to 60 in 5 seconds


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Frontier Guy 
Gas isn't the only reason a Prius rules. A Prius also dominates when it comes to low maintenance and depreciation, combined with being near indestructible.

Adieu 
I consistently run at less than 5% gas costs to gross income. The main advantage to being Select is that you can earn more per hour, for X only Prius is still king.


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

I know several Prius owners and deliver to a shop that repairs them, I hear a much different story regarding reliability and depreciation. But, regardless, I still on a nightly basis, have pax thank me for having a real sized vehicle. Oh, and I want to see you put 4 adults + yourself, and 8 pieces of luggage in your Prius for a 47 mile trip to the airport, had a pax on Friday night go through two cars before it pinged for me, earned a $50 tip in addition to the fare for having a "real vehicle"


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Frontier Guy

I searched 'Prius Reliability', all I got were positive results. One euro reliability survey had it as their #1 most reliable vehicle. There simply aren't any common reliability issues with a Prius. Sure at 200k or 300k you might have something break, but that's more true of any other vehicle than it is the Prius.

http://www.hybridcars.com/toyota-prius-tops-reliability-chart/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...prius-problem/article14111907/?service=mobile

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/29/toyota-prius-reliability/


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

and it's $6,000 when your battery needs replaced, have you factored that in?


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Frontier Guy said:


> and it's $6,000 when your battery needs replaced, have you factored that in?


If you believe that you know nothing about a Prius. Go look some info up. A Prius battery has never cost anywhere near $6k, not to mention how rare it is to actually need to replace one. Prius batteries are designed to go 10 years and 300k miles, and most outperform those standards.


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## Manotas (Dec 2, 2015)

Frontier Guy said:


> and it's $6,000 when your battery needs replaced, have you factored that in?


Or purchase an extended guarranty and in case something goes wrong w/ the battery it will be included on the repair... And no I can't sit 4 adults & 8 pieces of luggage because this is not an XL, every time I get those requests I tell them to order an XL or a 2nd X car


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

Manotas said:


> Or purchase an extended guarranty and in case something goes wrong w/ the battery it will be included on the repair... And no I can't sit 4 adults & 8 pieces of luggage because this is not an XL, every time I get those requests I tell them to order an XL or a 2nd X car


I don't drive an XL either, I drive an X, but I drive a real sized vehicle, that's capable of doing what's needed. Friend also drives for Lyft with is 4dr JK Jeep, he hears similar comments, it's nice when people see someone with a "real" vehicle pull up.



Fauxknight said:


> If you believe that you know nothing about a Prius. Go look some info up. A Prius battery has never cost anywhere near $6k, not to mention how rare it is to actually need to replace one. Prius batteries are designed to go 10 years and 300k miles, and most outperform those standards.


Hmm, from looking online, and talking to a non-OEM shop near me, the price is "out the door", depending on year of Prius, from $4,500 to $4,800, so $6,000 is a bit high. That's ok, it could be $5.00 and I still won't be interested, it's too small and too dangerous. BTW, did you know that if you're in an accident and your hybrid battery is damaged and leaks, it's considered a HAZMAT spill, you can be billed separately for the incident, and your insurance (if it's your fault) may not cover that portion.


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## UberXking (Oct 14, 2014)

Frontier Guy said:


> I don't drive an XL either, I drive an X, but I drive a real sized vehicle, that's capable of doing what's needed. Friend also drives for Lyft with is 4dr JK Jeep, he hears similar comments, it's nice when people see someone with a "real" vehicle pull up.
> 
> Hmm, from looking online, and talking to a non-OEM shop near me, the price is "out the door", depending on year of Prius, from $4,500 to $4,800, so $6,000 is a bit high. That's ok, it could be $5.00 and I still won't be interested, it's too small and too dangerous. BTW, did you know that if you're in an accident and your hybrid battery is damaged and leaks, it's considered a HAZMAT spill, you can be billed separately for the incident, and your insurance (if it's your fault) may not cover that portion.[/QUOTE
> 
> brilliant .....like you I'm putting my foot down. Going to ignore the fact that the taxi companies are all running Prius 10 to 1 over other vehicles. What the hell do those idiots know? nothin


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## UberXking (Oct 14, 2014)

Frontier Guy said:


> To qualify for XL, you'll need to seat 6, so that rules out any pickup. You'll need a Suburban, Tahoe, or larger Minivan. As for the Prius, the only reason it rules is for MPG, I use a 2015 Nissan Frontier pickup, on a daily basis I get people thanking me for having a "real" size vehicle that they don't feel like a sardine being stuffed into.


How much do they tip you?


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

Depends, I get way more tips on Lyft than on Uber. Last time I drove, 4 of 6 Lyft pax tipped a couple bucks, none of the Uber pax did. I've come to the point of where I don't expect tips any more.


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

Frontier Guy said:


> I don't drive an XL either, I drive an X, but I drive a real sized vehicle, that's capable of doing what's needed. Friend also drives for Lyft with is 4dr JK Jeep, he hears similar comments, it's nice when people see someone with a "real" vehicle pull up.
> 
> Hmm, from looking online, and talking to a non-OEM shop near me, the price is "out the door", depending on year of Prius, from $4,500 to $4,800, so $6,000 is a bit high. That's ok, it could be $5.00 and I still won't be interested, it's too small and too dangerous. BTW, did you know that if you're in an accident and your hybrid battery is damaged and leaks, it's considered a HAZMAT spill, you can be billed separately for the incident, and your insurance (if it's your fault) may not cover that portion.


You sir, are a man! Super smart about cars and business and expenses! I want to be like you! Will girls like me?


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Manotas said:


> Or purchase an extended guarranty and in case something goes wrong w/ the battery it will be included on the repair... And no I can't sit 4 adults & 8 pieces of luggage because this is not an XL, every time I get those requests I tell them to order an XL or a 2nd X car


Just buy an electrical test meter ,find the dead cells and replace them.
That's what the guys who sell reconditioned Prius battery packs do.


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