# which car?



## ryanangery (Jul 8, 2019)

Which car should I buy to work for Uber? Any fuel efficient suggestions?


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## TomTheAnt (Jan 1, 2019)

The cheapest one you can afford to pay cash and still has some years of eligibility remaining.


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## Dekero (Sep 24, 2019)

That's a trick question.... Your gonna be in it for hours a day.... Make sure you like it... And a reasonable payment on a nicer ride that's clean will make you a bit more from grateful passengers who didn't have to ride in a hooptie... If it takes reg gas that's a plus... But make sure it has room for passengers... Get in the back seat and judge for yourself... Would you want to ride in it??? And most Importantly check INSURANCE cost before buying including. Rideshare coverage at least... Commercial insurance would allow you to do private rides.... 

Good luck...

PS Don't buy a Prius TURD....ick.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Whatever car you can still afford to pay for/maintain/insure if you're deactivated from U&L the very next day.


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## jim8115 (Dec 14, 2019)

I use a Honda fit. 33-35 MPG in town. Most riders are happy with the room.


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## ANT 7 (Oct 14, 2018)

Korean for under $15K............they just don't break, and are dirt cheap to service. Get a used KIA Optima for example.


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## Mtbsrfun (May 25, 2019)

The most expensive car you can afford. And make sure you stock the back with waters and extra long phone chargers.

Tip jars are also a good idea.

I’d also recommend two large iPad pros strapped to the headrests so that pax can be entertained.


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## mbd (Aug 27, 2018)

ryanangery said:


> Which car should I buy to work for Uber? Any fuel efficient suggestions?


Buy a 2012 Toyota Camry, around 100,000 miles and 1 owner. Pay 500$ extra if it is 1 owner and maintenance done at the dealership. 8000$.
LE 1000$ cheaper .


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## TXUbering (May 9, 2018)

A Kia Sorento qualifies for Uber Select in my market. Find the cheapest vehicle that qualifies for one of the other Uber categories, or find the cheapest car that qualifies for at least Uber Comfort (if in your area).


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## Jst1dreamr (Apr 25, 2019)

Always the other one.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

jim8115 said:


> I use a Honda fit. 33-35 MPG in town. Most riders are happy with the room.


Doesn't qualify for Lyft anymore.


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## Greenfox (Sep 12, 2019)

ryanangery said:


> Which car should I buy to work for Uber? Any fuel efficient suggestions?


Sonota! LOVE I


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## 2starDriver (Mar 22, 2019)

mbd said:


> Buy a 2012 Toyota Camry, around 100,000 miles and 1 owner. Pay 500$ extra if it is 1 owner and maintenance done at the dealership. 8000$.
> LE 1000$ cheaper .


 +1

you can find hybrid version for 10k


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## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

Mtbsrfun said:


> The most expensive car you can afford. And make sure you stock the back with waters and extra long phone chargers.
> 
> Tip jars are also a good idea.
> 
> I'd also recommend two large iPad pros strapped to the headrests so that pax can be entertained.


You forgot the knee pads. They always trigger a pleasant jerk reaction from pax plus tips .


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## swathdiver (Apr 18, 2019)

ryanangery said:


> Which car should I buy to work for Uber? Any fuel efficient suggestions?


2010-2014 GMC Yukon XL or Chevrolet Suburban in black. Gives you lots of options for making money, seats 7, very safe and comfortable as well as efficient and reliable. Mine is a 4x4 with all-terrain tires set up for towing as well but you would benefit even more from a RWD with highway gears which get even better mileage. The 2015-2020 get over 23 mpg on the highway at near 80 mph. These are classier looking but all the riders love the room and comfort of them all. Also can burn FlexFuel if in your area to keep fuel costs even lower.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

Yukon and Suburban efficient? Compared to what, a Panzer tank?


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## swathdiver (Apr 18, 2019)

Syn said:


> Yukon and Suburban efficient? Compared to what, a Panzer tank?


No, compared to most other automobiles. What else can one buy that seats 7 comfortably, has a 1,500 pound payload capacity, can tow up around 4 tons and get 23-25 mpg on the highway (current generation)? A Kia Soul Exclaim doesn't do any better on the highway.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

jim8115 said:


> I use a Honda fit. 33-35 MPG in town. Most riders are happy with the room.


You are driving a NEW fit for rideshare?

The ones in the 2013-14 age range get 27 mpg city. Which is about half what you get from an equal year hybrid.

Over 100K miles that is about $5k more in gas. Not to mention more time wasting fill ups.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

swathdiver said:


> No, compared to most other automobiles. What else can one buy that seats 7 comfortably, has a 1,500 pound payload capacity, can tow up around 4 tons and get 23-25 mpg on the highway (current generation)? A Kia Soul Exclaim doesn't do any better on the highway.


Even GM rated Suburban at 22 mpg hwy - and that's in perfect driving conditions with only 1 person in the car, no towing, no payload, no a/c, etc, basically going at the straight line at 55 mph using cruise control. Start adding people and/or payload, turn a/c on, etc and you'll be happy if you get mid teens.



OldBay said:


> You are driving a NEW fit for rideshare?
> 
> The ones in the 2013-14 age range get 27 mpg city. Which is about half what you get from an equal year hybrid.
> 
> Over 100K miles that is about $5k more in gas. Not to mention more time wasting fill ups.


You can almost get a brand new Fit for the price of 2014 Prius with 70,000+ miles on it.


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## swathdiver (Apr 18, 2019)

Syn said:


> Even GM rated Suburban at 22 mpg hwy - and that's in perfect driving conditions with only 1 person in the car, no towing, no payload, no a/c, etc, basically going at the straight line at 55 mph using cruise control. Start adding people and/or payload, turn a/c on, etc and you'll be happy if you get mid teens.


No, those are real world numbers from owners. Loaded for bear, heading off fully loaded for vacation, not towing. The 2015-2020 get fantastic mileage, in excess of 22 MPG at 70+ MPH with a 420 HP motor. Mine is the previous generation, set up for towing and going off-road, I still get 19 on the highway at 70 and average 15-16 in city driving without traffic. It can also run on FlexFuel to keep costs down, she sometimes costs as little as thirteen cents a mile in fuel to operate. Nineteen is the three year average for all fuels.

Did you know that the government rated the Suburbans as getting 84 MPG for many years?


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

swathdiver said:


> No, those are real world numbers from owners. Loaded for bear, heading off fully loaded for vacation, not towing. The 2015-2020 get fantastic mileage, in excess of 22 MPG at 70+ MPH with a 420 HP motor. Mine is the previous generation, set up for towing and going off-road, I still get 19 on the highway at 70 and average 15-16 in city driving without traffic. It can also run on FlexFuel to keep costs down, she sometimes costs as little as thirteen cents a mile in fuel to operate. Nineteen is the three year average for all fuels.
> 
> Did you know that the government rated the Suburbans as getting 84 MPG for many years?


I had a new Tahoe as a rental last year, 5.3L I believe. I was the only person in it, no a/c, no stuff in it ... I think I averaged like 18 mpg and good 70% of the trip was highway.


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## swathdiver (Apr 18, 2019)

Syn said:


> I had a new Tahoe as a rental last year, 5.3L I believe. I was the only person in it, no a/c, no stuff in it ... I think I averaged like 18 mpg and good 70% of the trip was highway.


Motor probably wasn't broken in yet. The 5.3s actually get a little lower mileage on the highway as the bigger motor makes more power per cylinder when in v4 mode, stays there longer.


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## Nina2 (Oct 6, 2018)

Prius is the best for X
Xl would be a black suburban diesel 2021 with leather seats as it can also do comfort, select and black with good mpg but the gas ones are fine as well


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## Kewl-driver (Aug 24, 2018)

ryanangery said:


> Which car should I buy to work for Uber? Any fuel efficient suggestions?


Honda Civic. I put 300,000 miles on my 2004 Honda Civic before I traded in for a 2018 Civic EX. I never had any issue with the transmission, only wear and tear on the other parts. My 2014 BMW X3 MSport at 80,000 miles has transmission issues lucky I bought warranty for it. Now my X3 I used it for leisure only.


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## Muhammad D (Apr 26, 2020)

A used but well-maintained Corolla with 50-100k miles. Civic is good too. Get something reliable. Downtime on a bad car will cost you $$$.
When I started driving for Uber, I bought a brand new 2016 Corolla for $21,000. I did a total gross business of over $200,000 and sold that Corolla at 80k miles for $11,000. It looked brand new. 
Back then money was good.


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

swathdiver said:


> Also can burn FlexFuel if in your area to keep fuel costs even lower.


Fuel efficiency goes south when burning corn-hol. The cost of that fuel varies throughout the country, so study your price per gallon V miles per gallon to make sure you're getting the best bang for your buck.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

ryanangery said:


> Which car should I buy to work for Uber? Any fuel efficient suggestions?


Witch Car !?!?

A Flying Car !


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## Mike789 (Mar 18, 2020)

ANT 7 said:


> Korean for under $15K............they just don't break, and are dirt cheap to service. Get a used KIA Optima for example.


Wait till your 2.0 or 2.4 GDI engine dies. Multiple class action lawsuits in the US.



ryanangery said:


> Which car should I buy to work for Uber? Any fuel efficient suggestions?


Older but well maintained Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. Reliability is more important than just fuel efficiency.


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## ANT 7 (Oct 14, 2018)

^^^ That's for the older Theta engines in 2011-2012 models. Mine is a 2016.


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## Clarc (Mar 14, 2020)

Uber has a rule that the car should not be more than 7 years old. Or am I wrong ?


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Syn said:


> Doesn't qualify for Lyft anymore.


Fit's not on the prohibited list. It's actually quite roomy inside.

*Subcompact vehicles*
In order to provide a comfortable rider experience, we don't accept certain subcompact vehicles on the Lyft platform:


*Chevrolet:* Aveo, Aveo5, Metro, Volt
*Daewoo:* Lanos
*Ford:* Fiesta
*Hyundai:* Accent
*Kia:* Rio, Rio 5-Door, Rio Cinco, Rio5
*Mazda:* Mazda 2
*MINI:* Cooper, Cooper Clubman, Cooper Countryman, Cooper Countryman Hybrid, Cooper Hardtop, Cooper S, Cooper S Clubman, Cooper S Countryman, Cooper S Countryman All4, Cooper S Countryman All4 Hybrid, Cooper S Countryman Hybrid, Cooper S Hardtop
*Pontiac:* G3
*Scion:* xD


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

Clarc said:


> Uber has a rule that the car should not be more than 7 years old. Or am I wrong ?


Depends on market. 15 years is the rule in Reno.


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## UStaxman (Aug 14, 2016)

swathdiver said:


> No, compared to most other automobiles. What else can one buy that seats 7 comfortably, has a 1,500 pound payload capacity, can tow up around 4 tons and get 23-25 mpg on the highway (current generation)? A Kia Soul Exclaim doesn't do any better on the highway.
> 
> What are you towing for Uber?
> If you need a vehicle for towing more than 5000 pounds or stacking 1000 pounds of bricks in cargo area then Suburban/Yukon XL might be the right vehicle.... for everyone else Suburban/Yukon is the worse possible choice!


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