# Subcompact Cars not qualify for some incentives or promotions



## davlun (Jan 18, 2020)

Hello,

Just starting uber driving and yes looking at cars (but only because I actually need a car anyways). I am wanting to get an older car, something cheap, and some of the options I have been looking at are subcompacts. Doing some reading here and online, it seems subcompacts are being removed from Uber and Lyft in various places. So far it seems subcompacts are still allowed in Los Angeles. 

Question: If you look at the eligible cars list, there is that little asterisk that says "Drivers signing up with a subcompact vehicle may not be eligible for all incentives or promotions"

No where can I see any information that describes what these are? Does this mean I don't get incentives for XL, or does it mean I may not get surge pricing, etc. What am I losing if buy a subcompact, specifically looking at Nissan Versa.

Thanks,

David


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## peteyvavs (Nov 18, 2015)

davlun said:


> Hello,
> 
> Just starting uber driving and yes looking at cars (but only because I actually need a car anyways). I am wanting to get an older car, something cheap, and some of the options I have been looking at are subcompacts. Doing some reading here and online, it seems subcompacts are being removed from Uber and Lyft in various places. So far it seems subcompacts are still allowed in Los Angeles.
> 
> ...


Don't get a Nissan Versa, their transmissions are not reliable. Get a use Toyota Corolla they are very reliable and the cost of maintaining them is affordable. These are great for Uber drivers, good on gas.


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## davlun (Jan 18, 2020)

Thank you for the response, that is also a car I am considering. I would only get a versa because I want a standard transmission, been driving them for decades and like manual transmissions... and yes, I shift so smoothly people usually dont konw I have shifted.

My Question: What incentives or promotions I will miss if I get a subcompact car?


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

davlun said:


> Thank you for the response, that is also a car I am considering. I would only get a versa because I want a standard transmission, been driving them for decades and like manual transmissions... and yes, I shift so smoothly people usually dont konw I have shifted.
> 
> My Question: What incentives or promotions I will miss if I get a subcompact car?


There's nothing fair about incentives or promotions, they are extremely inconsistent about giving them to us. One guy gets $100 for X rides the guy who lives next door to him gets zero.

The thing to keep in mind about a sub compact is that if 4 adults can't comfortably sit in it, it's going to cause rating problems eventually.

Truth be told, driving a larger sedan i still have issues with too much luggage for a party of 4 from time to time.

Subcompacts really don't make very decent taxis. (Your using it as a taxi in every conceivable sense)

What i WILL say your going to lose on the subcompact is fares, you will lose entire fares that you could have had if your car wasn't a clown car. You roll up and find a family of 4 with luggage+ Carry ons?... Yeah probably not going to work.

What i can't say is how many fares, I don't know what the ratio of parties of >3 is in your city. It varies by city and some towns have a much higher ratio than others.

Additionally uber/lyft could easily remove your car from eligibility with zero notice leaving you with just eats and lyft. The trend _seems_ to me that they are kicking subcompacts out of a lot a markets.

Overall i would tend to say that your rolling the dice getting a sub compact.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> What i WILL say your going to lose on the subcompact is fares, you will lose entire fares that you could have had if your car wasn't a clown car. You roll up and find a family of 4 with luggage+ Carry ons?... Yeah probably not going to work.


I agree a subcompact is probably a bad idea... but... if they can't fit because too much people and luggage, that is a shuffle waiting to happen. They can see what kind of car it is.. if they don't cancel before you get there... its on them.

This comes from someone who formerly drove a larger car. Its nice being able to take the X pax who really need an XL, but if they cancel you will just get another fare later. Or get the shuffle now.

My new car is smaller and I'll have to see if it affects my ratings. Driving with a small car will take a different strategy.


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## davlun (Jan 18, 2020)

I think your advice is good, just wish it wasnt so. Not a lot of cars still come in manual transmission, older cars yes... but alas those don't qualify. Chevy cruze offers a manual, don't know of others... anyone have recommednations?


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## UberBud (Aug 8, 2016)

I don't advise anything smaller than a Corolla, which IMHO is probably the best non hybrid choice possible. Reliable, back seating is adult accommodating, and the mileage is very good both city and highway.

You won't save that much in gas driving something smaller and pax don't like squeezing into tiny cars.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

UberBud said:


> I don't advise anything smaller than a Corolla, which IMHO is probably the best non hybrid choice possible. Reliable, back seating is adult accommodating, and the mileage is very good both city and highway.
> 
> You won't save that much in gas driving something smaller and pax don't like squeezing into tiny cars.


Newer Corolla. The previous generation was pretty "sub".


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> The thing to keep in mind about a sub compact is that if 4 adults can't comfortably sit in it, it's going to cause rating problems eventually.


No, it won't. I have approximately 15,000 trips between Uber & Lyft with my Toyota Yaris and my rating is 4.96.



Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> What i WILL say your going to lose on the subcompact is fares, you will lose entire fares that you could have had if your car wasn't a clown car. You roll up and find a family of 4 with luggage+ Carry ons?... Yeah probably not going to work.


You're not going to lose fares. A family of 4 + luggage shouldn't be calling Uber X anyways because family of 4 + luggage won't fit into any Uber X car - subcompact or not. 1 luggage = 1 passenger space. Over the last 5 years and 15,000 trips I had maybe less than 5 passengers who canceled because they couldn't fit - and it was always because 4 passengers had 4 bags, which as I already said - won't fit into any Uber X car.



UberBud said:


> pax don't like squeezing into tiny cars.


Who cares what passengers like? Its about being cost effective, not about pleasing people.



davlun said:


> Hello,
> 
> Just starting uber driving and yes looking at cars (but only because I actually need a car anyways). I am wanting to get an older car, something cheap, and some of the options I have been looking at are subcompacts. Doing some reading here and online, it seems subcompacts are being removed from Uber and Lyft in various places. So far it seems subcompacts are still allowed in Los Angeles.
> 
> ...


You will get the same pricing (including surge) on Uber as anyone else who is also driving Uber X. 
Lyft doesn't allow subcompact cars anymore for new drivers (they still allow them for drivers who were grandfathered in).

But stay away from Nissan Versa, that CVT is junk. If you were to buy a subcompact car, choose either a Toyota Yaris or Honda Fit. Neither one of them is a good car, but they're both very reliable cars. I have almost 150,000 miles on my 2015 Toyota Yaris, I haven't had any issues yet and maintenance needed is minimum.


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## Daisey77 (Jan 13, 2016)

davlun said:


> Does this mean I don't get incentives for XL,


 I don't know of any subcompact that would get XL incentives because there is no Sub Compact vehicle that qualifies for XL. Those are opposite ends of the vehicle Spectrum



Stevie The magic Unicorn said:


> Additionally uber/lyft could easily remove your car from eligibility with zero notice leaving you with just eats and lyft.


This would be my biggest worry. They could not allow subcompact cars at any given moment and you're screwed with in car that you can no longer work in. In my market, you would just be left with eats. Lyft already banned all subcompact vehicles trying to join the platform. Even for the current drivers who get a different vehicle


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## Coastal_Cruiser (Oct 1, 2018)

Used Toyota Prius's are often mentioned as a good car for rideshare. They are economical and bulletproof. I drove a 2016 (4th gen) model and never was defeated loading up pax or luggage.


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

I’m sorry but I’ve seen enough idiots order X service for 4+ luggage to say that it’s an issued.


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## Nina2 (Oct 6, 2018)

The corolla with the SE package has a manual transmission


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