# Toyota Prius (HYBRID) Best Vehicle Ride share



## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

Is the Toyota Prius the right car for ride-sharing ?

Does anyone wants to share thoughts on a Prius for ride-share

Pros & Cons


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## baldmonkey (Jul 16, 2015)

MPG.... MPG....MPG... Also Toyota is known for great cars lasting a long time and holding their value. The only reason to go with a different car is because you don't mind a lower margin or your a mechanic. Spacewise its just ok, nice amenities inside if you go new. Also its very recognizable if your in a big city. Your people will likely look for a prius first if they called an X.


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## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

baldmonkey said:


> MPG.... MPG....MPG... Also Toyota is known for great cars lasting a long time and holding their value. The only reason to go with a different car is because you don't mind a lower margin or your a mechanic. Spacewise its just ok, nice amenities inside if you go new. Also its very recognizable if your in a big city. Your people will likely look for a prius first if they called an X.


Thanks for sharing your thoughts I posted this last week and just now got a reply I really appreciate your feedback on this I am planning on getting a used Prius I really don't want to keep using my other 2 cars that have very low mileage I have a SUV/Sedan and they both only have under 20k miles. I was looking into a 2010-2014 Prius I really want to keep it under $10,00o which is my cash buying budget for buying a car. But again thanks for your comment feedback on this hope I will get more feedback and see what other people say.


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## Santa (Jan 3, 2016)

Camry Hybrid is much better. Noth much difference in gas consumption, with a big trunk and interior space.


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## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

Santa said:


> Camry Hybrid is much better. Noth much difference in gas consumption, with a big trunk and interior space.


Yes, I agree space is a factor in ubering especially when you live near an airport. I live close to EWR which is Newark airport, I do a lot of pickups and drops offs. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this I am going to take this in consideration.


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## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

Santa said:


> Camry Hybrid is much better. Noth much difference in gas consumption, with a big trunk and interior space.


It's about a wash they are both great cars. The Camry cost a little more.

In addition to MPG they both are fairly reliable. You don't want to spend all your earnings on maintenance when you don't have to.


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## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

Shangsta said:


> It's about a wash they are both great cars. The Camry cost a little more.
> 
> In addition to MPG they both are fairly reliable. You don't want to spend all your earnings on maintenance when you don't have to.


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## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

Hey, thanks for your feedback the Camry is a great car it has a lot of room and it's a great car for commuting and ridesharing. 

How much would I be spending on maintenance let's say on 1,500 miles of ridesharing a month ?


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## Santa (Jan 3, 2016)

JR. Driver said:


> Hey, thanks for your feedback the Camry is a great car it has a lot of room and it's a great car for commuting and ridesharing.
> 
> How much would I be spending on maintenance let's say on 1,500 miles of ridesharing a month ?


1500 miles a month is nothing. Always change your oil at 4000 Km which is probably 3000 miles o. Your brakes will last you a long time. Most tires are good for atleast 100k Km. If you live in a cold snowy place, the getting a good pair ice and snow tires are a smart investment.


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## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

Thanks for your feedback its appreciated. I ride share part time only. I have my full time job, I normally change my oil at 5,000, Yes the snow and ice tires is a must in the winter months. Thanks again for your comment I am going to consider this.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

Most cars nowadays have 10-15k mile oil change intervals . The 3,000 mile thing was always a scam 
I've been changing my oil every 3 months which for me is around 10-12k miles . 
When I do my oil change I rotate my tires and clean off my air filter (I'll replace it every other oil change) Tires will last a lot longer when properly rotated , also when you buy tires try to find the best value and mileage wear rating . 
I check my spark plugs every other oil change also and replace as needed 
If you get a car with over over 60 k miles I bet after 6 months of ubering your suspension will start having mild issues mainly with Bushings etc... Easy cheap fixes on most cars 


I drive a 2015 VW Passat (works on Select in my Market) I've been getting 35mpg Ubering , and have seen 45mpg on long highway road trips . It's a Regular Gas 1.8 turbo engine not the Diesel . I love it for Uber mainly because it works for select has one of the biggest back seats I've ever seen, massive trunk , great ride and has a decent power . Almost 30k miles of Ubering and not one issue yet but I'll probably sell it and buy another one in 20 to 30k miles . I don't like to keep my cars more then 1 or 2 years , I always try to find a great deal (auto auctions are great) most the time I can drive my car for 18 months put 30k miles on it and get close to the same amount I paid for it . 


Hybrids are going to be best if you live in areas that are lots of stop and go traffic. I make my living by doing non traffic long distance airport rides so a car that gets great Highway mileage was what I was looking for and my car gets almost as good as most hybrids on the Highway (I also have a Lincoln MKZ Hybrid it's on Select and could be black if I wanted to go thru that hassel it gets around 37mpg Ubering but the trunk isn't very big and the back seats aren't that spacious)


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## uberfraud (Sep 22, 2016)

JR. Driver said:


> Thanks for sharing your thoughts I posted this last week and just now got a reply I really appreciate your feedback on this I am planning on getting a used Prius I really don't want to keep using my other 2 cars that have very low mileage I have a SUV/Sedan and they both only have under 20k miles. I was looking into a 2010-2014 Prius I really want to keep it under $10,00o which is my cash buying budget for buying a car. But again thanks for your comment feedback on this hope I will get more feedback and see what other people say.


Will a Prius be adequate for airport pick up and drop off? Luggage concerns?


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## Santa (Jan 3, 2016)

uberfraud said:


> Will a Prius be adequate for airport pick up and drop off? Luggage concerns?


Two people with two luggage are ok. If More than that, good luck.


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## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

uberfraud said:


> Will a Prius be adequate for airport pick up and drop off? Luggage concerns?[/QUO
> 
> Yes thanks for your feed back.
> 
> For 1-2 passengers luggage will be ok picking up at airport ordering uberx . But here is thing I feel pax should be reasonable and responsible if 3 or more pax for airport pick with 2 or more luggage each. Example lets say all 3 or 4 pax have 1-2 luggage in hand pax should be requesting the appropriate uber even though uberx is 4 passengers,but pax have to consider luggage space so they should request wisely.


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## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

Santa said:


> Two people with two luggage are ok. If More than that, good luck.


Thanks I hear you on that one.
Yes your right and I mentioned that in the message above, however I think pax should be responsible in ordering the right uber if 3 pax with 6 luggage uberx wont be there choice.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

You would think people would be smart and order an XL when they have a lot of luggage and 4 people, but you'd be wrong lol

I took 4 guys all over 6 feet tall and all with a lot of luggage from cherry Creek to DIA. I was able to fit all 4 suit cases in the trunk and 2 of the 4 carry ons but the other 2 carry ons had to go on laps. I mentioned to them that next time they should probably order and XL as my vehicle is probably as big as it gets without being xl or an suv/truck. Pretty much any other uber X would have had to turn them down (my Lincoln and 3 series bmw all would not have been up to the task) and 2 of the guys were running late for their flight


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## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> You would think people would be smart and order an XL when they have a lot of luggage and 4 people, but you'd be wrong lol
> 
> I took 4 guys all over 6 feet tall and all with a lot of luggage from cherry Creek to DIA. I was able to fit all 4 suit cases in the trunk and 2 of the 4 carry ons but the other 2 carry ons had to go on laps. I mentioned to them that next time they should probably order and XL as my vehicle is probably as big as it gets without being xl or an suv/truck. Pretty much any other uber X would have had to turn them down (my Lincoln and 3 series bmw all would not have been up to the task) and 2 of the guys were running late for their flight


That was a tuff one to decide, I will not hesitate in insisting the pax to request uber XL or SUV when 3 or more with full luggage capacity its just unsafe to have luggage any where inside the care for safety reasons.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

Never take any extra risk or liability 

These were just back packs so it was fine but even that was a bit annoying


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## NinjaBlack (Sep 6, 2016)

Jeez Jimmy, how many nice cars you got? I too have a car that qualifies for Black, but feel it is risky to spend the extra $ on insurance. Chrysler 300... 
Yesterday had 4 adults with 2 huge bags and 2 normal ones. My trunk is big and handled it, but would not have been able to do 4 of the huge bags.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

NinjaBlack said:


> Jeez Jimmy, how many nice cars you got? I too have a car that qualifies for Black, but feel it is risky to spend the extra $ on insurance. Chrysler 300...
> Yesterday had 4 adults with 2 huge bags and 2 normal ones. My trunk is big and handled it, but would not have been able to do 4 of the huge bags.


Currently my stable of cars is

2015 Volkswagen Passat
2012 Lincoln mkz hybrid
2007 bmw 335xi sport
2005 Subaru Legacy gt

I've been thinking about selling the Passat and legacy to buy a Lincoln mkt and doing black and suv and adding the mkz on also. It would be nice to be fully covered and be able to do private clients which would be easy to get just via uber black and select. I have a few select customers who contact me ahead of time for airport trips it's nice to have that guarantee work sometimes


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## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> Most cars nowadays have 10-15k mile oil change intervals . The


Most cars with that high of an interval take synthetic oil which cost more. With conventional you would be wise to change it every 4500 to 5000.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

Shangsta said:


> Most cars with that high of an interval take synthetic oil which cost more. With conventional you would be wise to change it every 4500 to 5000.


True but you can order the large 1 gallon synthetic oils on Amazon and set it up on auto delivery to being down the cost to $18 which is about the cost of regular oil 
I have an auto ship of 2 gallons every 6 weeks and it's enough to keep both my car and my wife's car taken care of (I change hers every 9 months which is only about 7500 miles)


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## DoUHaveAnyWater? (Sep 7, 2016)

Mpg and other costs are important for full time drivers, but comfort is also important. I had a Prius and although the gas mileage was great, I had to get rid of it. San Francisco's streets are in a third world state of repair and the Prius' hard, crashy ride through the potholes and over the broken road surfaces was unbeareable over an 8 - 10 hour shift. Add to that that the freeways around here use the "gravel" type surfacing (very loud) and the Prius' poor soundproofing made freeway trips horrible.

If you're in a city with decent streets and highways, then Prius is great. But if not, there are better choices.


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## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

DoUHaveAnyWater? said:


> Mpg and other costs are important for full time drivers, but comfort is also important. I had a Prius and although the gas mileage was great, I had to get rid of it. San Francisco's streets are in a third world state of repair and the Prius' hard, crashy ride through the potholes and over the broken road surfaces was unbeareable over an 8 - 10 hour shift. Add to that that the freeways around here use the "gravel" type surfacing (very loud) and the Prius' poor soundproofing made freeway trips horrible.
> 
> If you're in a city with decent streets and highways, then Prius is great. But if not, there are better choices.


I drive in the east coast and the roads I normally drive on are pretty up to date you will see a pothole here and there but on overall the roads are pretty good on this side. I rideshare part time, I am very interested in the prius due to the MPG and also on its ratings its a really good car for commuting in the city. HOPE TO GET ONE SOON!!


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## ddelro219 (Aug 11, 2016)

when i was looking for a commuter car i was between a lexus ct200 and a camry hybrid. different strokes i know but i like hatchbacks and wanted something other than a prius. but i couldn't get past how cramped the ct200 is on the inside so went with the camry. i see another camry everytime i turn my head but otherwise not disapointed. roomy, rides smooth, mileage is good and i don't fear maintenance and repair costs.


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## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

ddelro219 said:


> when i was looking for a commuter car i was between a lexus ct200 and a camry hybrid. different strokes i know but i like hatchbacks and wanted something other than a prius. but i couldn't get past how cramped the ct200 is on the inside so went with the camry. i see another camry everytime i turn my head but otherwise not disapointed. roomy, rides smooth, mileage is good and i don't fear maintenance and repair costs.


Nice, do you have a Camry Hybrid ?


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## ddelro219 (Aug 11, 2016)

JR. Driver said:


> Nice, do you have a Camry Hybrid ?


yeah. camry hybrid se


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## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

Nice man what year is it that you have ?


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## ddelro219 (Aug 11, 2016)

JR. Driver said:


> Nice man what year is it that you have ?


it's a 2014.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

I live the accord and camry hybrids are awesome. They actually have a little get up to them. 

Another good one is a Lincoln mkz hybrid the pre 2013 models are crazy cheap mine gets around 40mpg and qualifies for select and with the right insurance and permits uber black. A family member rents this car from me and drives it on uber select


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## AnUberDriver. (Oct 11, 2016)

JR. Driver said:


> Is the Toyota Prius the right car for ride-sharing ?
> 
> Does anyone wants to share thoughts on a Prius for ride-share
> 
> Pros & Cons


Prius is the best..im getting 39-45mpg..mine is the 2015 and i regret that got brand new when uber cars start at 2005.. I would get a prius of 2009 or 2010 max..
The trunk is ok too. Whoever says trunk is small dont listen them..the cars are our cars..and i personally dont get very big luggage in my trunk..if i got a call and saw 4 pax plus r bags..lol where ill put them..i honestly say them to request another...


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## mikechch (Jun 5, 2016)

For nothing but economy, a used prius that has low miles but is a bit older is surely the best way to go. Personally I find them too uncomfortable and loud, but I don't do this full time.


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## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

AnUberDriver. said:


> Prius is the best..im getting 39-45mpg..mine is the 2015 and i regret that got brand new when uber cars start at 2005.. I would get a prius of 2009 or 2010 max..
> The trunk is ok too. Whoever says trunk is small dont listen them..the cars are our cars..and i personally dont get very big luggage in my trunk..if i got a call and saw 4 pax plus r bags..lol where ill put them..i honestly say them to request another...


Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the prius I will take this consideration I am thinking of buying a 2010 Prius III to rideshare thanks for giving me another reason to buy this car.


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## JR. Driver (Aug 18, 2016)

mikechch said:


> For nothing but economy, a used prius that has low miles but is a bit older is surely the best way to go. Personally I find them too uncomfortable and loud, but I don't do this full time.


I heard this a lot that they are not to great riding comfortable. I only rideshare part time hopefully this wont be an issue.


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## SweetAMGUberLyft (Oct 19, 2016)

Looking at a 2010 Prius 3, 272K miles with the small battery replaced already. Other than that excellent condition. What's the maintenance like on these, what's the likelihood I'll need to replace the large battery(heard that's about $2-3K), and will I need to do some electrical work to my house/garage to plug it in at home to charge? I know nothing about Prius or hybrids other than the concept of how they work.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

SweetAMGUberLyft said:


> Looking at a 2010 Prius 3, 272K miles with the small battery replaced already. Other than that excellent condition. What's the maintenance like on these, what's the likelihood I'll need to replace the large battery(heard that's about $2-3K), and will I need to do some electrical work to my house/garage to plug it in at home to charge? I know nothing about Prius or hybrids other than the concept of how they work.


Unless it's a Prius Plug in which I doubt it is you don't have to plug it in . It has a system that recharges the battery as you drive , I would have the large battery tested before purchase unless you're getting it crazy cheap . That's not a cheap fix


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## SweetAMGUberLyft (Oct 19, 2016)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> Unless it's a Prius Plug in which I doubt it is you don't have to plug it in . It has a system that recharges the battery as you drive , I would have the large battery tested before purchase unless you're getting it crazy cheap . That's not a cheap fix


Thank you, see? I didn't even realize that. I thought they all plugged in and had gas engines too unless they were all electric like the Leaf. Yeah, I intend on talking to the dealer (all maint done at the dealer) and having it tested too. It is priced well, but lets just say if I have to get the battery done, I'll double the investment in the car, haha.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

SweetAMGUberLyft said:


> Thank you, see? I didn't even realize that. I thought they all plugged in and had gas engines too unless they were all electric like the Leaf. Yeah, I intend on talking to the dealer (all maint done at the dealer) and having it tested too. It is priced well, but lets just say if I have to get the battery done, I'll double the investment in the car, haha.


Well in that case if you're buying the car for around $3k and have to throw some money at it that's not too bad . Plus with 300k miles I would do a reconditioned battery pack which can be had for under $1000 or maybe even a used one from a wrecked prius


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## thesatanicmechanic (Nov 5, 2016)

The prius is great, but as others have said, they are not the most comfortable cars for a long driving shift. I have a 2011 II, bought used in may with 100k, and routinely average 45mpg ubering in the city. Brakes last forever on these since they have regenerative braking, using the electric motor like a generator to recharge the battery while slowing down. Oil changes are a specified interval of 5K miles by Toyota, using 0W20 synthetic oil. I do all my own maintenance and repairs, so at my second oil change I sent a sample to Blackstone Laboratories for analysis. They advised me that the oil was in fantastic condition (Eneos synthetic & oem filter) and could extend my interval to 10K no problem. I'm taking this oil change to 7500 and sending another sample to verify. I rotate the tires every 5K to equalize wear.

I'd caution against a Dorman reman battery. The guy I got mine from sells and services priuses exclusively. He is not impressed by them. Instead he suggests biting the bullet for a genuine unit, or a used low mileage one with a warranty.

The larger 1.8 liter in the 3rd generation car like mine does have a head gasket problem. The typically fail at about 250K. Big $$$ like a hybrid battery replacement.


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## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

JR. Driver said:


> Yes, I agree space is a factor in ubering especially when you live near an airport. I live close to EWR which is Newark airport, I do a lot of pickups and drops offs. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this I am going to take this in consideration.


Pax at my local airport cancel those tiny cars and re-request. A lot of people refuse to ride in them


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## SweetAMGUberLyft (Oct 19, 2016)

Great info, thanks guys! Turns out I may have missed out as the seller claims he has a buyer already, but now I know what to look out for when looking. What about Camry or Sonata Hybrids? Anyone with experience with those? I definitely understand the pax not liking the Prius, I never liked them myself and only considering it purely for the $ and mileage.


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## Shangsta (Aug 15, 2016)

The Camry hybrids are really nice cars. My mother in law has a Sonata hybrid its got a lot of problems. I think Toyota is the class of hybrid vehicles.


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## thesatanicmechanic (Nov 5, 2016)

I would not consider a Hyundai. good friends is the service Mgr at a local dealership and describes lots of problems with their hybrids even though they've been out for 4+ years.


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## SweetAMGUberLyft (Oct 19, 2016)

thesatanicmechanic said:


> I would not consider a Hyundai. good friends is the service Mgr at a local dealership and describes lots of problems with their hybrids even though they've been out for 4+ years.


Alright, thanks for looking out! That's a shame because I really like the look.


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## unitxero (Jul 10, 2016)

https://www.uber.com/drive/vehicle-solutions/new-car-discounts/

If you're looking for a new car, look at these discounts you can get for a new car. Some of these discounts are so steep it will beat buying a hybrid in the long run.


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## Steven Ambrose (Sep 25, 2016)

JR. Driver said:


> Is the Toyota Prius the right car for ride-sharing ?
> 
> Does anyone wants to share thoughts on a Prius for ride-share
> 
> Pros & Cons


Pros - My Prius C is getting 55 MPG. My Prius V is getting 45 MPG. I exclusively now use the C. Toyota makes a product that lasts. Hybrid technologies have come a far way. You can get an inexpensive Prius C for under $22k. If you are looking for economical choice, the Prius is the next for this.

Cons - There are very few, but some vehicles are smaller and compact. Look for them to have adequate cargo space. Luxury can be important and some of the Prius models have this, but remember, you are going for value, not for glamor.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

SweetAMGUberLyft said:


> Looking at a 2010 Prius 3, 272K miles with the small battery replaced already. Other than that excellent condition. What's the maintenance like on these, what's the likelihood I'll need to replace the large battery(heard that's about $2-3K), and will I need to do some electrical work to my house/garage to plug it in at home to charge? I know nothing about Prius or hybrids other than the concept of how they work.


Yer kidding, right??

That's a car a taxi pizza or rideshare guy is dumping because it's hit the point of uselessness

MPG ISN'T EVERYTHING.

A behemoth like Ford Excursion will probably cost you less per mile to run than that car.

Heck if they're dumping at that mileage, it's already held together by duct tape and seal-a-leak fluid additives and/or just about due for a ****** a battery and/or an engine


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

JR. Driver said:


> Is the Toyota Prius the right car for ride-sharing ?
> 
> Does anyone wants to share thoughts on a Prius for ride-share
> 
> Pros & Cons


I would do a Toyota Sienna and do XL... but that's just me.

IF you ever get a party of more than 4 on XL just snap a Pic of them over your shoulder and submit ticket to get the rate adjusted up to XL.


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