# Need Help/input on what type of car to purchase!



## AFRED321 (Feb 8, 2018)

I'll get straight to the point...

Its about that time for me to begin looking into purchasing a new(er) car to replace my 2004 Honda Accord. There is no need for me to rush out and buy, but from what I understand Uber/Lyft requires drivers to drive a car that is 2007+. *Is this true or false?
*
I've narrowed (but not limited) my car search down to a new(er) Nissian Altima/Maxima or upgrading to a new(er) Honda Accord. On one hand I'm thinking I don't want to buy more car than what I need, just to have passengers destroy the interior and simply just be paying for more car than what I need. Than on the other hand, I'm also thinking I don't want to buy to little of a car, because I understand there will be down time were I am not driving, waiting for my next customer...during this down time, I'd like to be able to relax, entertain myself with a few bells, whistle and just in general, comfortable. Seat covers, seem to be a good idea to prevent damage. *Any other ideas to prevent damage? And in every ones opinion, are these ideal cars for Uber/Lyft drivers? What do you drive, and what do you like about your mobile office and why? What features do you like about your car, or features that have just in general came in handy OR what do you wish your car had?
*
I work as a server in the evening time, and do well, but like most of us, want to be putting money aside for more vacations, shopping sprees and savings. Driving for Uber/Lyft would simply just be my side hustle, but my side hustle would also come with shiny new car payment (I figure around $250-$300/monthly, seeing as how my current vehicle is paid off). For the most part I would drive for Uber/Lyft from about 9 AM - 3 PM on the days I serve, and Sundays and Mondays, which are my days off from my serving job. I want to avoid being a babysitter, taking people home from the club 2/2:30 in the morning.

Thanks again for your input everyone!


----------



## Kevnation (Jan 9, 2018)

Get what you want . As long as it's 4 door and no bigger than 4 cylinder. As for bells and whistles, filter in everything you want from a car . Then weed out the lowest mileage/price . DO research on recalls, most common breakdowns and how to fix easy things like brakes and oil .It kills me on how many guys not knowing how to change a tire on a Honda Accord . Personally since you've had the Honda Accord, if I was you I'd stick to what I know . Just with more gadgets and gizmos


----------



## Skorpio (Oct 17, 2017)

Get a car that will last you at least 3-5 years..
Some cities required 2010 and up..
Check if your city allow 2007 and up..
Make sure its not a rebuilt car..

My city allow 2007 and up..
I bought a Toyota Prius 2011..
I drive full time, which I will put at least 100k mile per year..
Car will die before 2021, if its still going at 500k miles. I sell it for whatever..

Note this year will be 2008 and up.


----------



## Aerodrifting (Aug 13, 2017)

The vehicle model year requirement is different from city to city, In LA it's 2002 for Uber X, 2009 for select.

While Nissan is reliable and roomy, It's boring to drive and you won't be expecting much "bells and whistles" from Nissan. Its fuel economy is also not as good as Sonata/Accord in recent years, But it is still excellent value for its price. IMO you should just get a used 2012-14 Prius and enjoy the 50 MPG in the city, Gas money does add up if you drive a lot.


----------



## thatridesharegirl (Jul 7, 2016)

I have both a 2017 Accord and a 2012 Prius on my account. Full disclosure, the Accord is V6 and averages 25-27mpg while the Prius is always 50mpg even. 
While it's important that you like your car, remember that pax cause lots of wear and tear.
Doing 8-12 hours in my Accord is easier, and more enjoyable. However the fuel savings of about $15-20 per day and impending doom of depreciation keep me driving my Prius 99% of the time. 
If I had another job and did uber part time and could only have one car (less than 20hrs per week) I'd get a high trim Prius. It'll last a long time. It is fun to drive (not in a fast way) but is an acquired taste.
I get high when I hypermile.


----------



## transporter007 (Feb 19, 2018)

Prius for high MPG and low cost of maintenance = higher profits for driver


----------



## tomatopaste (Apr 11, 2017)

AFRED321 said:


> I'll get straight to the point...
> 
> Its about that time for me to begin looking into purchasing a new(er) car to replace my 2004 Honda Accord. There is no need for me to rush out and buy, but from what I understand Uber/Lyft requires drivers to drive a car that is 2007+. *Is this true or false?
> *
> ...


Most people on this forum have their head in the sand. Waymo was given TNC status 3 weeks ago to operate a fully autonomous taxi service in Phoenix which will compete directly with Phoenix Uber drivers. No one should buy a car expecting to still be driving for Uber in two years. If you're in Phoenix, SF, Austin, Kirkland WA, you're already walking dead.

*Waymo Gets the O.K. for a Commercial Driverless Ride-Hailing Service*
*https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...or-commercial-driverless-ride-hailing-service*


----------



## Aerodrifting (Aug 13, 2017)

tomatopaste said:


> Most people on this forum have their head in the sand. Waymo was given TNC status 3 weeks ago to operate a fully autonomous taxi service in Phoenix which will compete directly with Phoenix Uber drivers. No one should buy a car expecting to still be driving for Uber in two years. If you're in Phoenix, SF, Austin, Kirkland WA, you're already walking dead.
> 
> *Waymo Gets the O.K. for a Commercial Driverless Ride-Hailing Service*
> *https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...or-commercial-driverless-ride-hailing-service*


No need to be too pessimistic, I think it will still take quite a few years before autonomous vehicles take over.

Computers are created by human and programs are written by human hands, And we all know everyone is capable of making mistakes and that's why human's creation won't be perfect either: All programs are riddled with some bugs, Games during first release especially, And some glitches are down to the core and can not even be corrected (Think about strafe jump in CS, Item duplication in Diablo 1). If you don't play games, Don't tell me you haven't experienced MS Windows bluescreen first hand or having your smartphone freeze up / restart.

Autonomous vehicles will cause accidents, Even fatal accidents because they WILL make mistakes, Because they are human creations. When that happens, Media is going to make a big deal out of it causing some public outbreak against autonomous vehicles, Either forcing them back to testing stage or ban them in certain cities, Delaying its time.

While human are capable of making mistakes, They are also capable of making the correct judgement in complicated situations. What if a rider is waiting on the side of a street parked full of cars? Is the self driving TAXI going to do a quick illegal double parking for a quick pick up, Or is it going to go around the block over and over looking for a legit parking? What if the roads are too old and the sensors can't trace the lane dividers? The list goes on.


----------



## tomatopaste (Apr 11, 2017)

Aerodrifting said:


> No need to be too pessimistic, I think it will still take quite a few years before autonomous vehicles take over.
> 
> Computers are created by human and programs are written by human hands, And we all know everyone is capable of making mistakes and that's why human's creation won't be perfect either: All programs are riddled with some bugs, Games during first release especially, And some glitches are down to the core and can not even be corrected (Think about strafe jump in CS, Item duplication in Diablo 1). If you don't play games, Don't tell me you haven't experienced MS Windows bluescreen first hand or having your smartphone freeze up / restart.
> 
> ...


They've been working on self driving cars for 10 years, testing the software and hardware six ways from Sunday. They are not just throwing it out there and hoping for the best. This might be the most tested system ever created by man. Waymo has never caused an accident in over 4 million miles of self driving.


----------



## Aerodrifting (Aug 13, 2017)

tomatopaste said:


> They've been working on self driving cars for 10 years, testing the software and hardware six ways from Sunday. They are not just throwing it out there and hoping for the best. This might be the most tested system ever created by man. Waymo has never caused an accident in over 4 million miles of self driving.


4 million miles is nothing unfortunately. According to the National Safety Council, It takes 100 million vehicle miles on average for 1 death from accidents in 2016.
Average Americans drive 13500 miles in 2016, That's 4 trillion miles total in just one year.
Road conditions vary a lot, I don't believe 4 million miles can cover all sorts of road conditions we can encounter. Self driving vehicle will behave quite differently in big sunny well paved blvd with divider and newly painted lines VS a narrow side street with no line or not so visible stop sign.


----------



## tomatopaste (Apr 11, 2017)

Aerodrifting said:


> 4 million miles is nothing unfortunately. According to the National Safety Council, It takes 100 million vehicle miles on average for 1 death from accidents in 2016.
> Average Americans drive 13500 miles in 2016, That's 4 trillion miles total in just one year.
> Road conditions vary a lot, I don't believe 4 million miles can cover all sorts of road conditions we can encounter. Self driving vehicle will behave quite differently in big sunny well paved blvd with divider and newly painted lines VS a narrow side street with no line or not so visible stop sign.


self driving cars don't rely on lane markings or stop signs.


----------



## Dammit Mazzacane (Dec 31, 2015)

AFRED321 said:


> I'll get straight to the point...
> 
> Its about that time for me to begin looking into purchasing a new(er) car to replace my 2004 Honda Accord. There is no need for me to rush out and buy, but from what I understand Uber/Lyft requires drivers to drive a car that is 2007+. *Is this true or false?*!


Your market may vary, but for a 10-year cutoff it would be 2008 or newer.


----------



## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

Aerodrifting said:


> While Nissan is reliable and roomy ...


Those CVTs in Nissans don't last very long, they have a pretty high failure rate.


----------



## Drivemode916 (Oct 13, 2017)

Get something that will qualify for Lyft Lux, Black and/or Uber luxury lineup. There are some on their lists that go 30 mpg highway.


----------



## tomatopaste (Apr 11, 2017)

Drivemode916 said:


> Get something that will qualify for Lyft Lux, Black and/or Uber luxury lineup. There are some on their lists that go 30 mpg highway.


This is horrible advise. It'll be a boat anchor in two years


----------



## Jayjay9317 (Nov 22, 2017)

AFRED321 said:


> I'll get straight to the point...
> 
> Its about that time for me to begin looking into purchasing a new(er) car to replace my 2004 Honda Accord. There is no need for me to rush out and buy, but from what I understand Uber/Lyft requires drivers to drive a car that is 2007+. *Is this true or false?
> *
> ...


Prius c 55 MPG


----------



## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

Maybe if you drive 35 mph like a senior citizen.


----------



## Jayjay9317 (Nov 22, 2017)

Syn said:


> Maybe if you drive 35 mph like a senior citizen.


I own 4 cars, and drive better than anyone. I drive very careful and respect other drivers on the road though. I always drive + 5 or 10 over the speed limit. I've owned many cars, But the MPG of prius is really amazing and love it. 2014 prius c.


----------



## transporter007 (Feb 19, 2018)

Syn said:


> Maybe if you drive 35 mph like a senior citizen.


50+ mpg on my Prius hatchback all day long, everyday.
She's a good girl


----------



## Drivemode916 (Oct 13, 2017)

tomatopaste said:


> This is horrible advise. It'll be a boat anchor in two years


Why not? If you buy a black luxury crossover,with black interior, you've hit 6x platforms; like standard, premiere, suv,lux, lux suv, and Black. (and that's just Lyft)


----------



## tomatopaste (Apr 11, 2017)

Drivemode916 said:


> Why not? If you buy a black luxury crossover,with black interior, you've hit 6x platforms; like standard, premiere, suv,lux, lux suv, and Black. (and that's just Lyft)


any you'll get 6 pings a month cause no one will be using Uber or Lyft


----------



## Drivemode916 (Oct 13, 2017)

tomatopaste said:


> any you'll get 6 pings a month cause no one will be using Uber or Lyft


I h8 to break this to you, tomatopaste, but you really need to ketchup, sorry.


----------



## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

tomatopaste said:


> self driving cars don't rely on lane markings or stop signs.


Which becomes hella fun when places like the city of Los Angeles go on their habitual moving, removing, and installing temporary signs spree

Or add unnecessary and contradictory traffic flow control people who can't even be bothered to learn the proper hand gestures


----------



## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

Drivemode916 said:


> Why not? If you buy a black luxury crossover,with black interior, you've hit 6x platforms; like standard, premiere, suv,lux, lux suv, and Black. (and that's just Lyft)


Because buying a car for all those platforms will cost a lot of $$$. So if you payment is let say $800-$900 - that's a lot of rides just to make a car payment.

Money is not made when selling, its made when buying (if that makes sense). Translation - think about keeping expenses low, not about making a lot of money with high expenses.


----------

