# Toyota Prius for uberX or Highlander for uberXL



## andreasandreas

new potential uber driver here.

i'm planning on driving full time in Denver/CO. mainly during daytime, 7days/week.
unfortunately i do have to finance a vehicle trough uber.
now my question:
how do you guys think i will yield a better bottom line per year?
option A: get a toyota prius for around $15K and drive for uberX or
option B: get a shiny toyota highlander (seats 7 in leather) for $30K and do uberXL (optionally some uberX as well).
please consider: gas prices will go up.

thanks a ton,
a.


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## Casuale Haberdasher

andreasandreas said:


> new potential uber driver here.
> 
> i'm planning on driving full time in Denver/CO. mainly during daytime, 7days/week.
> unfortunately i do have to finance a vehicle trough uber.
> now my question:
> how do you guys think i will yield a better bottom line per year?
> option A: get a toyota prius for around $15K and drive for uberX or
> option B: get a shiny toyota highlander (seats 7 in leather) for $30K and do uberXL (optionally some uberX as well).
> please consider: gas prices will go up.
> 
> thanks a ton,
> a.


POST # 1/@andreasandreas : Hellohello,

and Welcome to the UP.Net Forums.

A) Get employment as an Employee doing some driving task in Denver (Cab/Courier/Route Sales/Delivery) to 
Learn About the City. In London it's a FT job Studying
for 2 years before taking a Comprehensive Exam to 
become a BlackCab Driver!

B) Buy a 5 year-old Prius etc. once you 
know that you can handle 50/60/70
hours driving. I hope your Credit is Good
(720 +) so financing is possible.

C) Steer clear of SantanderLeases! They
will Repo your car at the 1st opportunity.
Run away from anyone telling you that
you'll make $50,000 the 1st year. It's a lie!


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## andreasandreas

Thank you for the reply Haberdasher,

A) - i am having a full time driver job right now but this one will dry up during summer. i'm familiar with Denver and
B) - i know how it is to drive fulltime. my credit is fair +/- 650 - that's why i have to finance with uber/santander.
C) - does uber/santander care if my monthly payments come from driving for uber or not? they shouldn't care as long as they get their monthly payment, right? i am aware that i won't get rich here.


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## EdMoney

andreasandreas said:


> i know how it is to drive fulltime. my credit is fair +/- 650 - that's why i have to finance with uber/santander.


I only uber here and there (1 or 2 nights a week for 2 or 3 hours at most) to pay my car note and meet clients for my dayjob... which is selling cars. If you score is around 650ish there is no reason you have to jump on the santander lease if you currently have employment and your debt to income isn't out of whack.

I personally drive a Prius and the operating cost and the deprecation factor make it a very attractive car to Uber in. Rates look to be double for XL in your area so you need to be averaging 25+ combined MPG in the highlander for it to even make any sense at all over the Prius IMO. Highlanders get 20 in the city and 25 highway if I remember correctly... so I would probably look for another car for XL or get the Prius.


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## andreasandreas

Thank you Ed,

i see the cost for deprecation and the mpg. 
so you think the uberXL pay rates would not compensate the higher investment in a "better" car ...over let's say 2 years?


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## Phillyx

andreasandreas said:


> new potential uber driver here.
> 
> i'm planning on driving full time in Denver/CO. mainly during daytime, 7days/week.
> unfortunately i do have to finance a vehicle trough uber.
> now my question:
> how do you guys think i will yield a better bottom line per year?
> option A: get a toyota prius for around $15K and drive for uberX or
> option B: get a shiny toyota highlander (seats 7 in leather) for $30K and do uberXL (optionally some uberX as well).
> please consider: gas prices will go up.
> 
> thanks a ton,
> a.


FARE ESTIMATE

DENVER

UBERx

*THE LOW-COST UBER*
$1BASE FARE

$0.16PER MINUTE

$0.95PER MILE

$4 MIN FARE | $1 SAFE RIDES FEE | $5 CANCELLATION FEE |

uberXL
UberBLACK

.16 cents a minute
and .95 cent a mile You will not make a penny with uber lease program,you work at Walmart 50 hours you going to mAke more money


















































AVAILABLE CHOICES
uberX
uberXL
uberXL

uberXL

*THE LOW-COST RIDES FOR LARGE GROUPS*
$3BASE FARE

$0.30PER MINUTE

$1.85PER MILE

$7 MIN FARE | $1 SAFE RIDES FEE | $5 CANCELLATION FEE |


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## EdMoney

andreasandreas said:


> Thank you Ed,
> 
> i see the cost for deprecation and the mpg.
> so you think the uberXL pay rates would not compensate the higher investment in a "better" car ...over let's say 2 years?


I'm not one of the ride share experts.... But if you are doing this full time your three largest cost of "running your business" will be fuel, maintenance, and depreciation.

You are going to put a lot of miles on whatever car you choose. I recommend you look at buying a 4 or 5 year old 50k mile version of the car you choose so someone else can shoulder the initial deprecation. Then look at what a two rear older 150k mile one would be worth to get an idea of the deprecation you can expect.

Then I would start to look at maintenance cost.... Tires, known items that fail, etc... Bigger cars cost more to maintain.

Hope this helps you make an informed decision!


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## andreasandreas

thanks Phillyx. 
now i'd need to know many hours/miles a full timer drivers per day or week or year. going from denver to somewhere in the mountains (summit county for skiing) pays about $100 with uberX and about $200 with uberXL. just as one example.

thanks again ED,
according to edmunds true cost to own on a 2010 prius is $6.100 and $12.000 on a 2012 highlander for the first year (...sorry, not allowed post links).
this just as a ballpark. of course the numbers will vary when you're using it for uber/lyft.


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## Phillyx

Do not sign up with uber Santander lease you will not make any money read other post about uber lease program here


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## Lidman

Phillyx said:


> Do not sign up with uber Santander lease you will not make any money read other post about uber lease program here


 *ALSO RUNAWAY FROM THIS. RUN FAST. RUN FAR!!!!!!!!*


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## andreasandreas

thank you Lidman,

OK, i will not finance with santander. promise!

I'm still not clear with my initial question: which way will my bottom line look better - with a cheaper car for uberX or more expensive one for uberXL ?


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## UberXking

You are getting great info from the group. Unless you already own a used Prius at the current uber rate in Denver you will make less than $10 hour.
I drive a 2006 Prius and have put on 40,000 miles since October. I think anyone that does this full time with a new car is out of their mind.
With a new car depreciating at nearly 40% with 75k miles on it in one year, combined with Denver's low rates.
Uber makes more money than the driver on most of the fares.
Attached are the rates a few years ago in San Francisco when you could make some money.
2013 2.50 mile then 1.85 now 1.30
They will not go higher until they need drivers
a


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## andreasandreas

thank you King,

i knew that the rates went down. didn't know they were that high back then. wow.
again, i do know that i don't get rich here. it's gonna be a temporary thing for me. i do like the relative freedom of the job (but let's not discuss that point here either).

i do need a "new" car in the next few weeks and i'm still trying to figure the bottom line uberX versus uber XL.


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## bilyvh

I would recommend you reach out to an XL driver in Denver and talk to them about how many XL calls they get a day - I would guess not many. Friday/Saturday drunk nights you might be getting more groups going out for drinks, but is it worth it? The difference in price between the Prius and the Highlander as you stated is $15K, how long do you think it would take to make up the difference in prices through higher priced XL fares? My guess is a lot longer, plus factor in higher gas expenses...order an XL and try to seek out a full-time XL driver, buy him coffee and ask away.


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## andreasandreas

thanks Bil,
that's exactly what i'm trying to do here. Any Denver XL driver reading this? let's have some coffee!


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## bilyvh

http://m.cars.com/vehicledetail/#!v...=11385&partyId=&positionKey=20088217515011385

This of course may be taken as trolling but this is a very good deal for UberX right here. This car has been fully depreciated and they are all in great shape because they had to pass strict NYC taxi inspections 3x a year. Just paint it your favorite color and it's good to go. No need to take out a loan to pay for a car.


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## andreasandreas

yes, i'd take that - don't want to go all the way to NY though.


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## Vexus

@andreasandreas
http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4930499318.html

Go with the Prius, but not new, and not $15k. Just buy this one I linked. A nice fully loaded will do you just right. Get a credit union or bank loan to purchase a used car and ride. Check the car for frame damage, get an inspection and all that.

The reason I say this is because you don't seem to have the stability to risk the larger more expensive rides. I know you know how to drive and also know the area, but that is not the point. The point is to not have to wait 1 year to pay off your car; who knows what could happen in 1 year. My car I plan to "pay off" with Uber revenue in just a couple months.

What made me settle on the Prius is because I see so many up on Craigslist with 330,000 miles on them! Ex. taxi cars, still trucking along. So a high mileage Prius isn't too bad - and 150k? like new! - the electric engine helps the gas engine do work. I hated Prius drivers, not I think I'll get a newer one in the future... lol...

Edit:
My search criteria:
http://denver.craigslist.org/search...ear=2010&autoMinYear=2008&auto_title_status=1

Also, make sure the title is clean; Uber won't take a car with a bad title. I was at the inspection location and saw a guy denied by the Uber employees there because of a salvage title. Harsh. I got activated the same day though. Could kind of tell, "Oh, Prius, ok this will be quick."


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## andreasandreas

Thank you Vexus,

yes, prius seems to be the ne plus ultra for this but it's not all about driving for uber/lyft for me. i want to have a somewhat fun car that i kinda enjoy driving after uber. anyway, i will be looking at a white 2010 prius w 105k miles for $13 this afternoon. yes, it costs way more but it's the 3rd gen and ...i just can't handle a red vehicle


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## EdMoney

andreasandreas said:


> Thank you Vexus,
> 
> yes, prius seems to be the ne plus ultra for this but it's not all about driving for uber/lyft for me. i want to have a somewhat fun car that i kinda enjoy driving after uber. anyway, i will be looking at a white 2010 prius w 105k miles for $13 this afternoon. yes, it costs way more but it's the 3rd gen and ...i just can't handle a red vehicle


Shop a littler harder... I paid 13.5k for my 2010 with 51K on it from a dealership that offers lifetime oil and filter changes and state inspections with a power train warranty for 2 years or 200k on the car whichever comes first.


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## EdMoney

Oh and its pearl white


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## andreasandreas

Thanks Ed,

found this one today.....grrr, still can't post links. would someone please like one of my posts 
2007 115k miles for $7000. you could google the VIN if interested JTDKB20U277651228
i like it BUT
- it has some noticeable dents on the front bumper and passenger side quarter panel. these wouldn't bother me at all but i'm wondering if that thing would pass the uber inspection?


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## YellowAntennaBall

Hi Andreasandreas, Sorry this is long, but your question is hard to answer without at least some context.
I can almost answer your original question as I own both a 2005 Prius and and 2013 Highlander Limited.

Prius is clean. I had extensive body and paint work done under insurance just before starting driving Uber last summer. Still some dings on the exterior and stains in the interior but with leather seats many people don't believe me when I tell them it is 10 years old. Often get "nicest Prius I've been in" from customers, but I know how nice a new one is.

Highlander is 2 years old next month.Being a limited it is VERY nice on the inside, leather seats, satellite radio, I keep it clean as a whistle. A few door dings on the exterior but nothing anyone notices at night. I can carry 6 passengers.

I now drive exclusively on weekend nights with the Highlander when I'm trying to EARN. Sometimes do X trips with Prius during the week when I don't have anything better to do, but that is pretty rare now that I'm back to work full time.

In my home city of Dayton, only X is offered so I only drive my Prius there.
In Cincinnati, 45 miles away, they offer X, XL, SELECT and Black. My Highlander qualifies for the first 3.
I used to drive my Prius in Cinci too before they offered SELECT. I would gross about $200/night on the weekends.
With addition of SELECT, I started driving the Highlander and am grossing $4-500/night. Now my costs are significantly higher with the Highlander, but even taking in the higher depreciation, I'm netting more dollars/hour worked.

Your question about which is better Prius or Highlander really does come down to what % of XL rides you can get when working during the week. 
Without surge, base XL and SELECT rates cover my costs and I ignore X requests.
With surge at 2x or higher, all rides cover my costs and I take X requests as well. I ignore guaranteed rates rules because in Cinci you can do much better by hustling.

There's no doubt in my mind that the Prius is the most economical/profitable car to use for driving Uber, BUT!
If you don't have an option for SELECT, and you want something nicer than a Prius in your post-Uber life, then go with a 3-5 year old Highlander and focus on XL runs and/or surge times. I love our Highlander. Prius has been a great car and keeps on running with a 110K+ miles but the ride is nowhere near as nice as the Highlander.


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## andreasandreas

that is some valuable insight, thank you Yellow!


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## Luberon

I may be late to the party....Go through these and make up your mind
https://uberpeople.net/search/5450719/?q=santander&o=date&c[title_only]=1


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## andreasandreas

thanks Luberon, santander financing is (now) out of the question for me.


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## Luberon

YellowAntennaBall said:


> Hi Andreasandreas, Sorry this is long, but your question is hard to answer without at least some context.
> I can almost answer your original question as I own both a 2005 Prius and and 2013 Highlander Limited.
> 
> Prius is clean. I had extensive body and paint work done under insurance just before starting driving Uber last summer. Still some dings on the exterior and stains in the interior but with leather seats many people don't believe me when I tell them it is 10 years old. Often get "nicest Prius I've been in" from customers, but I know how nice a new one is.
> 
> Highlander is 2 years old next month.Being a limited it is VERY nice on the inside, leather seats, satellite radio, I keep it clean as a whistle. A few door dings on the exterior but nothing anyone notices at night. I can carry 6 passengers.
> 
> I now drive exclusively on weekend nights with the Highlander when I'm trying to EARN. Sometimes do X trips with Prius during the week when I don't have anything better to do, but that is pretty rare now that I'm back to work full time.
> 
> In my home city of Dayton, only X is offered so I only drive my Prius there.
> In Cincinnati, 45 miles away, they offer X, XL, SELECT and Black. My Highlander qualifies for the first 3.
> I used to drive my Prius in Cinci too before they offered SELECT. I would gross about $200/night on the weekends.
> With addition of SELECT, I started driving the Highlander and am grossing $4-500/night. Now my costs are significantly higher with the Highlander, but even taking in the higher depreciation, I'm netting more dollars/hour worked.
> 
> Your question about which is better Prius or Highlander really does come down to what % of XL rides you can get when working during the week.
> Without surge, base XL and SELECT rates cover my costs and I ignore X requests.
> With surge at 2x or higher, all rides cover my costs and I take X requests as well. I ignore guaranteed rates rules because in Cinci you can do much better by hustling.
> 
> There's no doubt in my mind that the Prius is the most economical/profitable car to use for driving Uber, BUT!
> If you don't have an option for SELECT, and you want something nicer than a Prius in your post-Uber life, then go with a 3-5 year old Highlander and focus on XL runs and/or surge times. I love our Highlander. Prius has been a great car and keeps on running with a 110K+ miles but the ride is nowhere near as nice as the Highlander.


Nice post. Since you already own both cars, the cost outlay of buying either car is not relevant to you but car payments will be much higher for a Highlander than Prius. 
Dont know the going price of say a 2008 Highlander but my guess is it will cost a few thousand $$ more than a Prius.


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## Casuale Haberdasher

andreasandreas said:


> Thank you for the reply Haberdasher,
> 
> A) - i am having a full time driver job right now but this one will dry up during summer. i'm familiar with Denver and
> B) - i know how it is to drive fulltime. my credit is fair +/- 650 - that's why i have to finance with uber/santander.
> C) - does uber/santander care if my monthly payments come from driving for uber or not? they shouldn't care as long as they get their monthly payment, right? i am aware that i won't get rich here.


POST # 3 /@andreasandreas: Ahoy! and
Happy
St. Patrick's Day to you from Irish Riviera
South on Marco Island, Florida.

Please PM Notable @scrurbscrud regard-ing options other than Santander. Their
lease may have a clause where Deactiv-
ation equals RepoTime! Also try using
Conversation Function/PM to reach out
to @duggles a Well-Known in Denver.

Good Luck and Safe Driving!


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## andreasandreas

Thanks again Haberdasher.

I was able to finance a 2010 Prius trough a dealer. yay! I guess i will be rolling next week.

By the way for those that don't know..: Farmers Insurance will insure you if you drive for uber/lyft. in COLORADO that is. http://www.farmers.com/rideshare/
call Bohart Schomburg 303.475.8130 or email [email protected] 
tell him "Andreas" send you and he'll try to pull all discounts for you.


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## Casuale Haberdasher

andreasandreas said:


> Thanks again Haberdasher.
> 
> I was able to finance a 2010 Prius trough a dealer. yay! I guess i will be rolling next week.
> 
> By the way for those that don't know..: Farmers Insurance will insure you if you drive for uber/lyft. in COLORADO that is. http://www.farmers.com/rideshare/
> call Bohart Schomburg 303.475.8130 or email [email protected]
> tell him "Andreas" send you and he'll try to pull all discounts for you.


POST #29/@andreasandreas: Glad to see
that
things seem to be falling into place 4 U.


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## Casuale Haberdasher

YellowAntennaBall said:


> Hi Andreasandreas, Sorry this is long, but your question is hard to answer without at least some context.
> I can almost answer your original question as I own both a 2005 Prius and and 2013 Highlander Limited.
> 
> Prius is clean. I had extensive body and paint work done under insurance just before starting driving Uber last summer. Still some dings on the exterior and stains in the interior but with leather seats many people don't believe me when I tell them it is 10 years old. Often get "nicest Prius I've been in" from customers, but I know how nice a new one is.
> 
> Highlander is 2 years old next month.Being a limited it is VERY nice on the inside, leather seats, satellite radio, I keep it clean as a whistle. A few door dings on the exterior but nothing anyone notices at night. I can carry 6 passengers.
> 
> I now drive exclusively on weekend nights with the Highlander when I'm trying to EARN. Sometimes do X trips with Prius during the week when I don't have anything better to do, but that is pretty rare now that I'm back to work full time.
> 
> In my home city of Dayton, only X is offered so I only drive my Prius there.
> In Cincinnati, 45 miles away, they offer X, XL, SELECT and Black. My Highlander qualifies for the first 3.
> I used to drive my Prius in Cinci too before they offered SELECT. I would gross about $200/night on the weekends.
> With addition of SELECT, I started driving the Highlander and am grossing $4-500/night. Now my costs are significantly higher with the Highlander, but even taking in the higher depreciation, I'm netting more dollars/hour worked.
> 
> Your question about which is better Prius or Highlander really does come down to what % of XL rides you can get when working during the week.
> Without surge, base XL and SELECT rates cover my costs and I ignore X requests.
> With surge at 2x or higher, all rides cover my costs and I take X requests as well. I ignore guaranteed rates rules because in Cinci you can do much better by hustling.
> 
> There's no doubt in my mind that the Prius is the most economical/profitable car to use for driving Uber, BUT!
> If you don't have an option for SELECT, and you want something nicer than a Prius in your post-Uber life, then go with a 3-5 year old Highlander and focus on XL runs and/or surge times. I love our Highlander. Prius has been a great car and keeps on running with a 110K+ miles but the ride is nowhere near as nice as the Highlander.


POST #23 /@YellowAntennaBall: Just a
superlative
bit of Coaching a Colleague. BOOYAH!
I see good things in your future which
MIGHT mean leaving us for a REAL JOB
with Employee status/ benes/No Megalo-
maniacs at Corporate/ etc.

Read up on some @UberHammer Content:
he's the Only Notable in the Buckeye State.
Tell him I told you that he owes you an
"Attaboy!" Chortle. Good times.


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## bilyvh

andreasandreas said:


> Thanks again Haberdasher.
> 
> I was able to finance a 2010 Prius trough a dealer. yay! I guess i will be rolling next week.
> 
> By the way for those that don't know..: Farmers Insurance will insure you if you drive for uber/lyft. in COLORADO that is. http://www.farmers.com/rideshare/
> call Bohart Schomburg 303.475.8130 or email [email protected]
> tell him "Andreas" send you and he'll try to pull all discounts for you.


Sounds good! Can you share some details, price, mileage, etc. ?


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## andreasandreas

sure. 2010, 1 owner, 56k miles. model V with the "Advanced Technology Package". silver, gray leather. all scheduled maintenance done. always garaged. $13.500 plus tax.


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## Auto loader

andreasandreas said:


> new potential uber driver here.
> 
> i'm planning on driving full time in Denver/CO. mainly during daytime, 7days/week.
> unfortunately i do have to finance a vehicle trough uber.
> now my question:
> how do you guys think i will yield a better bottom line per year?
> option A: get a toyota prius for around $15K and drive for uberX or
> option B: get a shiny toyota highlander (seats 7 in leather) for $30K and do uberXL (optionally some uberX as well).
> please consider: gas prices will go up.
> 
> thanks a ton,
> a.


When gas was higher I thought about getting a Prius until I looked at how much extra I was making with my Highlander. The week I looked at there was an additional $200.00 for the XL.
During spring break most of my rides were XL. The Prius is way too flimsy and it has too much road noise.
The Highlander is an outstanding vehicle, I'm glad I didn't get the Prius, by the way, it seats 6.


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## frndthDuvel

andreasandreas said:


> new potential uber driver here.
> 
> i'm planning on driving full time in Denver/CO. mainly during daytime, 7days/week.
> unfortunately i do have to finance a vehicle trough uber.
> now my question:
> how do you guys think i will yield a better bottom line per year?
> option A: get a toyota prius for around $15K and drive for uberX or
> option B: get a shiny toyota highlander (seats 7 in leather) for $30K and do uberXL (optionally some uberX as well).
> please consider: gas prices will go up.
> 
> thanks a ton,
> a.


What would you rather live in for 2500 miles a month?


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## frndthDuvel

andreasandreas said:


> B) - i know how it is to drive fulltime. my credit is fair +/- 650 - .


650 will be more than enough to avoid Santander! 5-8% worst case.


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## frndthDuvel

bilyvh said:


> I would recommend you reach out to an XL driver in Denver and talk to them about how many XL calls they get a day - I would guess not many


I have had riders requst my XlLto transport skis(or added lugage) and snowboards to the airport. Do they ski in Colorado?


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## UberLAguy

How could a Highlander be qualified for UberSelect?


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## YellowAntennaBall

Well it is a Limited.  Just kidding.

Actually, I was just as surprised as you. Uber gave it, I didn't request. It _is _a Very nice car with a nice ride. Front seats are better than airline first class. Middle seats are about equal to first class and rear seats a little worse than coach.

Select was a new option in Cinci and I think they might have been struggling to get quality vehicles out there. So my thinking is that I was grandfathered in to bulk up the number of select cars available.

I feel as if I take a ratings hit because people are expecting higher end Lexus, Mercedes type vehicles when ordering Select and I show up in a Highlander but most verbal comments are very positive.
Overall Select is a very small % of my rides given. Probably on the order of 5% or about 1 ride a night on a weekend.

I hope that I'm not setting the expectation for other Highlander owners to get a Select rating, but that is my personal reality.

Cinci, does not allow only being rated for XL and Select so I miss out (probably rightfully so) on a lot of Select rides that are sent to Select only drivers.


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