# If you were in the market for a 4-door sedan



## SuperBot (Aug 21, 2019)

What would you get? What make & model, what year, how much mileage?

The idea is to have a car fun & comfortable to drive but at the same time it's important that the car is highly reliable and requires minimal maintenance & repairs.


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## UberBeemer (Oct 23, 2015)

I have been thinking long term. I think i got another year, maybe two before i trade in. So far, all i am thinking about is hybrid. Whatever it winds up being, its not going to be strictly gasoline powered.


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## UberTrent9 (Dec 11, 2018)

SuperBot said:


> What would you get? What make & model, what year, how much mileage?
> 
> The idea is to have a car fun & comfortable to drive but at the same time it's important that the car is highly reliable and requires minimal maintenance & repairs.


KIA Optima/Forte


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## SuperBot (Aug 21, 2019)

UberBeemer said:


> I have been thinking long term. I think i got another year, maybe two before i trade in. So far, all i am thinking about is hybrid. Whatever it winds up being, its not going to be strictly gasoline powered.


Been thinking along the same line. Not an easy decision as to budget, make/model/year etc.



UberTrent9 said:


> KIA Optima/Forte


Kia never crossed my mind but I've seen quite a few Kia's with Uber decal.


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## UberBeemer (Oct 23, 2015)

Any Kia owners have input? My daughter bought a 2013 optima, but it needed a new trans and an engine rebuild by 60k.


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## BostonTaxiDriver (Nov 23, 2014)

SuperBot said:


> Been thinking along the same line. Not an easy decision as to budget, make/model/year etc.
> 
> Kia never crossed my mind but I've seen quite a few Kia's with Uber decal.


GetAround, at least in Boston, seems to have some Kias now along with many Subaru Imprezas and Hyundai Elantras, both of which I've enjoyed driving. Some 2020 Corollas also!

GetAround is hourly in several major markets now as well as now weekly in a few. For the Uber app only.


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## partyvan (Apr 7, 2016)

If you are talking about NEW cars....
1. Civic, Accord, Camry, Corolla take your pick from these 4
2. Prius
If you are considering USED 
1. Prius
2. Civic, Accord, Camry, Corolla take your pick from these 4
Everything else is a very distant third, and NONE of them come close to the overall LONG TERM reliability and cost per mile of the ones I recommended. The Prius is expensive new, but it is the undisputed cost per mile champ used. 

The choices I listed have all been much better than average for at least 15 years straight. Will most new cars make it 150-250K miles? Yes they will, the lower overall cost to keep them running to that point is where the choices I listed make the most sense.


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## dnlbaboof (Nov 13, 2015)

i heard elantras are top rated in terms of reliability, priuses are good too but more expensive


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## ANT 7 (Oct 14, 2018)

A KIA or a Hyundai.


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## SuperBot (Aug 21, 2019)

partyvan said:


> If you are talking about NEW cars....
> 1. Civic, Accord, Camry, Corolla take your pick from these 4
> 2. Prius
> If you are considering USED
> ...


I agree. Honda's and Toyota's will go a long way compared to most cars in the same category/price range.


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## TomTheAnt (Jan 1, 2019)

While I agree with the notion of the Hondas and Toyotas being reliable, even when used, I don't think your fun/comfortable requirement is not necessarily completely fulfilled. Depends of course what you mean by those. And I'm sure a lot of Civic/Corolla/Prius/Accord owners will now chastise me for saying that. :winking: :biggrin:


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## SFOspeedracer (Jun 25, 2019)

UberBeemer said:


> Any Kia owners have input? My daughter bought a 2013 optima, but it needed a new trans and an engine rebuild by 60k.


I have worked on so many Kias and Toyota's. By far easiest cars to do any work on. So my next question is why did it need an overhaul on powertrain so early?

Was there any fluid in both parts at all? Lmao

Or do you mean from the 60k she put on it after whatever mileage was on it when purchased?


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## Don'tchasethesurge (Dec 27, 2016)

I have Honda Civic for uber. It’s not so comfortable but it’s a beast in terms reliability. It’s cheap maintenance, doesn’t break! Already put 100k without single major break. Just regular stuff.


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## 2starDriver (Mar 22, 2019)

Prius all the way. Brakes last at least 100k ubering miles.


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## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

UberBeemer said:


> Any Kia owners have input? My daughter bought a 2013 optima, but it needed a new trans and an engine rebuild by 60k.


And that sir is why I don't buy Kia's












Don'tchasethesurge said:


> I have Honda Civic for uber. It's not so comfortable but it's a beast in terms reliability. It's cheap maintenance, doesn't break! Already put 100k without single major break. Just regular stuff.


The next 100k is where a car shows it's reliability.


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## Mtbsrfun (May 25, 2019)

I picked up a 2013 Honda Accord sport six speed with 80k. She’s got 124k now and all I’ve done is filters, tires and oil changes. The accord sport actually pulls more g forces than the civic si of the same vintage and the manual makes it fun. Huge trunk and the car feels small when you’re throwing it in the corners.

Throw a nice set of Michelin Pilot Sports on there and take corners at 120mph on the way to your Uber pickup.


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## losiglow (Dec 4, 2018)

If I were purchasing strictly for Uber, it would be a 2012 - 2015 Camry 4-cylinder. Reliable, good on gas, comfortable. 

However, my next car will probably be a 2014-2017 Acura RLX Sport-Hybrid. They go for around 18K - 30K used. Reliable, 30mpg, 377hp and fun. Not the perfect Uber car but half of the use of my car is personal and I don't want a boring car. It can do comfort, select, black (if it's black inside and out). And Lyft lux but if things in my market mimic what's happening in Phoenix, I won't be driving for them nearly as much.


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## TomTheAnt (Jan 1, 2019)

TheDevilisaParttimer said:


> The next 100k is where a car shows it's reliability.


That's pretty much the way I look at things, too. IMO, 200K is the new 100K.


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## welikecamping (Nov 27, 2018)

I have a 2019 KIA Optima. I bought it after driving my daughters leased 2017. It is an awesome driving car, plenty of room for passengers, gets great mileage, has that powertrain warranty and all the bells and whistles. It's a keeper for me.


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## TheDevilisaParttimer (Jan 2, 2019)

welikecamping said:


> I have a 2019 KIA Optima. I bought it after driving my daughters leased 2017. It is an awesome driving car, plenty of room for passengers, gets great mileage, has that powertrain warranty and all the bells and whistles. It's a keeper for me.


Well all cars start out as good cars.

Next time your driving around count the # of 10 year old Kia's you see, then 15 years, then 20 years old. Notice there is a strong redesign reboot between those years. Usually they do this to tell people this is the redesign and "much more reliable" than the last models which died early deaths.

Okay now do the same little project for Honda and Toyota.

Kia and Hyundai didn't make any top reliability scores of the past decade nor the decade before that. It's always this generation is gonna be different.


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## Sal29 (Jul 27, 2014)

SuperBot said:


> What would you get? What make & model, what year, how much mileage?
> 
> The idea is to have a car fun & comfortable to drive but at the same time it's important that the car is highly reliable and requires minimal maintenance & repairs.


Since Prii are not sedans, A used 3 to 8 year old Camry Hybrid would be the best option. In 3 or 4 years the answer will change to the Corolla Hybrid but they're way too expensive for uber/lyft/Grubhub, etc in 2019.


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## kcchiefsfan1982 (Aug 19, 2019)

I'm prepared to get a lot of hate for this, but as far as making money with an UberX car...the Ford Fieata SE manual transmission is the way to go! I bought a 2016 Ford Fiesta manual transmission for $8,500 with only 22,000 miles on it. While driving Uber, I am averaging 37 miles per gallon!

Is it hella small? Yeah. But, I still have (73) 5 stars and only (3) 4 stars...which the 4 stars probably had to do with size of car...but it gets the ratings where you need to be and you dont spend money! New tires are $50/tire! Do it! Get yourself a manual Ford Fiesta!

Now on the flip side...don't even dare get an automatic trans Ford Fiesta or Ford Focus....worst cars ever! You will not last a month before getting the worst car noise sounds you can imagine.....and your passengers are not going to like hearing that!


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## Ahmed Nafis (Nov 9, 2017)

accord hybrid ex-l..... 2017/2015... 2017 is preferable


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## Iann (Oct 17, 2017)

Sal29 said:


> Since Prii are not sedans, A used 3 to 8 year old Camry Hybrid would be the best option. In 3 or 4 years the answer will change to the Corolla Hybrid but they're way too expensive for uber/lyft/Grubhub, etc in 2019.


The Prius is a sedan with 4 doors. 
You must be thinking of a Coupe which is 2 doors.


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## Sal29 (Jul 27, 2014)

Iann said:


> The Prius is a sedan with 4 doors.
> You must be thinking of a Coupe which is 2 doors.


No, only the first original Gen 1 Prius was a sedan. All other Prii ever have been either Liftbacks(a type of hatchback) or Wagons.


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## Cklw (Mar 18, 2017)

UberBeemer said:


> Any Kia owners have input? My daughter bought a 2013 optima, but it needed a new trans and an engine rebuild by 60k.


I had 2015 Kia Forte, put over 80,000 miles on it before it got totaled in an accident. Had no issues other than a recall on the rear window motors. Fun little car to drive, surprised on how much space in the backseat it had as well as trunk space.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

losiglow said:


> If I were purchasing strictly for Uber, it would be a 2012 - 2015 Camry 4-cylinder. Reliable, good on gas, comfortable.


Can get a like year Chevy Malibu for half the price.

The price differential will pay for a new transmission and other repairs, easily.


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## TXUbering (May 9, 2018)

This car qualifies for "Select", has vented seats (which I HIGHLY recommend), and comes with a 100K warranty.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/787806221/overview/

*Convenience*

Adaptive Cruise Control
HomeLink
Heated Steering Wheel
*Entertainment*

Bluetooth
Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
*Safety*

Backup Camera
Brake Assist
Stability Control
Automatic Emergency Braking
Blind Spot Monitor
Lane Departure Warning
*Seating*

Heated Seats
Leather Seats
Memory Seat
Cooled Seats
*Exterior*

Alloy Wheels
Sunroof/Moonroof


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

dnlbaboof said:


> i heard elantras are top rated in terms of reliability, priuses are good too but more expensive


HYUNDAI is the " new" toyota.



OldBay said:


> Can get a like year Chevy Malibu for half the price.
> 
> The price differential will pay for a new transmission and other repairs, easily.


How about the massive lost earnings from Down Time ?
Will it pay for that ?

Companies that sell garbage deserve to die.



kcchiefsfan1982 said:


> I'm prepared to get a lot of hate for this, but as far as making money with an UberX car...the Ford Fieata SE manual transmission is the way to go! I bought a 2016 Ford Fiesta manual transmission for $8,500 with only 22,000 miles on it. While driving Uber, I am averaging 37 miles per gallon!
> 
> Is it hella small? Yeah. But, I still have (73) 5 stars and only (3) 4 stars...which the 4 stars probably had to do with size of car...but it gets the ratings where you need to be and you dont spend money! New tires are $50/tire! Do it! Get yourself a manual Ford Fiesta!
> 
> Now on the flip side...don't even dare get an automatic trans Ford Fiesta or Ford Focus....worst cars ever! You will not last a month before getting the worst car noise sounds you can imagine.....and your passengers are not going to like hearing that!


Ford cant manufacture an automatic transmission that lasts 60,000 miles .
They just cant.
Their Corporate Life Depends on it.
They CANT !


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

Dude, american cars are good now. This isn't the 80s.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

OldBay said:


> Dude, american cars are good now. This isn't the 80s.


Where are these "good" cars ?

Fords with Lousy transmissions ?

Chevys with faulty ac blend doors ?
Power windows that break ?

Prices go up.
Quality goes down.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

tohunt4me said:


> Where are these "good" cars ?
> 
> Fords with Lousy transmissions ?
> 
> ...


Its a conspiracy! All the positive american car reviews must have been paid for.


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## 2kwik4u (Aug 27, 2019)

kcchiefsfan1982 said:


> I'm prepared to get a lot of hate for this, but as far as making money with an UberX car...the Ford Fieata SE manual transmission is the way to go! I bought a 2016 Ford Fiesta manual transmission for $8,500 with only 22,000 miles on it. While driving Uber, I am averaging 37 miles per gallon!
> 
> Is it hella small? Yeah. But, I still have (73) 5 stars and only (3) 4 stars...which the 4 stars probably had to do with size of car...but it gets the ratings where you need to be and you dont spend money! New tires are $50/tire! Do it! Get yourself a manual Ford Fiesta!
> 
> Now on the flip side...don't even dare get an automatic trans Ford Fiesta or Ford Focus....worst cars ever! You will not last a month before getting the worst car noise sounds you can imagine.....and your passengers are not going to like hearing that!


I had a 2012 Ford Focus SE Hatchback with a manual. VERY entertaining car to drive. Got 32mpg regardless of how I drove it, was "fun to drive" and didn't have any serious issues for the 65k miles or so I put on it (bought new, and drove the wheels off it for 2 years). Plenty of space for my 6'2" tall frame, and the back seat was acceptable enough for doing Uber. You can pickup these for sub $10k pretty easily at this point. AVOID the Auto trans in these like the plague though. First design of a dual clutch based manumatic transmission. People don't understand how to drive them to keep them from overheating, and seals fail regularly.

Acura/Lexus sedans will most likely have the most fun to drive factor of any "reliable" vehicle. BMW's and Audi's are way nicer cars IMO, but don't have great reliability ratings. I absolutely LOVED my '06 A4, and it was about as reliable as my Chevrolet products are. Broke half as often, but cost twice as much. I would be looking hard for an A6 wagon if I was in OP's shoes, but I'm a little more tolerant to maintenance than others, somewhat enjoy turning wrenches, and don't count on my car for income.


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## nickclinic (Sep 27, 2019)

partyvan said:


> If you are talking about NEW cars....
> 1. Civic, Accord, Camry, Corolla take your pick from these 4
> 2. Prius
> If you are considering USED
> ...


What's your suggestions in SUVs? Would you consider CRV-Honda one of the good choices?


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## SuperBot (Aug 21, 2019)

nickclinic said:


> What's your suggestions in SUVs? Would you consider CRV-Honda one of the good choices?


CRV's are good. Very light and good on gas. I find there's lots of plastic on the car so just a small impact can damage the car quite a bit.


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## 2kwik4u (Aug 27, 2019)

Also.......I would throw a Chevrolet Impala in there. They look nice, are reasonably dependable, priced well, and are comfy to drive. Had one as a rental this summer, and it wasn't the worst thing I've ever driven.










GM is now #4 in reliability according to JDPowers as well. Significantly ahead of Honda, Kia, and Hyundai, and just behind Toyota and Lexus....Source


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

If you follow the advice of driving the cheapest car possible, you are looking at 2010-2011.

In that year range, when you compare a Chevy Malibu to a Camry or Accord, the Chevy costs roughly half of the japanese car. So you are looking at a 5-6K investment vs 10k investment.

If you can do maintenance yourself, are capable of buying/replacing a remanufactured ****** in worst case scenario, then the malibu is the car to get. Even if you can't do the work, you are still better off overall.

When you take the milage of that Camry up to 200K and it gets aged out of the platform, you won't recoup the price premium you paid, especially as a former rideshare car.

If you are spending more for a newer car, anything in the 10K+ range is just throwing away money. Camrys and Hondas have better resale, unless they are former taxicabs.


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## 2kwik4u (Aug 27, 2019)

@OldBay has a good point about depreciation. The domestic brands drop value very quickly.


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## Sal29 (Jul 27, 2014)

OldBay said:


> Dude, american cars are good now. This isn't the 80s.


Americans haven't made good reliable cars since The Lincoln Town Car, Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Mercury Maurauder. If Americans still make good cars, then why are almost all the Taxis in New York Japanese cars?


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

Sal29 said:


> Americans haven't made good reliable cars since The Lincoln Town Car, Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Mercury Maurauder. If Americans still make good cars, then why are almost all the Taxis in New York Japanese cars?


I dunno, because prius operating costs are lower?

I think all trends point that americans like more substantial cars,but for a taxi the prius makes sense.


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## Sal29 (Jul 27, 2014)

OldBay said:


> I dunno, because prius operating costs are lower?
> 
> I think all trends point that americans like more substantial cars,but for a taxi the prius makes sense.


There are TONS of Non Hybrid Camry Taxis.
There are many American cars with equal or better fuel economy yet you'll rarely if ever see them used as Taxis these days.
It's clear that the horrible reliability of American cars is the reason.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

Sal29 said:


> There are TONS of Non Hybrid Camry Taxis.
> There are many American cars with equal or better fuel economy yet you'll rarely if ever see them used as Taxis these days.
> It's clear that the horrible reliability of American cars is the reason.


Well, there you go!


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## YonkersResident (Aug 19, 2019)

Cadillac CT6


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