# Shopping for a Car to Drive Uber/Lyft



## RetiredWithNoPension (Sep 27, 2019)

I am shopping for a new car to drive Uber/Lyft. I currently have a 2018 Honda CRV and am paying $374 for a monthly lease which is about to hit its 36,000 mile limit, after which I would have to pay 17 cents per mile in excess next year. I am figuring it out if it worth to continue driving this car for Uber. Would getting a used car be a better option?


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## Atavar (Aug 11, 2018)

Driving rideshare with a lease is just silly.


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## RetiredWithNoPension (Sep 27, 2019)

Kevin Kargel said:


> Driving rideshare with a lease is just silly.


You are definitely right, although you get rid of the large repair woes as when buying a used car. Buying a new car on finance could be the better option, I guess. Based on your experience though, which car make and model would give you the best deal?


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## Atavar (Aug 11, 2018)

For XL I love my Honda Odyssey. Get the touring with leather seats. 
If I were looking for X I would go with a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.
Buying a new car be prepared to eat the depreciation that comes with the miles. Read the fine print in the warranty as it applies to commercial use.


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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

You’re ill advised to be driving U/L with any car with less than 100k miles.


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## JaxUberLyft (Jan 9, 2019)

If you can charge at home look for a used Chevy Bolt


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## RetiredWithNoPension (Sep 27, 2019)

1.5xorbust said:


> You're ill advised to be driving U/L with any car with less than 100k miles.


A used 2014 Toyota Camry with 100K miles sounds good?


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## Bubsie (Oct 19, 2017)

You may want to bump up a year or two to quality for Comfort if that's something that's available in your area.


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

RetiredWithNoPension said:


> A used 2014 Toyota Camry with 100K miles sounds good?


Toyotas and Hondas are two very reliable brands. We have lots of Prius fans in LA but I've never owned one. I like Hondas.

Unfortunately you're getting into this gig four or five years too late. Read lots of posts here so you can learn your true cost of doing business.

If you have any other job options it's usually best to maximize your income there and just use Uber as a side hustle.

Good luck and welcome to the jungle. I mean the forum.


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## gotrocks (Dec 27, 2017)

RetiredWithNoPension said:


> A used 2014 Toyota Camry with 100K miles sounds good?


Get a used car that's fully depreciated or close to with good reliability ratings. $5,000-$7,000 that you can own outright in a year or so. Don't buy new for this gig.


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## amazinghl (Oct 31, 2018)

RetiredWithNoPension said:


> 2018 Honda CRV and am paying $374 for a monthly lease which is about to hit its 36,000 mile limit


Can I assume this is a 3 year lease? If so, your wallet says "ouch."



> Would getting a used car be a better option?


Calculate the profit you made with this 2018 CRV.

Then project the profit of what you will make with a $5000 car, with cost of title, insurance, registration, maintain cost, etc.

Come up some numbers then we can analyze.

But my gut feeling is, you'll be better off find a job that isn't uber/lyft.


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## wallae (Jun 11, 2018)

RetiredWithNoPension said:


> Buying a new car on finance could be the better option, I guess. Based on your experience though, which car make and model would give you the best deal?


Haha

You better know what your doing. Gross pay here has been 16-17 an hour lately.
You will end up with a worthless car with 200,000 miles on that you still own 15g on it.

You need to find out first what drivers make in your area before making a blind investment. Then remember, 1 complaint from a drunk passenger and you are no longer a driver.

I drive a 2008 used car I got wholesale that I can sell for what I have in it.



gotrocks said:


> Get a used car that's fully depreciated or close to with good reliability ratings. $5,000-$7,000 that you can own outright in a year or so. Don't buy new for this gig.


Right. I paid well under 5 for my second car (12 months now) and 2500 for my first. 2 years out of it before selling 
That is what they deserve for what they pay. Here...(some areas are different)

*FYI>> Deactivated from Uber due to False complaint

https://uberpeople.net/threads/deac...to-false-complaint.271782/page-4#post-5696076*


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## wn100804 (Jun 9, 2019)

RetiredWithNoPension said:


> I am shopping for a new car to drive Uber/Lyft. I currently have a 2018 Honda CRV and am paying $374 for a monthly lease which is about to hit its 36,000 mile limit, after which I would have to pay 17 cents per mile in excess next year. I am figuring it out if it worth to continue driving this car for Uber. Would getting a used car be a better option?


BUY, not lease, BUY a Honda Certified Used car. You can not go wrong.


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## RideshareUSA (Feb 7, 2019)

RetiredWithNoPension said:


> I am shopping for a new car to drive Uber/Lyft. I currently have a 2018 Honda CRV and am paying $374 for a monthly lease which is about to hit its 36,000 mile limit, after which I would have to pay 17 cents per mile in excess next year. I am figuring it out if it worth to continue driving this car for Uber. Would getting a used car be a better option?


Found it.
Fits four comfortably.
Uber on!


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## wallae (Jun 11, 2018)

wn100804 said:


> BUY, not lease, BUY a Honda Certified Used car. You can not go wrong.


I work at the worlds biggest auto auction driving cars.
I think on the whole Toyota's hold up better. Mechanical Body and Paint plus interior
We just had a 2012 4 runnerr go through with 215,000 miles
Sold 8500


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## Wildgoose (Feb 11, 2019)

RetiredWithNoPension said:


> I am shopping for a new car to drive Uber/Lyft. I currently have a 2018 Honda CRV and am paying $374 for a monthly lease which is about to hit its 36,000 mile limit, after which I would have to pay 17 cents per mile in excess next year. I am figuring it out if it worth to continue driving this car for Uber. Would getting a used car be a better option?


I've heard that (but not sure) You can't do Uber by using lease car. (Insurance won't cover or you are violating lease contract something like that.)
But (if you still can do that) doing rideshare with this current lease car would be depends on many factors. Like how many months left to complete the lease? Do a little math yourself to figure out "worth it or don't worth it?" Uber is paying you 60 cents per miles and you are paying 17 cents per miles which mean you are making 43 cents per miles. With the dead mile, it will go aroung 38 cents per miles. But you can not claim tax with lease car. So you are losing Federal 59 cents per miles tax deduction. 
But you keep the car without using it at all, you are still needing to pay $374 per months. ... $374/ 0.59cents/miles = 1074 miles / months .. If you drive Uber with that miles you could make $644/month for tax deductions. (calculated with 60 cents ) Which means you are losing minimun $374 + ($644 x 0.25) = $535 / months if you are driving lease car for ride share. Not worth it. Instead you better rent car from Uber or Lyft where insurance is included. 
If you can make a deal with lease company, buy out that lease car so you can start making profit.


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## wallae (Jun 11, 2018)

Wildgoose said:


> I've heard that (but not sure) You can't do Uber by using lease car. (Insurance won't cover or you are violating lease contract something like that.)
> But (if you still can do that) doing rideshare with this current lease car would be depends on many factors. Like how many months left to complete the lease? Do a little math yourself to figure out "worth it or don't worth it?" Uber is paying you 60 cents per miles and you are paying 17 cents per miles which mean you are making 43 cents per miles. With the dead mile, it will go aroung 38 cents per miles. But you can not claim tax with lease car. So you are losing Federal 59 cents per miles tax deduction.
> But you keep the car without using it at all, you are still needing to pay $374 per months. ... $374/ 0.59cents/miles = 1074 miles / months .. If you drive Uber with that miles you could make $644/month for tax deductions. (calculated with 60 cents ) Which means you are losing minimun $374 + ($644 x 0.25) = $535 / months if you are driving lease car for ride share. Not worth it. Instead you better rent car from Uber or Lyft where insurance is included.
> If you can make a deal with lease company, buy out that lease car so you can start making profit.


Every place is different (and sadly subject to change without warning) Last night my New Year's Eve pay dropped 30% (terms of gross dollars per hour) from last year

My miles per dollar made run huge.
Seems my car costing almost nothing is the difference between a profit and a loss.

Im reminded of the guy who bought a sailboat with a 6 foot draw only to find out the waters are not marked well here and shoals everywhere. It sits at the dock.


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## Uber's Guber (Oct 22, 2017)

RetiredWithNoPension said:


> I am shopping for a new car to drive Uber/Lyft. I currently have a 2018 Honda CRV and am paying $374 for a monthly lease which is about to hit its 36,000 mile limit, after which I would have to pay 17 cents per mile in excess next year. I am figuring it out if it worth to continue driving this car for Uber. Would getting a used car be a better option?


I reviewed your question and then saw your membership name which just about sums up everything.


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## wallae (Jun 11, 2018)

Uber's Guber said:


> I reviewed your question and then saw your membership name which just about sums up everything.


&#128517;&#128517;&#128517;
Thank god im retired with a pension 
(Or I would have a real job)



wallae said:


> &#128517;&#128517;&#128517;
> Thank god im retired with a pension
> (Or I would have a real job)


I'm an old guy now but 30 years as an airline pilot and a divorce taught me
1 don't make mistakes
2 Saying Gee, I didn't know that would happen is foolish


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## Soldiering (Jan 21, 2019)

I've been doing this RS thing now 4 years. Yea you would be been better off then. I've only ever driven a 8 to 10 yr old prius. I can't recommend any other 🐜 vehicle.

Don't ever lease or buy something less than 5 years old. Just MHO


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## Alexxx_Uber (Sep 3, 2018)

You should look for cheapest reliable efficient car that is approved for uber lyft. Pax don’t deserve any better cars. 99% of uber lyft pax are the cheapest entities on earth.


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

Soldiering said:


> I've been doing this RS thing now 4 years. Yea you would be been better off then. I've only ever driven a 8 to 10 yr old prius. I can't recommend any other &#128028; vehicle.
> 
> Don't ever lease or buy something less than 5 years old. Just MHO


5 years, 6000+ rides - I've driven everything on RS from a Mercedes Sedan to a Mercedes AWD R series (3rd row) and an GMC Acadia, a Kia Amanti and a Hyundai 3rd row Minivan to two Priuses.

The easiest to do rides with was the minivan - but at 17 MPG, it wasn't the most profitable.
The most fun to drive has been the Mercedes R320 CDI - pax love it it for it's room, style and comfort... it handles all weather like an awd sedan and it gets 25 MPG (diesel).

But, *by FAR*, the most profitable car to drive has been the Prius.
Pick up the oldest cheapest Prius you can find that will qualify for the platforms (age-wise), pay cash for it (maybe up to $3,500) and drive it till the wheels fall off. At 50MPG and the ability to profitably accept ALL X requests (going around the corner or to another city) and you will out-earn everyone else driving. Of course, this is just my opinion based on 100,000+ miles driving R/S in all of these vehicles and YMMV. : )


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## Coastal_Cruiser (Oct 1, 2018)

OP, you're getting some good advice here. As it happens I just completed 1 year with a 2019 leased Chevy Bolt (pure electric car). This has worked very well for me, but my financial goals are modest. Driving part time, two days a week, the income paid for everything to do with the car (from down payment, to registration, to insurance, to floor mats, to charging, to tires, to car washes), all the equipment needed to run the biz (phones, data, dashcam, etc.) and also paid for all my groceries and eating out for a year.

Driving even only two days a week X 8-10 hr shifts still put double the miles on the 15K /year lease (JAN 1 odometer reads 31691). For me the overage is the now standard 25 cents /mile. The income from ridesharing covered that too, as I put away a pro-rated amount into savings all year.

For you, having a 14 cent /mile cost for overages is awesome! However, it really comes down to how much you need to pull out of this rideshare gig. If you only have SS (per your user name) then maybe you need to cover more than car payments and groceries. So the advice given by others -especially the Prius advice- may be your ticket. The key advantage to driving your existing car is that if the gig does not work out, or you get deactivated (can happen even if you are being a good boy), you are not saddled with all those new car expenses (down payment, etc.), and a long term car payment.

Having said that, the best angle I've ever seen for an Uber car is a guy I ran in to while charging my Bolt. He also was driving a Bolt (very good rideshare car). But he was renting it through MAVEN. Now here's the kicker. MAVEN had given him a card for FREE UNLIMITED CHARGING! So here the guy was paying $1,000 /month to rent the car, but nothing for fueling costs. And he told me had been spending 1K a month for gas! He was a full-timer and claimed to be able to pay all his bills with the income.


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## wn100804 (Jun 9, 2019)

wallae said:


> I work at the worlds biggest auto auction driving cars.
> I think on the whole Toyota's hold up better. Mechanical Body and Paint plus interior
> We just had a 2012 4 runnerr go through with 215,000 miles
> Sold 8500


You can NOT go wrong with either a Honda or a Toyota *certified* used car. Big difference between a certified and a regular used car at Honda.


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## wallae (Jun 11, 2018)

wn100804 said:


> You can NOT go wrong with either a Honda or a Toyota *certified* used car. Big difference between a certified and a regular used car at Honda.


True but...
I bought a 2008 90,000 mile loaded large Korean car under 5,000. Now 114,000
My only repair, master power window switch.
My last car 90k 04 Pontiac Grand Prix 3800 for 2500. Sold 2500 with 117,000. Only repair was a jug of Freon every summer.
In the end I can't pay 2-3 or 4 times more for a Japanese name.


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## wn100804 (Jun 9, 2019)

wallae said:


> True but...
> I bought a 90,000 mile loaded large Korean car under 5,000. Now 114,000
> My only repair, master power window switch.
> My last car 90k 04 Pontiac Grand Prix 3800 for 2500. Sold 2500 with 117,000. Only repair was a jug of Freon every summer.
> In the end I can't pay 2-3 or 4 times more for a Japanese name.


Come on, you can say Kia here.


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## wallae (Jun 11, 2018)

I just don't want to be too traceable. Too Uber, to the IRS, to customers.

I added this pic to the last. I can buy 2 Korean cars or two Pontiac Grand Prix's for the same price

Maybe 3 cars on a good day


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## Coastal_Cruiser (Oct 1, 2018)

It's true that Toys and Hondas carry a premium. And it is a clever to move to find a car with the reliability, but sans the premium. My mechanix one time told me that the Geo Prism had similar innards to a Corolla, and that make did not have the pinnacle of the Toy.... so.

Alas, no more Prisms since 2002, but if one were to happen to run into a used one with low miles....


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## IR12 (Nov 11, 2017)

Kevin Kargel said:


> Driving rideshare with a lease is just silly.


Not silly. S-t-u-p-I-d.



Wildgoose said:


> I've heard that (but not sure) You can't do Uber by using lease car. (Insurance won't cover or you are violating lease contract something like that.)
> But (if you still can do that) doing rideshare with this current lease car would be depends on many factors. Like how many months left to complete the lease? Do a little math yourself to figure out "worth it or don't worth it?" Uber is paying you 60 cents per miles and you are paying 17 cents per miles which mean you are making 43 cents per miles. With the dead mile, it will go aroung 38 cents per miles. But you can not claim tax with lease car. So you are losing Federal 59 cents per miles tax deduction.
> But you keep the car without using it at all, you are still needing to pay $374 per months. ... $374/ 0.59cents/miles = 1074 miles / months .. If you drive Uber with that miles you could make $644/month for tax deductions. (calculated with 60 cents ) Which means you are losing minimun $374 + ($644 x 0.25) = $535 / months if you are driving lease car for ride share. Not worth it. Instead you better rent car from Uber or Lyft where insurance is included.
> If you can make a deal with lease company, buy out that lease car so you can start making profit.


Missing from this equation is the many ways ridesharing will 100% of the time screw drivers on rental programs, get worse mileage, crappiest trips which take you longer to reach your bonuses because ridesharing WILL throttle drivers renting.

Rental program (especially Lyft) is for suckers.


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## wallae (Jun 11, 2018)

Coastal_Cruiser said:


> It's true that Toys and Hondas carry a premium. And it is a clever to move to find a car with the reliability, but sans the premium. My mechanix one time told me that the Geo Prism had similar innards to a Corolla, and that make did not have the pinnacle of the Toy.... so.
> 
> Alas, no more Prisms since 2002, but if one were to happen to run into a used one with low miles....


Same 3,000 car for 9,000 is more than a premium&#128517;&#128517;
And dam hard to justify by anyone with basic math skills.
Buy one and have a 6000 repair fund
Buy 3 and keep 2 spares in the garage in case 1 breaks
And there is no history that proves your Honda or a Toyota will not break down. So how do you save 6,000 in repairs in 3 years?


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## Clint Torres (Sep 10, 2019)

Answer is always Prius but everyone hates that answer.


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## wallae (Jun 11, 2018)

Clint Torres said:


> Answer is always Prius but everyone hates that answer.


Still more than 2 times what I paid
Basically the same year and miles


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## Coastal_Cruiser (Oct 1, 2018)

wallae said:


> And there is no history that proves your Honda or a Toyota will not break down. So how do you save 6,000 in repairs in 3 years?


Let's mark Wallae's question as rhetorical. ;>



Clint Torres said:


> Answer is always Prius but everyone hates that answer.


It's a lovely answer Clint. My first rideshare car was a 4th gen Prius. Had such a great balance of power / economy / space / comfort. Best car I ever owned... until I traded it in for the Bolt.


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## wallae (Jun 11, 2018)

Plus


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## ObsidianSedan (Jul 13, 2019)

Coastal_Cruiser said:


> As it happens I just completed 1 year with a 2019 leased Chevy Bolt (pure electric car).


This sounds like the makings of an interesting post. I wonder how many rideshare drivers are driving all-electric.


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

wallae said:


> Still more than 2 times what I paid
> Basically the same year and miles


That's way more than I would pay for that car. I paid $2,600 for my 07 - delivered to CLE from SLC and $4,100 for my 2012, also delivered.

(actually paid $1,600 for the '07, but I put a remanufactured high voltage battery in for about $1,000)

Patience goes a long way when trying to buy a used car for rideshare.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

Can't imagine driving 8 hour shift in a Prius. Tiny car. Not safe.

I think a better option is an older Dodge Grand caravan. About same price as Prius. You're spending more on gas, but get occasional xl trips to offset.


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

OldBay said:


> Can't imagine driving 8 hour shift in a Prius. Tiny car. Not safe.
> 
> I think a better option is an older Dodge Grand caravan. About same price as Prius. You're spending more on gas, but get occasional xl trips to offset.


You've obviously never had any experience driving a Prius (which is not a "tiny" car) for rideshare. As someone who has driven the equivalent of your "better option" for 1 1/2 years doing rideshare, I am speak from experience when I say that the "occasional XL" doesn't come anywhere near making p the difference between a 2008 Caravan @17MPG vs a 2008 Prius @50mpg. Not even close.

(and that's without even considering that a 2008 Dodge Caravan it's usually a rusted-out bucket of bolts worth nothing compared to a 2008 Prius which can be driven to 300,000 miles.)

YMMV


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

Michael - Cleveland said:


> You've obviously never any experience driving a Prius, which is not a "tiny" car, for rideshare. As someone who has driven the equivalent of your "better option" for 1 1/2 years doing rideshare, I am speak from experience when I say that the "occasional XL" doesn't come anywhere near making p the difference between a 2008 Caravan @17MPG vs a 2008 Prius @50mpg. Not even close.
> 
> (and that's without even considering that a 2008 Dodge Caravan it's usually a rusted-out bucket of bolts worth nothing compared to a 2008 Prius which can be driven to 300,000 miles.)
> 
> YMMV


How tall are you?


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

Not tall! 
It is a good one because anyone who is 6-4 or taller will be uncomfortable in most any medium sized car. But it's the wrong question.

The question to ask is how much front headroom is there in a 2008 Prius compared to a 2008 Caravan, right?

_surprise_:
Caravan 39.8 inches
Prius 39.1


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

Michael - Cleveland said:


> Not tall!
> It is a good one because anyone who is 6-4 or taller will be uncomfortable in most any medium sized car. But it's the wrong question.
> 
> The question to ask is how much front headroom is there in a 2008 Prius compared to a 2008 Caravan, right?
> ...


But you are sitting on the ground.

Sitting higher, less glare, safer, can log more miles, and get more in tips. Less tension headaches, less backaches.

I don't dispute Prius is most profitable X, iff you can log as many hours. This gig takes a toll on your body, any extra interior space and height translates to more relaxation. I sit pretty high in my car and I never get that "tunnel vision" I used to get after driving long trips in small cars.

Size is better, question is, how much will you sacrifice, and what toll will it take?

Like the difference between flying coach and first class. There is a big difference in how relaxed you are after the flight. You're not tall, you're apparently fine in coach.


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## Coastal_Cruiser (Oct 1, 2018)

OldBay said:


> Sitting higher, less glare, safer, can log more miles, and get more in tips. Less tension headaches, less backaches.


I must disagree with most of all what you are saying. No tension headaches. No backaches. You asked Michael how tall he is. I ask you, have you ever owned a Prius?

I am 6' 1 1/2" tall. I never had issues with ingress/egress to the Prius, nor any issues with fatigue, and I put in some long hours using that car for RS.

There is an _age _factor with all conventional sedans though. I am just now (two years after the Prius) reaching an age where a vehicle that sits up off the ground is a blessing. My current car is a crossover, which basically means it has superior ground clearance (8") compared to the Prius (or any typical sedan). I am so spoiled by the ease of entering/exiting the vehicle that I will never go back. Not in this lifetime.


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

OldBay said:


> But you are sitting on the ground.
> 
> Sitting higher, less glare, safer, can log more miles, and get more in tips. Less tension headaches, less backaches.
> 
> ...


You're talking about personal preference. That works for you. What works for you doesn't necessarily work for someone else. And for me, well of course I need to be reasonably comfortable, the deciding factor is what is going to make me profitable rather than losing money. I have no intention I'm donating my vehicles To Uber and Lyft in order that they may build their brands.

I personally do not drive to be comfortable. I drive to earn money. There is a reason that the majority of cabs in NYC are now Prius. Those who do not find the Prius or something like it to be comfortable of course should not drive one. But everybody's going to make their own choice.


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## wallae (Jun 11, 2018)

I see 250,000 caravans all the time.
Would not be afraid and in fact looked for 1. Just needed a car and no 90,00 07 or 08s came through the auction I work at

My buddy drives xl and makes a lot more than I do
1.20 a mile vs .60

When I make 125 he usually makes 175 to 250 (I only work Friday Saturday nights)


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## Coastal_Cruiser (Oct 1, 2018)

ObsidianSedan said:


> This sounds like the makings of an interesting post. I wonder how many rideshare drivers are driving all-electric.


Not many, but I've heard of a few. There's a guy in my town operating a Tesla Model 3. At least one person on this board drives a Model S. Right now pure EVs are probably only going to work for a marginal case like me who has other priorities than pulling the max dollars possible out of the gig. I wanted an EV anyway, and driving was simply an idea about how to pay for it. On a macro level it worked better than expected, and since all costs are fixed it was a reasonable gamble (aside from the risk of a deactivation, but I drive for both U & L).

EVs will become more viable, and maybe soon, either due to battery costs coming down to price the car on a par with a gasoline vehicle, or regulation, or -and this is what I am betting on- skyrocketing reliability. The Model 3 was designed with the goal of a million mile powertrain, exclusive of the battery which is estimated to last 300-400k miles (and with the car having been on the road for 3 years now that estimate is looking valid). The million mile goal is not just marketing. I write about EVs online and have done a fair amount of research into the design of the Model 3. Tesla really did engineer the car for longevity.

The thing is, the next gen of the Tesla car looks like it will be fitted with a battery that will also be designed for one million miles of use. I have a Model Y on order and expect that it will be goalded with the million mile powertrain head to toe. If this pans out then buying a new vehicle for ridesharing (if the service stays alive) may become economically feasible, when you can amortize a loan over 10-20 years.

(Apologies to OP)


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

Coastal_Cruiser said:


> Not many, but I've heard of a few. There's a guy in my town driving a Tesla Model 3. At least one person on this board drives a Model S. Right now pure EVs are probably only going to work for a marginal case like me who has other priorities than pulling the max dollars possible out of the gig. I wanted an EV anyway, and driving was simply an idea about how to pay for it. On a macro level it worked better than expected, and since all costs are fixed it was a reasonable gamble (aside from the risk of a deactivation, but I drive for both U & L).
> 
> EVs will become more viable, and maybe soon, either due to battery costs coming down to price the car on a par with a gasoline vehicle, or regulation, or -and this is what I am betting on- skyrocketing reliability. The Model 3 was designed with the goal of a million mile powertrain, exclusive of the battery which is estimated to last 300-400k miles (and with the car having been on the road for 3 years now that estimate is looking valid). The million mile goal is not just marketing. I write about EVs online and have done a fair amount of research into the design of the Model 3. Tesla really did engineer the car for longevity.
> 
> ...


https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a30361800/tesla-model-3-long-term-failure-stranded-while-parked/
Model 3 is subsidized by investors and Tesla doesn't have a mature dealer network for maintenance. NOT a reliable car.

You think that reliability will go up, and cost will go down? They will be cutting costs everywhere possible to make them affordable and also so that people will still need to buy new cars every 5-7 years.

Want to fix your tesla out of warranty? Can't do it yourself, needs to be done by service center because parts are scare.


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

Coastal_Cruiser said:


> Not many, but I've heard of a few. There's a guy in my town operating a Tesla Model 3. At least one person on this board drives a Model S. Right now pure EVs are probably only going to work for a marginal case like me who has other priorities than pulling the max dollars possible out of the gig. I wanted an EV anyway, and driving was simply an idea about how to pay for it. On a macro level it worked better than expected, and since all costs are fixed it was a reasonable gamble (aside from the risk of a deactivation, but I drive for both U & L).
> 
> EVs will become more viable, and maybe soon, either due to battery costs coming down to price the car on a par with a gasoline vehicle, or regulation, or -and this is what I am betting on- skyrocketing reliability. The Model 3 was designed with the goal of a million mile powertrain, exclusive of the battery which is estimated to last 300-400k miles (and with the car having been on the road for 3 years now that estimate is looking valid). The million mile goal is not just marketing. I write about EVs online and have done a fair amount of research into the design of the Model 3. Tesla really did engineer the car for longevity.
> 
> ...


Wow!! Great info. I might have to rethink how I approach this biz.


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

wallae said:


> I see 250,000 caravans all the time.


Me too - with rusted out door frames, rusted out tailgates, etc. Chrysler still doesn't know how to paint a car.



> When I make 125 he usually makes 175 to 250 (I only work Friday Saturday nights)


yep - you can do that on weekend nights. If that's all you're driving, most any car will do - 
and that's why I keep a vehicle for the weekends that can do Select/Comfort/XL/X. 
But if you drive the rest of the week or daytime hours, you would out-earn your buddy...- 
and more importantly, when your buddy earns $175 on a FRI night (at 17MPG in his Caravan) you are more profitable at $125 at 50MPG doing X rides in a Prius. You have to understand, it costs him 3X more in just fuel expense alone to drive the same number of miles as someone in a Prius... and he is not earning 3X more in net fares. And, since the Prius is accepting more rides (because there are more X rides) the Prius is likely driving fewer miles overall compared to your buddy, because the rides are closer for pick-up.

Anyone who is serious about driving - not just doing a few hours on weekends - has to look at and understand profitability, not just gross earnings.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

Michael - Cleveland said:


> Me too - with rusted out door frames, rusted out tailgates, etc. Chrysler still doesn't know how to paint a car.
> 
> yep - you can do that on weekend nights. If that's all you're driving, most any car will do -
> and that's why I keep a vehicle for the weekends that can do Select/Comfort/XL/X.
> ...


You're misinformed. I have a 12yo dodge without a spec of rust, mid-atlantic state. Great paint quality.

In my state, gas is around 2.30/gal. A car that gets avg 30mpg will spend 10% of profits on gas.

A gas guzzler minivan that gets 18 mpg will spend about 16-18% on gas.

A Prius that gets 50 mpg, will spend about 6% of profits on gas.

So IN MY MARKET, the fuel cost of operating a minivan is 10-12% greater than a Prius. (And that is IFF the batteries are working at 100%. Mileage of an old 5K prius will be less.)

You don't think you can make that up with occasional XL trips? Or what about the extra 5%+ in tips you get for a comfortable ride?

In a low cost fuel market, you will come out ahead in an XL, at worst break even, but then you get to drive something nicer.


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## homelesswarlock (Dec 20, 2018)

RetiredWithNoPension said:


> I am shopping for a new car to drive Uber/Lyft. I currently have a 2018 Honda CRV and am paying $374 for a monthly lease which is about to hit its 36,000 mile limit, after which I would have to pay 17 cents per mile in excess next year. I am figuring it out if it worth to continue driving this car for Uber. Would getting a used car be a better option?


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## Nina2 (Oct 6, 2018)

homelesswarlock said:


> View attachment 396745


Bring back Cash for Clunkers and make sure all 2018 CRV are junked


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