# Whats the best car to use for rideshare?



## Uberchampion (Oct 17, 2015)

Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare. 

Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


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## ColumbusRides (Nov 10, 2018)

Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai etc (I prefer SUV)


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## Uberchampion (Oct 17, 2015)

ColumbusRides said:


> Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai etc (I prefer SUV)


Why?


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## ColumbusRides (Nov 10, 2018)

Uberchampion said:


> Why?


Because they are made better than American products. American cars for the most part aren't made well and the interiors are cheap. Foreign cars are more reliable (just my opinion)


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## Mikeh013 (Jun 27, 2019)

I’ve got a Hyundai Santa Fe SUV. Cheap car, 30+ mpg, qualifies for Comfort.


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## Spen1818 (Oct 29, 2019)

After driving a Honda Accord and a Chrysler Town and Country, I would opt for the best MPG car that qualifies for Comfort. XL are far and few between.


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## DoYouEvenLyft? (Apr 11, 2019)

1. Ford Crown Victoria/Mercury Grand Marques/Lincoln Town Car. Indestructible, CHEAP to maintain, and spacious interior/trunk. Perfect for city use. Sucks on mpg though. 

2. 2011+ Ford Taurus. Spacious sedan like the Crown Victoria, more modern, and comes with optional AWD. Better MPG, somewhat indestructible. Those internal water pumps on the 3.5 v6(I believe it's a 3.5) are terrible. The twin turbo version are prone to turbo failure. 

3. My current car(2013), 2011-2015 Volkswagen Passat. Before you start roasting the Germans, honest to god this car really surprised me with how reliable it is. Bought used with 23,000 miles. Currently has 280,000.

No major repairs, original engine and transmission. Smooth shifting DSG transmission. Gas sipping 2.5 in-line 5 cylinder. Spacious trunk and interior. All that's been done is oil changes, spark plugs, brakes, and tires. 1 battery. 

Stay away from the turbo engines, some have a history of oil consumption and premature turbo failure. 

You can buy these Passats for pennies on the dollar. They don't come with AWD, but they come in diesel. My next car will either be a crown Victoria or another Passat. 

-Jerry


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## The queen 👸 (Jan 2, 2020)

I drive a Mercedes suv ml 350 but getting a Honda CR-V suv pre owned 2018 next week. From carvana.gir a great deal


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## amazinghl (Oct 31, 2018)

It's not worth to get into debt for a rideshare company. You can almost say that is foolish since once false claim can take away the ability to make money and put you in deep financial issue.


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## DoYouEvenLyft? (Apr 11, 2019)

amazinghl said:


> It's not worth to get into debt for a rideshare company. You can almost say that is foolish since once false claim away from the ability to make money.


Bingo.

I always tell people, if you are buying a care ONLY FOR RIDESHARE then do not spend more that $5,000. If you are going to use it for other reasons as well then I guess that $5k rule doesnt apply.


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## Grab my Keys (Jul 3, 2017)

Older Civic


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## The queen 👸 (Jan 2, 2020)

DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> Bingo.
> 
> I always tell people, if you are buying a care ONLY FOR RIDESHARE then do not spend more that $5,000. If you are going to use it for other reasons as well then I guess that $5k rule doesnt apply.


 The car is for my kids as well. My daughter is at the university and need a reliable car when she is home and go work, my son can drive her old car. 5000$ cars are not reliable .


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## DoYouEvenLyft? (Apr 11, 2019)

The queen &#128120; said:


> The car is for my kids as well. My daughter is at the university and need a reliable car when she is home and go work, my son can drive her old car. 5000$ cars are not reliable .


Certain $5000 cars are not reliable.


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## The queen 👸 (Jan 2, 2020)

DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> Certain $5000 cars are not reliable.


Agree. Got my daughter a 6000$ car when she started driving. God enough for my son driving back and forth from home to school and the gym . Other than that no way . He can't drive on the highway because I don't trust the car . Next year when he is 18 we will get him a better one.


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## UbaBrah (Oct 25, 2019)

The car I bought for Uber was $6500 with 67k miles. I will make that back in 4 months and just do basic maintenance, then basically run it into the ground. I expect to make 100k or more with it as I'm averaging a buck a mile. 

But really, as long as you can make the numbers work, drive whatever you want. Just do really crunch them first.


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## Wrb06wrx (Sep 20, 2017)

[QUOTE="DoYouEvenLyft?, post: 5737658,

3. My current car(2013), 2011-2015 Volkswagen Passat. Before you start roasting the Germans, honest to god this car really surprised me with how reliable it is. Bought used with 23,000 miles. Currently has 280,000.

No major repairs, original engine and transmission. Smooth shifting DSG transmission. Gas sipping 2.5 in-line 5 cylinder. Spacious trunk and interior. All that's been done is oil changes, spark plugs, brakes, and tires. 1 battery.

Stay away from the turbo engines, some have a history of oil consumption and premature turbo failure.

You can buy these Passats for pennies on the dollar. They don't come with AWD, but they come in diesel. My next car will either be a crown Victoria or another Passat.

-Jerry

Thought I was crazy, i had to buy a car last year and bought a 12 because it was auto so the wife could drive it too 5k with 118 on the clock I get alot of compliments on how roomy it is in the back only drive part time and the car has been pretty good to me 
[/QUOTE]


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## losiglow (Dec 4, 2018)

Well cared for Toyota Camry. Boring but reliable.


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

I had a brand new 2016 Prius C2. IMO the best under 23K for rideshare due to the fuel efficiency. Only problem is Prius are standard "Ant" cars and everyone will treat you as such on the road whether online or off. The thing I hated most about my Prius was people stepping off the curb in front of me, shouting and waving me down, or even running up to my car and pawing at my rear door handles in the mistaken belief I was their driver when I was not even working and just running errands or going grocery shopping.

I now have a 2015 Toyota Corolla LE Premium that I purchased in 2018 with 60K miles on it.

(Next to my 100% personal car, my VW GTI.)


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## Donshonda (May 3, 2016)

I got lucky. I bought a 15 Honda Pilot for my family a year before I started for Uber. It seats 7 and is perfect for the crazy drunk crowd that I only drive for. (Saturday nights, a couple times a week) I realize that using a new car for ride share is a big no-no, but honestly? no mechanical failures in 117k miles (knock on wood... it's a Honda) and its still worth what I owe on it.?? that's a win/win.

I've been a Chevy guy my entire life. Owned a Chevy truck and a Corvette my entire 25+ driving career, and this Honda has been the best, reliable vehicle I've ever had the pleasure of owning. Brakes, Tires and Oil changes. That's all I've had to do. Other than the dreaded 100k mile timing belt change, that every Honda/Acura owner knows is coming at some point. That cost me about $1,000. 

you bet your ass I'll be buying another Honda when this one is done serving my family.


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## Illini (Mar 14, 2019)

I suggest a fuel efficient Japanese or Korean vehicle.


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## waldowainthrop (Oct 25, 2019)

Lissetti said:


> (Next to my 100% personal car, my VW GTI.)
> View attachment 398234


I knew you were cool @Lissetti. Nice Euro plates.

If Uber had an old car budget service (pre-2004 car) I would be tempted to get an old VW GTI and take it for a spin on UberOld once a week.

The 4th gen Golf is one of the classic cars of its time and still looks so refreshingly modern today.


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

waldowainthrop said:


> I knew you were cool @Lissetti. If Uber had an old car budget service (pre-2004 car) I would be tempted to get an old VW GTI and take it for a spin on UberOld once a week.
> 
> The 4th gen Golf is one of the classic cars of its time and still looks so refreshingly modern today.


My GTI is a 2006 2 door only with hatchback. I rebuild and do full restoration of VWs from vintage air-cooled bugs, Karmann Ghia, Bus, Type 3, 914, 911 Porsche to mid 90's water cooled Jettas, Passats, Golfs...... Engine rebuilds, off body pan replacements, transmissions....everything on the air cooled and most everything on the water cooled pre-1995. I do minor engine and structure repair on the GTI. I don't have those fancy machines the shops have in dealing with car computers.

I love VW. I live and breath VW. I grew up tinkering with VWs, working in shops, and hanging around VW motor heads. I belong to my local chapter Vintage VW club. If it was economical for me I would drive a Jetta or Passat for rideshare, but Toyota is simply more reliable, has better fuel efficiency, and lasts a lot longer than VWs.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

If you can't do repairs yourself, "high reliability" Toyotas and Hondas are probably best bet.

If you CAN do repairs, then simple american cars will be best.

I've been shopping and (for instance) a 2012 Toyota Camry costs 10K, a 2012 Chevy Malibu costs 5K.

If you buy a mid-mile toyota for 10K and then trash it doing rideshare, you are losing more money than if you trash a 5K car. I'm not convinced that foreign cars are necessarily more reliable. Just buy american cars with good reliability records. There are some stinkers tho.


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## waldowainthrop (Oct 25, 2019)

@Lissetti

I have a newer Golf and would never do rideshare in it. I could sign it up today and drive but I won't. There are dozen cars in the same price segment that make more sense economically. It doesn't matter that it gets great fuel economy and is reliable enough. It is still too expensive for me to drive it new, even compared to other newish cars.

It's also a great idea to never do rideshare or gig work in a "personal car" that you have any emotions about. Drive the car you have, unless you care what happens to it.


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

waldowainthrop said:


> @Lissetti
> 
> I have a newer Golf and would never do rideshare in it. I could sign it up today and drive but I won't. There are dozen cars in the same price segment that make more sense economically. It doesn't matter that it gets great fuel economy and is reliable enough. It is still too expensive for me to drive it new, even compared to other newish cars.
> 
> It's also a great idea to never do rideshare or gig work in a "personal car" that you have any emotions about. Drive the car you have, unless you care what happens to it.


My Toyota is an A & B car. Also for rideshare. My GTI......That's my baby. I won't even give family rides in it. They want to go somewhere...everyone pile into the Toyota. That GTI and it's glorious 6 speed transmission and turbo, is all mine. Notice my German plates....all my VWs have them. :inlove:.

Also no one gets in my 1969 VW bug either. &#128548;


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## waldowainthrop (Oct 25, 2019)

Lissetti said:


> My Toyota is an A & B car. Also for rideshare. My GTI......That's my baby. I won't even give family rides in it. They want to go somewhere...everyone pile into the Toyota. That GTI and it's glorious 6 speed transmission and turbo, is all mine. Notice my German plates....all my VWs have them. :inlove:.
> 
> Also no one gets in my 1969 VW bug either. &#128548;


I enjoy driving my 6-speed VW Golf so much that I am willing to do airport rides for family and commuting in it. I clean it after every big ride and it's still dealership lot new smelling after 8000+ miles. I do save up my miles for mountain road trips, though.

I've driven nearly every other car in its class and nothing is remotely close. The 7th gen GTI is a blast as well. I think I'm stuck on Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche now that BMW has lost its edge.


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## Crosbyandstarsky (Feb 4, 2018)

Uberchampion said:


> Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare.
> 
> Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


Really? There is no best car


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

Lissetti said:


> My Toyota is an A & B car. Also for rideshare. My GTI......That's my baby. I won't even give family rides in it. They want to go somewhere...everyone pile into the Toyota. That GTI and it's glorious 6 speed transmission and turbo, is all mine. Notice my German plates....all my VWs have them. :inlove:.
> 
> Also no one gets in my 1969 VW bug either. &#128548;


Did you increase the boost? Did you install a programmable ECU? Thats where all the fun is.


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

OldBay said:


> Did you increase the boost? Did you install a programmable ECU? Thats where all the fun is.


No but it's something I may look into. I don't mess with the GTI too much but now that its not my main car and I have the Toyota I plan on doing a lot with tricking it out. It's on it's second engine and turbo. I blew out the first one at 206 miles.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

Toyota Yaris. Cheap to buy, cheap to run, a real workhorse, extremely reliable, perfect in heavy traffic, easy to park, etc.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

Lissetti said:


> No but it's something I may look into. I don't mess with the GTI too much but now that its not my main car and I have the Toyota I plan on doing a lot with tricking it out. It's on it's second engine and turbo. I blew out the first one at 206 miles.


Budget for a new clutch and tires.


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## Dave Bust (Jun 28, 2017)

The queen &#128120; said:


> The car is for my kids as well. My daughter is at the university and need a reliable car when she is home and go work, my son can drive her old car. 5000$ cars are not reliable .


sigh I can go out right now and find a honda civic or toyota corolla for under 4k and I guarantee you it will last longer than your 20k+ 2018 Honda CR-V and the fuel cost will be 1/2

my wifes 10 year old Hyundai mini van has over 350k miles that i put on it. and still runs perfect

if you take care of your car, your car will take care of you


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

OldBay said:


> Budget for a new clutch and tires.


Oh yeah....of course when I had the whole engine replaced in my GTI I told my my mechanic to replace the clutch. He hadn't even thought of that but when he looked, he said I was right. The clutch that was in the car only had about 3 more months on it. Replaced the flywheel too because it was old style and would not fit the new replacement.

The tires, I'm keeping the "Low Profile" skinny wall look that was so popular at the time the car was manufactured. As a result, I always have to special order new tires that are shipped from Chicago.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

Lissetti said:


> Oh yeah....of course when I had the whole engine replaced in my GTI I told my my mechanic to replace the clutch. He hadn't even thought of that but when he looked, he said I was right. The clutch that was in the car only had about 3 more months on it. Replaced the flywheel too because it was old style and would not fit the new replacement.
> 
> The tires, I'm keeping the "Low Profile" skinny wall look that was so popular at the time the car was manufactured. As a result, I always have to special order new tires that are shipped from Chicago.


There's so much I could teach you...


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

OldBay said:


> There's so much I could teach you...


Modern VW's are a new thing for me, however...the old school stuff I would argue with Ferdinand Porsche (and that other guy :whistling on what parts they should add or scrap from their KDF-Wagen prototype. &#128556;

https://uberpeople.net/threads/lissetti-this-bug-is-for-you.348102/#post-5327117


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## LyftUberFuwabolewa (Feb 7, 2019)

Stolen


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## Donshonda (May 3, 2016)

OldBay said:


> Did you increase the boost? Did you install a programmable ECU? Thats where all the fun is.


I am of the belief that I'd rather trust hundreds of engineers who came up with the now infamous LS1 engine that came in my Corvette for power, ...... then try to mess with small 4 cylinder engines.

There's no replacement.... for displacement.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

Donshonda said:


> I am of the belief that I'd rather trust hundreds of engineers who came up with the now infamous LS1 engine that came in my Corvette for power, ...... then try to mess with small 4 cylinder engines.
> 
> There's no replacement.... for displacement.


Certainly words I would expect from a vette owner! :wink:

(BTW, I don't think you meant the LS1 is "infamous". Look it up.)

The fun is in taking a 5K car and making it as fast as a vette.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

Lissetti said:


> Notice my German plates....all my VWs have them. :inlove:.


Where did you get those? Few years ago I bought Serbian plates when I was in Serbia ... Tried to bring them to the USA, but they took them away right away at the airport.


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

Syn said:


> Where did you get those? Few years ago I bought Serbian plates when I was in Serbia ... Tried to bring them to the USA, but they took them away right away at the airport.


I used to work in a VW wrecking yard and pulled it off a totaled right side drive VW Ghia.

However as I said all my cars have them. The others I've ordered off....

https://www.customeuropeanplates.com/used-eec-german-license-plate.html
https://www.customeuropeanplates.com/plate-ideas
*Edit. Actually I think the one on my GTI is one I ordered from this site. The one I pulled off the Ghia is on my 1969 Bug. (I have 4 of these plates..)


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## Chorch (May 17, 2019)

Mikeh013 said:


> I've got a Hyundai Santa Fe SUV. Cheap car, 30+ mpg, qualifies for Comfort.


That's a beautiful car.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

Lissetti said:


> I used to work in a VW wrecking yard and pulled it off a totaled right side drive VW Ghia.
> 
> However as I said all my cars have them. The others I've ordered off....


So cops don't give you hard time if you have those up front instead of regular plates?


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

Syn said:


> So cops don't give you hard time if you have those up front instead of regular plates?


I'm told I get away with it becasue my GTI is a real Wolfsburg edition export. My bug (Also Wolfsburg) is resisted as Classic status. However with my Jetta I had to do as I've seen others do with foreign plates. Have your state issued licence plate mounted below the European one.


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## peteyvavs (Nov 18, 2015)

Uberchampion said:


> Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare.
> 
> Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


Are you crazy, there isn't a car made that worth punishing by driving R/S.


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## Donshonda (May 3, 2016)

OldBay said:


> Certainly words I would expect from a vette owner! :wink:
> 
> (BTW, I don't think you meant the LS1 is "infamous". Look it up.)
> 
> The fun is in taking a 5K car and making it as fast as a vette.


Oh no... I meant infamous. yes the LS1 is famous... but I meant it because that motor is a bad... bad piece of machinery 

(yet you are right... bad choice of words)

There are a TON of 4 cylinder cars that would kick my ass in the 1/4 mile.... no doubt about it.
at 100 on the highway I'm only cruising at just over 2,000 rpm's. barely breathing hard. lets go 150!

wait... I'm an Uber driver......&#128519;


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

Lissetti said:


> I'm told I get away with it becasue my GTI is a real Wolfsburg edition export. My bug (Also Wolfsburg) is resisted as Classic status. However with my Jetta I had to do as I've seen others do with foreign plates. Have your state issued licence plate mounted below the European one.


After checking out that link for ordering foreign plates, I guess they're not 100% authentic. Serbian one is missing the flag and two letters of the city written in Cyrillic (this is what it should looks like).


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

Syn said:


> After checking out that link for ordering foreign plates, I guess they're not 100% authentic. Serbian one is missing the flag and two letters of the city written in Cyrillic (this is what it should looks like).


I would check out ebay for 100% authentic. Lots of people sell their old plates on there. My ones I've ordered from this site, are authentic looking enough to match my real German plates. It's only when you handle them you notice the metal is different.


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## reg barclay (Nov 3, 2015)

IMHO, unless your car is an expensive one, then the best car to drive is generally the one you already own. Selling and buying cars usually involves a reasonable amount of loss, including new fees for things like registration, tax, etc. Also, I wouldn't invest in a second car, specifically for gig apps, since there's always the change things could change or someone could lose access to their account for some reason. JMO.


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## The queen 👸 (Jan 2, 2020)

Dave Bust said:


> sigh I can go out right now and find a honda civic or toyota corolla for under 4k and I guarantee you it will last longer than your 20k+ 2018 Honda CR-V and the fuel cost will be 1/2
> 
> my wifes 10 year old Hyundai mini van has over 350k miles that i put on it. and still runs perfect
> 
> if you take care of your car, your car will take care of you


Sorry I don't want myself or my kids drive a old car if you don't mind.


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## Buck-a-mile (Nov 2, 2019)

Avoid Honda vehicles with constant velocity transmissions.(CVT).

They dont hold up for ride share work.
Failures are not covered if your car is used for livery.

A Honda with a traditional automatic transmission is a fine car.


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## dnlbaboof (Nov 13, 2015)

an older prius, handles great, great mpg, cons are rarely the large battery can fail


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

Mikeh013 said:


> I've got a Hyundai Santa Fe SUV. Cheap car, 30+ mpg, qualifies for Comfort.


Does the Santa Fe actually average 30+ or is that highway MPG?



Mikeh013 said:


> I've got a Hyundai Santa Fe SUV. Cheap car, 30+ mpg, qualifies for Comfort.


Hyundai themselves say the Santa Fe mpg rating is 20 / 27. I'm guessing the average while Uber driving will be somewhere between 20 + 25. My opinion is you should shoot for 40 mpg. Also, the Santa Fe only seats 5.

There are so many vehicles that seat 5 that get much better gas mileage and are more reliable. Corolla, Civic, Prius come to mind. The Corolla and Civic especially are good used car bets and both function very well as bottom-end 5-seat UberX vehicles. These are all premium-priced low-cost vehicles, but I think they are the best bet for overall lowest cost of operation, especially the Civic and Corolla.

I have a 2015 Prius that I bought two-years-old ($18,000) with 3500 miles and I've put close to 170,000 miles on it. Zero repairs needed, 50 mpg average over a year, the original brakes went 125,0000 miles before pads needed to be replaced (front only), my tires are averaging 70,000 miles per set and handle well in the dry and wet and snow, it's great in the winter for a front wheel drive car, it's been taking Minnesota winter road punishment really well. Plus, it's seats 5 and has room for 2 to 4 suitcases in the hatch area and good legroom for passengers in the back. All that and it's very easy to drive smoothly, has decent acceleration and it takes loads of people and stuff without bottoming out and still handles and accelerates well.

I'm very happy with it.


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## Hypehussle.com (Jan 7, 2020)

DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> 1. Ford Crown Victoria/Mercury Grand Marques/Lincoln Town Car. Indestructible, CHEAP to maintain, and spacious interior/trunk. Perfect for city use. Sucks on mpg though.
> 
> 2. 2011+ Ford Taurus. Spacious sedan like the Crown Victoria, more modern, and comes with optional AWD. Better MPG, somewhat indestructible. Those internal water pumps on the 3.5 v6(I believe it's a 3.5) are terrible. The twin turbo version are prone to turbo failure.
> 
> ...


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

Uberchampion said:


> Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare.
> 
> Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


I have driven full time for 3 years in a medium-size metro area (Minneapolis/St. Paul, 3.7 million population). Some basic thoughts first. Research articles that focus on total cost of ownership over the life of the vehicle. I think that's your best bet. The best vehicles will be the ones that seat 5, can carry some luggage and are the best combination of low purchase price, very high reliability, and low cost of repair. I would skip all SUVs, especially ones that have more complex mechanicals like all-wheel drive.

Here's my experience:

There are so many vehicles that seat 5, get great gas mileage and are known to be rock-solid-reliable. I don't think any of them are SUVs. Corolla, Civic, Prius come to mind. The Corolla and Civic especially are good used car bets and both function very well as bottom-end 5-seat UberX vehicles. These are premium-priced low-cost vehicles, but I think they are the best bet for overall lowest cost of operation, especially the Civic and Corolla. the Prius also is known to be very reliable but there is the question of lower overall reliability because of the hybrid battery pack. I would expect the battery pack to last well over 200,000 miles if used almost exclusively for Uber driving, because calendar age is not much of a factor. One of the big advantages the Prius has is greater room inside which is nice for Uber driving. It also handles heavy loading really well and I can attest that it's very good for winter driving (for a front wheel drive car).

I have a 2015 Prius that I bought two-years-old ($18,000) with 3500 miles and I've put close to 170,000 miles on it. Literally zero repairs needed, 50 mpg average over a year, the original brakes went 125,0000 miles before pads needed to be replaced (front only - the rears will go 200,000+), my tires are averaging 70,000 miles per set and handle well in the dry and wet and snow, it's great in the winter for a front wheel drive car, it's been taking Minnesota winter road punishment really well. The suspension shows no sign of wear (I expect the struts to go 250,000+). Plus, it seats 5 and has room for 2 to 4 suitcases in the hatch area and good legroom for passengers in the back. All that and it's very easy to drive smoothly, has decent acceleration and it takes loads of people and stuff without bottoming out and still handles and accelerates well.

I'm very happy with the Prius, but if I were to do it over again I might get either a Corolla or Civic, probably a Corolla, just because of somewhat lower overall total cost than the Prius.


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## Hypehussle.com (Jan 7, 2020)

Uberchampion said:


> Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare.
> 
> Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


Reliability goes to vw brand family diesel, volvo diesel, toyota and subaru. All extremely reliable most get good mpg essential the eco diesels (tdi) as what I drive


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

There's no point in getting a spacious sedan with shitty MPG. Those sedans will still only be able to do the lowest tier service like uberX. Uber and Lyft keep reducing driver pay, so it's really really important to keep total cost of the field goal very low. Taurus has a terrible reliability record and the crown vic supply is just too old. You will spend a fair amount of money repairing them.



Hypehussle.com said:


> Reliability goes to vw brand family diesel, volvo diesel, toyota and subaru. All extremely reliable most get good mpg essential the eco diesels (tdi) as what I drive


Please, please, please avoid vw's. Terrible reliability overall, even the diesels. A car is much much more than its engine.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

Hypehussle.com said:


> Reliability goes to vw brand family diesel, volvo diesel, toyota and subaru. All extremely reliable most get good mpg essential the eco diesels (tdi) as what I drive


My 2002 Golf TDI was a real lemon. At 200,000 km (120,000 miles) so many things needed to be replaced - turbo, flywheel, so many electrical issues, it burned so much oil ... And it was so damn expensive to do anything on it - I would never buy another new(er) VW.


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

Buck-a-mile said:


> Avoid Honda vehicles with constant velocity transmissions.(CVT).
> 
> They dont hold up for ride share work.
> Failures are not covered if your car is used for livery.
> ...


I agree. So are Corollas. The one high-technology vehicle that seems to have a stellar reliability record is the Toyota Prius. I bought a used 2015 Prius with 3500 miles. Put 170,000 rideshare miles on it and it has required 0 repairs. 50 + MPG average, 125000 miles on the front brake pads before they needed replacement, the rears will go 200000 +. The struts show no signs of significant wear. It's easy to drive smoothly and the CVT / drivetrain still feels and drives exactly the same as when I bought it. Good acceleration and the car takes heavy loads of people and luggage really really gracefully. Good in snow and rain. Very good leg room and luggage room. I expect the hybrid battery pack to go 250000 + before it needs replacement.

As happy as I am with my Prius, used Civics and Corollas without CVTs are probably the best bet for lowest overall cost of operation.


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## Fusion_LUser (Jan 3, 2020)

If you don't have to pickup riders at the AP the Ford Fusion Hybrid (or Plug-in) is a great choice. The trunk is laughably small though. You could do 2 carry-on sized luggage in the back anything more than that its going in the backseat or you will have to cancel the ride!

As for the rest, the ride is awesome, it's quiet and other models like the C-Max and Escape use the same proven drivetrain for taxi service in major areas like NYC and many now have well over 200k with hard use and still going.


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## Buck-a-mile (Nov 2, 2019)

bobbbobbobb said:


> I agree. So are Corollas. The one high-technology vehicle that seems to have a stellar reliability record is the Toyota Prius. I bought a used 2015 Prius with 3500 miles. Put 170,000 rideshare miles on it and it has required 0 repairs. 50 + MPG average, 125000 miles on the front brake pads before they needed replacement, the rears will go 200000 +. The struts show no signs of significant wear. It's easy to drive smoothly and the CVT / drivetrain still feels and drives exactly the same as when I bought it. Good acceleration and the car takes heavy loads of people and luggage really really gracefully. Good in snow and rain. Very good leg room and luggage room. I expect the hybrid battery pack to go 250000 + before it needs replacement.
> 
> As happy as I am with my Prius, used Civics and Corollas without CVTs are probably the best bet for lowest overall cost of operation.


My first experience with CVTs was on mototscooters and motorcycles.
My Honda Silver Wing had a CVT. A pain in the ass on an otherwise great scooter.

When I bought my last new car all Honda hybrids had a CVT. Not an option. In 2012 a Prius was not cost efficient. I wasn't doing rideshare then.

The money I would save on fuel didn't cover the price delta.
Not sure if it does even now for the average driver, not driving rideshare.

I had no crystal ball.

Hybrids were untested, and the only plug in car, the Nissan Leaf, had a 200 mile TOP range, took hours to charge, and was so light it felt like a plastic death trap.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

The queen &#128120; said:


> The car is for my kids as well. My daughter is at the university and need a reliable car when she is home and go work, my son can drive her old car. 5000$ cars are not reliable .


$5000 cars can be reliable. Not every $5000 car, but my car is worth less than that and it is very reliable.


peteyvavs said:


> Are you crazy, there isn't a car made that worth punishing by driving R/S.


Any car that can be used to drive a profit for the owner is worth punishing by rideshare. I am very hard on my physical possessions. I push them to their limits. I push them past their limits and break them. Tool is meant to be used. A tool that does not get used to the point it breaks before being discarded has been underutilized!

If I can't kill my old car before it is too old to be on the platform, I consider this a minor failure on my part, resulting from my increasing apathy.


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

Buck-a-mile said:


> My first experience with CVTs was on mototscooters and motorcycles.
> My Honda Silver Wing had a CVT. A pain in the ass on an otherwise great scooter.
> 
> When I bought my last new car all Honda hybrids had a CVT. Not an option. In 2012 a Prius was not cost efficient. I wasn't doing rideshare then.
> ...


The Prius seems competitive now. I think the cost delta over a Corolla or Civic for a low-mileage used car is something like $3000. Very reliable, though, you will have to deal with the battery pack sometime after 250000 miles or so. It does have some advantage over the Corolla and Civic, mainly that it has better legroom and luggage room. I think all of them are pretty good winter cars.


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## Buck-a-mile (Nov 2, 2019)

bobbbobbobb said:


> The Prius seems competitive now. I think the cost delta over a Corolla or Civic for a low-mileage used car is something like $3000. Very reliable, though, you will have to deal with the battery pack sometime after 250000 miles or so. It does have some advantage over the Corolla and Civic, mainly that it has better legroom and luggage room. I think all of them are pretty good winter cars.


I bought a commuter car before Rideshare. A VW Jetta.

Comfortable car, plenty of room, only 25 miles per gallon.... Too bad.

I drive what I had.


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## The queen 👸 (Jan 2, 2020)

bobbbobbobb said:


> The Prius seems competitive now. I think the cost delta over a Corolla or Civic for a low-mileage used car is something like $3000. Very reliable, though, you will have to deal with the battery pack sometime after 250000 miles or so. It does have some advantage over the Corolla and Civic, mainly that it has better legroom and luggage room. I think all of them are pretty good winter cars.


I can't drive low cars like that. I need to be up . Those little cars makes me nervous.


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

The queen &#128120; said:


> I can't drive low cars like that. I need to be up . Those little cars makes me nervous.


I certainly get that. I've driven small cars all my life. I think there are very few taller vehicles that will be profitable for Uber X driving. Maybe the Kia soul. I also understand their reliability is iffy. You should be aware that Corollas and Civics are much bigger than they used to be, and a Prius is bigger still. All of them are good in collisions. Still, they're lower than any mini SUV.


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## DoYouEvenLyft? (Apr 11, 2019)

bobbbobbobb said:


> There's no point in getting a spacious sedan with shitty MPG. Those sedans will still only be able to do the lowest tier service like uberX. Uber and Lyft keep reducing driver pay, so it's really really important to keep total cost of the field goal very low. Taurus has a terrible reliability record and the crown vic supply is just too old. You will spend a fair amount of money repairing them.
> 
> 
> Please, please, please avoid vw's. Terrible reliability overall, even the diesels. A car is much much more than its engine.


I laughed at everything you said &#128514;

VW's reliability IS FAR MORE SUPERIOR than what it was in the past.

Those TDI diesel motors are bulletproof, DSG transmissions are rock solid. Guess what is the icing on the cake? Parts are cheap!!!!!!

The Crown Victoria died in 2011. So I have until 2026 until it's officially too old to use for U/L. I can buy a 2011 vic with around 100k easily for under $3k every-day of the week. That car will outlive your grandkids. That car will also handle any abuse the roads/pax will throw at it.

Prius this, prius that. I don't want to drive that energized shit box. Now, most of what I'm going to say is based on my experiences with this electric tin can.

I'm 6'2, I'm too tall and I can't COMFORTABLY drive a Prius all day, let alone 20 minutes. There is no rear legroom, and barely any trunk space. Plus, that thing can't even get out of it's own way on the interstate. I can barely hit 60 mph. The flintstone mobile has more power than a prius.

Mpg this, Mpg that. Look y'all, I don't care if you can drive to the moon on a half tank of gas in a Prius, I'm not driving it. I rather drive it off Mount Rushmore.

Reliability and comfort are what I look for in a car. MPG comes 3rd. I rather me and my pax be comfortable and have room for their luggage, instead of being cramped in a tin can because I want 80 mpg. That's why I love my Volkswagen. Does it's best in all 3.

Case closed.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> VW's reliability IS FAR MORE SUPERIOR than what it was in the past.


Considering that the VW was always at the bottom of the list when it comes to reliability - they could've only went up from there. They're still below average. So to say that they're better now than they used to be doesn't really say much ...


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## Juggalo9er (Dec 7, 2017)

ColumbusRides said:


> Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai etc (I prefer SUV)


Kia..... really


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## DoYouEvenLyft? (Apr 11, 2019)

The Passat has the:

2.5L 5 cylinder non turbo, timing chain driven(better than timing belt) and easy to maintain.

1.8T and 2.0T turbo 4 cylinder motors. Yes, these engines do give you better acceleration and better MPG but I've read incidents online that turbos were prematurely failing due to oil leakage.

These turbo motors are probably better now, due to it being 2020. So I would stay away from the early years. I believe they started putting the turbo motors in the beginning of 2014.

There is also the Mighty VR6 6 cylinder motor. More torque than you can ever ask for. Breaks traction everytime at the redlight. Still reliable too. Decent mpg.


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## Buck-a-mile (Nov 2, 2019)

Anyone been around long enough to to remember a L.A. driver named LA something or other?

He bought. $700 auction car, put used tires and seat covers from Walmart in it.

He made as much with that $800 POS as any other driver.


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> I laughed at everything you said &#128514;
> 
> VW's reliability IS FAR MORE SUPERIOR than what it was in the past.
> 
> ...


Cool. I can tell you're lying about much of what you said. I have personally gone 100 mph in my used Prius. It's easy to pass people on two-lane roads and easy to get on the freeway on uphill ramps WITH PASSENGERS. It out-accelerates most not-brand-new pickups at stoplights (up to about 40 or 50 mph). The leg room is better than all other small cars I know of not as good as a crown Vic. Cool. As far as I can tell, the Crown Vic reliability myth was true when they weren't 10 years old.

All vehicles are energized so that term makes no sense.

The Prius has one of the best reliability records of all vehicles. They have been on the market for 20 years. Are better on snow and ice than a crown Vic. I would wager they are at least as good in a collision as a Crown Vic. VW reliability reports are terrible except for the diesel engines themselves. And you'll know there are other comments here about terrible diesel VW reliability.



DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> The Passat has the:
> 
> 2.5L 5 cylinder non turbo, timing chain driven(better than timing belt) and easy to maintain.
> 
> ...


I get that you like to quote specs and how quick this car and that car is. But in rideshare driving, reliability and total cost of ownership is everything.


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## DoYouEvenLyft? (Apr 11, 2019)

Most Front wheel drive cars can handle better than any rear wheel drive car in the snow... Duh

It's easy to get up hill with passengers? You sure? You sure one passenger didn't get out and start pushing from behind? 

100mph on the freeway? Why/how could you do that if 50mpg is what you are lusting over.


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

Buck-a-mile said:


> Anyone been around long enough to to remember a L.A. driver named LA something or other?
> 
> He bought. $700 auction car, put used tires and seat covers from Walmart in it.
> 
> He made as much with that $800 POS as any other driver.


I get that. There will always be outliers. I don't know whether what he said was true or not. What we have to do is play the odds. The odds are best with a newer used car that has a great reliability record. The idea is to not have to repair it at all (exept for consumables like brakes, tires, filters, oil, etc.) until it has a few hundred thousand miles on it. Very few vehicles meet these requirements, and they are all small and Japanese.


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## DoYouEvenLyft? (Apr 11, 2019)

Cost of ownership.... Hmmm. I wouldn't trust a hybrid vehicle, how much is it to get that battery replaced? 

Nothing will beat the reliability of a Crown Victoria. I used to own camrys and accords, even those Jap boxes gave me trouble.


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> Most Front wheel drive cars can handle better than any rear wheel drive car in the snow... Duh
> 
> It's easy to get up hill with passengers? You sure? You sure one passenger didn't get out and start pushing from behind?
> 
> 100mph on the freeway? Why/how could you do that if 50mpg is what you are lusting over.


Jesus, you are a goalpost-shifting silly person. I don't go 100 miles an hour. You said a Prius couldn't go over 60. They easily do that. They have good acceleration, better than almost any car or truck that has high mileage. Better than average for small low cost cars. You are clearly lying and you're fully aware of that.


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## TomTheAnt (Jan 1, 2019)

Buck-a-mile said:


> *continuously variable* transmissions


FIFY :wink: You got 1/3 right, though. :thumbup:


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## 5☆OG (Jun 30, 2019)

Monster truck...works great in traffic


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> Cost of ownership.... Hmmm. I wouldn't trust a hybrid vehicle, how much is it to get that battery replaced?
> 
> Nothing will beat the reliability of a Crown Victoria. I used to own camrys and accords, even those Jap boxes gave me trouble.


You're lying or ignorant. Complete replacement of the battery pack will be $2500-$3,000. Individual cells can be tested and replaced, but it's likely the entire pack will have to be replaced by about 300,000 miles driving. Crown Victorias today are not reliable because they are old. They used to be really reliable. Yes you can buy one for a few thousand and get it on the road. Will it last more than fifty to a hundred thousand miles without major repair? I doubt it.


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## Buck-a-mile (Nov 2, 2019)

TomTheAnt said:


> FIFY :wink: You got 1/3 right, though. :thumbup:


Your 100% correct.
Brain fart on my part.


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## DoYouEvenLyft? (Apr 11, 2019)

Ladies and Gents I need your help. Either this Bob guy has never seen a Crown Vic cop car or Taxi, or he's just mad that the Crown Vic is damn near the perfect car for this gig.

Crown Vic taxis and old cop cars are known to go 300,000 plus miles. That's why they were used. There reliable, and cheap to fix.

It was nice talking to you Bob, have a good day!



bobbbobbobb said:


> You're lying or ignorant. Complete replacement of the battery pack will be $2500-$3,000. Individual cells can be tested and replaced, but it's likely the entire pack will have to be replaced by about 300,000 miles driving. Crown Victorias today are not reliable because they are old. They used to be really reliable. Yes you can buy one for a few thousand and get it on the road. Will it last more than fifty to a hundred thousand miles without major repair? I doubt it.


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## Kurt Halfyard (Dec 13, 2017)

CHEVROLET BOLT.

Flat floor in the back. Lots of space. Good turning radius.
EV so maintenence is almost ZERO. (no oil changes, no transmission, no timing belts. Brake pads last 5x longer. Just suspension, tires, wipers require maintenence.)
Electricity is 75% cheaper than gas to go equivalent distance. 300 mile range (2019 model). DC-Fast Charge in case you want to do 2 shifts in a day.
Government Rebate for new vehicle. ($7500 tax deduction in USA, $5000 Federal Cash Back in Canada)
Not the cheapest car, but one that will reward lots and lots of extra miles on the odo. The more you drive, the more you save in $$.


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## The queen 👸 (Jan 2, 2020)

DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> Ladies and Gents I need your help. Either this Bob guy has never seen a Crown Vic cop car or Taxi, or he's just mad that the Crown Vic is damn near the perfect car for this gig.
> 
> Crown Vic taxis and old cop cars are known to go 300,000 plus miles. That's why they were used. There reliable, and cheap to fix.
> 
> ...


Just let it go. Don't obsess over it. I don't even know about those cars. I drive only German cars.


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## Fusion_LUser (Jan 3, 2020)

DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> I'm 6'2, I'm too tall and I can't COMFORTABLY drive a Prius all day, let alone 20 minutes. There is no rear legroom, and barely any trunk space. Plus, that thing can't even get out of it's own way on the interstate. I can barely hit 60 mph. The flintstone mobile has more power than a prius.


There is a lot of exaggeration in that statement! I was disappointed with getting a Prius rental in Japan when I had reserved a Mazda Atenza however the Prius we had was not bad at all. One thing for certain in Japan rental cars are super clean and very well maintained. Our Prius had over 50k and it was spotless and felt brand new.

I being the brash American that I am drove the rental like a rental should be driven and beat the crap out of it for a few days. It would not win a stop light race but on the highway it had no problem running 80MPH. We got 4 large bags in the hatchback and I'm 6'1 and didn't have to put the seat all the way back. Plus the damn thing got 55MPG overall while we had it.

I wouldn't buy a Prius however after driving one for a few days and as a genuine car guy I can say they are nowhere near as bad as I had always assumed they were. For ride sharing the Prius, especially a cheaper used one just off lease is perfect since the idea is to make as much money with minimal expenses. There is a reason why you see some damn many with Uber/Lyft stickers on them...


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> Ladies and Gents I need your help. Either this Bob guy has never seen a Crown Vic cop car or Taxi, or he's just mad that the Crown Vic is damn near the perfect car for this gig.
> 
> Crown Vic taxis and old cop cars are known to go 300,000 plus miles. That's why they were used. There reliable, and cheap to fix.
> 
> ...


Case open...

Any used low-mile Corolla, Civic or Prius will go well over 300k miles of rideshare driving before any repair is needed, assuming it has been checked out by a mechanic before purchase. The Corolla, Civic and Prius will get 3x to 4X the gas mileage of a Crown Vic. There is no reason to expect a 10 year old Crown Vic we'll get anywhere close to 150,000 miles let alone 300,000. There's no point in saying "Crown Vic will get over 300,000 miles" without repair since there are no new Crown Vics to be had.



Kurt Halfyard said:


> CHEVROLET BOLT.
> 
> Flat floor in the back. Lots of space. Good turning radius.
> EV so maintenence is almost ZERO. (no oil changes, no transmission, no timing belts. Brake pads last 5x longer. Just suspension, tires, wipers require maintenence.)
> ...


The newest Chevy bolt has an EPA range of 238 miles. Actual range likely to be somewhat lower, winter range will be much lower. A Corolla or Civic or Prius will have a range of something like 400 to 550 miles on a tank fill and can be refueled in about 2 minutes. I drive rideshare full-time in my typical driving day is about 300-400 miles. The Bolt would be completely useless, you can get a complete recharge in about 30 to 45 minutes, which I do think is possible.

I agree that EVs are starting to get very competitive for overall utility and cost. I do think it's a fallacy to believe that there are no repairs in the electric charge or drive or storage systems. As far as I can tell, they are much more reliable than gas engine cars. I don't know about the reliability of the rest of a Chevy Bolt outside of the electric drive, recharge and storage bits.


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## Kurt Halfyard (Dec 13, 2017)

bobbbobbobb said:


> I agree that EVs are starting to get very competitive for overall utility and cost. I do think it's a fallacy to believe that there are no repairs in the electric charge or drive or storage systems. As far as I can tell, they are much more reliable than gas engine cars. I don't know about the reliability of the rest of a Chevy Bolt outside of the electric drive, recharge and storage bits.


The BOLT was practically made for RIDE-HAIL by GM.

DC-Fast charge will get the battery up to 80% charge in about 30 minutes. 
For a driver who does 400miles per day, this would be a perfect opportunity to take a break, and take a rest or a meal. 
Or do some stretching and exercising so you don't destroy your body with so much time sitting down and driving.


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

Kurt Halfyard said:


> The BOLT was practically made for RIDE-HAIL by GM. DC-Fast charge will get the battery up to 80% charge in about 30 minutes. For a driver who does 400miles per day, this would be a good time to take a break, and take a rest or a meal.


I drive in Minnesota. An EV for rideshare in the winter with a 125-150 mile range would be somewhat useful. How much is the cost of a new one with all discounts and subsidies?


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> Ladies and Gents I need your help. Either this Bob guy has never seen a Crown Vic cop car or Taxi, or he's just mad that the Crown Vic is damn near the perfect car for this gig.
> 
> Crown Vic taxis and old cop cars are known to go 300,000 plus miles. That's why they were used. There reliable, and cheap to fix.


Not really sure why it would be perfect. Its a big gas guzzler that's been out of production since 2011. Horrible for city traffic. 
300,000+ miles is really not that high of a number anymore - any Toyota will go that far too while being as twice fuel efficient.


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

Syn said:


> Not really sure why it would be perfect. Its a big gas guzzler that's been out of production since 2011. Horrible for city traffic.
> 300,000+ miles is really not that high of a number anymore - any Toyota will go that far too while being as twice fuel efficient.


True true true. I can personally demonstrate my 2015 Prius has gone almost 200,000 miles needing no repair and has brakes that last about four times as long as those on a Crown Vic, tires that last about 25 to 40% longer than a Crown Vic, is likely better in a crash, and gets well over three times the gas mileage as a Crown Vic. I'm not saying a Crown Vic shouldn't be used in rideshare. I think one could be quick and cheap entry to do a few thousand miles of rideshare driving. But if the goal is multiple years of uberx-level rideshare driving (and that's the highest service level a Crown Vic could be used for), the Crown Vic is not a good choice.


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## Kurt Halfyard (Dec 13, 2017)

bobbbobbobb said:


> I drive in Minnesota. An EV for rideshare in the winter with a 125-150 mile range would be somewhat useful. How much is the cost of a new one with all discounts and subsidies?


I'm in Canada. It's a totally different animal in terms of pricing and subsidies.
I have 2 electric cars. A Nissan LEAF (2012), and a Chevrolet VOLT (2017). 
I think you are under-estimating the hit in range due to cold weather. It's about 25% on the coldest days (i.e. -10F/-25C) - your numbers above imply a 50+% drop, which is not the case in my 6 years of experiencing VERY COLD CANADIAN WINTERS - i.e. about the same as Minnesota winters.
Battery failure is more of a myth and and outlier. It's not really an issue with 99% of electric cars. People's fears have greatly exaggerated EV battery failure. Again, my LEAF is almost 9 years old now, and it's lost some charge capacity slash driving range, but not very much. It runs the same as when I bought it. I have only taken it in for service three times in 6 years of ownership. (Once to repair a steering ball-joint. The other to update the Telematics Unit. The last to replace the tires.) Yes, that is three service visits in over 6 years. AMAZING.



bobbbobbobb said:


> True true true. I can personally demonstrate my 2015 Prius has gone almost 200,000 miles needing no repair and has brakes that last about four times as long as those on a Crown Vic, tires that last about 25 to 40% longer than a Crown Vic, is likely better in a crash, and gets well over three times the gas mileage as a Crown Vic. I'm not saying a Crown Vic shouldn't be used in rideshare. I think one could be quick and cheap entry to do a few thousand miles of rideshare driving. But if the goal is multiple years of uberx-level rideshare driving (and that's the highest service level a Crown Vic could be used for), the Crown Vic is not a good choice.


I owned a 2006 Prius for 10 years. 200,000miles. No battery issues. Zero Repairs. 1 break job. Regular Oil Changes, 1 license plate light-bulb. 3 sets of tires, 2 wiper blade replacements. The car was a tank, consistently good gas mileage: You just hit the button and drove off. The car was no fun to drive, but it did the job!


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

Kurt Halfyard said:


> I'm in Canada. It's a totally different animal in terms of pricing and subsidies.
> I have 2 electric cars. A Nissan LEAF (2012), and a Chevrolet VOLT (2017).
> I think you are under-estimating the hit in range due to cold weather. It's about 25% on the coldest days (i.e. -10F/-25C) - your numbers above imply a 50+% drop, which is not the case in my 6 years of experiencing VERY COLD CANADIAN WINTERS - i.e. about the same as Minnesota winters.
> Battery failure is more of a myth and and outlier. It's not really an issue with 99% of electric cars. People's fears have greatly exaggerated EV battery failure. Again, my LEAF is almost 9 years old now, and it's lost some charge capacity slash driving range, but not very much. It runs the same as when I bought it. I have only taken it in for service three times in 6 years of ownership. (Once to repair a steering ball-joint. The other to update the Telematics Unit. The last to replace the tires.) Yes, that is three service visits in over 6 years. AMAZING.


I will have to defer to your experience regarding driving range in the winter. I have similar experience with a Prius regarding it feeling pretty much the same after almost 200,000 miles. No hint in wear of the suspension or steering yet (love the electric steering). I have had one repair (replacing the original set of front brake pads) and I'm on the third set of tires, which seem to last about 70,000 miles, handle well the entire year and don't get noisy. You have to do oil changes every 10000 miles which your Chevy bolt doesn't require.

I also think the fear of battery failure is way overblown. I know that failure of Prius batteries before 200000 mi is extremely rare, and that's with vehicles that are driven 70 plus thousand miles per year.



Kurt Halfyard said:


> I'm in Canada. It's a totally different animal in terms of pricing and subsidies.
> I have 2 electric cars. A Nissan LEAF (2012), and a Chevrolet VOLT (2017).
> I think you are under-estimating the hit in range due to cold weather. It's about 25% on the coldest days (i.e. -10F/-25C) - your numbers above imply a 50+% drop, which is not the case in my 6 years of experiencing VERY COLD CANADIAN WINTERS - i.e. about the same as Minnesota winters.
> Battery failure is more of a myth and and outlier. It's not really an issue with 99% of electric cars. People's fears have greatly exaggerated EV battery failure. Again, my LEAF is almost 9 years old now, and it's lost some charge capacity slash driving range, but not very much. It runs the same as when I bought it. I have only taken it in for service three times in 6 years of ownership. (Once to repair a steering ball-joint. The other to update the Telematics Unit. The last to replace the tires.) Yes, that is three service visits in over 6 years. AMAZING.
> ...


My experience exactly with my Prius, although I'm going through bulbs much more often than you did. My mechanic can't say why.


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> Crown Vic taxis and old cop cars are known to go 300,000 plus miles. That's why they were used. There reliable, and cheap to fix.


That explains this Seattle Ant.



















There used to be a light bar on top:


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

Lissetti said:


> That explains this Seattle Ant.
> 
> View attachment 398332
> 
> ...


Really cool car. What did it cost to get it to that point and what will be its expected life (assuming $0 for further repair)? What is the total cost of ownership from the moment of purchase to the point where it needs its first $2,000 repair (body, mechanicals, anything)?


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

I don't know the guy who drives it, but I heard from another driver who does know him, that it came from a police auction. I have seen him in the areas of Seattle popular with night clubs picking up pax. We have some Seattle Superstar Ants, and I just pay attention when I see them.


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

Lissetti said:


> I don't know the guy who drives it, but I heard from another driver who does know him, that it came from a police auction. I have seen him in the areas of Seattle popular with night clubs picking up pax. We have some Seattle Superstar Ants, and I just pay attention when I see them.
> 
> View attachment 398352
> 
> ...


If these people are averaging 50% to 100% tips because of their vehicle and overall fun factor, I say more power to them. I'm personable and occasionally charming (and sometimes a little grumpy) and my tips average somewhere between 10% and 14%.


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

bobbbobbobb said:


> If these people are averaging 50% to 100% tips because of their vehicle and overall fun factor, I say more power to them. I'm personable and occasionally charming (and sometimes a little grumpy) and my tips average somewhere between 10% and 14%.


I wonder if the Jeep is turning a profit though. Also I've seen a Ford F-250 out here working too. I just haven't been able to get a picture of him yet. He must be working X only. Pick up trucks are not eligible on the XL platform in Seattle.

https://www.uber.com/drive/seattle/vehicle-requirements/


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

Lissetti said:


> I wonder if the Jeep is turning a profit though. Also I've seen a Ford F-250 out here working too. I just haven't been able to get a picture of him yet. He must be working X only. Pick up trucks are not eligible on the XL platform in Seattle.
> 
> https://www.uber.com/drive/seattle/vehicle-requirements/


I can't imagine anything bigger than roughly a Camry or Accord being profitable for Uber X and I think that within the next year or so, profit will be impossible using anything but the lowest total cost of ownership cars (used Corollas, Civics, MAYBE Priuses, possibly the Bolt and maybe a couple Korean models. Again, I'm talking about a car that you expect to use for two plus years for full-time rideshare.

Does anyone actually make enough profit to live on doing Uber XL or even Uber black?


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## The queen 👸 (Jan 2, 2020)

bobbbobbobb said:


> I can't imagine anything bigger than roughly a Camry or Accord being profitable for Uber X and I think that within the next year or so, profit will be impossible using anything but the lowest total cost of ownership cars (used Corollas, Civics, MAYBE Priuses, possibly the Bolt and maybe a couple Korean models. Again, I'm talking about a car that you expect to use for two plus years for rideshare.


Ok , will start with my husband Porsche Panamera gts&#128514;&#128514;&#128514;&#128514;&#128514;


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## Virginia is for lovers (Nov 22, 2019)

I am a Toyota devotee. Toyota Camry. Bullet proof reliable and also comfy enough for the driver himself/herself. Taxi fleet is all Camry, that says something. Get the 4 cylinder one.



bobbbobbobb said:


> If these people are averaging 50% to 100% tips because of their vehicle and overall fun factor, I say more power to them. I'm personable and occasionally charming (and sometimes a little grumpy) and my tips average somewhere between 10% and 14%.


I average 20% tips atleast. It has nothing to do with the kind of car you drive.Talk to them, make them laugh, stand out, make them remember you.


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## Fuges (Apr 10, 2019)

I drive a 2019 Honda Insight and it's hard to argue with it being a great car for rideshare, although it was anew model so no new ones available. If I were buying now if look for a used one. 50-55mpg city and plenty of space. Great car. We also use it as our second car which is also why I didn't want to get a beater.


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## Virginia is for lovers (Nov 22, 2019)

Fuges said:


> I drive a 2019 Honda Insight and it's hard to argue with it being a great car for rideshare, although it was anew model so no new ones available. If I were buying now if look for a used one. 50-55mpg city and plenty of space. Great car. We also use it as our second car which is also why I didn't want to get a beater.


Hybrid cars are a scam. Hybrid/electric both are scam. Nothing beats a simple bulletproof 4 Cylinder for rideshare.


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## Nina2 (Oct 6, 2018)

Toyota Prius is the best for Uber
But if you want to do comfort the Toyota camry Hybird
XL/Black is the Chevrolet suburban 
not sure about select through



Virginia is for lovers said:


> Hybrid cars are a scam. Hybrid/electric both are scam. Nothing beats a simple bulletproof 4 Cylinder for rideshare.


No they are not a scam I have gotten like 75 to 100 mpg in my Prius
most of them are 4 cylinders anyways


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## Virginia is for lovers (Nov 22, 2019)

Nina2 said:


> Toyota Prius is the best for Uber
> But if you want to do comfort the Toyota camry Hybird
> XL/Black is the Chevrolet suburban
> not sure about select through
> ...


Batteries are not reliable and they cost more too. I am not spending extra $4000 on a hybrid Camry to save $10 on gas everyday.


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## kcchiefsfan1982 (Aug 19, 2019)

Horse & buggy.


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## Kurt Halfyard (Dec 13, 2017)

Virginia is for lovers said:


> Hybrid cars are a scam. Hybrid/electric both are scam. Nothing beats a simple bulletproof 4 Cylinder for rideshare.


Says the guy who probably has ZERO experience in these cars. Carry on, Virginia is for ... something.


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## TPAMB (Feb 13, 2019)

Whatever vehicle can make you the most amount of money.


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## Virginia is for lovers (Nov 22, 2019)

Kurt Halfyard said:


> Says the guy who probably has ZERO experience in these cars. Carry on, Virginia is for ... something.


I have had two hybrids so far. Battery on one died. Hybrids are a bad deal. Nothing beats a simple 4 cylinder gas engine.


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## Meech215 (Nov 12, 2019)

dodge grand caravan 2017 and up... x/xl/comfort


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

Lissetti said:


> That explains this Seattle Ant.
> 
> View attachment 398332
> 
> ...


Most of my pax seem high on illegal drugs. I bet you'd get a lot of no-show fees driving that around.


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## Virginia is for lovers (Nov 22, 2019)

Meech215 said:


> dodge grand caravan 2017 and up... x/xl/comfort


That American piece of crap for ridesharing? You serious? Really?
Toyota Sienna is the way to go. Dodge that Dodge!!!!


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## Lissetti (Dec 20, 2016)

Trafficat said:


> Most of my pax seem high on illegal drugs. I bet you'd get a lot of no-show fees driving that around.


Or as @Tampa Bay Hauler said on a different thread:

_"LOL, Everyone in the neighborhood is going to be flushing all their chit down the toilet."_

&#128514;&#128514;&#128514;

https://uberpeople.net/threads/light-em-up.371187/page-2#post-5734630


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

Virginia is for lovers said:


> That American piece of crap for ridesharing? You serious? Really?
> Toyota Sienna is the way to go. Dodge that Dodge!!!!


There's a guy who drives a late model GMC Yukon XL in my market. Seems like the worst possible vehicle for rideshare to me.

But then, I met that driver when a house party called for 2 XL cars, mine (Outlander ES) and his, and the pax cancelled the ride with me and all packed into his car.


----------



## Virginia is for lovers (Nov 22, 2019)

Trafficat said:


> There's a guy who drives a late model GMC Yukon XL in my market. Seems like the worst possible vehicle for rideshare to me.
> 
> But then, I met that driver when a house party called for 2 XL cars, mine (Outlander ES) and his, and the pax cancelled the ride with me and all packed into his car.


Because Outlander is useless too. The 3rd row is useless. Highlander, Outlander, Pilot and all other SUVs(not the super big SUVs like Suburban) are useless for XL. A Minivan is by far the best vehicle for XL. 
And. GMC Yukon XL is not the worst for Ridesharing. It is an American car, so it is garbage. I would get a Toyota Sequoia instead.

If you are doing XL, then why not do it in a Minivan than a Suburban. Suburbans are for Black SUV, not XL. Toyota Sienna and Honda Oddessy are by far the best XL vehicles.


----------



## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

Virginia is for lovers said:


> Because Outlander is useless too. The 3rd row is useless. Highlander, Outlander, Pilot and all other SUVs(not the super big SUVs like Suburban) are useless for XL. A Minivan is by far the best vehicle for XL.
> If you are doing XL, then why not do it in a Minivan than a Suburban. Suburbans are for Black SUV, not XL. Toyota Sienna and Honda Oddessy are by far the best XL vehicles.


Outlander gets great mpg compared to other options and vehicle sticker price is also less. 25 city, 31 highway. 6 pax plus luggage means the luggage goes on top of the laps but XL means you pay to get 6 seats, no other promises. Shortest people go in the back row but only one time I had riders cancel because they were too fat. Small CUV is also more nimble and easier to drive and park than longer heavier cars. Pay is the same as driving a minivan or Yukon XL. Why drive a bigger vehicle when the pay is the same?


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## Virginia is for lovers (Nov 22, 2019)

Trafficat said:


> Outlander gets great mpg compared to other options and vehicle sticker price is also less. 25 city, 31 highway. 6 pax plus luggage means the luggage goes on top of the laps but XL means you pay to get 6 seats, no other promises. Shortest people go in the back row but only one time I had riders cancel because they were too fat. Pay is the same as driving Yukon XL. Why drive a bigger vehicle when the pay is the same?


You really missed my point. If you want to do XL, a minivan is the best choice. Passengers will love you. 3rd row is as comfortable and big as a big Sedan's seats. And there is world of storage on top of the 3rd row. No midsized 3 row SUV can match a Minivan's utility. And I bashed that Dodge Caravan because it is not a reliable minivan, comfy but not reliable. Toyota/Honda vans are the best.

Look at that Sienna. You think a midsize SUV can beat that 3rd row? No way.


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## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

Looks great but the pax are usually drunk and don't seem to mind cramming into my outlander. If I thought they'd tip enough to make up for the difference in operating costs and hassle, I'd go for it. But they won't tip!


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## Virginia is for lovers (Nov 22, 2019)

Trafficat said:


> Looks great but the pax are usually drunk and don't seem to mind cramming into my outlander. If I thought they'd tip enough to make up for the difference in operating costs and hassle, I'd go for it. But they won't tip!


Oh I can't tell you how I feel when I order XL and a Sienna shows up. I always tip them. They are extremely spacious. That thing is a ship. And the door opens and closes automatically. Poor minivans just don't look cool. That's why nobody buys them &#128513; People have gone crazy for SUVs lately.


----------



## Trafficat (Dec 19, 2016)

Virginia is for lovers said:


> Oh I can't tell you how I feel when I order XL and a Sienna shows up. I always tip them. They are extremely spacious. That thing is a ship. And the door opens and closes automatically. Poor minivans just don't look cool. That's why nobody buys them &#128513; People have gone crazy for SUVs lately.


Nice thought, but the occasional tip every other night from the rare person who cares probably won't cover the $6000 increase in sticker price, nor the 5-7 mpg fuel efficiency difference. Most of the pax would probably try to shove 6 pax in a prius on UberX, except too many of the drivers are mean and won't let them overload the car. I often have pax trying to shove 5 or 6 people into my Ford Focus but I lock the doors when I see them and drive off.


----------



## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

bobbbobbobb said:


> I agree. So are Corollas. The one high-technology vehicle that seems to have a stellar reliability record is the Toyota Prius. I bought a used 2015 Prius with 3500 miles. Put 170,000 rideshare miles on it and it has required 0 repairs. 50 + MPG average, 125000 miles on the front brake pads before they needed replacement, the rears will go 200000 +. The struts show no signs of significant wear. It's easy to drive smoothly and the CVT / drivetrain still feels and drives exactly the same as when I bought it. Good acceleration and the car takes heavy loads of people and luggage really really gracefully. Good in snow and rain. Very good leg room and luggage room. I expect the hybrid battery pack to go 250000 + before it needs replacement.
> 
> As happy as I am with my Prius, used Civics and Corollas without CVTs are probably the best bet for lowest overall cost of operation.


Ok, I knew you were lying when you said "good acceleration".

The Prius is dog slow with horrible driving Dynamics. One of the slowest hybrids, 10s 0-60.

Not clear if you made up the other stuff too. Prius fanboi is strong in this one.



Fusion_LUser said:


> If you don't have to pickup riders at the AP the Ford Fusion Hybrid (or Plug-in) is a great choice. The trunk is laughably small though. You could do 2 carry-on sized luggage in the back anything more than that its going in the backseat or you will have to cancel the ride!
> 
> As for the rest, the ride is awesome, it's quiet and other models like the C-Max and Escape use the same proven drivetrain for taxi service in major areas like NYC and many now have well over 200k with hard use and still going.


I have to admit, I have a hard-on for the cmax.

It's much quicker than a Prius, sits higher, better visibility, and better for tall drivers.

It's at the top of my list, will test drive soon.


----------



## Amos69 (May 17, 2019)

Syn said:


> So cops don't give you hard time if you have those up front instead of regular plates?


I am also n Washington state. I have many classics with classic style plates on them on the front. I also have many modern classics with custom fronts or no front at all. I have held this policy for thirty five years and never had a police officer mention it to me.



Juggalo9er said:


> Kia..... really


Really. Have owned five now.

0 problems.

I am a car guy and know quality when I experience it. I would buy Kia over Toyota every day of the week

Except the 2020 supra I have ordered.

But it's not actually a Toyota either


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## Clint Torres (Sep 10, 2019)

So many great minds on UP. I imagine everyone in this thread is very rich both in mind and wallet


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## Juggalo9er (Dec 7, 2017)

Clint Torres said:


> So many great minds on UP. I imagine everyone in this thread is very rich both in mind and wallet


I have 4 kids and I'm a cop so.....


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## Meech215 (Nov 12, 2019)

Virginia is for lovers said:


> That American piece of crap for ridesharing? You serious? Really?
> Toyota Sienna is the way to go. works for





Virginia is for lovers said:


> That American piece of crap for ridesharing? You serious? Really?
> Toyota Sienna is the way to go. Dodge that Dodge!!!!


who cares&#129335;&#127997;‍♂.. no complaints from the pax...ever about vehicle quality or space inside, that's all that matters, and cheap upkeep


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## Virginia is for lovers (Nov 22, 2019)

Meech215 said:


> who cares&#129335;&#127997;‍♂.. no complaints from the pax...ever about vehicle quality or space inside, that's all that matters, and cheap upkeep


What matters is durability/reliability. That Dodge will fall apart before 150,000 miles. A Sienna, on the other hand, is bullet proof. I will dodge the Dodge &#128556;


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## Erin C Banning (Jul 3, 2018)

Uberchampion said:


> Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare.
> 
> Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


I use a Honda Fit, and it works very well (30+ mpg, small car but efficient use of space so ample seating space, _very_ maneuverable -- can pull a 180 in 2 lanes at the right speed) -- currently going strong at 215,000+ miles


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## Uberchampion (Oct 17, 2015)

Erin C Banning said:


> I use a Honda Fit, and it works very well (30+ mpg, small car but efficient use of space so ample seating space, _very_ maneuverable -- can pull a 180 in 2 lanes at the right speed) -- currently going strong at 215,000+ miles


In Toronto, they are excluded subcompact cars from Uber


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## Erin C Banning (Jul 3, 2018)

Uberchampion said:


> In Toronto, they are excluded subcompact cars from Uber


then they won't work well there  that sucks


----------



## Fusion_LUser (Jan 3, 2020)

OldBay said:


> I have to admit, I have a hard-on for the cmax.
> 
> It's much quicker than a Prius, sits higher, better visibility, and better for tall drivers.
> 
> It's at the top of my list, will test drive soon.


My mom has a 2016 C-Max Hybrid and she loves it. I did drive the car a few times and it was not bad and there was a lot of room in the front seats. She drives it like the old lady that she is and has an average of 48MPG overall... which includes frequent 100 mile trips to her favorite gambling hall 

A nice used one with low miles will be pretty damn cheap too!


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## Meech215 (Nov 12, 2019)

Virginia is for lovers said:


> What matters is durability/reliability. That Dodge will fall apart before 150,000 miles. A Sienna, on the other hand, is bullet proof. I will dodge the Dodge &#128556;


don't care, i don't own it, its a lease just tailored for UBER & lyft drivers, I can drive it to the wheels fall off, and trade it for another beater, to use for rideshare


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## FLKeys (Dec 27, 2018)

bobbbobbobb said:


> Does the Santa Fe actually average 30+ or is that highway MPG?
> 
> 
> Hyundai themselves say the Santa Fe mpg rating is 20 / 27. I'm guessing the average while Uber driving will be somewhere between 20 + 25. My opinion is you should shoot for 40 mpg. Also, the Santa Fe only seats 5.
> ...


There is a Santa Fe and a Santa Fe Sport. The Full Size Santa Fe seats 7. The Sport seats 5. I have the Santa Fe Sport, seats 5 and qualifies for Comfort.

At my last fill up I had 72,722 miles on it. My average fuel economy is currently 30.1 MPG. My best MPG between fill ups was 35.7 MPG and my worst MPG between fill ups was 25.7 MPG.

Overall I am easy on the gas and easy on the brakes. Most of my driving is considered probably rural with an average speed of 45 MPH and minimal stop signs and traffic lights.

My dashboard has settings where you can display different things. I pretty much leave it set to show my current real time fuel economy. I use it as a reminder to get the best fuel economy I can for the given conditions.


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## rondog2400 (Jul 28, 2019)

I drive a 2010 Nissan Sentra , Only 58k on it.. It fits 5 including myself. I'm getting 20mpg in the City btw


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

rondog2400 said:


> I drive a 2010 Nissan Sentra , Only 58k on it.. It fits 5 including myself. I'm getting 20mpg in the City btw


I'm surprised it's that low.


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## FLKeys (Dec 27, 2018)

Get a car that you find is comfortable to sit in, you will be spending a lot of time in it. For example I could never U/L in a Chezy Cruze, I find them very uncomfortable for me.


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## freeFromUber (Mar 1, 2016)

Uberchampion said:


> Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare.
> 
> Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


Whatever one you own.


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## Funky Monkey (Jul 11, 2016)

Uberchampion said:


> Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare.
> 
> Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


One you don't have to buy. As in, you already own it or have to have it for your daily life. Do not "invest" in rideshare


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## Willwilldriveyouinsane (Jun 25, 2019)

Tesla model x + all bells and whistles. Lots of 5 stars.


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## FLKeys (Dec 27, 2018)




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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

Willwilldriveyouinsane said:


> Tesla model x + all bells and whistles. Lots of 5 stars.


The Tesla is the reason you're getting five stars?


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

waldowainthrop said:


> I knew you were cool @Lissetti
> 
> If Uber had an old car budget service (pre-2004 car) I would be tempted to get an old VW GTI and take it for a spin on UberOld once a week.
> 
> The 4th gen Golf is one of the classic cars of its time and still looks so refreshingly modern today.


C'mon man!! It's UberClassic!!!!


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

goneubering said:


> C'mon man!! It's UberClassic!!!! :wink:


UberCrossYerFingers


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## Funky Monkey (Jul 11, 2016)

bobbbobbobb said:


> The Tesla is the reason you're getting five stars?


That's only if you have a Bugatti in Las Vegas. That's why so many drivers move there. Tesla's more like 41/2 stars


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## The queen 👸 (Jan 2, 2020)

bobbbobbobb said:


> The Tesla is the reason you're getting five stars?


I am sure he was being sarcastic or not. &#128514;&#128580;&#128563;


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## bobbbobbobb (Apr 12, 2018)

The queen &#128120; said:


> I am sure he was being sarcastic or not. &#128514;&#128580;&#128563;


Not. I drive a 4-year-old Prius and in a typical week all of my ratings are five stars.


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## The queen 👸 (Jan 2, 2020)

bobbbobbobb said:


> Not. I drive a 4-year-old Prius and in a typical week all of my ratings are five stars.


I drive a Mercedes suv ml 350.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

Virginia is for lovers said:


> What matters is durability/reliability. That Dodge will fall apart before 150,000 miles. A Sienna, on the other hand, is bullet proof. I will dodge the Dodge &#128556;


I see a lot more of older Grand Caravans on the roads than Siennas ... Not saying that Grand Caravan is more reliable (its not), but after rebates you can get one for under $20,000 these days. Good luck getting a Sienna for under $30,000.
Also, Grand Caravan (current model) has been in production since 2008, so all little (and big) gremlins are taken care of.



Willwilldriveyouinsane said:


> Tesla model x + all bells and whistles. Lots of 5 stars.


Make sure to cash out all those stars every week. :wink:



Virginia is for lovers said:


> Batteries are not reliable and they cost more too. I am not spending extra $4000 on a hybrid Camry to save $10 on gas everyday.


Lets say that you drive that hybrid for only 3 years. That's 1,095 days. Now multiply that by those $10/day that you're saving and then deduct $4,000 that you spent extra on the hybrid. Overall, that's still $7,000 in savings over 3 years


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## UberLAguy (Aug 2, 2015)

I would say you could save $20/day if you drive a lot.


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## Willwilldriveyouinsane (Jun 25, 2019)

Syn said:


> Make sure to cash out all those stars every week. :wink:
> 
> 
> .


Yeah I pay all of my bills with them


----------



## UberLAguy (Aug 2, 2015)

If you drive 400 miles a day. That's 20 gallons for a normal 20 MPG car. For a hybrid of 40MPG, it's only 10 gallons. You save 10 gallons. 

Depending on the price of each gallon, if say $3.5/gallon, you actually save $35/day. 

Multiply that by 1000 days, you save $35K in three years.


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## JaredJ (Aug 7, 2015)

Prius, Prius, Prius. Any hybrid you can get for a good price. With rates where they are your costs are one of few factors a driver can control.


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## troothequalstroll (Oct 12, 2019)

A close to or fully depreciated vehicle that qualifies for xl fares.

Any model 7+ years old with great gas mileage I guess works for x tier but I can't comprehend any rides profiting much at .60 per mile

The higher tiers tend to be newer models where depreciation will kill your blue book so you have a 2016 with 200,000+ miles on it just in time for all the parts to start need replacing.

A


UberLAguy said:


> If you drive 400 miles a day. That's 20 gallons for a normal 20 MPG car. For a hybrid of 40MPG, it's only 10 gallons. You save 10 gallons.
> 
> Depending on the price of each gallon, if say $3.5/gallon, you actually save $35/day.
> 
> Multiply that by 1000 days, you save $35K in three years.


Any hybrids qualify for xl rates that get 40 miles per gallon? Far as I'm concerned .60 per mile doesn't work at 20 or 40 mpg



troothequalstroll said:


> A close to or fully depreciated vehicle that qualifies for xl fares.
> 
> Any model 7+ years old with great gas mileage I guess works for x tier but I can't comprehend any rides profiting much at .60 per mile
> 
> ...


Was thinking Pacifica hybrid as my next but at 50K the stow and go on all 4 seats seems it'll be more valuable at 40K & 25mpg

If I used it for ride "share" which I wouldn't I'd just get a much older 5K ride to beat up it would get me to airport for "free" battery plug in etc so it would save me $4 a ride, 1000 rides a year so $4000 per year vs stow & go on all 4 seats decisions decisions least I have a few years to figure it out want the next ride to last me 15-20 before they get to much stalker weirdo stuff embedded it's impossible to disable lol

Will never buy an all electric but a hybrid might tempt me if they could get all damn 4 seats to stow & go I'll be sold


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## MedicMan (Jun 30, 2018)

Uberchampion said:


> Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare.
> 
> Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


A moderate car that gets at least 26mpg in the city and 30mpg+ on the highway. No frills. A lease return is good. No SUV, truck or large car.

To make money ride sharing you have to keep your costs down. This keeps more money in your pocket.

I drive a Chev Cruz and it gets an average of 27mpg combined. It was $11,500 lease return that would have cost $18,000 on the open market. Insurance for it is cheap and I have been driving it for 3 years part time ride sharing. It gets around the city just fine and while it's a little cramped for 4 people the trips are short and no one really complains.

The federal mileage deduction is the same for all vehicles under 10,000 pounds. SUV, truck, cars and my Chev Cruz. Cost to drive an SUV is almost double that for my Chev Cruz. Ride sharing vehicles need to be looked at as throw away vehicles as they will not be worth much in 5 years with all the miles and wear and tear on it.


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## Musky (May 7, 2018)

Fusion_LUser said:


> If you don't have to pickup riders at the AP the Ford Fusion Hybrid (or Plug-in) is a great choice. The trunk is laughably small though. You could do 2 carry-on sized luggage in the back anything more than that its going in the backseat or you will have to cancel the ride!
> 
> As for the rest, the ride is awesome, it's quiet and other models like the C-Max and Escape use the same proven drivetrain for taxi service in major areas like NYC and many now have well over 200k with hard use and still going.


I have a Ford C-Max Energi Hybrid - Paid $11K with just 27,000 and it has leather, mood lighting and a full moon roof. Average 42mpg when I don't plug it in and significantly more when I do. Both Carfax and Autocheck were perfect. I never realized they use them for taxi service but I have seen quite a few C-Max police cars in NYC while passing a police station. Good front and back leg room. Plenty of headroom. Still under factory warranty for the electric components. Trunk space is small but I have never had to turn down a passenger (I have put a bag in the front seat). Parts are cheap. The only difference I would make if I were to buy another would be to go with the straight hybrid (not plug-in) as it does add more room to the trunk. Other than that, a perfect car in my opinion.


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## waldowainthrop (Oct 25, 2019)

Musky said:


> I have a Ford C-Max Energi Hybrid - Paid $11K with just 27,000 and it has leather, mood lighting and a full moon roof. Average 42mpg when I don't plug it in and significantly more when I do. Both Carfax and Autocheck were perfect. I never realized they use them for taxi service but I have seen quite a few C-Max police cars in NYC while passing a police station. Good front and back leg room. Plenty of headroom. Still under factory warranty for the electric components. Trunk space is small but I have never had to turn down a passenger (I have put a bag in the front seat). Parts are cheap. The only difference I would make if I were to buy another would be to go with the straight hybrid (not plug-in) as it does add more room to the trunk. *Other than that, a perfect car in my opinion.*


Eh, sort of. It's good for the gig, but pretty dull.

I drove many rideshare miles in a Ford Focus and I've had a ride in a Ford C-Max Energi. Good rideshare car. Middling car, all things considered.

That is an amazing deal you got on that used one. I would be tempted at that price.


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## Musky (May 7, 2018)

waldowainthrop said:


> Eh, sort of. It's good for the gig, but pretty dull.
> 
> I drove many rideshare miles in a Ford Focus and I've had a ride in a Ford C-Max Energi. Good rideshare car. Middling car, all things considered.
> 
> That is an amazing deal you got on that used one. I would be tempted at that price.


You can find them in that range - it was never a popular car in the US mainly due to the European styling which is not attractive in my opinion. But it has grown on me. Plus it was a heck of a lot cheaper than a used Prius.

Mine is a 2013 that I bought Summer 2018. I found it on Carvana for $11,700 but there was a scratch on the front bumper that was not in the photos when it arrived. Everything else was fine. They do not want to take cars back so and wound up giving me an additional $500 for the scratch (I fixed it for $13 and it is very hard to spot). So total price was $11,200. Carvana prices seem a little higher today but I think back in 2018 they were still working on market share and visibility.

I use the car 100% for rideshare and Amazon Flex. It is a really good car for Flex with the seats folded down. As you know, the size is deceiving and it is much roomier than it looks. The headroom is key - especially with the full length moon roof.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

Just look around you . What store the biggest fleets in the country?
Town cars, Crown Victoria’s
Limos , taxi cabs and police.
Cheap parts , cheap service , last 500k if you proper maintain.


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## Lynxtheclown (Jan 9, 2020)

Uberchampion said:


> Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare.
> 
> Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


2017 Hyundai elantra cheap to maintain.

Cost per mile with gas being $3 is .08 full tank 14 gallons cost $42.00 per mile earnings .62 cents oil changes about $30 tires $400 a set of all 4. Parts cheap total mileage on full tank 445 and lowest 425


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## UberLAguy (Aug 2, 2015)

Lynxtheclown said:


> 2017 Hyundai elantra cheap to maintain.
> 
> Cost per mile with gas being $3 is .08 full tank 14 gallons cost $42.00 per mile earnings .62 cents oil changes about $30 tires $400 a set of all 4. Parts cheap total mileage on full tank 445 and lowest 425


Believe it or not, the Elantra is considered the standard and most popular car for rideshare.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

UberPotomac said:


> Just look around you . What store the biggest fleets in the country?
> Town cars, Crown Victoria's
> Limos , taxi cabs and police.
> Cheap parts , cheap service , last 500k if you proper maintain.


Maybe 5 years ago.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

Syn said:


> Maybe 5 years ago.


You are right , they are fading out .Still have 200k to go on mine.


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## 2starDriver (Mar 22, 2019)

I’ll get anything qualifies with toyota badge


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## Uberdriver2710 (Jul 15, 2015)

BAC Mono....no room for paxholes


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## rondog2400 (Jul 28, 2019)

Uberchampion said:


> Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare.
> 
> Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


I have a Nissan Sentra 2010 , I get 20mpg in City , I would thing a Honda Accord would be better in comfort


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## 2starDriver (Mar 22, 2019)

UberPotomac said:


> Just look around you . What store the biggest fleets in the country?
> Town cars, Crown Victoria's
> Limos , taxi cabs and police.
> Cheap parts , cheap service , last 500k if you proper maintain.


I doubt those gas guzzlers would be wise choice.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

2starDriver said:


> I doubt those gas guzzlers would be wise choice.


You may have to revise your math , then .


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## waldowainthrop (Oct 25, 2019)

UberPotomac said:


> Just look around you . What store the biggest fleets in the country?
> Town cars, Crown Victoria's
> Limos , taxi cabs and police.
> Cheap parts , cheap service , last 500k if you proper maintain.


How is keeping a car indefinitely compatible with rideshare needs? 500,000 miles isn't an interesting number if the cost per mile isn't lower than a car that goes half as many service miles at twice the miles per gallon of gas and similarly low operating costs and failure rates. And why do taxi companies use Priuses and other economy cars today if the big old cars are so good? Why do some jurisdictions use completely different styles and makes of cars for taxi and police service?

I am not arguing against the Crown Victoria or the Town Car categorically but picking a car is more complicated than looking at fleet usage. Rental car companies use cars like Nissan Sentras which work but aren't especially outstanding for rideshare compared to other cars in the class. Fleet buyers consider more factors than lifetime service. Individuals purchasing cars have even less incentive to choose cars based on fleet car logic.

These aren't just rhetorical questions. Why shouldn't everyone just buy old Crown Victorias today for their personal use if they are such sensible car choices?

Maybe this is just my area, but I have seen maybe two Crown Vics and a single classic Lincoln Town Car (personal, not taxi) in the last couple of weeks. They are barely out there anymore. They are literally from another generation at this point even if some of them are still chugging along.


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## FLKeys (Dec 27, 2018)

There is a short young lady in my area that drives a Crown Vic for Uber/Lyft, it was an old Detective car from the county Sheriff department. She says she gets about 19 mpg. She bought it because a friend told her they are so well maintained that she will never have a problem with it. I hope it is problem free for her, I laugh every time I see her because it looks like she can barely see over the steering wheel.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

waldowainthrop said:


> How is keeping a car indefinitely compatible with rideshare needs? 500,000 miles isn't an interesting number if the cost per mile isn't lower than a car that goes half as many service miles at twice the miles per gallon of gas and similarly low operating costs and failure rates. And why do taxi companies use Priuses and other economy cars today if the big old cars are so good? Why do some jurisdictions use completely different styles and makes of cars for taxi and police service?
> 
> I am not arguing against the Crown Victoria or the Town Car categorically but picking a car is more complicated than looking at fleet usage. Rental car companies use cars like Nissan Sentras which work but aren't especially outstanding for rideshare compared to other cars in the class. Fleet buyers consider more factors than lifetime service. Individuals purchasing cars have even less incentive to choose cars based on fleet car logic.
> 
> ...


First of all , Gad is the cheapest exílense you can have on a car.
Second , you won't see many because they are make anymore 
The Town Car and the Crown Vic were lat build on 2011 and 2012.
Now the argue than a Sentra or a Elantra because they more fuel efficient are better cars is out of the window when you consider car payment .

Let me walk you target this table

purchase price. 2000. 15000
Monthly gas x 12. 6000. 3000
Insurance 1200. 1200

repair and maintenance will be higher on the import that on a domestic old car .
Again , limo and taxi cab driver are not using them for no reason


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## waldowainthrop (Oct 25, 2019)

UberPotomac said:


> First of all , Gad is the cheapest exílense you can have on a car.
> Second , you won't see many because they are make anymore
> The Town Car and the Crown Vic were lat build on 2011 and 2012.
> Now the argue than a Sentra or a Elantra because they more fuel efficient are better cars is out of the window when you consider car payment .
> ...


Roughly in order:

1. I know gas is not a huge part of overall car expense. However it's a variable expense and it's one of the easiest ways for rideshare drivers to cut their expenses, all other car expenses being fairly fixed and often equivalent if you choose a decently reliable car. It would only take four years in your cost chart for the Crown Victoria to be the same cost over time as the newer car, assuming that gas prices don't go up.
2. Older cars can be cheaper to maintain or they can be way more expensive. A low mileage newer car with a good reliability record (not a Nissan Sentra, but most Toyotas or Hondas) can be extraordinarily cheaper to run per year, enough to offset thousands of dollars of difference over the life of the car, and possibly avoiding multiple weeks of lost income due to not having to spend time being repaired at all over the life of the car. Service availability is something that fleets don't have to worry about as much as private owners. A 2012 Honda might never have to spend a night in a shop over the course of a few years of ownership.
3. If you are arguing that a $2,000 car can be affordable on a rideshare platform, you are absolutely right. If the maintenance and gas costs are acceptable on the cheaper car and it is fit for service, no one needs to spend many times that. In fact, many experienced drivers on this forum suggest $5,000 as a nice target for a rideshare car. $15,000 for a newish car is typically a bad buy for entry level rideshare.
4. If we don't see them anymore because they are are older and they don't make them anymore, what should people buy today (2-5 year old cars)? Nothing at all? In 2025 will a Ford Crown Vic still be a good choice? In 2030? If gas prices triple? In markets where rear wheel drive isn't preferable? With customers who think they are outdated?
5. If taxi and limo services are using these older cars because they are the best, why do we now see taxi services using Hyundai Elantras, Dodge Caravans, Toyota Priuses, Scion xBs? I don't like any of these cars, but they are way more common as taxis today in many markets than the old Fords.


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## 2starDriver (Mar 22, 2019)

UberPotomac said:


> First of all , Gad is the cheapest exílense you can have on a car.
> Second , you won't see many because they are make anymore
> The Town Car and the Crown Vic were lat build on 2011 and 2012.
> Now the argue than a Sentra or a Elantra because they more fuel efficient are better cars is out of the window when you consider car payment .
> ...


Revise your spectacular math with $5k price 2009 almost maintenance free prius.

Prius average mpg 45 - CV 20 mpg
Prius brake pads last 100k 
On crown victoria maybe 20k

Good luck


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

2starDriver said:


> Revise your spectacular math with $5k price 2009 almost maintenance free prius.
> 
> Prius average mpg 45 - CV 20 mpg
> Prius brake pads last 100k
> ...


Try to fit 2 large men o a Prius .
My Lincoln gas is paid by tips . And the interaction with the client it is much more relaxed.
I don't think your Prius is a bad choice for the city , but forget airports with more than one pax.
And safety is another mayor concern for me. After driving a Corolla for 3years , I guarantee you than a Lincoln is a much better upgrade for the r pax and more important for me on comfort and on the bottom line.


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## waldowainthrop (Oct 25, 2019)

UberPotomac said:


> Try to fit 2 large men o a Prius .
> My Lincoln gas is paid by tips . And the interaction with the client it is much more relaxed.
> I don't think your Prius is a bad choice for the city , but forget airports with more than one pax.
> And safety is another mayor concern for me. After driving a Corolla for 3years , I guarantee you than a Lincoln is a much better upgrade for the r pax and more important for me on comfort and on the bottom line.


You drive a Lincoln? Are you even in the same business as a Prius driver? Lincolns are luxury cars, while Priuses are dirt cheap economy cars. If you drive it for UberX I guess you are in the same market, but I assume you are doing more with the Lincoln than that.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

waldowainthrop said:


> You drive a Lincoln? Are you even in the same business as a Prius driver? Lincolns are luxury cars, while Priuses are dirt cheap economy cars. If you drive it for UberX I guess you are in the same market, but I assume you are doing more with the Lincoln than that.


Doing more what? Please clarify.
Uber X is just that with luxury or dirt cheap car


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## waldowainthrop (Oct 25, 2019)

UberPotomac said:


> Doing more what? Please clarify.


Limo, premium rideshare, private clients, whatever. You can't do any of those things in a Prius, but you might be able to with the right Lincoln, I imagine?


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

waldowainthrop said:


> Limo, premium rideshare, private clients, whatever. You can't do any of those things in a Prius, but you might be able to with the right Lincoln, I imagine?


Not premium or black wit UBER . Car to old . In my market need to be 5 years or newer with commercial insurance and make it unacceptable for me .Private clients are few many times a headache . Not fun to ctross the whole city to pick a private trip to do 15mon trip
I went to part time second semester 2019 and doing much better now .Just work few good hours and only take profitable trips .
none of that nonsense I use to have to do. But I really understand people that have to do it.


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## Virginia is for lovers (Nov 22, 2019)

Just lost Comfort eligiblity on my 2016 Camry and I am pissed.


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## UberLAguy (Aug 2, 2015)

https://uberpeople.net/threads/finally-made-it-to-555-555.371865/


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## XLnoGas (Dec 20, 2019)

Your mom’s 

(Sorry i had to, but in all reality...)


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## ANThonyBoreDaneCook (Oct 7, 2019)

Uberchampion said:


> Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare.
> 
> Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


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## soontobeautomated (Apr 4, 2017)

I'm saving my money so that I can be eligible for FUber-Air when it launches in 2020 2021 2022 2023 the near future.


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## WindyCityAnt (Feb 24, 2019)

Uberchampion said:


> Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare.
> 
> Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


Uber or Lyft will say a rental! You could use all platforms then! LOL!

Don't listen to anything they say. I go the opposite way every time &#129323;.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

UberPotomac said:


> I guarantee you than a Lincoln is a much better upgrade for the r pax


Who the hell cares what's "better" for paxs? You should worry about you.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

Syn said:


> Who the hell cares what's "better" for paxs? You should worry about you.


First , did you read the whole sentence?
I said is much confortable for pax and myself.

I use to think like you , but changing cars and providing a much better service , make my life much easier with pax , and consistently affect my bottom line.TIPS are much more frequently and I cannot explain why but people are much more quiet . Not that many questions .It was not intentionally but , worked out that way .
I can also guarantee you that if you going to spend all this time driving , the car can make a lot of difference .


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

UberLAguy said:


> Believe it or not, the Elantra is considered the standard and most popular car for rideshare.


I seriously doubt it. I've never had a driver with an Elantra. Only Uber knows for sure but I would guess Toyota is the most preferred brand.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

UberPotomac said:


> First , did you read the whole sentence?
> I said is much confortable for pax and myself.
> 
> I use to think like you , but changing cars and providing a much better service , make my life much easier with pax , and consistently affect my bottom line.TIPS are much more frequently and I cannot explain why but people are much more quiet . Not that many questions .It was not intentionally but , worked out that way .
> I can also guarantee you that if you going to spend all this time driving , the car can make a lot of difference .


I use a 140,000+ miles Toyota Yaris hatch for RS. I own much nicer cars in addition and I tried them few times, but didn't feel it was worth it. Getting $10 more dollars in tips per shift was not worth spending the extra gas or seeing my much newer & expensive car getting damaged by paxhole.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

Syn said:


> I use a 140,000+ miles Toyota Yaris hatch for RS. I own much nicer cars in addition and I tried them few times, but didn't feel it was worth it. Getting $10 more dollars in tips per shift was not worth spending the extra gas or seeing my much newer & expensive car getting damaged by paxhole.


I drove Corolla for 3 years . I would never again. I can not imagine drive a Yaris for multiple hours a day . It is not about the Pax . It is about my comfort . The job is hard enough to make it harder . That 10 , more like 20-30 tips a day made the gas difference for driving with confort.
Why do you need a nicer car on the dry way if you spend the time on the little one . It is like having new shoes in the closet.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

UberPotomac said:


> I drove Corolla for 3 years . I would never again. I can not imagine drive a Yaris for multiple hours a day . It is not about the Pax . It is about my comfort . The job is hard enough to make it harder . That 10 , more like 20-30 tips a day made the gas difference for driving with confort.
> Why do you need a nicer car on the dry way if you spend the time on the little one . It is like having new shoes in the closet.


I drive part time so even in the best case scenario I'll have maybe 8-10 trips in a day, and maybe 2-3 of those will tip. I don't find RS hard at all. I mean, I sit and drive and turn then GPS tells me to do so. Kinda like running errands. I feel pretty comfortable in Yaris. I'm a lot more uncomfortable when I drive my F-150 in city, since its so big there's always a risk of hitting something in small streets. I mean, I have to pay really close attention all the time and that can be tiring. Or when I drive my wife's Toyota C-HR - that thing has huge blind spots, I can't see much. Yaris is small enough to get through the traffic and allows great visibility. 
C-HR is my wife's car, we use F-150 in winters and when towing or going camping and I also have a Mustang as a toy car.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

UberPotomac said:


> I drove Corolla for 3 years . I would never again. I can not imagine drive a Yaris for multiple hours a day . It is not about the Pax . It is about my comfort . The job is hard enough to make it harder . That 10 , more like 20-30 tips a day made the gas difference for driving with confort.
> Why do you need a nicer car on the dry way if you spend the time on the little one . It is like having new shoes in the closet.


What do you drive now?

I've been in a bigger car and I'm torn between a cheap XL and a compact. I'm afraid that I would burn out, get neck/back strain, and higher stress driving a small car.

If the tips of a large car compensate for the extra gas, then it would be smart to drive something larger. I have this horrible feeling that when pax see a tinycar they will occasionally cancel, or not tip.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

OldBay said:


> What do you drive now?
> 
> I've been in a bigger car and I'm torn between a cheap XL and a compact. I'm afraid that I would burn out, get neck/back strain, and higher stress driving a small car.
> 
> If the tips of a large car compensate for the extra gas, then it would be smart to drive something larger. I have this horrible feeling that when pax see a tinycar they will occasionally cancel, or not tip.


I got a Town Car . Great for me and pax love it .
Parts are cheap and if you listen to it and keep up maintsinsnce Last 500k.

yrs , the tips went up noticeable and more important , the purchase cost is low and the interaction with paxs is much relaxed.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

UberPotomac said:


> I got a Town Car . Great for me and pax love it .
> Parts are cheap and if you listen to it and keep up maintsinsnce Last 500k.
> 
> yrs , the tips went up noticeable and more important , the purchase cost is low and the interaction with paxs is much relaxed.


Thats a good buy. Sadly for DC market, I would need to get a 2014-15 to get any time out of it. Whenever I got a trip into DC I had to deadhead back. Car not eligible in DC and could never set up DF.

I'm searching for used car and compared to last time I bought there are almost zero private sellers. Dealers must be buying it and marking it up. BS fees and markup means you lose several thousand each time you buy from a dealer. Hard to buy a car at the edge of extinction and flip it every year without losing alot. Anything decent and RS eligible is already gone.


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

OldBay said:


> If the tips of a large car compensate for the extra gas, then it would be smart to drive something larger. I have this horrible feeling that when pax see a tinycar they will occasionally cancel, or not tip.


I drive one of the smallest cars allowed for RS - Toyota Yaris. I think I have almost 15,000 trips over the past 5 years and rarely anyone canceled (although a lot of people do roll they eyes when they see me - especially when its more than one person for the trip).

Pax rarely tip, but as I explained in one of my previous comments - they rarely tipp when I drive C-HR or F-150 too. IMO, I would rather have lower expenses and not worry whether they will tip than have higher expenses and depend on tips to make the difference in expenses that larger cars bring.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

OldBay said:


> Thats a good buy. Sadly for DC market, I would need to get a 2014-15 to get any time out of it. Whenever I got a trip into DC I had to deadhead back. Car not eligible in DC and could never set up DF.
> 
> I'm searching for used car and compared to last time I bought there are almost zero private sellers. Dealers must be buying it and marking it up. BS fees and markup means you lose several thousand each time you buy from a dealer. Hard to buy a car at the edge of extinction and flip it every year without losing alot. Anything decent and RS eligible is already gone.


You can get a 2011 and run it it for 4 years . My advise . See if you can buy from a BLACK driver Anytime I plan UBER , I just do it for next year. My past experience taught me that.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

UberPotomac said:


> You can get a 2011 and run it it for 4 years . My advise . See if you can buy from a BLACK driver Anytime I plan UBER , I just do it for next year. My past experience taught me that.


You mean just run in maryland/va, not DC? I suppose I can do that.

One advantage of a fuel efficient car is that I could drive around looking for trips. With gas guzzler, I've had to pretty much park and wait. When its slow I just go home instead of searching for tips. A fuel efficient car you can test out other areas. What are your fuel costs? I'm guess 16% of gross. Compared to a prius that spend 6% of gross, giving up 10% of profits. Not saying you can't make that up in tips, but its there. If spending that much on gas, I think I'd pick a minivan.

Used car listings, almost nothing available private party 2008+. Go a year older and there is tons. Anything that can be used for RS, someone has gobbled up.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

OldBay said:


> You mean just run in maryland/va, not DC? I suppose I can do that.
> 
> One advantage of a fuel efficient car is that I could drive around looking for trips. With gas guzzler, I've had to pretty much park and wait. When its slow I just go home instead of searching for tips. A fuel efficient car you can test out other areas. What are your fuel costs? I'm guess 16% of gross. Compared to a prius that spend 6% of gross, giving up 10% of profits. Not saying you can't make that up in tips, but its there. If spending that much on gas, I think I'd pick a minivan.
> 
> Used car listings, almost nothing available private party 2008+. Go a year older and there is tons. Anything that can be used for RS, someone has gobbled up.


I did all that calculations when I purchase the car .
It will help if you decide what kinds of work you have or want and get a car for that. In my case , I decided to go part time and work airport and high surge times and hours.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

UberPotomac said:


> I did all that calculations when I purchase the car .
> It will help if you decide what kinds of work you have or want and get a car for that. In my case , I decided to go part time and work airport and high surge times and hours.


My current thinking is to get a very fuel efficient car so that when I return to FT work in my field, I am saving money commuting. Also, when I rideshare FT I've been doing daytime which is mostly single pax.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

OldBay said:


> My current thinking is to get a very fuel efficient car so that when I return to FT work in my field, I am saving money commuting. Also, when I rideshare FT I've been doing daytime which is mostly single pax.


Sound good to me . I think there is no one fits all answer . You get the tool for the specific job.


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## Smell My Finger (Jun 11, 2019)

The one you stole


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## Dilf411 (Jan 27, 2020)

Second Gen Toyota Prius (2008-2009) would be ideal with less than 200k miles, good maintenance records, clean interior.


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## MPLS-PAUL (Jan 17, 2019)

2019 Kia Niro. Hybrid version SUV looking but only 2WD. Generally 51 MPG in lots of Uber driving. Good rear legroom too.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

MPLS-PAUL said:


> 2019 Kia Niro. Hybrid version SUV looking but only 2WD. Generally 51 MPG in lots of Uber driving. Good rear legroom too.


22k to drive UBER? Are you out of your mind?


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## peteyvavs (Nov 18, 2015)

Virginia is for lovers said:


> Batteries are not reliable and they cost more too. I am not spending extra $4000 on a hybrid Camry to save $10 on gas everyday.


What are you talking about, the Prius has a 10 year warranty on batteries.


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## OldBay (Apr 1, 2019)

UberPotomac said:


> Sound good to me . I think there is no one fits all answer . You get the tool for the specific job.


One thing I've learned, I am making much more than when I couldn't pick up in DC. Having a 2014, once I get a feeder trip, I get a handful of follow up trips, even get some going back my way. This takes the sting out of the trip back. This is bringing up my $/hr.

You can still be logged on to the apps, but if you are in DC you won't get trips with a 10+ car. Doing it FT, its impossible to avoid DC. Didn't realize how much having a 6yo car would help.


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## TheSuperUber (Nov 21, 2019)

Your concern should be gas cost. I drive a hybrid...42-45 MPG. Hyundai Sonata is Comfort in RI, but not in PA. Go figure.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

TheSuperUber said:


> Your concern should be gas cost. I drive a hybrid...42-45 MPG. Hyundai Sonata is Comfort in RI, but not in PA. Go figure.


Your concern should be gas cost if you work as an ant and take all trips that came to you .
You'll work your ass off and fairly make minimum wage .
You also has to pony up a large amount or deal wil expensive monthly payments and maintenance .
Why do you think UBER don't have a fleet of Prius?
It is easy to make his drivers take the expense.

my concern is take a profit . I got to walk a fine line from initial investment , maintenance , daily expenses and return on investment .
I see drivers that after taxes are paying to drive rideshare .


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## Hardtime (Feb 4, 2020)

DoYouEvenLyft? said:


> 1. Ford Crown Victoria/Mercury Grand Marques/Lincoln Town Car. Indestructible, CHEAP to maintain, and spacious interior/trunk. Perfect for city use. Sucks on mpg though.
> 
> 2. 2011+ Ford Taurus. Spacious sedan like the Crown Victoria, more modern, and comes with optional AWD. Better MPG, somewhat indestructible. Those internal water pumps on the 3.5 v6(I believe it's a 3.5) are terrible. The twin turbo version are prone to turbo failure.
> 
> ...


Using 30 weight oil seems to be curing the turbo failure.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

UbaBrah said:


> The car I bought for Uber was $6500 with 67k miles. I will make that back in 4 months and just do basic maintenance, then basically run it into the ground. I expect to make 100k or more with it as I'm averaging a buck a mile.
> 
> But really, as long as you can make the numbers work, drive whatever you want. Just do really crunch them first.


100k ? 2024?


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## Guido-TheKillerPimp (Jan 4, 2021)

Uberchampion said:


> Im curious as to your thoughts on the best car (brand and model) to use for rideshare.
> 
> Assume its full time and you drive in a metropolitan city.


Simple. Get a used Toyota. Any model in the best condition you can find for under $4000.00
Myself, purchased a 2008 Prius 3 years ago for $2300. Never a problem with it. 45+ mpg. Depreciation is also non-factor given the song of a price I got it for.
Apply these principles, and you will be as profitable as possible!


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

Guido-TheKillerPimp said:


> Simple. Get a used Toyota. Any model in the best condition you can find for under $4000.00
> Myself, purchased a 2008 Prius 3 years ago for $2300. Never a problem with it. 45+ mpg. Depreciation is also non-factor given the song of a price I got it for.
> Apply these principles, and you will be as profitable as possible!


In DC must be 10 years or newer . Anything over 2011 unless you are register on a neighbor state .
Thee is also other factors . Do you drive short trips in the city ? Or long trip in suburbs ?
Gas is only one of the factors . Initial investment , maintenance cost , depreciation.


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## Guido-TheKillerPimp (Jan 4, 2021)

UberPotomac said:


> In DC must be 10 years or newer . Anything over 2011 unless you are register on a neighbor state .


True. My response does not specifically apply nationwide, as each markets vehicle requirements can vary. However, the core principles do.


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## justaGoober (Mar 12, 2019)

UberPotomac said:


> In DC must be 10 years or newer . Anything over 2011 unless you are register on a neighbor state .


I drive a 2010 Camry and am registered in MD. Last few times I've driven into DC with Lyft, it boots me off and doesn't allow me to pick anyone up. The message says I don't have all the required documents then takes me to a list of required docs that includes "2011 or newer registration". As soon as I get back into MD I'm fine. Support said that I "should" be able to pick up in DC...it sounds like you agree with what support told me.

The first time this happened was during the DC curfew, so I just thought Lyft had "turned off" their service. Then it happened again this week, which didn't make sense.


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## UberPotomac (Oct 8, 2016)

justaGoober said:


> I drive a 2010 Camry and am registered in MD. Last few times I've driven into DC with Lyft, it boots me off and doesn't allow me to pick anyone up. The message says I don't have all the required documents then takes me to a list of required docs that includes "2011 or newer registration". As soon as I get back into MD I'm fine. Support said that I "should" be able to pick up in DC...it sounds like you agree with what support told me.
> 
> The first time this happened was during the DC curfew, so I just thought Lyft had "turned off" their service. Then it happened again this week, which didn't make sense.


My understanding is 10 years on Lyft 
Uber is 10 years on DC , 12 in MD and 15 on VA 
IT all depends on your place of registration .


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