# Is UBERXL worth it?



## pamelajr (Jul 31, 2015)

I've tried numerous times to get a straight answer through Uber's ever popular email system. I know they charge more for UberXL but they also take an extra 8% cut (28%). I understand them charging customers more but my expenses in my Honda Pilot are a lot more than a sedan ride, so why do they get an extra 8%? Got pretty angry in the email exchanges because the arrogant dude, Demarcus, would never answer the question. The last response from him was I was taken off any further UberXL rides. Is UberXL worth it with the higher percentage cut?


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## sidewazzz (Jun 30, 2015)

pamelajr said:


> I've tried numerous times to get a straight answer through Uber's ever popular email system. I know they charge more for UberXL but they also take an extra 8% cut (28%). I understand them charging customers more but my expenses in my Honda Pilot are a lot more than a sedan ride, so why do they get an extra 8%? Got pretty angry in the email exchanges because the arrogant dude, Demarcus, would never answer the question. The last response from him was I was taken off any further UberXL rides. Is UberXL worth it with the higher percentage cut?


Drive uber X for a week, then drive XL for a week. Should be easy to choose.

Or you can listen to me XL only is the way to go. But I thought they only took 20%. Once you got to plus its 28% could be wrong.


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## mikatl55 (Jun 12, 2015)

I think you are losing sight of the forest and focusing on one tree. First, driving a Honda Pilot at X-rates is definitely a losing proposition. 
Next, the extra 8% sucks (28% vs 20%) but is small in exchange for an almost 2x increase in rate per mile and rate per minute. 

This example won't be perfect but it's close enough. Assume a 10 mile trip that takes 15 minutes. Atlanta X rates are $1.15 + $0.16 min and $0.78 per mile and XL rates are $3.00 + $0.30 min + $1.90 per mile.

Uber X = (1.15 + 0.16*15 + 0.78*10) - 20%
= (1.15 + 2.40 + 7.80) - 20%
= $9.08 before Safe Ride Fee

Uber XL = (3.00 + 0.30*15 + 1.90*10) - 28%
= (3.00 + 4.50 + 19.00) - 28%
= $19.08 before Safe Ride Fee

That tells 95% of the story...#'s are pretty clear. If you happen to hit a 2.0x surge, double each #...then the same trip is almost $20 better on XL. 

This is not a profitability analysis, just a revenue comparison of X vs XL.

Good luck.

Mike


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## CommanderXL (Jun 17, 2015)

It is definitely worth it. There are at least a couple of drawbacks though.

1. When a rider cancels you will get only $3.60, not $4 like an X.

2. You're more likely to get 6 drunks in your car, instead of 4.

Also, if you can't make money doing XL, you definitely won't make any doing X with the same vehicle.


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## Ubermanpt (Dec 23, 2014)

I do x and xl with pilot. First , ONLY do x requests when surging. I always stay on xl only mode until I am in a surge area , then I switch over to do either x or xl. I want 1.7x surge or higher but every once in a while I'll take a 1.5 or 1.6 but anything less is not worth it driving a pilot. Xl still is good with the 28%(not sure why they charge more) but even better when xl is surging. Better to just park and sit and only do x when surging than drive at lower rates . Sometimes it's hard to wait but it will be much better if you do. Also the colleges are great for xl as the kids go out in groups, the only thing is you'll be dealing with up to 6 drinks but almost all the time they are cool going out. I don't stay out late enough to take them home


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## VinVJO (Sep 13, 2015)

CommanderXL said:


> It is definitely worth it. There are at least a couple of drawbacks though.
> 
> 1. When a rider cancels you will get only $3.60, not $4 like an X.
> 
> ...


Not so fast. There are some other disadvantages to consider, and I'm upset with the extra surcharge. It makes me wonder if XL is worthwhile after all.

1. Riders will not use X when there's a surge because XL doesn't have one. Therefore, they could actually pay less per ride, and we get even less because they take out 28% on top of it.

2. You always have to drive further for a UberXL pickup, and there's often luggage of some sort.

3. Expenses for it are more, e.g. wear and tear inside more than out from six often more unruly riders, more weight, and they're more rowdy.

Anyway, I also have a question, and I can think of an advantage. The question is: Does Lyft take out so much for their LyftPLUS product? One advantage I can think about, but one that could backfire in many ways, is that I'd argue they're less likely to be so drunk they get sick if there are five or six of them.

Thanks.


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## VinVJO (Sep 13, 2015)

mikatl55 said:


> I think you are losing sight of the forest and focusing on one tree. First, driving a Honda Pilot at X-rates is definitely a losing proposition.
> Next, the extra 8% sucks (28% vs 20%) but is small in exchange for an almost 2x increase in rate per mile and rate per minute.
> 
> This example won't be perfect but it's close enough. Assume a 10 mile trip that takes 15 minutes. Atlanta X rates are $1.15 + $0.16 min and $0.78 per mile and XL rates are $3.00 + $0.30 min + $1.90 per mile.
> ...


As I mentioned in my response to CommanderXL, riders will choose XL when it's surging, so that negates things even more; e.g. it was surging last night in SF @ 2.5X for X but only 1.2X for XL.


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## volksie (Apr 8, 2015)

mikatl55 said:


> I think you are losing sight of the forest and focusing on one tree. First, driving a Honda Pilot at X-rates is definitely a losing proposition.
> Next, the extra 8% sucks (28% vs 20%) but is small in exchange for an almost 2x increase in rate per mile and rate per minute.
> 
> This example won't be perfect but it's close enough. Assume a 10 mile trip that takes 15 minutes. Atlanta X rates are $1.15 + $0.16 min and $0.78 per mile and XL rates are $3.00 + $0.30 min + $1.90 per mile.
> ...


DITTO!!
I couldn't have said it better myself! Seriously, I could not have. Well done Mike!!!!


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## Desert Driver (Nov 9, 2014)

pamelajr said:


> I've tried numerous times to get a straight answer through Uber's ever popular email system. I know they charge more for UberXL but they also take an extra 8% cut (28%). I understand them charging customers more but my expenses in my Honda Pilot are a lot more than a sedan ride, so why do they get an extra 8%? Got pretty angry in the email exchanges because the arrogant dude, Demarcus, would never answer the question. The last response from him was I was taken off any further UberXL rides. Is UberXL worth it with the higher percentage cut?


No.


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## Moo Moo (May 11, 2015)

VinVJO said:


> Not so fast. There are some other disadvantages to consider, and I'm upset with the extra surcharge. It makes me wonder if XL is worthwhile after all.
> 
> 1. Riders will not use X when there's a surge because XL doesn't have one. Therefore, they could actually pay less per ride, and we get even less because they take out 28% on top of it.
> 
> ...


_1. Riders will not use X when there's a surge because XL doesn't have one. Therefore, they could actually pay less per ride, and we get even less because they take out 28% on top of it._
I have been driving a Toyota Sienna minivan for Uber since Oct 2014, 2300 trips, UberX and UberXL, and I have picked up UberXL riders in Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco, Daly City, El Cerrito, Richmond and Clayton. Whenever I get a request for UberXL, I always try to remember to call the rider to confirm that they really wanted XL or whether the XL request was a mistake. Sometimes, the vehicle selection on their Uber rider app was mistakenly set on UberXL and the rider did not want an XL and pay $1.95 per mile instead of the $1.10 per mile for X. UberXL does have surge rates and usually the same surge rates as UberX. I have driven many riders who requested UberXL with surge rates. At the beginning of spring break 2015 (March 2015), I had an UberXL ride near UC Berkeley, 2.5x surge, and the requestor and I had to wait 20 minutes for his female friends to "get ready to leave, i.e., get dressed, use bathroom, pack suitcase, etc), the fare was around $150 for XL instead of the usual $50 UberX. So no, riders do NOT pay less for an UberXL ride because they are already paying 50% per mile. Another time, I drove a woman from Clayton to Rancho Cordova, UberXL because there were no UberX drivers available in Clayton, total fare $239 for around 1.5 hours of driving. There was no surge in Clayton. Another time, I drove a family of six with luggage which packed my minivan's cargo area, from San Francisco Marriott Union Square to Hertz car rental at Sacramento International Airport, $264, 2 hours during week of Christmas 2014, I do not think there was a surge on this ride.

_2. You always have to drive further for a UberXL pickup, and there's often luggage of some sort. _
Yes, you may have to drive farther for UberXL pickups because UberXL, UberBlack and UberSUV charge more per rides and thus the pickup radius is farther for the drivers. Because of the wider pickup radius, I try to confirm the UberXL requests because if the XL request was a mistake, UberX drivers closer to the requester can fullfill their X request.

_3. Expenses for it are more, e.g. wear and tear inside more than out from six often more unruly riders, more weight, and they're more rowdy._
Normal wear and tear on an UberXL vehicle (large SUV or minivan) depends on whether the vehicle is 4-wheel drive (which requires special maintenance), age and odometer reading of the vehicle. Whether you have five or six XL passengers (weight) have nothing to do with the Uber operating expense of your vehicle. You can have one to four drunk passengers with UberX rides so UberXL is no different.


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## BostonBarry (Aug 31, 2015)

VinVJO said:


> Not so fast. There are some other disadvantages to consider, and I'm upset with the extra surcharge. It makes me wonder if XL is worthwhile after all.
> 
> 1. Riders will not use X when there's a surge because XL doesn't have one. Therefore, they could actually pay less per ride, and we get even less because they take out 28% on top of it.
> 
> ...


Here in Boston XL is 28% also. Lyft Plus is 20% and is part of the Power Driver Bonus. Rates for Plus are cheaper than XL though.

Uber: $3.50 base, $0.35 minute, $2.45 mile
Lyft: $3.00 base, $0.38 minute, $2.03 mile

A 10 mile, 20 minute XL AFTER commission is worth $28. On Lyft the same ride nets the driver $24.72, which is a small difference BUT you do have the benefit of in app tipping (about 2/3 of my Plus rides tip) AND since I do drive 50 hours I net the full $30.90 plus tips so to me it makes much more sense to do Plus than XL.

Also worth noting that here there is an Uber geofence around airport, I get no pings for Uber at airport. I have had a decent percent of my Lyft requests be Plus rides at airport.

Edit: math fail


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