# 2017 Kia Niro- 5000 miles, 32 days, $6609 revenue



## Robertk (Jun 8, 2015)

On July 12 I leased a new Kia Niro. Only 32 days later I've hit 5000 miles. At this rate I will have used up my 24,000 mile lease allotment by the end of this year! Ok, you think I'm an idiot but hear me out.

- I was driving a 2015 Kia Soul with a manual transmission. I had to sell because my left knee began to give me problems from all the clutch action. I was bedridden for two days it got so bad. Bye bye old car I bought new. 
- Kia Niro chosen because of fuel economy, looks, and DCT transmission. 
- New car cost after lease incentives = $20k
- Extra cost was floor mats ($80 aftermarket) and cargo protector ($110 from dealer)
-Lease payment = $238/mo , but this number is irrelevant and highly situational. What counts is how long it takes the asset to return it's purchase price. 
- I have enough cash in the bank to purchase right now if I wanted to, and I plan to buy the car at lease end so mileage is irrelevant.

- fuel economy = 50-52 mpg per tank and I'm more aggressive than the average hybrid driver. 
- in 5000 miles I've used maybe $200 in gas, I don't keep exact gas costs.

- car drives great and has all the features I expect for the price/class. The DCT is far nicer IMHO than a CVT. 
- Fits a good a amount of luggage, but I wish the rear were a bit more squared off to allow one more large bag in back. 
- excellent space for pax. I've had some LARGE customers. 
- The maintenance schedule looks pretty low cost for the first 100k
- weird hybrid lag when doing a jackrabbit start but you get used to it. Press the pedal down hard and the car takes a small delay while starting the gas engine before power is available. 
- No built in navigation but the large touchscreen can be used with android auto/my cell phone to get google maps on the touchscreen. I've found this to be buggy and kinda useless and my phone does better at mapping. But if android auto ever integrates with Uber drivers app that would be really cool.

- I was laid off a few months ago so I'm currently FT Uber, and I've been pushing it hard --> sometimes 60 or 70 hours a week. 
- Nearly every mile on the car is on-line Uber time. From my house I usually get a ping in a minute or two.

5000 miles, 32 days, $6608.86 in gross revenue.

*Costs:*
car = $20,000
accessories = $180
gas = $200
tolls- $50
insurance- $107
registration- $300
phone mount base (I reused the holder I already had) - $30 (proclip is the way to go- custom fit and solid!)
-------------------------------
total costs = $20,867

*Revenue*
$6608.86

*ROI*
$20,867 / $6608.86 = 31.7% return on investment in the first 32 days

or, another way to look at it, an Uber driver can earn enough to buy a new $20,000 car by driving about 15,000 miles, which a madman in Seattle can accomplish in 3-4 months.

or, another way to look at it, I average about $23/hr

yeah, yeah.... depreciation. Does anyone honestly think a 2017 Niro will be worth zero after 15,000 Uber miles? I've read your posts many ppl don't understand depreciation at all.

*disclaimer!!! *

yes, a used prius would have returned a 100% return on investment by now. I don't like prius, I don't want one, shut up about the damn prius already! (But yeah, a used prius would be the best car for nearly everybody else but me)

btw- the Kia Niro will have a plug in version available by the end of the year which will cost more but allow 25 miles pure electric range. I did the math, at current gas and electric costs ($2.55/gal and $0.135/kwh) Niro costs $0.051/mile using gasoline and $0.04/mile using electricity for the first 25 miles. I would have bought the plug-in version if it were available.

Got any questions about Niro?


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## MoreTips (Feb 13, 2017)

I have a 2015 Soul and love it, automatic of course. The Kia Niro is a beautiful vehicle I've checked it out while getting my free car washes at the dealership. I like the mileage and design on the Niro. Kia has came a long way, great value and easily get 200000 miles if not alot more. I'm planning on getting double that but I'll keep my fingers crossed with my toolbox in my other hand.


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## surlywynch (Jun 22, 2017)

You don't seem to have included any consideration for wear/tear: brakes, tires, oil/filter changes, etc., and on-going maintenance: car wash/detail, wiper blades...


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

Robertk said:


> *ROI*
> $20,867 / $6608.86 = 31.7% return on investment in the first 32 days


No, no, no. Lol.

This is a _prime_ example of Uber driver financial analysis. The capital cost of your car mixed in with a partial accounting of some of your direct and indirect costs will not give you your ROI. All you have calculated above is your revenue as a proportion of the car's cost + a random assortment of other costs, which is meaningless. And you got the equation the wrong way round.

What you seem to be attempting is not ROI analysis but calculation of what the the payback period would be had you bought the vehicle. To calculate the payback period, you need your profit figure (_all_ costs properly allocated and accrued for the 32 days and revenue for the 32 days).


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## Robertk (Jun 8, 2015)

elelegido said:


> No, no, no. Lol.
> 
> This is a _prime_ example of Uber driver financial analysis. The capital cost of your car mixed in with a partial accounting of some of your direct and indirect costs will not give you your ROI. All you have calculated above is your revenue as a proportion of the car's cost + a random assortment of other costs, which is meaningless. And you got the equation the wrong way round.
> 
> What you seem to be attempting is not ROI analysis but calculation of what the the payback period would be had you bought the vehicle. To calculate the payback period, you need your profit figure (_all_ costs properly allocated and accrued for the 32 days and revenue for the 32 days).


well, here we go...

look, I have an MBA, I know what I'm doing...

what you described above is a mish/mash of cash accounting vs accrual accounting. In order to keep the discussion simple, and because nearly every small business uses cash accounting I used cash accounting and included every expense I had (ACTUAL EXPENSE, not nebulous accounting gimmics like depreciation) and every bit of revenue I had. Then I performed a simple ROI to show that an average joe driving in Seattle can buy and pay off a new car in a mere 3-4 months and 15,000 miles.

what other REAL business costs have I incurred in the last 32 days, other than those listed above? And what other REAL income is there besides what is listed in pay statements? Everything else is muddled thinking.

and btw, I DID buy the vehicle. Because I have the cash in the bank the lease is a mere accounting gimmick.



surlywynch said:


> You don't seem to have included any consideration for wear/tear: brakes, tires, oil/filter changes, etc., and on-going maintenance: car wash/detail, wiper blades...


I have incurred no expenses for those things. (cash accounting, not accrual)


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## itsablackmarket (May 12, 2015)

You're earning more than $1 per every mile on your vehicle. That is good. In 100,000 miles which that car can easily do, you're above $100k. By then however, you would have spent some money here and there on maintenance. Big deal. Keep the records to prove it was maintaned well, and sell privately.. I don't see the problem here. Uber is great in a city with high demand. They are terrible in a city with low demand, which is the vast majority of where they operate. It's only like 10 cities where you can make money. That is why there is a lot of complaining. Uber/Lyft need to learn how to operate in cities that don't have high demand.


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## Dammit Mazzacane (Dec 31, 2015)

blackmarket -- the Seattle rates are $1.35 / 0.24 / mile on X, so it's easy to net over $1 / mile in this market.

robertk - good job on this, but when do you sleep ? With this usage, do you have commercial insurance / commercial-like insurance ?


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## itsablackmarket (May 12, 2015)

Dammit Mazzacane said:


> blackmarket -- the Seattle rates are $1.35 / 0.24 / mile on X, so it's easy to net over $1 / mile in this market.
> 
> robertk - good job on this, but when do you sleep ? With this usage, do you have commercial insurance / commercial-like insurance ?


Oh, wow. High demand + decent rates? Why are they so fortunate?


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## Dammit Mazzacane (Dec 31, 2015)

Dunno, but the demand may be because the general Puget Sound is spread out with a few big cities with insane cost-of-living prices and wide open suburbs that are cheaper, so most people commute and many people ditch their cars. I imagine this city is a cash cow city for the companies.


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

Robertk said:


> look, I have an MBA, I know what I'm doing...


Hope it's not too late to get a refund!


> what you described above is a mish/mash of cash accounting vs accrual accounting.


No, I described accrual accounting, which is my preferred method.


> In order to keep the discussion simple, and because nearly every small business uses cash accounting I used cash accounting and included every expense I had


As I said above, what you actually did was take the cost of the car and mix it with operating costs and call this your investment figure. However, although there are several ways to calculate ROI, in all of them the investment is the _initial_ outlay, not initial investment plus operating costs for the period in question, as per your interpretation. The reason for this is so that different time periods may be compared.


> $20,867 / $6608.86 = 31.7% return


As above, you got it the wrong way round. $6608.86 / $20,867 = 31.7%. Slightly pedantic, I know, but accuracy counts.


> and btw, I DID buy the vehicle. Because I have the cash in the bank the lease is a mere accounting gimmick.


No, you did not buy the car; you leased it. An accounting gimmick would be to account for it as if it had been purchased when in fact it has not. This isn't material though; an ROI could be calculated as if you had purchased it.


> ACTUAL EXPENSE, not nebulous accounting gimmics like depreciation


Far from being a "gimmick", accounting for depreciation is a beneficial allowable deduction, regardless of accrual or cash based method.  In fact, your accountant will probably advise you to account for depreciation as it will lower your tax liability. If you had purchased the vehicle for $20,000 and did not depreciate it then none of the $20,000 would appear anywhere on your income statement under vehicle expense - it would all just sit on your balance sheet, inflating your taxable profit figure (and possibly your tax liability) for no reason.


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## Robertk (Jun 8, 2015)

elelegido said:


> No, I described accrual accounting, which is my preferred method..


accrual accounting sux, which is why 99% of small businesses use cash accounting.

But to humor you, let's imagine a world very much like ours, where a guy who looks very much like me walks into a dealership and plops down $20,000 cash for a new car. He buys insurance ($107), registration ($300), accessories ($210), gas ($200), tolls($50). In the first 32 days he earns $6609 in gross revenue. On day 33 the car is totaled in an accident where no one is injured. The insurance company writes him a check for $19,500 and the state sends him a registration refund of $275.

Whats the ROI?

money out= $20.867
money in = $26,384

ROI = ($26,384 - $20,867) / $20,867 = 26.4% in the first 32 days.

happy now, or do you want to calculate depreciation on windshield wipers?



Dammit Mazzacane said:


> blackmarket -- the Seattle rates are $1.35 / 0.24 / mile on X, so it's easy to net over $1 / mile in this market.
> 
> robertk - good job on this, but when do you sleep ? With this usage, do you have commercial insurance / commercial-like insurance ?


i'm saving for a vacation later this month but for now it's work/sleep/eat/repeat. I live near the high demand areas so I get a surge ping before I leave my driveway most days. Seattle is a great town, growing fast! My house appreciated $25,000 last MONTH alone, and over $100k in the last year.

I have regular insurance with a rideshare addendum.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

MoreTips said:


> I have a 2015 Soul and love it, automatic of course. The Kia Niro is a beautiful vehicle I've checked it out while getting my free car washes at the dealership. I like the mileage and design on the Niro. Kia has came a long way, great value and easily get 200000 miles if not alot more. I'm planning on getting double that but I'll keep my fingers crossed with my toolbox in my other hand.


Kia Hyundai are the same.
I think Ioniq is basically same car as the Kia Niro.
Hybrid is the way to go.


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

Robertk said:


> accrual accounting sux, which is why 99% of small businesses use cash accounting.


It's a matter of choice. Ease of use vs accuracy; some prefer the first while others prefer the second.


> Whats the ROI?
> 
> money out= $20.867
> money in = $26,384
> ...


I am reasonably happy. I would be happier if I wasn't hungry or if local fast food was open. As far as your ROI goes though; you are still doing it wrong. Cash accounting is simpler than accrual accounting, but unfortunately it's not a case of simply mish-mashing revenue/expenses/assets all together into "money in" and "money out" categories and subtracting one from the other. There's a _little_ more to it than that - correct ROI is:

ROI = profit for the period in question / capital asset cost (the initial investment):

Maybe a smart cookie will come along and explain why you don't include ongoing operating expenses in the initial investment denominator, including them instead in the numerator within the profit figure.


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## Robertk (Jun 8, 2015)

elelegido said:


> It's a matter of choice. Ease of use vs accuracy; some prefer the first while others prefer the second.
> I am reasonably happy. I would be happier if I wasn't hungry or if local fast food was open. As far as your ROI goes though; you are still doing it wrong. Cash accounting is simpler than accrual accounting, but unfortunately it's not a case of simply mish-mashing revenue/expenses/assets all together into "money in" and "money out" categories and subtracting one from the other. There's a _little_ more to it than that - correct ROI is:
> 
> ROI = profit for the period in question / capital asset cost (the initial investment):
> ...


oh FFS, there IS NO 'ongoing operating expenses', . I listed EVERY expense I've had for the month I've owned the car. Any business in America would LOVE to see a 26% return on investment during the first month. EVERY Uber driver in America would love to see $6k income for a month's work.... every driver except you. Why is that? Why are you so focused on proving.... something... i dunno what?

Bottom line is, I'm happy, you are not, let's leave it at that. I'm happy with the car, I'm happy with the mileage,, I'm happy driving for Uber while I look for a permanent job which is a good fit for me. Oh, and I have multiple 24 hour fast food joints nearby as well as a dozen or so marijuana stores. Maybe the latter would help you chill out some.

my week...

TOTAL EARNINGS

$2161.95


173
COMPLETED TRIPS
76h 26m
ONLINE HOURS
77%
ACCEPTANCE RATE
7
DRIVER CANCELLATIONS


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

Robertk said:


> oh FFS, there IS NO 'ongoing operating expenses', . I listed EVERY expense I've had for the month I've owned the car. Any business in America would LOVE to see a 26% return on investment during the first month. EVERY Uber driver in America would love to see $6k income for a month's work.... every driver except you. Why is that? Why are you so focused on proving.... something... i dunno what?
> 
> Bottom line is, I'm happy, you are not, let's leave it at that. I'm happy with the car, I'm happy with the mileage,, I'm happy driving for Uber while I look for a permanent job which is a good fit for me. Oh, and I have multiple 24 hour fast food joints nearby as well as a dozen or so marijuana stores. Maybe the latter would help you chill out some.


Or.... maybe it would help you to chill out. Lots of FFS and capital letters in that last response from you, lol. Chill out, dude!

And just because someone disagrees with you, it doesn't mean they are unhappy and that you are happy. How infantile.


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## surlywynch (Jun 22, 2017)

Well, as they say in the fine print on all prospectii: P_ast performance is not a guarantee of future results._


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## Robertk (Jun 8, 2015)

elelegido said:


> Or.... maybe it would help you to chill out. Lots of FFS and capital letters in that last response from you, lol. Chill out, dude!
> 
> And just because someone disagrees with you, it doesn't mean they are unhappy and that you are happy. How infantile.


you are not disagreeing with me, you are being disagreeable for some unknown reason. New car, one month, $6k income.... something's wrong here and you're gonna prove it!

Now where is that depreciation schedule for windshield wipers.......


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

Robertk said:


> you are not disagreeing with me, you are being disagreeable for some unknown reason.


I disagree.

I actually am disagreeing with you. I may well be disagreeable, which is a separate matter. Some say I am. Others would disagree.

Anyway, as explained above, the source of my disagreement is that your calculation is wrong. You might be happy. You might even be deliriously happy. And your numbers are still wrong.


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## Robertk (Jun 8, 2015)

elelegido said:


> y. And your numbers are still wrong.


prove it


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

Robertk said:


> prove it


I already have.

As above, maybe a smart cookie will come along and explain it.


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## Uber_Yota_916 (May 1, 2017)

If you have the money in the bank why didn't you buy a used car, for cash? Uber is taking advantage of you. Your new car does not make you any more money than a driver in a 12 year old used car.


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## Fubernuber (Jan 15, 2017)

Robertk said:


> On July 12 I leased a new Kia Niro. Only 32 days later I've hit 5000 miles. At this rate I will have used up my 24,000 mile lease allotment by the end of this year! Ok, you think I'm an idiot but hear me out.
> 
> - I was driving a 2015 Kia Soul with a manual transmission. I had to sell because my left knee began to give me problems from all the clutch action. I was bedridden for two days it got so bad. Bye bye old car I bought new.
> - Kia Niro chosen because of fuel economy, looks, and DCT transmission.
> ...


How much can you sell your brand used kia for on the open market? 15k? What did yoy make now? Your 6k gross is exactly 3.5k net. What you really made was somewhere around minimum wage while risking your life, your passengers lives, your insurance, points and fines.....


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Fubernuber said:


> How much can you sell your brand used kia for on the open market? 15k? What did yoy make now? Your 6k gross is exactly 3.5k net. What you really made was somewhere around minimum wage while risking your life, your passengers lives, your insurance, points and fines.....


He can't sell it - he's leasing it.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

The Gift of Fish said:


> He can't sell it - he's leasing it.


Wheres the money for food and housing and $3.00 pants at Salvation Army ?


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## lesh11 (Jan 4, 2017)

MoreTips said:


> I have a 2015 Soul and love it, automatic of course. The Kia Niro is a beautiful vehicle I've checked it out while getting my free car washes at the dealership. I like the mileage and design on the Niro. Kia has came a long way, great value and easily get 200000 miles if not alot more. I'm planning on getting double that but I'll keep my fingers crossed with my toolbox in my other hand.


I love my 2015 Soul, Manual. At least half of my passengers compliment me on the manual transmission.


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## Robertk (Jun 8, 2015)

Uber_Yota_916 said:


> If you have the money in the bank why didn't you buy a used car, for cash? Uber is taking advantage of you. Your new car does not make you any more money than a driver in a 12 year old used car.


because i'm an adult, I can afford it, and that's what I wanted.



Fubernuber said:


> How much can you sell your brand used kia for on the open market? 15k? What did yoy make now? Your 6k gross is exactly 3.5k net. What you really made was somewhere around minimum wage while risking your life, your passengers lives, your insurance, points and fines.....


that question is irrelevant, I have no need or desire to sell the car that I bought one month ago.



lesh11 said:


> I love my 2015 Soul, Manual. At least half of my passengers compliment me on the manual transmission.


when I was driving the stick I also got lots of compliments. But Seattle has lots of hills and tons of traffic. My left knee became so inflamed from the clutch it swelled up like a melon. I could not get out of bed for two days without crutches. The MT had to go. The Soul was a good car tho.



elelegido said:


> I already have.
> 
> As above, maybe a smart cookie will come along and explain it.


I'm sorry, what''s that you were saying? I was out driving, earned $150 in the last 5 hrs. But I'm sure according to you I didn't really earn that money because the windshield wiper depreciation account is not fully funded yet.


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## Uber_Yota_916 (May 1, 2017)

Your kindness is being taken as a sign of weakness. Uber is using you for your new car. Which you are losing money on, hand over fist.


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## pacifico (May 13, 2017)

Robertk said:


> well, here we go...
> look, I have an MBA, I know what I'm doing...


MBA doing uber... ? Master Bussines Administration I guess? There is no jobs left in the US ? What's going on uber should be for broke people like me


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## Robertk (Jun 8, 2015)

pacifico said:


> MBA doing uber... ? Master Bussines Administration I guess? There is no jobs left in the US ? What's going on uber should be for broke people like me


laid off a few weeks ago, doing uber till I find a replacement position

tech industry in Seattle... shouldn't be long


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## pacifico (May 13, 2017)

Robertk said:


> laid off a few weeks ago, doing uber till I find a replacement position
> 
> tech industry in Seattle... shouldn't be long


An MBA with few weeks without job shouldn't need to work or buy a car just to do uber, unless it is broke


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## leroy jenkins (May 27, 2015)

oh sweet Jesus and baby Buddha. Good luck OP.


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## Spotscat (May 8, 2017)

Robertk said:


> Got any questions about Niro?


Yes, I do.

I'm thinking about buying the software - $37.95 seems like a reasonable and fair price - but I'm concerned about their level of tech support. I hate call centers that are located in 3rd world countries - they're oftentimes difficult to understand, and it seems that because they use VOI protocol that there is frequently a 2-3 second lag time in our conversation.


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## R James (Apr 25, 2017)

Robertk said:


> On July 12 I leased a new Kia Niro. Only 32 days later I've hit 5000 miles. At this rate I will have used up my 24,000 mile lease allotment by the end of this year! Ok, you think I'm an idiot but hear me out.
> 
> - I was driving a 2015 Kia Soul with a manual transmission. I had to sell because my left knee began to give me problems from all the clutch action. I was bedridden for two days it got so bad. Bye bye old car I bought new.
> - Kia Niro chosen because of fuel economy, looks, and DCT transmission.
> ...


So after your 3-year lease is up you'll be paying a bunch of money to buy a car with 150K miles on it. That's the down side of leasing a car for Uber.


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## Robertk (Jun 8, 2015)

R James said:


> So after your 3-year lease is up you'll be paying a bunch of money to buy a car with 150K miles on it. That's the down side of leasing a car for Uber.


if the car has 150k miles on it, I'll have earned $150k in revenue ..... that's the upside of leasing a car for Uber. Didn't think that one through, did you?


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## RedANT (Aug 9, 2016)

pacifico said:


> MBA doing uber... ? Master Bussines Administration I guess? There is no jobs left in the US ? What's going on uber should be for broke people like me


I have a PhD. Yes, I drive for Uber part time.

Why? Because after my second retirement I have nothing else to do. My husband died, and sitting at home, alone, is depressing as **** and was shaving years off my life. Pax may be a pain in the ass, but sometimes it's still preferable to your alternatives. At least I get out, stay active, interact with people and make a few extra bucks. Better than sitting at home watching old TV re-runs, in my opinion.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

MPG on that thing is insane....if only theyd offer something similar with a 3rd row, I might be tempted


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

Robertk said:


> On July 12 I leased a new Kia Niro. Only 32 days later I've hit 5000 miles. At this rate I will have used up my 24,000 mile lease allotment by the end of this year! Ok, you think I'm an idiot but hear me out.
> 
> - I was driving a 2015 Kia Soul with a manual transmission. I had to sell because my left knee began to give me problems from all the clutch action. I was bedridden for two days it got so bad. Bye bye old car I bought new.
> - Kia Niro chosen because of fuel economy, looks, and DCT transmission.
> ...


Very impressive! I have no questions about Niro, yet. I need to drive one first. Then I will probably have some questions for you.


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## pacifico (May 13, 2017)

RedANT said:


> I have a PhD. Yes, I drive for Uber part time.
> 
> Why? Because after my second retirement I have nothing else to do. My husband died, and sitting at home, alone, is depressing as &%[email protected]!* and was shaving years off my life. Pax may be a pain in the ass, but sometimes it's still preferable to your alternatives. At least I get out, stay active, interact with people and make a few extra bucks. Better than sitting at home watching old TV re-runs, in my opinion.


If somebody is alone in retirement is because was alone all his life, I as a christian have always something to do, never alone always helping someone, always sharing the gospel I if i have health I will be active until I die, but not necessarily working for money


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## elelegido (Sep 24, 2014)

pacifico said:


> If somebody is alone in retirement is because was alone all his life, I as a christian have always something to do


Judge not, that ye be not judged.

Matthew 7:1-3

So many religious "forget" their own scripture.


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## pacifico (May 13, 2017)

elelegido said:


> Judge not, that ye be not judged.
> 
> Matthew 7:1-3
> 
> So many religious "forget" their own scripture.


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## SurginGeneral (Aug 9, 2017)

Well hot damn, this car looks great, but I can't believe it doesn't offer AWD as an option. I guess if you want a Kia crossover with AWD you need to go for one of the other models. 

That's a bummer  Niro looks awesome otherwise...


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## Robertk (Jun 8, 2015)

SurginGeneral said:


> Well hot damn, this car looks great, but I can't believe it doesn't offer AWD as an option. I guess if you want a Kia crossover with AWD you need to go for one of the other models.
> 
> That's a bummer  Niro looks awesome otherwise...


deceptive advertising IMHO- a crossover without AWD? They should have squared off the back for more luggage space and call it what it is, a small station wagon. But I guess the name 'station wagon' is no longer cool so they have to call it a crossover.


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## SurginGeneral (Aug 9, 2017)

True. The wagon versions of cars that only Europe gets are usually awesome looking, and would be great for us TNC types hauling luggage and for rear pax headroom. 

That being said, a used Niro still may be in my future some day. Like it better than the Ioniq that's for sure. And FWD copes well enough in snow with a good set of tires


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## effortx2 (Jun 21, 2017)

pacifico said:


> MBA doing uber... ? Master Bussines Administration I guess? There is no jobs left in the US ? What's going on uber should be for broke people like me


There haven't been any decent jobs added in 10 years and this latest batch of app-based A.I.-run gig jobs were invented as a form of crowd control. Murika is pulling the band-aid off slowly instead of all at once.


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## empresstabitha (Aug 25, 2016)

Robertk said:


> yes, a used prius would have returned a 100% return on investment by now. I don't like prius, I don't want one, shut up about the damn prius already! (But yeah, a used prius would be the best car for nearly everybody else but me)


What about a prius?A prius would of been a better option


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Robertk said:


> On July 12 I leased a new Kia Niro. Only 32 days later I've hit 5000 miles. At this rate I will have used up my 24,000 mile lease allotment by the end of this year! Ok, you think I'm an idiot but hear me out.
> 
> - I was driving a 2015 Kia Soul with a manual transmission. I had to sell because my left knee began to give me problems from all the clutch action. I was bedridden for two days it got so bad. Bye bye old car I bought new.
> - Kia Niro chosen because of fuel economy, looks, and DCT transmission.
> ...


The lease per month is irrelevant but you are going with a cost of $20,000 and discounting having to buy the car at the end?

You don't keep track of gas so you don't actually KNOW the gas mileage? Hint: it's a lot lower than the sticker says.

According to your later post you were online over 70 hours in a week. THAT'S irrelevant. How many hours did you actually work?

70 hours in a real job where you get paid per hour and thus overtime is the same as 100 regular hours. So you'd need to take that into account if comparing with a "real" per hour job.

The maintenance schedule "looks" pretty low cost?

EXACTLY 5000 miles? But you know your revenue down to the penny? You're very exact with some numbers but vague with others? Are you even tracking mileage? "Nearly every" mile is ubering? Again, very precise there.

If I took every penny from my real job and saved it all I could buy a new car every 3 months, too. Heck, I could buy a new HOUSE every couple of years. But I have other bills to pay. So that means nothing.

And your numbers are likely twice what many markets experience, so even if we took it all at face value, it means nothing outside of your market.


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## Robertk (Jun 8, 2015)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> The lease per month is irrelevant but you are going with a cost of $20,000 and discounting having to buy the car at the end?


that's correct, the lease payment is irrelevant, the only thing that counts is the actual amount paid for the car. This car MSRP is $23,200 but Kia is offering a good deal on a lease so my purchase price was only $20k. Had they offered the same deal on cash I would have paid cash.



Fuzzyelvis said:


> You don't keep track of gas so you don't actually KNOW the gas mileage? Hint: it's a lot lower than the sticker says.


the car itself keep track of gas mileage both instantaneously and per tank. Each tank I get 50-52 mpg which is exactly what was promised.



Fuzzyelvis said:


> According to your later post you were online over 70 hours in a week. THAT'S irrelevant. How many hours did you actually work?


I worked exactly what Uber says I worked. Why would you think their clock is inaccurate? And btw, before I was laid off from my normal job I routinely spent 1.5 hrs a day commuting which adds up to 7.5 hrs unpaid a week.



Fuzzyelvis said:


> 70 hours in a real job where you get paid per hour and thus overtime is the same as 100 regular hours. So you'd need to take that into account if comparing with a "real" per hour job.


I'm white collar exempt so on the rare occasion I worked 60-70 hours at my normal job I got paid for 40.



Fuzzyelvis said:


> The maintenance schedule "looks" pretty low cost?


like pretty much every new car it's only oil changes and inspections every 7500 miles until 100k, what else would you expect?



Fuzzyelvis said:


> EXACTLY 5000 miles? But you know your revenue down to the penny? You're very exact with some numbers but vague with others? Are you even tracking mileage? "Nearly every" mile is ubering? Again, very precise there.


since I bought it the car has been used exclusively for Uber (I have a motorcycle for fun and errands). And like most drivers, I add mileage every day. What was I supposed to do, update the thread title each day? Kinda ticky tacky criticism.



Fuzzyelvis said:


> If I took every penny from my real job and saved it all I could buy a new car every 3 months, too. Heck, I could buy a new HOUSE every couple of years. But I have other bills to pay. So that means nothing.


ummm. the point was that revenue is easily enough to pay for the car, which is certainly meaningful.



Fuzzyelvis said:


> And your numbers are likely twice what many markets experience, so even if we took it all at face value, it means nothing outside of your market.


well duh. I drive Seattle so my report is from Seattle. Feel free to start a new thread to report numbers from your market.


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## SurginGeneral (Aug 9, 2017)

Want to open this post back up. Been seeing a few of these, Hyundai Ioniqs and new Priuses around the streets.

I like the Niro’s look inside and out. But a used Niro purchase won’t make sense for a few more years.

My question is: how do you Prius owners feel about the ride quality in your vehicles? At the end of the shift, do you feel good overall, or do you feel like like you’ve been rattling away in a tin box?

It seems to me like the best balance of ride and MPG would be a used Hybrid Camry/Optima/Sonata

Edits: context and grammar


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

SurginGeneral said:


> Want to open this post back up. Been seeing a few of these, Hyundai Ioniqs and new Priuses around the streets.
> 
> I like the Niro's look inside and out. But a used Niro purchase won't make sense for a few more years.
> 
> ...


Youd be surprised how much ride quality depends on tires.... ditch the ecoshit for some summer pirellis and enjoy a few thousand miles of serenity (alas they don't last)


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## SurginGeneral (Aug 9, 2017)

Adieu said:


> Youd be surprised how much ride quality depends on tires.... ditch the ecoshit for some summer pirellis and enjoy a few thousand miles of serenity (alas they don't last)


That's a good point, I forget how rock hard the EcoGarbage tires are.. it's like driving around on tires made of PVC pipe.

Interesting. Will have to test drive then at some point and then see how they all stack up.

And then get better tires for it, lol


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## Aerodrifting (Aug 13, 2017)

surlywynch said:


> You don't seem to have included any consideration for wear/tear: brakes, tires, oil/filter changes, etc., and on-going maintenance: car wash/detail, wiper blades...


He only drove 5,000 miles and we are talking about brake and tire changes now? On average brake can last 60,000 miles. Same with tires. One synthetic oil filter change is like $40. You can wash your own car, fk detail, wiper blades is like $7 on eBay each.

Even if I do add 1/12th of the cost for brake and tire changes (5,000 mile which he drove / 60,000 mile per brake tire change cycle = 1/12th), The maintenance cost incurred within this 5,000 mile period is less than $150. I think he is doing good.


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