# Do you agree or disagree with using a beater for ridesharing?



## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money". Well, when you get 13 mpg, of course your're not! In my opinion, I think people who have money to start with have the upper hand and that should be no surprise. There are lots of good cars under $4,000 on craigslist and by having a paid off beater, you should be able to do well. I think people have a problem handling money rather than having a problem with Uber/Lyft. There are lots of cars right now that are doing this and they're not cut out for it. What do you guys think?


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## Mike Brothers (May 12, 2016)

I guess it depends what your definition of beater is. I think it'd be irresponsible to do rideshare in a vehicle that has a higher than normal chance to break down with a passenger in the car. I rarely use Uber as a passenger, 1 trip from the airport and 1 trip from getting my car detailed, but if I ever got picked up in a car that made me feel unsafe, it'd be a 1* automatically. That being said, if you're doing this full time, it would definitely be optimal to use a paid off, fully or close to fully depreciated vehicle that is good on gas and is inexpensive repair wise. In Detroit you can have a 2003 vehicle. To me that's unacceptable. Not saying you need a 2018 but a "beater"?, no.


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## 1rightwinger (Jul 13, 2015)

Not necessarily a beater but a good quality used car older model with high miles that still looks nice and rides nice is perfect for Uber. At the base rates it is not worth using a newer vehicle. An older car that's in nice shape with high miles hardly depreciates at all. And Therefore your cost per mile is pretty much just your fuel cost plus a small amount for oil change tires General Light maintenance Etc.


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## jgiun1 (Oct 16, 2017)

1rightwinger said:


> Not necessarily a beater but a good quality used car older model with high miles that still looks nice and rides nice is perfect for Uber. At the base rates it is not worth using a newer vehicle. An older car that's in nice shape with high miles hardly depreciates at all. And Therefore your cost per mile is pretty much just your fuel cost plus a small amount for oil change tires General Light maintenance Etc.


Yes, same feeling. Think a beater will lead to low ratings. I would stick in the five six years old range. My opinion, 2010 and up for main gig, and maybe a side beater for backup 2010-below


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

rideshare2870 said:


> So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money". Well, when you get 13 mpg, of course your're not! In my opinion, I think people who have money to start with have the upper hand and that should be no surprise. There are lots of good cars under $4,000 on craigslist and by having a paid off beater, you should be able to do well. I think people have a problem handling money rather than having a problem with Uber/Lyft. There are lots of cars right now that are doing this and they're not cut out for it. What do you guys think?


1. You do realize that the per mile rates are as low as 40% of what they used to be in some cities for X while luxury drivers are getting as little as 1/3 of what they got when they signed up, or 1/10 if they have to take X fares?
(see orlando, the rates really have gone down that much)

Personally..
For what uber drivers are getting in orlando i wouldn't expect anything nicer than this..

(also can anyone identify the model year on this?
Trying to figure out if it's an 2003 or newer...
https://lh6.ggpht.com/--9g0SJ7jZk0/SsSt96Pei1I/AAAAAAAATLU/JPpXhZwsB4A/s500/*******%20Repairs08.jpg


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## Uber_Yota_916 (May 1, 2017)

My car is 13 years old. Well maintained, clean and safe. It's paid off and will be run into the ground. Next car will be $5-6000 and I'll rinse and repeat.


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## Grahamcracker (Nov 2, 2016)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> 1. You do realize that the per mile rates are as low as 40% of what they used to be in some cities for X while luxury drivers are getting as little as 1/3 of what they got when they signed up, or 1/10 if they have to take X fares?
> (see orlando, the rates really have gone down that much)
> 
> Personally..
> ...


It's a mutt of some sort. I'm gonna call this some kind of hybrid

I used a 2008 Honda Fit driving part time for 2.5 years. Then I sold it at the bottom of KBB value for $4100. Was a good car.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

I've used Uber as a passenger numerous times. I've been picked up in a yaris and a prius and the drivers seem to be doing well for themselves. I would consider those beaters! It's 2003 and up for me in my market.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

I don’t see that the mileage a car gets is very important. I drive about 1800 miles a week. At 12 mpg that’s 150 gal or $375/week
18 mpg that’s 100 gal or $250/wk
40 mpg that’s 45 gal or $112.50/wk

I drive an 18 mpg vehicle. Don’t get me wrong an extra $100 or so income per week would be great but it’s not going to change my life and it’s not the difference between making a good income or not

Depreciation has to be considered for any car no matter the age it’s put into service. But depreciation is not the big thing for me, the big thing is replacement cost. I need to be able to replace my vehicle when it craps out. In the $5000 car example cited above, at the rate I put miles on my car I would plan on replacing it in a year. So $5000/ 50 weeks I need to set aside $100 a week. In my case I’m planning on a “new” car in 2 years and I’m planning on spending $25000 so I need to set aside $250/wk

So the weekly cost for a $5000 beater that gets 18mpg and that will last a year is $350 a wk. my cost for a decent $25000 car that gets the same mileage is $500. I can make up that $150 in tips

I bet I get more tips because my car is bigger and cleaner than the beater. And I’m better looking too

To really improve your income I’d focus less on the vehicle and more on driving efficiency. I figure my costs for gas and depreciation to be 30 cents a mile. And that’s 30 cents a mile when passengers are in the car and 30 cents a mile when it’s just me driving to my staging area, driving to pick up a passenger or driving around to find a passenger. So my goal is to drive as efficiently as possible with as few dead miles as possible 

if I drive 5 miles to pick up a passenger and take him on a 5 mile ride and then drive 10 miles back to my staging area I’m driving 20 miles ($6 expense) and getting paid on 5 miles ($5 income) So I just lost a dollar and probably invested an hour of my time. That’s an extreme example but shows how easy it is to lose money doing this thing. I still need to improve on my efficiency but on a typically 300 mile day, less than 50 are dead miles

I put a car that cost me $25000 with 60000 miles into rideshare and my experience with it has been good enough that when the time comes I plan to replace it with another similar vehicle. My point in writing this post is to say that mileage and depreciation are important considerations but more important is getting paid on every mile you drive


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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

oldfart said:


> I don't see that the mileage a car gets is very important. I drive about 1800 miles a week. At 12 mpg that's 150 gal or $375/week
> 18 mpg that's 100 gal or $250/wk
> 40 mpg that's 45 gal or $112.50/wk
> 
> ...


You'll get paid on every mile you drive. The question is will it be $.10 per mile or $1.00 per mile or somewhere in between.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

1.5xorbust said:


> You'll get paid on every mile you drive. The question is will it be $.10 per mile or $1.00 per mile or somewhere in between.


No doubt that if Uber pays just 10 cents a mile you can't make any money doing this. And if Uber is paying just 10 cents what you do to minimize expenses, like buying a beater, wont help

But what Uber pays is not the discussion here. Here we are trying to decide, , given what Uber pays, os a cheap beater car better than one that's more expensive

I think an argument can be made that a better more expensive car will do as well as a cheap beater car. Either way you have to set aside money to replace your car and either way you have to buy gas. No doubt you will save money driving a beater. My point is that you can save more by keeping your dead miles to a minimum and driving a nice car that encourages better tips

And when it comes time to replace your car, I would argue to replace it with a car that can do more expensive rides. If you drive an X plan on buying an XL.

So to answer the question posed by the op I wouldn't buy a beater id buy a XL


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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

oldfart said:


> No doubt that if Uber pays just 10 cents a mile you can't make any money doing this. And if Uber is paying just But that's not the discussion here. Here we are trying to decide whether a cheap beater car is better


You'll be a lot closer to the $1 per mile with a beater than you will with a new car.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

1.5xorbust said:


> You'll be a lot closer to the $1 per mile with a beater than you will with a new car.


A dollar per mile (total miles) is my goal after expenses. and I get there about half the time

I drive a 7 year old Ford Explorer that will cost about $25000 to replace. This morning I drove 57 miles and was paid $50

I plan on a select suv next time


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## Uber_Yota_916 (May 1, 2017)

oldfart said:


> I don't see that the mileage a car gets is very important. I drive about 1800 miles a week. At 12 mpg that's 150 gal or $375/week
> 18 mpg that's 100 gal or $250/wk
> 40 mpg that's 45 gal or $112.50/wk
> 
> ...


Well not to brag or anything. My beater 05 Corrolla earned me Ubers MVP award for my region. 18 mpg per mile! That is awful. Just wait until gas hits $4+. Also I will have driven my car for three years once I have replaced it. Started at 93 k miles will sell it at 250000 or 300000 miles. Corollas are bullet proof with proper maintenance.


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## dogmeat (Mar 12, 2018)

jgiun1 said:


> Think a beater will lead to low ratings. I would stick in the five six years old range. My opinion, 2010 and up for main gig, and maybe a side beater for backup 2010-below


Currently I'm driving an 06 Nissan Altima for Lyft. It's got 150k miles. Leather interior, heated front seats. Pretty darn good condition for it's age. I wouldn't call it a beater - but some would define it as a beater because of the age alone. I've only done 85 or so rides (I know, I'm a nobody) but I've got a 4.9 rating. As long as you keep your car clean/maintained and you get the PAX safely from point A to point B - your rating will not suffer.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

Uber_Yota_916 said:


> Well not to brag or anything. My beater 05 Corrolla earned me Ubers MVP award for my region. 18 mpg per mile! That is awful. Just wait until gas hits $4+. Also I will have driven my car for three years once I have replaced it. Started at 93 k miles will sell it at 250000 or 300000 miles. Corollas are bullet proof with proper maintenance.


Absolutely. Had a corolla that lasted 270k miles. It started burning oil and one of the cylinders was shot yet it still ran. I never bothered to fix it but corollas are of those cars that you can drive to oblivion.


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## Roadmasta (Aug 4, 2017)

Depends on market full or part time. I have a 2007 Lincoln Town car on x with 180,000 miles. I only work during surges and weekends. I average 18 mpg but can make $200+ after expenses a week. Car looks good and is a pleasure to drive. About ten hours log in time a week.


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## reg barclay (Nov 3, 2015)

I'm no car expert but here's my take, based on a good few years doing Uber and other similar jobs using my own vehicles.

To preface, there are two major expenses we incur from our vehicles, maintenance and depreciation. A brand new car costs a lot in depreciation over the first couple of years, but should barely cost anything in maintenance, except for basic things (like oil changes, etc).

As a car gets older it starts depreciating less. At the same time maintenance/repair costs usually start to rise.

Once a vehicle gets really old, the depreciation factor is almost zero. Repairs costs, however, could be very high, and someone could find themselves getting hit with repair bills every few months, which can run into hundreds and thousands of dollars.

IMHO, if you buy a middle of the road vehicle (with say 60k miles, 5 years old) of a less reliable make/model, which hasn't been well cared for, it might not save anything in repair costs compared to a reliable 'beater' (with say 120k miles, 10 years old) which has been driven carefully and well maintained.

Based on the above, I believe that the two best choices to consider when buying a vehicle to use for Uber x (or anything similar) are as follows:

1.) A close to new vehicle, which (being used) has already depreciated quite a bit, but still has it's best years ahead ahead of it when it comes to repairs and maintenance. Preferably, a smaller, base model car, with low MSRP, to minimize depreciation.

2.) A well cared for 'beater', of a reliable make/model.

IMHO, if someone is well qualified to spot a good beater, like the one I described, and especially if they can do a lot of their own maintenance, then that's definitely the cheaper option. However, if someone ends up buying a lemon and does all the work by a mechanic, it might not end up so much cheaper in the long run than the first option (adding to that, the fact that they will have to spend time off work each time it needs repairing).

All of the above pertains to Uber x (and the like) where we don't really get paid anything extra for driving a more expensive car (barring maybe the odd tip, a couple of extra good ratings and badge or two). Other, upscale kinds of Uber/Lyft, are obviously a different matter.


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## brak4222 (Feb 7, 2018)

2007 Jeep Patriot here with 125000 miles. It has leather interior and is in good shape. I get compliments all the time. There's no way I'd use a newer car with more value to do rideshare. It's just too much of a cost and/or depreciation.


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## Brian G. (Jul 5, 2016)

I'm losing my 14 Camry soon due to stopping the payments and hardship. I'll be buying a beater very soon. I'm actually looking forward in buying one once the bank calls me for there car. I say go for it and yes tons of 3-5k cars that will give you a strong 2 yrs without any major problems


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## Broken Spoke (Mar 26, 2018)

I drive a 2005 Buick Lesabre for Uberx.

This is my 4th Buick. It’s like riding around on a living room couch.

I bought it last year with high miles (166k) but it looks like it has 66k. I’m up to almost 190k. Wife also uses it for hauling Amish. I have a big suburban that I use for towing and other heavy hauling. It is in its last year of eligibility for Uber being a 2003. I doubt that I will add it as a spare vehicle.

I keep stuff til it falls apart, then I’ll fix it back up and drive it some more.

It also helps that I’m mechanically inclined, and can get parts on a discount.


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## Uber_Yota_916 (May 1, 2017)

Broken Spoke said:


> I drive a 2005 Buick Lesabre for Uberx.
> 
> This is my 4th Buick. It's like riding around on a living room couch.
> 
> ...


My next car will be a Buick. Resale value is low for the amount of car you purchase.


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## KellyC (May 8, 2017)

rideshare2870 said:


> So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money". Well, when you get 13 mpg, of course your're not! In my opinion, I think people who have money to start with have the upper hand and that should be no surprise. There are lots of good cars under $4,000 on craigslist and by having a paid off beater, you should be able to do well. I think people have a problem handling money rather than having a problem with Uber/Lyft. There are lots of cars right now that are doing this and they're not cut out for it. What do you guys think?


My car's not a "beater" but it's definitely not a luxury car. It's a basic sedan that I bought used; it's reliable & I keep it clean inside & out.

I'd never drive a brand new car, let alone a BMW or something, for rideshare around here. The depreciation would be insane. And imagine how you'd feel the first time someone barfed in your new luxury ride ...


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## freddieman (Oct 24, 2016)

rideshare2870 said:


> So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money". Well, when you get 13 mpg, of course your're not! In my opinion, I think people who have money to start with have the upper hand and that should be no surprise. There are lots of good cars under $4,000 on craigslist and by having a paid off beater, you should be able to do well. I think people have a problem handling money rather than having a problem with Uber/Lyft. There are lots of cars right now that are doing this and they're not cut out for it. What do you guys think?


$4k beater is gonna have some problems


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## Uber_Yota_916 (May 1, 2017)

freddieman said:


> $4k beater is gonna have some problems


Why? If it is maintained regularly there shouldn't be any issues. Along with buying a beater, there should be a savings account with $1000 for maintenance. Maybe I am outlier, bit I regularly push my vehicles into 200000, 300000, and 650000 miles without any serious issues. Change the fluids, do the maintenance, and replace the parts that wear out.


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## Broken Spoke (Mar 26, 2018)

:shrug: any vehicle is going to have problems.

I paid next to nothing for my Buick, and I will probably make it to 240k miles easily before I consider replacing it.


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## Eesoso (Jan 16, 2017)

Minimizing expenses is very important. But how much is your life worth? Your physical safety with your current quality of life? It's literally breathtaking the technological advances in passenger safety. Most people just don't realize it until they get a 15+ year old car. Keep your safety in mind as well as your income statements.


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## Transportador (Sep 15, 2015)

I am on my second 2004 Mercedes C class that I bought on Craigslist for $2,500. Passengers love them because even though old, they still carry the brand and ride really nice. A lot of people even are surprised when I tell them the cars are 13, 14 years old. I would put 100K miles on them over 1 year doing Uber/Lyft then sell them on Craigslist, again for $2,500. This business model has been working for me for the last 2 years. Cheers!


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## Transportador (Sep 15, 2015)

UberBeamer said:


> Interesting. Not a bad ride at all if they're in good shape. I assume it won't qualify for Select being older than 2009, but that's still a damn good car for $2500.


Yes, the cool thing is you can buy a 2004 C class for under $3K easily while Honda's and Toyota's of the same year go for $5K. People are sooo scared of old Mercedes, but they don't break down as often as other cars, and their parts last and last and last...I switched to the older cars from a 2009 C300 that I drove on Select. Select doesn't have enough business to justify all the X and Pool miles I put on my poor C300! So no more Select for me. With the older cheaper cars, I am happier chasing PDP doing all the crappy rides to get the bonus.



Eesoso said:


> Minimizing expenses is very important. But how much is your life worth? Your physical safety with your current quality of life? It's literally breathtaking the technological advances in passenger safety. Most people just don't realize it until they get a 15+ year old car. Keep your safety in mind as well as your income statements.


My 14 year old Mercedes has more airbags then most younger cars, is way more comfortable than even most brand new cars, handles corners and brakes better than most cars on the road, has auto dimming mirrors, auto rain sensing wipers, etc. Older cars ain't necessarily unsafe. You just need to know what cars to buy and check them out thoroughly before hand.


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## KellyC (May 8, 2017)

UberBeamer said:


> I tend to limit the riff-raff by choosing wisely where and when I drive. So I hope to never find out what it's like if someone pukes in my car. I know, it's probably like playing Russian Roulette.
> 
> However, there is something to be said for having leather seats, WeatherTech (or similar) floor mats and a good wear resistant interior design in general. And that is they are much easier to simply hose off and wipe clean than any cloth seats or carpeted interior would be. I bet I could clean up a good spew faster from inside my back seat than from most economy rides.


Oh, yeah, leather seats *would* be so much better for rideshare! Not gonna argue that! If I were going to buy a car just for rideshare, I'd look for a solid used car with leather seats.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> 1. You do realize that the per mile rates are as low as 40% of what they used to be in some cities for X while luxury drivers are getting as little as 1/3 of what they got when they signed up, or 1/10 if they have to take X fares?
> (see orlando, the rates really have gone down that much)
> 
> Personally..
> ...


I would love to pull up in that just to see the pax' face.



Brian G. said:


> I'm losing my 14 Camry soon due to stopping the payments and hardship. I'll be buying a beater very soon. I'm actually looking forward in buying one once the bank calls me for there car. I say go for it and yes tons of 3-5k cars that will give you a strong 2 yrs without any major problems


Isn't your Camry close to paid for? Seems cheaper to just pay it off at this point when you take into account the chances of repairs on a different car?

Or did you get a 6 or 7 year note?


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

UberBeamer said:


> Interesting. Not a bad ride at all if they're in good shape. I assume it won't qualify for Select being older than 2009, but that's still a damn good car for $2500.


I don't have Select in my market or even pool. Just X, XL and eats.



KellyC said:


> Oh, yeah, leather seats *would* be so much better for rideshare! Not gonna argue that! If I were going to buy a car just for rideshare, I'd look for a solid used car with leather seats.


I agree. It's hard to find a Toyota or Honda with leather though. There is more base models of these cars more than loaded ones.


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## Brian G. (Jul 5, 2016)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> I would love to pull up in that just to see the pax' face.
> 
> Isn't your Camry close to paid for? Seems cheaper to just pay it off at this point when you take into account the chances of repairs on a different car?
> 
> Or did you get a 6 or 7 year note?


5 yrs and some months, after close to 2 yrs I'm letting it go.


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## Dammit Mazzacane (Dec 31, 2015)

Too bad Seattle has a city-mandated 10-year limit that is used across the region. Currently 2008 and up. The "beater" used market is looking at $4,000 or more for a nice car.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

rideshare2870 said:


> So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money". Well, when you get 13 mpg, of course your're not! In my opinion, I think people who have money to start with have the upper hand and that should be no surprise. There are lots of good cars under $4,000 on craigslist and by having a paid off beater, you should be able to do well. I think people have a problem handling money rather than having a problem with Uber/Lyft. There are lots of cars right now that are doing this and they're not cut out for it. What do you guys think?


Plenty of beaters get ~13mpg

Some of us compensate with things like $50 sets of used wheels & tires



KellyC said:


> Oh, yeah, leather seats *would* be so much better for rideshare! Not gonna argue that! If I were going to buy a car just for rideshare, I'd look for a solid used car with leather seats.


Pssst... seats can be sourced from craigslist or junkyards... seat swaps are actually REALLY simple, quick and straightforward projects for most vehicles

skins/"covers" (not fabric sacks pulled over your seat, but leather/ette reupholstery kits) can also be bought from a number of places, including sometimes really cheaply from folk who ordered them but never installed / changed their minds / etc.


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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

You’d probably make more in tips if you wear a nice polo shirt rather than a beater.


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## Broken Spoke (Mar 26, 2018)

That’s funny stuff right there


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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

Broken Spoke said:


> That's funny stuff right there


You have an excellent sense of humor.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Transportador said:


> I am on my second 2004 Mercedes C class that I bought on Craigslist for $2,500. Passengers love them because even though old, they still carry the brand and ride really nice. A lot of people even are surprised when I tell them the cars are 13, 14 years old. I would put 100K miles on them over 1 year doing Uber/Lyft then sell them on Craigslist, again for $2,500. This business model has been working for me for the last 2 years. Cheers!


Now that's a plan

No one here is considering "salvage" value. Thanks for the reminder


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

rideshare2870 said:


> So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. What do you guys think?


You are absolutely on target with your intuition here.

When I drove Yellow Cab, the company bought retired police cruisers at auction, painted them, yellow, installed radios and meters, and put them out on the road.

An average "new" cab just being deployed on the streets of Pittsburgh, had 100-150,000 miles on it before its first fare.

YC was a professional outfit, they knew the economics.

A used car is cheaper to run than a new one.


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## Latekick (Mar 24, 2017)

As of today a driver with a BRAND NEW car is paid the same rate as me ( my car is 11 years old)

The HIGHEST rated Uber driver gets paid the same rate as the LOWEST rated Uber Driver.

The HIGHEST rated rider pays the same as the LOWEST rated rider.

There is NO incentive for anything here except MAKE MONEY anyway you can.


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## Atom guy (Jul 27, 2016)

The thing about beaters is the repairs, especially if you Uber full time. I bought a 2012 car with 91k on it 2 years ago for Uber for $10,500, but since I've put 100k miles on it in the last 2 years, I've had to do a lot of repairs - 2 sets of tires, shocks, axles, etc, etc. It's averaged out to about $200/month for the repair costs. So it's not just a $10k car that depreciates to zero, it's also the extra costs of maintenance. So in reality I've got a car I've spent $15k on with 190k miles on it that needs it's next round of repairs. 

With a new car you're paying the payment, but get to go a couple years with no repair bills aside from tires and maybe brakes.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Atom guy said:


> The thing about beaters is the repairs, especially if you Uber full time. I bought a 2012 car with 91k on it 2 years ago for Uber for $10,500, but since I've put 100k miles on it in the last 2 years, I've had to do a lot of repairs - 2 sets of tires, shocks, axles, etc, etc. It's averaged out to about $200/month for the repair costs. So it's not just a $10k car that depreciates to zero, it's also the extra costs of maintenance. So in reality I've got a car I've spent $15k on with 190k miles on it that needs it's next round of repairs.
> 
> With a new car you're paying the payment, but get to go a couple years with no repair bills aside from tires and maybe brakes.


The repairs and don't forget the time lost while the care was in the shop

I sat for 3 hours today dolmg an oil change and breaks. (Also filters and wipers) I figure that cost me another $60

Im not arguing for a new car, just something I'm comfortable in for 10 hours at a time and something I'm going to get 2 years and 200000 miles out of

My $25000 XL (it's what I owned going into this thing) earns me about $500 more a month than an X world in fares and tips every month

I figure a$6000 X will last another year so I need to replace it for $6000 that's a cost of $500 a month

I plan on replacing my Explorer ln 2 years that's an expense of about $1000 a month

So my expenses are more than they would be in a well used X but so is my income more

I see it as a wash


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## Driver Ed (Dec 24, 2017)

*Can anyone afford to provide UBERx or Pool anymore at these low fares? Def cannot earn money at it in 2018. Net income after expenses is below min wage. *



Brian G. said:


> I'm losing my 14 Camry soon due to stopping the payments and hardship. I'll be buying a beater very soon. I'm actually looking forward in buying one once the bank calls me for there car. I say go for it and yes tons of 3-5k cars that will give you a strong 2 yrs without any major problems


call your bank and explain you are having financial issues. get a short term extension of 2-3 mos to start payments again. losing car will wreck your credit for quite a while. keep up payments and maybe sell it and use $ to continue payments till income improves. my 2 cents


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## StuDBmX (Sep 21, 2017)

Im 50-50 on this. I dont uber anymore because i got tired of adding miles to my 2014 car that started with low ish miles. If i had to ever uber again it would be in a car that is not a beater... but at the same time not nice as my current car. While a beater is nice for yourself you still need something reliable with all the miles your putting on a car doing ride share and the long trips you take sometimes daily.


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## thatridesharegirl (Jul 7, 2016)

rideshare2870 said:


> So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money". Well, when you get 13 mpg, of course your're not! In my opinion, I think people who have money to start with have the upper hand and that should be no surprise. There are lots of good cars under $4,000 on craigslist and by having a paid off beater, you should be able to do well. I think people have a problem handling money rather than having a problem with Uber/Lyft. There are lots of cars right now that are doing this and they're not cut out for it. What do you guys think?


I think you hit the nail on the head.
People think this is a job.
It's more than that - its running a business.
If you have no business or financial sense, you're Uber's fool.


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Atom guy said:


> The thing about beaters is the repairs, especially if you Uber full time. I bought a 2012 car with 91k on it 2 years ago for Uber for $10,500, but since I've put 100k miles on it in the last 2 years, I've had to do a lot of repairs - 2 sets of tires, shocks, axles, etc, etc. It's averaged out to about $200/month for the repair costs. So it's not just a $10k car that depreciates to zero, it's also the extra costs of maintenance. So in reality I've got a car I've spent $15k on with 190k miles on it that needs it's next round of repairs.
> 
> With a new car you're paying the payment, but get to go a couple years with no repair bills aside from tires and maybe brakes.


That's why the IRS mileage deduction doesn't change regardless of how old/how many miles. As one cost goes down, another goes up.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

oldfart said:


> A dollar per mile (total miles) is my goal after expenses. and I get there about half the time
> 
> I drive a 7 year old Ford Explorer that will cost about $25000 to replace. This morning I drove 57 miles and was paid $50
> 
> I plan on a select suv next time


Dear god.... an explorer is EXTREMELY expensive to replace for some reason, but hardly $25k

Hint: the gubmint drives A LOT of explorers. And sells em. Regularly.



oldfart said:


> The repairs and don't forget the time lost while the care was in the shop
> 
> I sat for 3 hours today dolmg an oil change and breaks. (Also filters and wipers) I figure that cost me another $60
> 
> ...


Uhm.... a $4 - 5k XL can last years


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

Adieu said:


> Dear god.... an explorer is EXTREMELY expensive to replace for some reason, but hardly $25k
> 
> Hint: the gubmint drives A LOT of explorers. And sells em. Regularly.
> 
> Uhm.... a $4 - 5k XL can last years


2 if your lucky...

I drove a brand new Sienna into the ground in 3.5...

If i was getting the current X/XL rates for it i would have lost my rear on that deal, but i was getting taxi rates so i made bank.


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

I have 2 cars that I uber in.

Weekend nights it's usually my nice Honda Pilot. Leather all the bells and whistles. Get lots of compliments blah blah blah.
I like it for the XL.

But when I drive days I take my 05 Civic, since it's usually single riders
Not best condition. Makes a little of noise from a crack in the exhaust manifold, which I can kind of cover up with music. It's got over 300,000 miles. That's right. 300k!!!!

I really do worry about getting down rated when I'm in that thing. I usually cancel on civics as a pax 
I always have to push seat forward or back depending if they sit in front or back. And if someone sits behind me I also pull my seat WAY forward 

So I always make sure to be extra friendly and talkative when I'm driving the civic. I ask about their kids, their vacation etc. The kind of stuff that would make them like me and not down rate me for the car.

I'm actually surprised that I don't get down rated. It really is a beater.

But the best part after a day of ubering in the Civic vs the Pilot is I feel a LOT better about the money i made and having the Pilot sitting in the garage.


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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

Cableguynoe said:


> I have 2 cars that I uber in.
> 
> Weekend nights it's usually my nice Honda Pilot. Leather all the bells and whistles. Get lots of compliments blah blah blah.
> I like it for the XL.
> ...


Make sure you're wearing a nice polo shirt when you drive the Civic.


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## KMANDERSON (Jul 19, 2015)

rideshare2870 said:


> So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money". Well, when you get 13 mpg, of course your're not! In my opinion, I think people who have money to start with have the upper hand and that should be no surprise. There are lots of good cars under $4,000 on craigslist and by having a paid off beater, you should be able to do well. I think people have a problem handling money rather than having a problem with Uber/Lyft. There are lots of cars right now that are doing this and they're not cut out for it. What do you guys think?


In theory that a great idea but Older car require a lot more maintenance.I started Uber with a older car and to maintain that was a car payment.


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

KMANDERSON said:


> In theory that a great idea but Older car require a lot more maintenance.I started Uber with a older car and to maintain that was a car payment.


It reaaaaaally depends on the vehicle


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

1.5xorbust said:


> Make sure you're wearing a nice polo shirt when you drive the Civic.





Broken Spoke said:


> That's funny stuff right there


I actually didn't get it until he said it was funny.

That is pretty funny.

You're up to about 40% 



KMANDERSON said:


> In theory that a great idea but Older car require a lot more maintenance.I started Uber with a older car and to maintain that was a car payment.


If you're putting hundreds into a paid off car monthly, um yeah, that's not very smart.


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## KMANDERSON (Jul 19, 2015)

Cableguynoe said:


> I actually didn't get it until he said it was funny.
> 
> That is pretty funny.
> 
> You're up to about 40%


You have to find a older car with lower mileage for it to be effective on uber.The problem is nobody takes good care of cars anymore so you don't know what you are buying when you get a older car


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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

Cableguynoe said:


> I actually didn't get it until he said it was funny.
> 
> That is pretty funny.
> 
> ...


There's another 60% you're not getting.


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## KMANDERSON (Jul 19, 2015)

Adieu said:


> It reaaaaaally depends on the vehicle


If you can find a older toyata or Honda maybe that will work.Those cars seem to last longer


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

KMANDERSON said:


> If you can find a older toyata or Honda maybe that will work.Those cars seem to last longer


Prius, yes
Civic, yes
Kia Forte, yes
American truck based SUVs, yes
Grand caravans, yes

Japanese or German trucks, no
American sedans, no
Modern diesels with emissions compliance systems, sadly...no
Bimmers, sadly...just say no


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## MadTownUberD (Mar 11, 2017)

Posted this before, but to repeat:

There are three cars I have done Uber trips with:

- 2006 BMW 3 series w/ 78k - backup
- 2009 Mazda5 w/ 220k - SOLD
- 2006 Hyundai Sonata w/ 123k - primary - bought for $3,000 and fixed up for $1,500

The vast majority of my trips have been in the Mazda and the Hyundai. Suspension squeaks creaks, and rattles on both. Small rust spots on both.

But! Both give the rider a roomy, comfy experience. They are better for riding in than the cramped, racing suspension BMW. I have around 2,300 trips in and my rating is a solid 4.93. My "beaters" haven't hurt me at all.

And I'd like to add that fuel economy is a red herring. If you're spending $20,000 on a car so you can get 50 MPG when you could spend $5,000 on one that gets 25 MPG, you really haven't run the numbers.

I also did one trip in my wife's 2014 Toyota Sienna but that doesn't really count LOL.


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## ckloepfer (Aug 20, 2016)

Fwiw. $6000 for a used Kia Sedona with leather. 2008. XL. Some x when surging. Great tips. Drives like new. Low maintenance costs. Passengers love the electric doors. 

I ran a 2003 e class into the ground doing x. Ha! Paid almost nothing for it. In Germany the taxi companies use old c classes. Mercedes are tough to kill.


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## MadTownUberD (Mar 11, 2017)

By the way, congratulations to the OP on the featured thread! This is a great topic because it helps drivers make decisions.

Make Samoir proud! Somebody needs to make Samoir bracelets similar to the Livestrong bracelets. Then Riders can ask about them LOL.


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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

I’ve only owned Japanese cars (Toyotas and Hondas) and I’m convinced the only way to kill them is in a collision.


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## ncnealncn (Feb 15, 2018)

1.5xorbust said:


> You'd probably make more in tips if you wear a nice polo shirt rather than a beater.


I love this one! I usually wear my beater in my beater!



thatridesharegirl said:


> I think you hit the nail on the head.
> People think this is a job.
> It's more than that - its running a business.
> If you have no business or financial sense, you're Uber's fool.


Absolutely. You have to think of it as a business.


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## corniilius (Jan 27, 2017)

I see no problem if it meets the requirements.


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## IMMA DRIVER (Jul 6, 2017)

Very valid points by most of you...but no one mentioned this. When you have a beater you're more likely not to put in the necessary hours to bank really good money, weekly. With a beater most drivers just want to make enough money (as a side hustle) because they know their car may break down at any moment. The guys with the nicer cars want to be in them more, are not worried about breakdowns, are logging more hours, are most likely full timers and thus; are banking more money. I had an older car and was afraid any time I heard noise. Now with my "newer" car I'm in it a lot more. Worry free.


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## NORMY (Jan 2, 2017)

Buy big luxury and write it off like #1 stunner


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## hulksmash (Apr 26, 2016)

In my observations it seems that overqualified cars get preference for UberX, classic Lyft surge rides. When I drive my beater Altima those are harder to come by. In my newer SUV however, I get those more easily (when I choose to opt down to see what’s out there) Unfortunately I need at least 3x surge to run lower levels profitably, and feel cheap when I go lower than that. With the beater, however, I’d take 2x, even as low as 1.5 depending on traffic, all day long and feel like I made out good.

Bottom line is you can make money driving any level of car if you know what you’re doing, but driving more expensive vehicles limits the amount of available rides that are profitable for the car you’re using. Worse thing is driving a newer car that doesn’t qualify for higher platforms, which further limits your sensible ride options.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

MadTownUberD said:


> By the way, congratulations to the OP on the featured thread! This is a great topic because it helps drivers make decisions.
> 
> Make Samoir proud! Somebody needs to make Samoir bracelets similar to the Livestrong bracelets. Then Riders can ask about them LOL.


Thanks but who is Samoir? I've seen that name here a few times...


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

1.5xorbust said:


> I've only owned Japanese cars (Toyotas and Hondas) and I'm convinced the only way to kill them is in a collision.


When you have owned 3 high milage Toyotas, it's really hard to get anything else. 3 of my Toyotas have gone passed 20ok miles.


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

rideshare2870 said:


> Thanks but who is Samoir? I've seen that name here a few times...


We are all Samoir


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## dctcmn (Sep 21, 2017)

Cableguynoe said:


> We are all Samoir


Am I the only one who thinks it was a missed opportunity to title that thread, "This job changes people, but was Samoir fair?"


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## 1.5xorbust (Nov 22, 2017)

dctcmn said:


> Am I the only one who thinks it was a missed opportunity to title that thread, "This job changes people, but was Samoir fair?"


Yes.


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## njn (Jan 23, 2016)

Are we talking cars or shirts?


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## JMlyftuber (Feb 24, 2018)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> 1. You do realize that the per mile rates are as low as 40% of what they used to be in some cities for X while luxury drivers are getting as little as 1/3 of what they got when they signed up, or 1/10 if they have to take X fares?
> (see orlando, the rates really have gone down that much)
> 
> Personally..
> ...


All four doors have to open.


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## Roadmasta (Aug 4, 2017)

My beater 180,000 miles


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## June132017 (Jun 13, 2017)

There's no shame in using a beater to do Uber. The rates here are atrocious. I think they should allow cars from 1976 at these sub 60 cent rates.

1976 Ford Pinto has arrived. I'm all for profit to the ride share drivers. Anyway to maximize it I feel, "good for them."


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Adieu said:


> Dear god.... an explorer is EXTREMELY expensive to replace for some reason, but hardly $25k
> 
> Hint: the gubmint drives A LOT of explorers. And sells em. Regularly.
> 
> Uhm.... a $4 - 5k XL can last years


There are 8 explorers (leather , 3rd row seating 5 years old, 50k to 60k miles) available on carmax.com all priced between $23000 and $26000

https://www.carmax.com/search#Dista...78+4294961483+773+776+781&SortKey=0&Zip=33172

Not saying I'm going to spend that much but I'm gonna be prepared to spend that much

And an Explorer is the car I owned now, when I began this thing I will broaden my search when it comes time for something new(er)

I think what you are missing is that I'm doing well driving a $25000 Explorer (that's what I paid when I bought it (5 years old 50000 miles) I think I could do as well, but no better, driving an older $5000 car. The expenses of driving a better car are offset by the better income and the longer economic life


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Beater Rates= BEATER CAR



June132017 said:


> There's no shame in using a beater to do Uber. The rates here are atrocious. I think they should allow cars from 1976 at these sub 60 cent rates.
> 
> 1976 Ford Pinto has arrived. I'm all for profit to the ride share drivers. Anyway to maximize it I feel, "good for them."


Not to mention
That " EXPLOSIVE" retro styling !

( Millenials wont know how to open windows !)



Roadmasta said:


> My beater 180,000 miles
> View attachment 218320


But that car will actually Last !



I_Like_Spam said:


> You are absolutely on target with your intuition here.
> 
> When I drove Yellow Cab, the company bought retired police cruisers at auction, painted them, yellow, installed radios and meters, and put them out on the road.
> 
> ...


And most Police dept. do the maintenence.
Car may have NEW rear end. New transmission. New ball joints etc.


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## SaintCl89 (May 21, 2017)

Bought my used car for $5500 with 155k on it. 2009 Ford Flex. Getting 19 mpg. 30 bucks to fill it (12 gallon tank). Work 4 nights a week for 6 hours. 150 per night x 4 -= 600 less 120 gas = 480. Not too shabby


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## UberXking (Oct 14, 2014)

Mike Brothers said:


> I guess it depends what your definition of beater is. I think it'd be irresponsible to do rideshare in a vehicle that has a higher than normal chance to break down with a passenger in the car. I rarely use Uber as a passenger, 1 trip from the airport and 1 trip from getting my car detailed, but if I ever got picked up in a car that made me feel unsafe, it'd be a 1* automatically. That being said, if you're doing this full time, it would definitely be optimal to use a paid off, fully or close to fully depreciated vehicle that is good on gas and is inexpensive repair wise. In Detroit you can have a 2003 vehicle. To me that's unacceptable. Not saying you need a 2018 but a "beater"?, no.


You get what you pay for


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Adieu said:


> Dear god.... an explorer is EXTREMELY expensive to replace for some reason, but hardly $25k
> 
> Hint: the gubmint drives A LOT of explorers. And sells em. Regularly.
> 
> Uhm.... a $4 - 5k XL can last years


There are 8 explorers (leather , 3rd row seating) 5 years old, 50k to 69k miles) available on carmax.com all priced between $23000 and 27000


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## negeorgia (Feb 1, 2015)

Put a 2006 on the road to help slow down the mileage going on my 2012. That was 13 months ago. My rating then was 4.80. I drove the '06 25,000 miles and the 2012 20,000 in 2017. My rating is now 4.91. I think the ratings hit on an older car is a myth. That said, I drive a small town with college kids and short trips. Age and model of car is very much a low priority for them versus cheap and safe.


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

If you're only doing lyft or uber x you shouldn't spend more than $5k on your car. You can get a great reliable uber car for under $3k if you're smart about it
It all depends on how u wanna work


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

rideshare2870 said:


> So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money". Well, when you get 13 mpg, of course your're not! In my opinion, I think people who have money to start with have the upper hand and that should be no surprise. There are lots of good cars under $4,000 on craigslist and by having a paid off beater, you should be able to do well. I think people have a problem handling money rather than having a problem with Uber/Lyft. There are lots of cars right now that are doing this and they're not cut out for it. What do you guys think?


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## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

oldfart said:


> I drive an 18 mpg vehicle. Don't get me wrong an extra $100 or so income per week would be great but it's not going to change my life and it's not the difference between making a good income or not


Let me help you with the math.

If you drive 40 hours a week, $120 is a difference of THREE DOLLARS AN HOUR.

If you are only making $15, you could be making $18. That's a 20% raise.

Here in LA, my operating costs are 26 cents a driven mile, because I have a 2011 hybrid Camry that gets 32 mpg and is already mostly depreciated. If it was not a hybrid (20 mpg) my operating costs would be 33 cents a driven mile, that's a 27% increase in operating cost.

MPG matters.

Also, hourly rate, not rate per mile, is the most important factor. Time is the only irreplaceable resource. I don't care if I'm making $5 a mile - if I'm not netting at least $20/hour on average, my time is being wasted.

BTW: I have a 2011 because that is the oldest car that qualifies for the lyft PDB. However I now rarely drive lyft so that's less important.


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## ncnealncn (Feb 15, 2018)

That is sound math. I don't know how people drive anything that gets low mileage. I drive a 50 MPG Prius.


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## Leelyft (Nov 21, 2017)

I would never uber in a new car I see these drivers doin it and I wonder why. For uber and Lyft I drive a 2006 Toyota Camry fully loaded leather navigation all kinds of stuff and I got it for less than 5000 dollars and haven’t had a problem yet. Bought it with 120000 miles. I get compliments on a nice car all the time and they don’t realize it’s 13 years old. Car has paid for itself many many times already. I think the best idea for picking a car to do uber and Lyft is buying an older car just being picky and shopping smart and finding the right one. Mine had one previous owner and was in great shape. I prefer buying used cars fully loaded instead of a brand new pos base model car.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

Leelyft said:


> I would never uber in a new car I see these drivers doin it and I wonder why. For uber and Lyft I drive a 2006 Toyota Camry fully loaded leather navigation all kinds of stuff and I got it for less than 5000 dollars and haven't had a problem yet. Bought it with 120000 miles. I get compliments on a nice car all the time and they don't realize it's 13 years old. Car has paid for itself many many times already. I think the best idea for picking a car to do uber and Lyft is buying an older car just being picky and shopping smart and finding the right one. Mine had one previous owner and was in great shape. I prefer buying used cars fully loaded instead of a brand new pos base model car.


Wow, that's a steal. Base model camrys of that year go for around the same price or even more in my area.


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## 1974toyota (Jan 5, 2018)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> 1. You do realize that the per mile rates are as low as 40% of what they used to be in some cities for X while luxury drivers are getting as little as 1/3 of what they got when they signed up, or 1/10 if they have to take X fares?
> (see orlando, the rates really have gone down that much)
> 
> Personally..
> ...


ROFLMAO,WHoa, jmo



Uber_Yota_916 said:


> Well not to brag or anything. My beater 05 Corrolla earned me Ubers MVP award for my region. 18 mpg per mile! That is awful. Just wait until gas hits $4+. Also I will have driven my car for three years once I have replaced it. Started at 93 k miles will sell it at 250000 or 300000 miles. Corollas are bullet proof with proper maintenance.


Toyota= #1..........JMO

Yesssssssssssssssssssss, you the man, good advice,jmo



Broken Spoke said:


> I drive a 2005 Buick Lesabre for Uberx.
> 
> This is my 4th Buick. It's like riding around on a living room couch.
> 
> ...


Jeeez, i just feel so relaxed after reading your post, about riding in grandpa's buick, like sitting on a comfy sofa, i have to sleep now, great car,JMO


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## SaintCl89 (May 21, 2017)

Leelyft said:


> I prefer buying used cars fully loaded instead of a brand new pos base model car.


Only thing I wish I did differently was getting the panoramic sun roofs. No roof and didn't want the onboard nav. But I want the roooooof next time lol


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## TBone (Jan 19, 2015)

I’ve been looking at a car and targeting an asking price of 12k and paying it off in 3 years. Drive it for 2 and get rid of it. At .92 cents a mile it doesn’t really pay well enough for anything more expensive. Especially, when you can get a used MKZ or XTS for 18k or less and do Black. 
Personally, a 04 Corolla costing 3-4K is probably the best solution.


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## rman954 (May 31, 2016)

Find a Gen 2 Prius. They're pretty bullet proof. Batteries are very reliable in the gen 2 and cheaper to fix than gen 3/4.


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## KenLV (Jun 23, 2017)

SaintCl89 said:


> Bought my used car for $5500 with 155k on it. 2009 Ford Flex. Getting 19 mpg. 30 bucks to fill it (12 gallon tank). Work 4 nights a week for 6 hours. 150 per night x 4 -= 600 less 120 gas = 480. Not too shabby


I don't want to piss in your cornflakes, but here's why the MIT study needed to be done and needs to be looked more...

Newbies look at this and think... "$480 in 24 hours after expenses? You're making $20 an hour! Cool."

As if you're only expense is gas. SMH

If your numbers are accurate, that's ~912 miles each week.
($120/$30 = 4 tanks of gas X 12 gallons per tank = 48 gallons X 19 mpg =912)

What's your actual per mile operating cost?

Let's be generous and say $0.35/mile (for an 09 Flex? That's VERY generous)...

912 X .35 = $319

600 - 319 = 281 / 24hrs. = $11.70/hr or <$0.31/mi

$0.31/mile driven.

Not "Not too shabby." after all.

Again, I'm being generous with the .35/mile operating coasts. It only gets worse from here.


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## SaintCl89 (May 21, 2017)

I’m not saying it’s great. But I do this part time and I’m not concerned about depreciation at 190,000 miles. Also, it’s fine if you piss in my corn flakes, I do this because I need to supplement my income and it does help. 
Also I’m not saying that the rates are good. They arent, they Suck. But I have to do what I have to do to pay my rent every month and I need a flexible schedule. 
Also i know that gas is not my only operating cost. 
Gas, tires, oil, brakes, etc, etc, etc. The rates should be double or triple to make this really worth it.


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## Beemer (Mar 19, 2016)

When I started looking into driving Uber I sat down and started calculating. Im in the for hire industry 20 years this year and had my own company and fleet of high end cars and mid range taxis. My conclusion was that the biggest cost exponent is the depriciation of the vehicle and not so much the variable costs. So I began doing research on which vehicle could do the mist platforms, back then X and XL select was not yet out. Came out with minivans and within that bracket the cheapest were Kia Sedonas, good solid engines with timing chain insteads of costly maintaining belts. Mine was clean title 80kmiles 2006 but with slight hail damage ob the roof, nevwr had any comments on that. $2000 purchase and till now 80k miles down the road around $1000 in regular and unscheduled maintance total. Value right now is around $1500 so $500 depriciated over 80k miles....while having written of for tax purposes 80k miles x $0,54....So my best bet is beater when you actually want to make money but I see 1/2 ton trucks doing X and wonder if they know how to calculate costs, Im not saying that I figured it out but it works for me. But everybody has his own ideas!


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

oldfart said:


> There are 8 explorers (leather , 3rd row seating) 5 years old, 50k to 69k miles) available on carmax.com all priced between $23000 and 27000


50 to 69k miles is seriously funny, why are you trying to buy a near-new truck and balking at the newish price...

there's a somewhat suspicious 2013 Explorer (Police Interceptor Utility) in my area for $7k with only 110k mi, and a few fairly nice looking ones starting around $12k, but, again suspiciously just ~70k mi... government doesn't usually dump their trucks that early unless something is seriously wrong with them, so I'd feel a LOT more confident buying one with 120k to 160k on the clock.

Then again, maybe Newport police? Those guys love toys and are rolling in dough, hell they had 2 helicopters for breaking up rowdy parties back in the day...

Leather costs ~$1k to swap in including adding a third row, btw, and a lot less if you have time to shop around. As to second rows, second rows alone in black leather/ette sell for $50-200 new due to the large police plastic/perp cage/K9/etc retrofit industry taking so many of em out of brand new trucks.

PS $12k is BIZARRELY expensive though.


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## Hogg (Feb 7, 2016)

A beater is the only way to make a actual profit with the rates rideshare pays. A driver with a Daewoo gets paid the same as a guy with a BMW.

If you're not driving a beater then you're just spending your time to liquidate the value of your car.

You should fix your beater yourself too, at least learn to do the oil changes.


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## beezlewaxin (Feb 10, 2015)

KenLV said:


> If your numbers are accurate, that's ~912 miles each week.
> 
> What's your actual per mile operating cost?
> 
> ...


I think you're just pulling numbers out of thin air. How do you justify .35/mile as being "generous"?

My math shows $0.35/mile is WAY too high for operating costs. Using your example of 912 miles per week that would be $16,588 in operating costs per year.

Does that sound right to you?



Spoiler: How/when do we account for Operating Costs?



Operating costs may be close to zero if your car is super reliable and you have no breakdowns. Or the costs could be quite high if your car is a lemon. Point is they are not something we have to pay every mile or every month. Instead we set aside that money so it's there when it is needed. And there's no way you'll need $16000+ per year for maintenance on *any* vehicle.. Except maybe a Ferrari.



If the car cost $6000 it would be reasonable to assume MAX operating costs of $6000 per year, worst case scenario. Imo even that would be high but is about $0.13/mile.


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## KenLV (Jun 23, 2017)

beezlewaxin said:


> My math shows $0.35/mile is WAY too high for operating costs. Using your example of 912 miles per week that would be $16,588 in operating costs per year.


It's not my example, it's his weekly mileage - based on the numbers he provided - and is about 48,000 miles per year.



beezlewaxin said:


> If the car cost $6000 it would be reasonable to assume MAX operating costs of $6000 per year, worst case scenario.


No, that's not a "reasonable" assumption at all. You can easily cost yourself more than the value of the vehicle in maintenance, repairs (9 y/o northern vehicle with 190,000 miles on it, yeah, there'll be some repairs), gas, etc... (heck, gas ALONE is over $6,300/year (if you're actually getting it for $2.50/g)) so your "MAX" is too low to even be considered the MINIMUM.

$6000 (or the value of the vehicle when you start) is the MAX *depreciation cost*. That's about all you could say for certain.



beezlewaxin said:


> Imo even that would be high but is about $0.13/mile.


LOL Come on now, like I said, $0.13/mile doesn't even cover gas. Literally. So start there (higher if you're paying more than $2.50/gallon) and then add: Oil changes, tires, brakes, car washes, repairs, depreciation (yes, even on a $6K car, the value of that asset decreases with use), etc...


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Adieu said:


> 50 to 69k miles is seriously funny, why are you trying to buy a near-new truck and balking at the newish price...
> 
> there's a somewhat suspicious 2013 Explorer (Police Interceptor Utility) in my area for $7k with only 110k mi, and a few fairly nice looking ones starting around $12k, but, again suspiciously just ~70k mi... government doesn't usually dump their trucks that early unless something is seriously wrong with them, so I'd feel a LOT more confident buying one with 120k to 160k on the clock.
> 
> ...


I'm not trying to buy a new car. I already own a 2011 Ford Explorer. That I paid $25000 for. 
So sure, I could sell the Explorer and replace it with an older van, with more miles and less remaining economic life, but I'm not doing that. I'm either going to make what I already own work or not

I'm planning to replace it in 2 years (24 months) so simple math tells me I need to set aside $1000 a month. As well as a few dollars for maintenance. I've decided $300 a week ought to cover replacement and maintenance. And if I've completely screwed up I'll have $5000 for that beater you recommend in a few months

If I buy that $5000 car you recommend I'd be planning on a one year replacement but the same maintenance budget so about $200 a week

What my numbers and my assumptions tell me 
Is that I'd only save $100 a week with the cheaper car. And I gotta tell you $100 a week isnt going to change my life,

In any case I come to the question: can I make $100 a week more with the more expensive car than a cheap one

My answer is, I think so. I get more complements than complaints with my car and I suspect I can work it for more tips ($100 a week more) than I could with the beater


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## KenLV (Jun 23, 2017)

SaintCl89 said:


> I'm not saying it's great. But I do this part time and I'm not concerned about depreciation at 190,000 miles. Also, it's fine if you piss in my corn flakes, I do this because I need to supplement my income and it does help.
> Also I'm not saying that the rates are good. They arent, they Suck. But I have to do what I have to do to pay my rent every month and I need a flexible schedule.
> Also i know that gas is not my only operating cost.
> Gas, tires, oil, brakes, etc, etc, etc. The rates should be double or triple to make this really worth it.


As someone else said, this thread is a good opportunity to educate newbies or people thinking about doing this and possibly buying a car to do it. Knowing the full numbers is key to that.


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## Eugene73 (Jun 29, 2017)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> 1.
> (also can anyone identify the model year on this?
> Trying to figure out if it's an 2003 or newer...
> https://lh6.ggpht.com/--9g0SJ7jZk0/SsSt96Pei1I/AAAAAAAATLU/JPpXhZwsB4A/s500/*******%20Repairs08.jpg


Looks like a 2017! Is that car allowed California


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## Scott.Sul (Sep 9, 2015)

Cableguynoe said:


> We are all Samoir


May I have samoir?


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

DrivingForYou said:


> Let me help you with the math.
> 
> If you drive 40 hours a week, $120 is a difference of THREE DOLLARS AN HOUR.
> 
> ...


I couldn't disagree more. I don't work by the hour, never have. I just can't think in those terms.

I suppose it depends on when you do your per hour calculation; before expenses or after expenses

I could gross $240 over a 12 hour day ($20/hr) and I guess you would say I had a good day. But but if it takes me 400 miles to do it I only net $120. ($10/hr) But if I drive 240 miles that day I net $14 an hour (40% more)

Every mile you drive uses gas and each mile you drive gets you closer to the next oil change, tire replacement and the inevitable new car. Do what you will to manage those costs but you can only get it down so much. No matter what you do you will have a certain cost per mile, every mile you drive.

My argument is that the cost per mile isn't that much less for a $5000 used car than my $25000 used car

So to answer the question posed by the OP. Do you agree or disagree with using a beater for rideshare? I disagree

Which begs the question; if you can't significantly improve your income using a beater (instead of a newer, better used car) What can you do to improve income?

My answer is: Drive as few dead miles as possible What I look at at the end of the day my dollars per mile. So far today is the way I like to see it. I've earned $145 and driven 124 miles in 7 hours. So $20/hour gross and but more importantly $1.16/ mile. Deduct my expense number (30 cents a mile) and I'm at a net income for the day of 86 cents a mile or $107. ($15/ hr)

I don't mind sitting at the airport or near a high end hotel for an hour or two waiting (not driving) for a $20 or $30 or $40 ride


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## Bob fox (May 18, 2016)

I bought used items my whole life. Almost everything I own is from a thrift store Etc. With electronics though I buy new. I try to find a used Prius and even the ones I saw with 80,000 miles we're still a 19 to $21,000. I like the Prius a lot. It's also extremely reliable. So the way I look at it now having grown up a little bit economically is that it's best to have something reliable so that you can focus on actually driving full time. It doesn't mean I'm against beiters. Especially if you're the type of mechanic handyman that could fix an alternator if it goes or whatever but you still got to spend your time doing that. If you live in an area where you're making $3 an hour after Rideshare expenses then it might very well be worth your time to do that. I think we should stop driving bS cars that break down regularly period. There an environmental disaster, waste everyone's time and money. 

Now with the Prius everybody thinks the main issues the gas savings. And well that is very considerable the maintenance is lower than most other vehicles. People doing Rideshare program in a BMW are paying some of the highest maintenance they possibly can... and they think they look cool doing it. 

So you got to do the maintenance but you also got to take the time off to do the maintenance and if something breaks while you're right before getting a bonus then you lose your bonus too. And then arguably to get a beater you might easily sacrifice a few miles per gallon. it all adds up. Buying a new car is generally a waste of money. But generally if your car breaks down you can still get to work some way otherwise. Ideally? Find a Prius with like a thousand miles on it and save 1000 bucks or something like that


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## Eesoso (Jan 16, 2017)

How are we defining a beater btw? What year and mileage qualifies for the term? I recently became owner of a 99 Sentra, not sure what to do with it. It runs, only 65k miles.


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## SaintCl89 (May 21, 2017)

Beater


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

Bob fox said:


> People doing Rideshare program in a BMW are paying some of the highest maintenance they possibly can... and they think they look cool doing it.


They don't think they look cool doing it.

They look cool doing it!


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Cableguynoe said:


> They don't think they look cool doing it.
> 
> They look cool doing it!


 They look cool and in my market their passengers pay twice as much as for an Uber x ride


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## RideshareSpectrum (May 12, 2017)

oldfart said:


> I don't see that the mileage a car gets is very important. I drive about 1800 miles a week. At 12 mpg that's 150 gal or $375/week
> 18 mpg that's 100 gal or $250/wk
> 40 mpg that's 45 gal or $112.50/wk
> 
> ...


^^This. Old Timer knows what's up and I'll take it further... 
Nobody wants a to take a ride in your stinky beater, hybrid bucket. You probably don't either, but now you are stuck spending 12 hrs a day in it.. so you're mood suffers.
Even If you only paid $5k for it- that's still an up front investment for which you'll never see any return since you'll drive it into the ground. 
PAX don't respect your lemon, or you for that matter, and can't wait for the ride to end. 
Learning from UberLyft, we see that this rideshare model only works BEST when depreciation costs are deferred.
Assuming you are full time, a driver who gets into a lease with unlimited mileage that also includes insurance and maintenance likely makes a smart play depending on how expensive payments are and how many miles you plan to drive. 
By Leasing a brand new EV, that Driver just cut his operating costs in half and now has a fixed overhead every week right around $250. 
It's a toss up depending on the individual and their circumstances. 
But.....
It's a really nice new comfy ride that is bleeding edge tech- so with the right chatter, the tips prolly double since PAX seem to eat it up all day long- besides they now converse WITH you rather than talking AT you so you find yourself in a much better mood most days.

That's where any benefit ends though because driving experience and skill behind the wheel is the deciding factor for PAX satisfaction. Knowing your market, using nav like a boss, being cool with your PAX and above all being safe will determine your success.


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## 1974toyota (Jan 5, 2018)

KenLV said:


> I don't want to piss in your cornflakes, but here's why the MIT study needed to be done and needs to be looked more...
> 
> Newbies look at this and think... "$480 in 24 hours after expenses? You're making $20 an hour! Cool."
> 
> ...


Pissing in my cornflakes? How dare you? jmo



Eesoso said:


> How are we defining a beater btw? What year and mileage qualifies for the term? I recently became owner of a 99 Sentra, not sure what to do with it. It runs, only 65k miles.


How about a 1985 Yugo?


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

RideshareSpectrum said:


> Nobody wants a to take a ride in your stinky beater,.


Their car preference is irrelevant. 
What they really want is a ride.



RideshareSpectrum said:


> Even If you only paid $5k for it- that's still an up front investment for which you'll never see any return since you'll drive it into the ground.
> .


I disagree with this. 
It's not an upfront investment in most cases. 
We all need a car for our everyday lives. 
To take kids to school, go grocery shopping, etc etc. 
if that car only cost you 5k and oh by the way it makes you several hundred a week, sounds like a smart car to drive to me.


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## Veju (Apr 17, 2017)

Get your side hustle on.uber isn't profitable unless you're driving a horse and buggy, with a rented mule.


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## driverdoug (Jun 11, 2017)

Does the Uber algorithm prefer to send a newer, larger and more expensive car on a call? Seems to me they would when they have a choice.


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## mytheq63 (Oct 6, 2016)

I bought a Toyota Corolla for $7500 with 94K miles, great inside but a little rough outside. I used it for ride share and as my personal car for 2 years, put 100K on it, and sold it for $2500. I made $20K over those two years working part-time, and spent around $1000 in maintenance. I bought my second Corolla for the same price with approximately the same miles and am doing the same thing. Working great so far. My rating on the Lyft and Uber platforms has been 4.90 - 4.94 the whole time.


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## 1974toyota (Jan 5, 2018)

mytheq63 said:


> I bought a Toyota Corolla for $7500 with 94K miles, great inside but a little rough outside. I used it for ride share and as my personal car for 2 years, put 100K on it, and sold it for $2500. I made $20K over those two years working part-time, and spent around $1000 in maintenance. I bought my second Corolla for the same price with approximately the same miles and am doing the same thing. Working great so far. My rating on the Lyft and Uber platforms has been 4.90 - 4.94 the whole time.


You the man,Good Post, GL, Happy Easter,JMO


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## RideshareSpectrum (May 12, 2017)

Cableguynoe said:


> Their car preference is irrelevant.
> What they really want is a ride.
> 
> *You didn't even read my post all the way through before disagreeing. What they need is a ride. What they really want in my market is to feel privileged, and that ain't happening in a beater. *
> ...


A car is an investment no matter how you look at it... and a poor one at that. If you went out of pocket for that $5k Prius that costs at least another $5k to keep running for a year (at 50k miles +) if it lasts you the whole year or if you make payments on it there's no difference. You are out $10k on a bucket thats used, gross and wont be 100% reliable which will cost you additionally in lost earnings.



mytheq63 said:


> I bought a Toyota Corolla for $7500 with 94K miles, great inside but a little rough outside. I used it for ride share and as my personal car for 2 years, put 100K on it, and sold it for $2500. I made $20K over those two years working part-time, and spent around $1000 in maintenance. I bought my second Corolla for the same price with approximately the same miles and am doing the same thing. Working great so far. My rating on the Lyft and Uber platforms has been 4.90 - 4.94 the whole time.


In St Louis, that's the move. Glad it's working well for you. 
In SF or LA or NYC it's not the best option.


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

RideshareSpectrum said:


> A car is an investment no matter how you look at it... and a poor one at that. If you went out of pocket for that $5k Prius that costs at least another $5k to keep running for a year


5k to keep it running? 

Holy crap you're talking worst worst case scenario!!!

I bought an 05 civic in April 17 for 3500.

I needed a car anyway so I don't it consider an Uber investment.
But even if I do, before I was only able to UBER weekends with SUV that wife drives.

Now I often make $100-200 a week just from after work ubering.

Done maybe 3 oil changes since I've had that civic and replaced a leaking high pressure power steering hose.
Replaced it myself. Hose cost about $65.

I'd say that car is paying for itself, regardless of me running it into the ground.


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## Bygosh (Oct 9, 2016)

Drove a 2006 Matrix (a corrola wagon basically) never got tips. Drive a 2017 Kia Niro now and get tips frequently. How much of that is the car idk. I only do rideshare for 10-15% of my income so it wasn't the main consideration when looking at cars.


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## mytheq63 (Oct 6, 2016)

[QUOTE="In St Louis, that's the move. Glad it's working well for you.
In SF or LA or NYC it's not the best option.[/QUOTE]

True, I do benefit from being in a low-cost city that still has half-way decent rates.


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## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

oldfart said:


> I couldn't disagree more. I don't work by the hour, never have. I just can't think in those terms.
> 
> I suppose it depends on when you do your per hour calculation; before expenses or after expenses
> 
> ...


I calculate my hourly AFTER expenses. As I stated my expenses including insurance depreciation maintenance tires and gas is 26 to 28 cents a mile.

My driving strategy is to minimize dead miles, but also maximize surge and bonuses. It is also to minimize time on a ride. My average hourly NET income after all expenses is $21/hour.

I don't care how many miles I drive, I calculate that in my strategy regarding per mile cost. Hourly income is what's important - time is the only invaluable resource.


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## RideshareSpectrum (May 12, 2017)

Cableguynoe said:


> 5k to keep it running?
> 
> Holy crap you're talking worst worst case scenario!!!
> 
> ...


LOL. Dude. You drive 10 hrs/week. That civic would last two maybe three months up here before it started to break and what you call worst case scenario maintenance spending I'd call brakes and used tires for the year. 
I'm a PTer and I clock over 1k miles per week. Hardcore ants double that easily in a city that puts HARD mileage on a car.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Cableguynoe said:


> Their car preference is irrelevant.
> What they really want is a ride.
> 
> I disagree with this.
> ...


I had been trying to convince my wife we don't need two cars. We were putting less than 5000 miles a year on each one and I can count the times both cars were out in the last year on one hand. ( I lost that battle). As it turned out I had a sudden need for some additional cash flow. So enter Uber. Now I'm putting 7000 miles a month on the car. It's a full time Uber vehicle and instead of lasting me the rest of my life, it's gonna be junk in 2 or 3 years. Of course it's an investment

Even for you younger guys that as you say, need a car anyway; if it wears out before it would otherwise, that reduced lifespan is what you have invested That in addition to your time.



mytheq63 said:


> I bought a Toyota Corolla for $7500 with 94K miles, great inside but a little rough outside. I used it for ride share and as my personal car for 2 years, put 100K on it, and sold it for $2500. I made $20K over those two years working part-time, and spent around $1000 in maintenance. I bought my second Corolla for the same price with approximately the same miles and am doing the same thing. Working great so far. My rating on the Lyft and Uber platforms has been 4.90 - 4.94 the whole time.


 you made $14000 in two years
$20000 + $2500 - $7500 - $1000 = $14000

As you say, working great as long as an extra $600 a month meets your needs.


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## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

oldfart said:


> My argument is that the cost per mile isn't that much less for a $5000 used car than my $25000 used car
> 
> So to answer the question posed by the OP. Do you agree or disagree with using a beater for rideshare? I disagree
> 
> Which begs the question; if you can't significantly improve your income using a beater (instead of a newer, better used car) What can you do to improve income?


You are failing to factor DEPRECIATION.

The per mile depreciation is far higher on a $25,000 car than a $5000 car. Per mile depreciation on a $25,000 car is typically going to be *more per mile than gas. *

Failing to account depreciation is how most Ride-Share drivers delude themselves.

I posted my per mile breakdown some time ago, but from memory:

2011 Camry Hybrid 68,000 miles and 32 mpg.

*Per mile:*

. 10 (depreciation)
. 10 (fuel)
. 02 (state farm insurance)
. 01 (tires - Michelin at Costco)
. 02 (Gen maintenance - oil brakes etc)
. 01 (car washes)

*Total: 26 cents a mile. *​
If this was a NEW car, depreciation would make that more like 40 cents a mile or more. If it was a beater like a 2004 prius then maybe bring it down to 20 cents a mile total.

I felt the camry hybrid was best for me though an older prius is obviously best in general.


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## Bob fox (May 18, 2016)

DrivingForYou said:


> You are failing to factor DEPRECIATION.
> 
> The per mile depreciation is far higher on a $25,000 car than a $5000 car. Per mile depreciation on a $25,000 car is typically going to be *more per mile than gas. *
> 
> ...


I like your item ization. Another thing to consider is that a 5000 dollar car may be optimal for your first 40,000 miles to in ride-sharing or something like that right? But would you as readily put those miles on year after year without incurring absurd costly to replace a transmission or engine? I bought a new Prius for a $19,000. The end of the year sale saved $3,000 from Toyota and the family-run dealership took off another $3,000. It was a very fortunate experience. But $19,000 and tax and financing and some extras was still big chunk. Came out to 33,000. But my situation is also different that I had about $25,000 worth of credit card debt with 23% interest. So the idea of my car breaking down my first year when I really needed the money and struggling to live in San Francisco was unacceptable to me so I figured buy a new one that worked & actually focus on my work. In retrospect I'm happy with the decision I made but if people can make used ones work even better then I'm all for it. Another consideration I had is that there's a good chance gas might increase in price let's say 3 to 5 years. I will likely still be able to drive this Prius at 50 miles per gallon. Only time will tell how much maintenance I'll have to do on it. I put 80,000 miles on it so far in San Francisco and only change tires and oil & brakes once.

Another benefit to getting 50 miles per gallon:

is that when you're doing 40000 miles per year that's 800 gallons. X 3.30 /gallon avg = $2,640... compare that to getting 25 miles per gallon and you save about 2640 per year on gas. But that's not all. I also only have to go to the gas station 180 times instead of 360 times roughly. It takes me maybe 10 minutes to fill up so I save 1800 minutes a year there. That's 30 hours... at $35 an hour that's another $1,050 in my time. Plus the added Factor not putting out more gad into the environment and all the things that go to extracting and fighting wars for oil etcetera. But just on those two pieces alone I'm saving $3,690 per year.

If anybody has the ambition to make a super organized chart where we could list all the different cars and all the different pennies per mile for various maintenance and other costs that would be wonderful. It will be useful also to compare the one year to the next and in 5 years and 10 years. To Super simplify it if you bought a $2,000 car that runs it would be cheapest at maybe $0.15 a mile total or something ridiculous... for the first 3 months. But because of additional maintenance and time off of work and everything else that goes with cars breaking down like tickets or accidents it may be more expensive overall. also I don't know for sure if the depreciation would be relevant to me since I don't plan on ever selling my Prius.

Please give me some feedback with these thoughts. If I'm missing everything I'd like to know. Thank you


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## dmoney155 (Jun 12, 2017)

Bob fox said:


> I like your item ization. Another thing to consider is that a 5000 dollar car may be optimal for your first 40,000 miles to in ride-sharing or something like that right? But would you as readily put those miles on year after year without incurring absurd costly to replace a transmission or engine? I bought a new Prius for a $19,000. The end of the year sale saved $3,000 from Toyota and the family-run dealership took off another $3,000. It was a very fortunate experience. But $19,000 and tax and financing and some extras was still big chunk. Came out to 33,000. But my situation is also different that I had about $25,000 worth of credit card debt with 23% interest. So the idea of my car breaking down my first year when I really needed the money and struggling to live in San Francisco was unacceptable to me so I figured buy a new one that worked & actually focus on my work. In retrospect I'm happy with the decision I made but if people can make used ones work even better then I'm all for it. Another consideration I had is that there's a good chance gas might increase in price let's say 3 to 5 years. I will likely still be able to drive this Prius at 50 miles per gallon. Only time will tell how much maintenance I'll have to do on it. I put 80,000 miles on it so far in San Francisco and only change tires and oil & brakes once.
> 
> Another benefit to getting 50 miles per gallon:
> 
> ...


That's neat calculation, I might add, if you are looking to put lots of miles on the car, why not go full EV and eliminate cost of gas altogether (provided you will recharge at free charging stations)... also the maintenance costs like brakes should be less with regenerative breaking. On the flip side, the price of EV is much higher, also there is a risk running new technology.

As far as depreciation relevance... even if you planning on keeping the car, it still matters. More you wear out your car, the more often you will need to replace it.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

DrivingForYou said:


> I calculate my hourly AFTER expenses. As I stated my expenses including insurance depreciation maintenance tires and gas is 26 to 28 cents a mile.
> 
> My driving strategy is to minimize dead miles, but also maximize surge and bonuses. It is also to minimize time on a ride. My average hourly NET income after all expenses is $21/hour.
> 
> I don't care how many miles I drive, I calculate that in my strategy regarding per mile cost. Hourly income is what's important - time is the only invaluable resource.


You are quite right. Whether you think in terms of dollars per hour or I think in terms of dollars per week we are both talking about dollars per unit of time

In my limited experience doing this Uber thing I have come to understand that I can't predict which hours of the day will produce the most income
Every day is different,
But they tend to average out. So I think in terms of dollars per week

Bug I do care how many miles I drive specifically how many miles I drive with passengers vs dead miles

It's why I don't turn on the Lyft app any more. There were far too many 10 mile pickups that resulted in 3 mile rides I'd rather sit in a parking lot somewhere than do that



DrivingForYou said:


> You are failing to factor DEPRECIATION.
> 
> The per mile depreciation is far higher on a $25,000 car than a $5000 car. Per mile depreciation on a $25,000 car is typically going to be *more per mile than gas. *
> 
> ...


I wouldn't buy a new car for any purpose; personal use or rideshare
I agree with your 10 cents a mile depreciation for the "well used" Prius in your example

a Prius with 100000 miles will cost you about $10000 and be good for perhaps another $100000 so about 10 cents a mile

A less well used Prius with 50000 miles will cost twice as much but likely last twice as long. So 200000 miles. Do the math and you come up with the same 10 cents a mile


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## dkhoser (Mar 21, 2018)

if you do x or pool 1 star service & equipment for 1 star prices

best bang for xl buck about a 10 year old minivan basically same rate as select

select haha not enough demand too much depreciation

black if you already have it can make extra from the event crowd but not much demand either

show them the brand uber pays you to show

me personally haven't took an x ride shorter than 10 miles in almost 2+ yeara, all cancelled, unmatched from & ignored

roll em till the wheels fall off & only put back into it enough to keep it rolling

spend less than $20 a year a year on washes & vacuums, spray it down once a month keep a towel in the floor to shake off...pay 2 months insurance then cancel after you have paperwork thats 400 a year $1 a day insurance vs 2400 it ads up not like ubers insurance is legal & yours wont cover you if you didnt let em know you uber anyway, put that insurance to doubling up the car note to pay off or emergency repair fund...
tint on tolls plenty of ways to actually get paid at this gig lol...

they get what they pay for


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## MadTownUberD (Mar 11, 2017)

DrivingForYou said:


> You are failing to factor DEPRECIATION.
> 
> The per mile depreciation is far higher on a $25,000 car than a $5000 car. Per mile depreciation on a $25,000 car is typically going to be *more per mile than gas. *
> 
> ...


 Are you paying over $3/gallon?


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## SaintCl89 (May 21, 2017)

Bottom line is uber/Lyft need to raise the rates to make up for all the expenses we incur.


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## mytheq63 (Oct 6, 2016)

oldfart said:


> you made $14000 in two years
> $20000 + $2500 - $7500 - $1000 = $14000
> 
> As you say, working great as long as an extra $600 a month meets your needs.


Yes exactly, it meets my needs, trying to supplement my income while paying educational expenses for two kids, one in college and one in a private high school. Each person has to find what works for them, obviously this would not work for someone trying to make a living with rideshare as their only source of income.


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## Driver2448 (Mar 8, 2017)

rideshare2870 said:


> So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money". Well, when you get 13 mpg, of course your're not! In my opinion, I think people who have money to start with have the upper hand and that should be no surprise. There are lots of good cars under $4,000 on craigslist and by having a paid off beater, you should be able to do well. I think people have a problem handling money rather than having a problem with Uber/Lyft. There are lots of cars right now that are doing this and they're not cut out for it. What do you guys think?


BMWS? Heck I've seen people with the full size Dodge Rams doing Lyft. Even Lyft is promoting using trucks since their official promotion truck out here is covered in pink.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

Wow, this thread really took off. I may have a different version of a beater in my mind than everybody. I saw a Prius with a fresh battery replaced on Craigslist. It sold fast and I would have considered that a beater. Some beaters are actually clean with minimal scratches from what I've seen.


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## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

MadTownUberD said:


> Are you paying over $3/gallon?


LOL. Here in California gas is currently $3.20 to $3.75 a gallon.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

rideshare2870 said:


> Wow, this thread really took off. I may have a different version of a beater in my mind than everybody. I saw a Prius with a fresh battery replaced on Craigslist. It sold fast and I would have considered that a beater. Some beaters are actually clean with minimal scratches from what I've seen.


That Prius worn a new battery may be a beater to up, it's a next to new car to me


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## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

oldfart said:


> In my limited experience doing this Uber thing I have come to understand that *I can't predict which hours of the day will produce the most income*
> Every day is different,
> But they tend to average out. So I think in terms of dollars per week


I can.
Rush hour will bring stacked pings, close in distance mostly, with a $3 per ride bonus.
LAX from 7pm to 10:30pm will be super busy with lots of long rides to be had. Busiest on Sunday slowest on Tuesday.
Thurs-Sat night after 7pm will be super busy anywhere near bars clubs and restaurants.
Etc etc.

It's importent to pay attention to where and when surges happen, as that will instruct you as to future opportunities



oldfart said:


> I wouldn't buy a new car for any purpose; personal use or rideshare
> I agree with your 10 cents a mile depreciation for the "well used" Prius in your example
> 
> a Prius with 100000 miles will cost you about $10000 and be good for perhaps another $100000 so about 10 cents a mile
> ...


Again, math is a little off here.

A hybrid with 100k can be had for under $7500. When I got my hybrid it has 68000 and I got it for 10k from a dealer.

Toyotas are known for getting 300,000 before needing a major overhaul. Hybrid brakes last over 100k, and so only need replacement twice in their lifetime. All probably a bit less with severe service.

You calculate depreciation as

_ (cost to purchase - price sold at end of use) / miles driven between purchase and sale._

If you buy a new prius for 25k, and sell it at 100k miles for 7.5k, your average per mile cost is 17.5 cents a mile
If you buy a used prius with 50k miles for 12k, and sell it at 150k miles for 5k, your average per mile cost is 7 cents a mile.
If you buy a used prius with 100k miles for 7.5k, and sell it at 200k miles for 4k, your average per mile cost is 3.5 cents a mile.
And this is using 100k as a car ownership period. It's even worse if you use a 50k mile ownership period, a new car costing 25 cents a mile!!

Yes, with the third example your risk of a major problem is higher, but even if you spent 2k on a major overhaul, your per mile is still only 5.5 cents.

And I'm not even including the very high costs of things like financing and insurance, which greatly increases the cost of a new car vs an old car.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Ok you guys win

I’m going to trade my Explorer for an old Prius


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

DrivingForYou said:


> I can.
> Rush hour will bring stacked pings, close in distance mostly, with a $3 per ride bonus.
> LAX from 7pm to 10:30pm will be super busy with lots of long rides to be had. Busiest on Sunday slowest on Tuesday.
> Thurs-Sat night after 7pm will be super busy anywhere near bars clubs and restaurants.
> ...


I wouldn't finance a car if my choice was to finance something decent or pay cash for a beater, I'd absolutely buy the beater

There are two ways to increase your income with any business, one is to decrease your costs, and the other is to increase your income

You can only decrease costs so much... you can't get to zero. The upside is limited too. There are only so many hours in the day and only so many miles that you can squeeze into an hour, but I think the upside potential is more with an xl than an x. At least I hope so, I own an xl

When the time comes to replace it I'll consider the beater (or two or theee if them and lease them out to the guys that can't buy any car and really make a business of this). or I'll buy something that qualifies as a lux suv and commute to Miami to work

Have you seen what Uber pays per mile for a lux suv??


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## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

oldfart said:


> Have you seen what Uber pays per mile for a lux suv??


And a lot fewer rides as well.

Keep in mind that black and up is closed in many markets - Check with support before upgrading a car to ensure you'll actually be able to do that level.


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## Broken Spoke (Mar 26, 2018)

I paid $800 for my lesabre last year. I keep cars well into the 200k mile range, so I have a good couple years yet before I’ll stop using the Buick.

I’m actually looking to replace my work car and I’d like to get a newer model and still get for cheap.


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## fxcruiser (Apr 17, 2014)

Wow, interesting...not a single comment about that IRS1099 you will get from "RazierLLC" in late Jan. /early Feb. You Folks have been sending in your "Quarterlies"....right!? Personal experience....They will Getcha! scrUber is in the "FED" spotlight.


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## henrygates (Mar 29, 2018)

In my mind a beater car is any car that you run into the ground and don't care about the appearance. So in that case it wouldnt really work for Uber.

You can have a 10 year old Honda/Toyota fully optioned under $10k and run it to 300k miles keeping it in perfect condition. I wouldn't consider that a beater. Perfect Uber vehicle.

I don't see how you would make any money with a newer car.


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## ncnealncn (Feb 15, 2018)

DrivingForYou said:


> You calculate depreciation as
> 
> _ (cost to purchase - price sold at end of use) / miles driven between purchase and sale._
> 
> ...


This is very good math.

Here's my calculation. I spent $22.5k on a new Prius. I plan to drive it 200k. I think I could sell it for $2.5k. My average per mile cost is 10 cents a mile.

I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't like a Prius. I've been getting about 55 MPG Ubering around town. I drive it to get the best MPG. Most people will only get closer to 50MPG. I've never had anyone say anything negative about it. In fact I usually hear the opposite. People always comment about how roomy the back seat is and how cool the dash is. Kids say it looks like a spaceship.


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## Filinator13 (Apr 7, 2017)

I drive a 2003 Honda Accord EX. It had 1 owner and under 100k miles when I bought about 5 years ago. It wasn't until last summer that I signed on with Uber and started driving. I drive a lot in general, aside from Uber, and now have approx. 165k miles. In the years that I have owned it (prior to starting Uber) I have replaced the exhaust (this year), tires, brakes and ball joint. I recently had someone sideswipe me (hit and run not while Ubering) which led to some scrapes on the passenger side. 

Other than some small developing rust in the last month or so the body looks and drives solid. It's not as smooth a ride as a nicer newer car, but I keep the inside clean and smelling nice and do regular washings of the exterior. Until a drunk passenger gave me a 1 star this past weekend, I was at 4.96 rating. That 1 star dropped me down to 4.89 since I only have about 200 rides. 

In general people often mistake it for a newer model car than it is and I get compliments on how well maintained it is. While some would call it a beater due to the year, it is hard for me to view it as that. Note, I'm not a full time driver and if I were to move full time I would probably drive this vehicle into the ground and then look to replace it with something slightly newer. As it is, I am facing some repairs coming up and I'm debating on whether or not it is worth it to repair or look to get something else. Issue is I don't have good credit and don't have money saved up at the moment. 

Either way, I figure rideshare won't be here forever and I need to factor that into my decision and not get a car solely for it.


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## ncnealncn (Feb 15, 2018)

Uber will never die.


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## Filinator13 (Apr 7, 2017)

HA! Prob not, but if they keep lowering rates and screwing drivers, eventually I will stop driving. When it is mathematically not worth it for me, then I am out. Right now, with my current vehicle I can make it work for me, but time will tell if that will continue to be the case.


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## Trebor (Apr 22, 2015)

rideshare2870 said:


> So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money". Well, when you get 13 mpg, of course your're not! In my opinion, I think people who have money to start with have the upper hand and that should be no surprise. There are lots of good cars under $4,000 on craigslist and by having a paid off beater, you should be able to do well. I think people have a problem handling money rather than having a problem with Uber/Lyft. There are lots of cars right now that are doing this and they're not cut out for it. What do you guys think?


What is a beater in your words?

There are many newer cars that can be considered beaters because of damage etc.

I do agree with you though, so much so that my latest addition to my fleet was $2,018 with TTL. It is an XL. So someone driving a fully decked out 2018 suburban is getting paid the same I do. Of course, mine doesn't qualify for select but there are people buying $20,000+ vehicles that do not qualify for select much less XL. Mine has virtually no body damage, and honestly, it truly doesn't have any mechanical problems. Mileage was 179 when I bought it, and I am almost at 190, so any tricks from the seller would of worn off by now.

Buying at $2,000 eliminates the worry about deprecation. I did get a good deal though. Trade in value is the same I paid for it. If I sold it as a private party today, I could honestly make a little more then what I paid for it.

The only downside is, I have to look for another one by December (although, I plan on doing this before summer, just in case the heat kills this one.) if I want to continue to drive for Lyft. Uber requirements for my city, I have until December 31, 2019 (although they didn't cut off vehicles until march this year, so possibly until March of 2020. I have already had it for 3 months though, so already cheaper than a new suburban (payment wise) My goal is at least 6 months.

Part time I make $500/week. I have already made my money back on it a couple times over, so I can literally say, I only pay for gas. ( I also got the v6 version compared to a v8 to save on gas) I do have to admit, I have been taking more x rides than xl.


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## Eugene73 (Jun 29, 2017)

With a new/newer vehicle, you better pray they don’t cut rates one or two more times or worse you don’t get deactivated before the cars paid off


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## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

ncnealncn said:


> This is very good math.
> 
> Here's my calculation. I spent $22.5k on a new Prius. I plan to drive it 200k. I think I could sell it for $2.5k. My average per mile cost is 10 cents a mile.
> 
> I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't like a Prius. I've been getting about 55 MPG Ubering around town. I drive it to get the best MPG. Most people will only get closer to 50MPG. I've never had anyone say anything negative about it. In fact I usually hear the opposite. People always comment about how roomy the back seat is and how cool the dash is. Kids say it looks like a spaceship.


Prius is the ideal car for UberX, I just went with a camry hybrid because I'm 6'5" and I'm much more comfortable in the much larger camry.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

Eugene73 said:


> With a new/newer vehicle, you better pray they don't cut rates one or two more times or worse you don't get deactivated before the cars paid off


Why would you assume a loan. Adding a loan to the equation adds another expense that I'm not sure can be overcome.... interest.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

Filinator13 said:


> I drive a 2003 Honda Accord EX. It had 1 owner and under 100k miles when I bought about 5 years ago. It wasn't until last summer that I signed on with Uber and started driving. I drive a lot in general, aside from Uber, and now have approx. 165k miles. In the years that I have owned it (prior to starting Uber) I have replaced the exhaust (this year), tires, brakes and ball joint. I recently had someone sideswipe me (hit and run not while Ubering) which led to some scrapes on the passenger side.
> 
> Other than some small developing rust in the last month or so the body looks and drives solid. It's not as smooth a ride as a nicer newer car, but I keep the inside clean and smelling nice and do regular washings of the exterior. Until a drunk passenger gave me a 1 star this past weekend, I was at 4.96 rating. That 1 star dropped me down to 4.89 since I only have about 200 rides.
> 
> ...


Isn't the 2003 accord one of the worst Hondas ever? How many time has the transmission failed on that? These are notorious for transmission problems from what I see on consumer reports.


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## Filinator13 (Apr 7, 2017)

rideshare2870 said:


> Isn't the 2003 accord one of the worst Hondas ever? How many time has the transmission failed on that? These are notorious for transmission problems from what I see on consumer reports.


I honestly don't know. Knock on wood this one has been ok. I didn't have time to do much research when I bought it as the car I was driving crapped out on me and I was in a new job and basically had a weekend to find something I could buy and not have to finance. I'm not recommending people buy an '03 Accord, just saying that just because a car is older doesn't automatically make it a beater.


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## Retired Senior (Sep 12, 2016)

I own a 2006 Santa Fe. Connecticut just passed a law last Oct 2017 that mandates my car will be too old come Dec 31 2018 to use for rideshare. I have 164,500 miles on the car. In 2017 I put on 30.000 miles... 23,664.51 "online" miles were Uber. In Dec 2017 I brought the car to a Hyundai dealership for an oil change. At that time they told me that I needed to replace the thermostat and the hoses leading to and from it. I did this last week. Cost? $600. I opted to pay an additional $125 for a thorough diagnostic. 

When I went to pay for it the lead serviceman told me: We have good news and bad news... The good news is that we are advising you to not pay for any more service and repairs on this car. The bad news... The next thing that is going to go is the catalytic converter. That is why your "check engine" light is on. To replace the cat will cost a minimum of $3,200. The car is worth only $2,000. 

One of my brothers said that when the cat goes I should just take it off and run a straight pipe out from the exhaust, but I will need to renew the registration next March and I don't see the car passing an emissions test without a legit cat converter. Seems like I am going to be buying a new used car, whether I drive for Uber or not.

I wonder how the Trump Tariffs will affect the cost of a used Toyota hybrid? Are Nissan Leafs made in the USA? Google shows 2013 Nissan Leafs going for under $10,000. I spent about $4,000 during 2017 keeping my Santa Fe on the road. (Front struts 2x, timing chain, new brakes, new tires, etc) I guess that - as soon as i submit my income tax report and finalize my decision re: Medicare, I should start looking seriously for the next car...


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## ncnealncn (Feb 15, 2018)

A straight pipe will not work with a modern vehicle. The computer will sense that it is not there and the check engine light will remain on.


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## afsmart (Mar 16, 2018)

To get a beater or not. I have being driving this 2010 Dodge Chrysler Journey, for 4 years and ride sharing 90-120 days. Before ride sharing my car needed scheduled "Check engine

lite was on need oil chance Tunes was due" I was street legal but as I drove more the need for maintenance increased. February we paid Property

Tax $100.00 DMV Registration $50.00 State inspection, $16.00. Tires and Road Hazard. $40.00 windshield blades and fog bulbs 516.00. Then hit a

road hazard and blew a tire. Had to have it replace, $15.00 (for road hazard coverage) for a new tire. After driving in a heavy pot hole area I noticed the

alignment was off. $400.00 for new two tires and an alignment $86.00 and an oil change $40.00. March: The car cut off twice on my wife and the

braking was squeaking . Had it checked diagnostically $90.00. EGV valve and front brakes and rotors needed replacing $746.00. Advised the we need a

Tune up, Struts and Shocks are leaking and the Tire bar will have to be replaced for proper alignment. $1000.00. So this in my family car I'm driving to

the ground. Do I need a beater Oh Yes ASAP Considering renting a car and driving for a day.


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## Eugene73 (Jun 29, 2017)

Expensive lesson. Hit a passenger up for a $150 throw up fee every other week and in a few months Uber will have affectively paid you back.


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## upyouruber (Jul 24, 2017)

rideshare2870 said:


> So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money". Well, when you get 13 mpg, of course your're not! In my opinion, I think people who have money to start with have the upper hand and that should be no surprise. There are lots of good cars under $4,000 on craigslist and by having a paid off beater, you should be able to do well. I think people have a problem handling money rather than having a problem with Uber/Lyft. There are lots of cars right now that are doing this and they're not cut out for it. What do you guys think?


You are on the right train of thought. Whether you drive FT or PT, in addition to using a paid off, fuel efficient beater, one also must be a wise business person with expenses and write-offs.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

afsmart said:


> To get a beater or not. I have being driving this 2010 Dodge Chrysler Journey, for 4 years and ride sharing 90-120 days. Before ride sharing my car needed scheduled "Check engine
> 
> lite was on need oil chance Tunes was due" I was street legal but as I drove more the need for maintenance increased. February we paid Property
> 
> ...


It seems to me you have a beater, what you need is a family car

The original question was; "do you agree or disagree using a beater for ride-sharing". The answer after 8 pages is; it depends on your definition of beater.

The real answer is yes of course use a beater. Even if your car isnt a "beater" now it soon will be.


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

Retired Senior said:


> I own a 2006 Santa Fe. Connecticut just passed a law last Oct 2017 that mandates my car will be too old come Dec 31 2018 to use for rideshare. I have 164,500 miles on the car. In 2017 I put on 30.000 miles... 23,664.51 "online" miles were Uber. In Dec 2017 I brought the car to a Hyundai dealership for an oil change. At that time they told me that I needed to replace the thermostat and the hoses leading to and from it. I did this last week. Cost? $600. I opted to pay an additional $125 for a thorough diagnostic.
> 
> When I went to pay for it the lead serviceman told me: We have good news and bad news... The good news is that we are advising you to not pay for any more service and repairs on this car. The bad news... The next thing that is going to go is the catalytic converter. That is why your "check engine" light is on. To replace the cat will cost a minimum of $3,200. The car is worth only $2,000.
> 
> ...


U could buy an aftermarket cat for around $150 or try to find one Craigslist (used parts shops aren't allowed to sell used cats but people do) and take it to an exhaust shop and have them weld it in to place


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## ncnealncn (Feb 15, 2018)

oldfart said:


> Even if your car isn't a "beater" now; it soon will be.


I love this!


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## roadman (Nov 14, 2016)

use the biggest piece of crap that qualifies.


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## anteetr (Jan 24, 2017)

If youre one of those beer money hustlas that casually dabble in rideshare driving, it's probably economically best to use the car you already have. That applies to people with mileage to burn on their lease or who drive a few thousand extra miles a year on the car they don't really drive all that much. Definitely under 20 hours a week average and probably 10 or less a week. 

That said, if you're doing this over 20 hours a week or more and you're not driving a beater, you're doing it wrong. In the markets I drive you can go back to 2003. There are 4 varieties of beater that work best economically Hybrid, Econobox, Old Man Car, or Minivan. 

The only hybrid I would get is a Toyota Prius. They are by far the most common which means their parts are the most common and cheapest to replace on the rare occasion you need to. You can find one of these pretty easily for about $3000 and sell it for not much less than you paid for it when it ages out. 

The econobox can be found for $1000 or less if you're a good shopper. I saw this guy on YouTube that bought a 14 year old Buick Century for $500 that was perfect for this job. The downside is they use much more gas than the Prius so you would be better with that. Gas is the biggest direct expense for those of us that minimize depreciation by driving very used cars.

If you need something more comfortable and like driving your living room around, the Buick LeSabre is one of the most comfortable cars you can get. They're also bulletproof and can often be found with under 100k miles for under $2000. These cars are nice but they drink gas. 

Ideally, you should have 2 beaters - one for X and another for XL and/or backup for when the other car is in the shop or in need of replacement. Don't bother with XL unless you target the party crowd as that's the only clientele that makes XL worth it. I prefer Chrysler minivans. They get decent mileage, they're dirt cheap, and they run forever if you take care of them. Toyota and Honda vans are too expensive and the Ford and Chevy truck based SUVs use twice the gas and cost twice as much. Make sure your XL has leather seats -you're gonna need them.


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## jfinks (Nov 24, 2016)

I figure my fuel cost on a per hour basis. My car isn't a gas guzzler nor is it super efficient. My average speed calculated by the computer is around 22mph, between in town and some highway. This fluctuates a bit but it is an average. Interesting thing is I average around 22mpg, sometimes higher if more highway. That puts my per hour gas consumption at 1 gallon per hour or about $2.50. If my gas mileage was 11 mpg my cost would be $5 per hour. Gas cost doesn't make a huge difference, basically 1 min fare an hour.



oldfart said:


> I don't see that the mileage a car gets is very important. I drive about 1800 miles a week. At 12 mpg that's 150 gal or $375/week
> 18 mpg that's 100 gal or $250/wk
> 40 mpg that's 45 gal or $112.50/wk
> 
> ...


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

DrivingForYou said:


> And a lot fewer rides as well.
> 
> Keep in mind that black and up is closed in many markets - Check with support before upgrading a car to ensure you'll actually be able to do that level.


Obviouslynone has to make sure you can use the car you buy for rideshare before you buy it

We don't have the lux suv ride I'm my market, so it's more of an academic exercise for me at this point but the rates are compelling; roughly 4.5 times x rates. So I could do 25% of the number of rides and make the same money
And if I do 20 rides and drive 300 miles a day in my Prius to make $150 I could make the same money doing 4 rides driving just 30 miles

Whether I could get 4 rides a day is an open question but I bet some of the beautiful people on Miami's South Beach would call for one

I have been dissapointed with the number of XL rides I get, so ive been experimenting. I don't have enough data yet but at the airport I have been waiting a little longer but I always get an XL ride. XL pays about 50% more than X which means I can do 8 XL rides a day and make the same money as the guy that does 12 X rides

Bottom line is dollars per day is not the most important consideration. I'd rather do less rides and less miles and work less hours than more. It's easier on me and easier on the car. And those are important considerations.

I understand that at the end of the day you might make more with your old Prius than I do with my SUV but I make enough. Remember the OP asked for opinions I may be making less than I could, but my opinion is I like my low mileage SUV (soon to be an old high mileage SUV


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## Squirming Like A Toad (Apr 7, 2016)

No loss of MPG is more significant than the loss of depreciation. Go cheap, up to the point where repairs/reliability or customer dissatisfaction becomes a problem.


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## senorCRV (Jan 3, 2017)

After using my brand new Honda CRV for a few months, I became concerned about the miles I was putting on a new car, so now I use a 2006 Honda Civic I bought for $2000 and has over 200k Miles.

Beyond gas saving, parts are cheap. Also, it’s a Honda so little maintenance really.

Bonus: I get more “nice car” compliments on my 2006 Civic than my brand new CRV, plus it’s become apparent many millennials have never seen a digital speedometer so they treat my car like it’s a spaceship.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

senorCRV said:


> After using my brand new Honda CRV for a few months, I became concerned about the miles I was putting on a new car, so now I use a 2006 Honda Civic I bought for $2000 and has over 200k Miles.
> 
> Beyond gas saving, parts are cheap. Also, it's a Honda so little maintenance really.
> 
> Bonus: I get more "nice car" compliments on my 2006 Civic than my brand new CRV, plus it's become apparent many millennials have never seen a digital speedometer so they treat my car like it's a spaceship.


Nicely done! Just curious, does your Civic leak antifreeze? Civics from 2006-2009 have an cracked engine block issue. You can check it online. It was common to the 2006 than any other year but as long as that's fixed it's a great little car.


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## senorCRV (Jan 3, 2017)

rideshare2870 said:


> Nicely done! Just curious, does your civic leak antifreeze? Civics from 2006-2009 has an cracked engine block issue. It was common to the 2006 than other year but as long as that's fixed it's a great little car.


Not at all, it runs like a top and purrs like a kitten.

Learn how to do a little basic car maintenance and when it's better to let someone else get dirty, a Honda will run almost forever


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

senorCRV said:


> Not at all, it runs like a top and purrs like a kitten.
> 
> Learn how to do a little basic car maintenance and when it's better to let someone else get dirty, a Honda will run almost forever


Well, that's good. If you look up the Civic on carcomplaints.com then you'll see what I'm talking about. I think Civics are perfect as long as they don't have that issue. It was a small stupid mistake from Honda that caused a leak which caused the engine that was orginally to reach high miles to die out quickly.


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## dctcmn (Sep 21, 2017)

jfinks said:


> I figure my fuel cost on a per hour basis. My car isn't a gas guzzler nor is it super efficient. My average speed calculated by the computer is around 22mph, between in town and some highway. This fluctuates a bit but it is an average. Interesting thing is I average around 22mpg, sometimes higher if more highway. That puts my per hour gas consumption at 1 gallon per hour or about $2.50. If my gas mileage was 11 mpg my cost would be $5 per hour. Gas cost doesn't make a huge difference, basically 1 min fare an hour.


None of this makes sense and this method doesn't produce any usable information. Why not just figure cost of operation per mile? That's a usable metric.


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## senorCRV (Jan 3, 2017)

rideshare2870 said:


> Well, that's good. If you look up the civic on car complaints then you'll see what I'm talking about. I think civics are perfect as long as they don't have that issue. It was a small stupid mistake from Honda that caused a leak which caused the engine that was orginally to reach high miles to die out quickly.


Most of that is caused by people not changing the water pump/timing belt every 100k minimum. The belt weakens and pulls the pulley sideways and slowly destroys the water pump. Hondas are very dependent upon that cooling system working at top efficiency.

There's also a school of thought that says people using non-Honda oil filters is causing oil starvation on accelleration, making the block heat up more and causing gaskets to fail prematurely.

I only use Honda filters on a Honda. They are the only filter with a relief valve that allows oil to bypass the filter and not starve the engine at higher rpm/pressure.


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## dctcmn (Sep 21, 2017)

senorCRV said:


> plus it's become apparent many millennials have never seen a digital speedometer so they treat my car like it's a spaceship.


You say that like it's a good thing.


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## senorCRV (Jan 3, 2017)

dctcmn said:


> You say that like it's a good thing.


It lets me get away with driving a 12 year old car they think is brand new, so it is


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## dctcmn (Sep 21, 2017)

senorCRV said:


> It lets me get away with driving a 12 year old car they think is brand new, so it is


When they start tipping, I'll start caring what they think.


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## senorCRV (Jan 3, 2017)

dctcmn said:


> When they start tipping, I'll start caring what they think.


When they start tipping, I'll have a fking heart attack


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## ncnealncn (Feb 15, 2018)

senorCRV said:


> When they start tipping, I'll have a fking heart attack


Don't worry about that. You'll live forever.


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## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

oldfart said:


> We don't have the lux suv ride I'm my market, so it's more of an academic exercise for me at this point but the rates are compelling; *roughly 4.5 times x rates. So I could do 25% of the number of rides and make the same money And if I do 20 rides and drive 300 miles a day in my Prius to make $150 I could make the same money doing 4 rides driving just 30 miles*
> 
> Whether I could get 4 rides a day is an open question but I bet some of the beautiful people on Miami's South Beach would call for one
> 
> ...


Again math issues here. Your math is plain wrong. Using my market as a guide, SUV requires a 2012 luxury vehicle, such as a LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. That's an $80,000 car, and depreciation is nearly $1/mile - an order of magnatude more than my cost for my 6 year old camry (and that if you pay cash - if you finance it you can nearly double that figure) . And fuel costs are substantially more, requiring premium and getting half the gas mileage fuel costs are more than double. Maintenance is also double (Mercedes for instance use twice the amount of oil as a typical car.) not to mention that SUV requires COMMERCIAL insurance, which is much much more expensive.

Operating costs for a LUX type vehicle:

Depreciation : 0.90 (if you paid cash, no lease or financing)
Fuel: 0.30
Tires: 0.02
Maintenance : 0.03
Commercial insurance : 0.30

Total per mile cost: $1.55​
That is 6.2 times my operating cost for my camry hybrid.

And I'm not sure where you're getting your other figures from. If I drive 300 miles on X my gross is around $290 or more. Typically I drive 250 miles with a gross of around 230-280. Let's just say 250 miles and gross $250.

Uber X, Los Angeles Camry Hybrid 2011

Miles: 250
Hours: 8
Gross: $250
Operating costs: 250*0.25= $62.50​
NET: $187.50 or $23.40/hour

SUV Lincoln nav

We'll make some assumptions - using your "4 rides", and an average ride length of 12.5 miles (LAX to Beverly Hills). This will make the mileage 50 not 30 paid miles, but we also have to account for dead miles.

Miles: 50 + 2 minutes/mile.
Rides: 4
Time: 8 hours
Gross (base+miles+time): (11.25*4)+(50*3.23)+(100*0.41)
Costs: paid miles + dead miles = total miles driven. Assume a 1:1 ratio. As we are assuming driving 50 paid miles, total driven miles is 100.

GROSS: 247.5
COSTS : 155​
NET: 92 OR 11.5/hour - LOL

And this assumes that you BOUGHT THE CAR FOR CASH and did not finance it or lease it. This also assumes that you'll actally get that number of rides and miles each day, and it assumes that you can keep a 4.90 or higher rating - if you drop below 4.90 you get bumped down to SELECT.

If you finance or lease a car like this, your operating costs for this sample day would increase from $155 to about 215.

That's a lot of additional business risk to make a lot less per hour. Not to mention that as I stated, here in LA they are not even accepting new SUV or BLACK cars.

To make this work, you'd need to do a lot more than 4 rides, and keep your deadmiles to a minimum. And if you drop down to select, you have to remember that your operational cost does not change, and select rate does not even cover it.


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

DrivingForYou said:


> Again math issues here. Your math is plain wrong. Using my market as a guide, SUV requires a 2012 luxury vehicle, such as a LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. That's an $80,000 car, and depreciation is nearly $1/mile - an order of magnatude more than my cost for my 6 year old camry (and that if you pay cash - if you finance it you can nearly double that figure) . And fuel costs are substantially more, requiring premium and getting half the gas mileage fuel costs are more than double. Maintenance is also double (Mercedes for instance use twice the amount of oil as a typical car.) not to mention that SUV requires COMMERCIAL insurance, which is much much more expensive.
> 
> Operating costs for a LUX type vehicle:
> 
> ...


I have a vehicle that qualifies for everything and my operating costs are 30 cents a mile. Gas is 9 cents, depreciation is 10 cents, estimated repairs and general maintenance is 11 cents 
I don't know where u got 90 cent depreciation? That means in 90k miles the car is worthless lol. Plus only a livery company buys new cars most uber black lyft lux cars are used I bought my 2013 for Infiniti suv for 16k after tax and everything


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## ShinyAndChrome (Aug 18, 2017)

Objectively yes a beater is the right way to do this.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

DrivingForYou said:


> Again math issues here. Your math is plain wrong. Using my market as a guide, SUV requires a 2012 luxury vehicle, such as a LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. That's an $80,000 car, and depreciation is nearly $1/mile - an order of magnatude more than my cost for my 6 year old camry (and that if you pay cash - if you finance it you can nearly double that figure) . And fuel costs are substantially more, requiring premium and getting half the gas mileage fuel costs are more than double. Maintenance is also double (Mercedes for instance use twice the amount of oil as a typical car.) not to mention that SUV requires COMMERCIAL insurance, which is much much more expensive.
> 
> Operating costs for a LUX type vehicle:
> 
> ...


Would your math change if I told you a 2010 Lincoln MKT qualifies for the LUXSUV classification in Miami and there is a 2015 model with under 50000 miles for sale on car max for under $25000

I don't want to get hung up on the details. My point is a simple one and it goes to the question posed by the op. I think you can make more money in less time with something other than a beater


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

oldfart said:


> Would your math change if I told you a 2010 Lincoln MKT qualifies for the LUXSUV classification in Miami and there is a 2015 model with under 50000 miles for sale on car max for under $25000
> 
> I don't want to get hung up on the details. My point is a simple one and it goes to the question posed by the op. I think you can make more money in less time with something other than a beater


And you can find 2012 ones all day for under $13k 
This guy's numbers are insane obviously if u buy a brand new navigator even uber black suv pay won't work out for you and a POS prius doing regular x is gonna win out on a financial stand point but only a moron goes and buys a $80k new car for uber when u can buy cars that qualify for everything for under $12k


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## ncnealncn (Feb 15, 2018)

UberDezNutz said:


> and a POS prius


Easy on the Prius. I like getting 50+MPG.


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## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

UberDezNutz said:


> I have a vehicle that qualifies for everything and my operating costs are 30 cents a mile. Gas is 9 cents, depreciation is 10 cents, estimated repairs and general maintenance is 11 cents
> I don't know where u got 90 cent depreciation? That means in 90k miles the car is worthless lol. Plus only a livery company buys new cars most uber black lyft lux cars are used I bought my 2013 for Infiniti suv for 16k after tax and everything


That depreciation figure is based on a new car and first year of operation. When you consider financing its similar or worse.



oldfart said:


> Would your math change if I told you a 2010 Lincoln MKT qualifies for the LUXSUV classification in Miami and there is a 2015 model with under 50000 miles for sale on car max for under $25000


Okay, does not qualify here in LA. but:

Operating costs for used MKT:

First year Depreciation : 0.30 (with typical financing)
Fuel: 0.30
Tires: 0.02
Maintenance : 0.03
Commercial insurance : 0.30

Total per mile cost: $0.95

Still about four times my X car.


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

DrivingForYou said:


> That depreciation figure is based on a new car and first year of operation. When you consider financing its similar or worse.
> 
> Okay, does not qualify here in LA. but:
> 
> ...


My point is only an idiot buys a new car for uber. Also where do u get 30 cents a mile for fuel and 30 cents for insurance especially since insurance is a fixed cost avg full time driver is gonna out 5k miles on their car so you're saying that commercial insurance is $1500 a month when in reality it's gonna be $500ish So 10 cents a mile and 30 cents a mile for gas Mkt runs on regular and will get 20mpg combined so even at 3 bucks a gallon you're talking 15 cents Gas in Denver is still around 2.25
Tires 2 cents a mile lol wtf? Most tires will get 50k at $500 your cost is .001

I don't know the LA market but this op isn't in LA so it doesn't matter

Your numbers are just out there it's like watching fox news or CNN lol


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## JTTwentySeven (Jul 13, 2017)

rideshare2870 said:


> I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money"


That actually means they are making money. 
Can't use a double negative, it makes it a positive statement.


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## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

UberDezNutz said:


> My point is only an idiot buys a new car for uber. Also where do u get 30 cents a mile for fuel and 30 cents for insurance especially since insurance is a fixed cost avg full time driver is gonna out 5k miles on their car so you're saying that commercial insurance is $1500 a month when in reality it's gonna be $500ish So 10 cents a mile and 30 cents a mile for gas Mkt runs on regular and will get 20mpg combined so even at 3 bucks a gallon you're talking 15 cents Gas in Denver is still around 2.25
> Tires 2 cents a mile lol wtf? Most tires will get 50k at $500 your cost is .001
> 
> I don't know the LA market but this op isn't in LA so it doesn't matter
> ...


The answer is simple: I wasn't talking to to you initially, I was responding to someone else, and my comments are in context to his statements, not yours.

I agree only an imbecile would use a new car for this.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

DrivingForYou said:


> The answer is simple: I wasn't talking to to you I itially, I was responding to someone else, and my comments are in context to his statements, not yours. For instance the relative I surface cost was based on the project Ted meager he was envisioning.
> 
> I agreeo only an imbecile would use a new car for this.


I think he was responding to me. But the 30 cents/ mile for commercial insurance is just as dumb whether he's speaking to me or you

There is no requirement for commercial insurance in the Miami market. Which is the market I used for my example.

And I too agree that a new car dosent make sense. My example was a $25000 car with less than 50000 miles. Assumming 200000 miles to the junk yard that's 12.5 cents a mile

The point I've been trying to make here is in response to the original post. And my point is that a case can be made for driving something other than a beater when driving Uber

I used the Lincoln as my example because there is an mkt I see on the airport lot here in Ft Myers and I think it's the best looking car here. Turns out the guy drives here from Miami during the week, but stays in Miami on weekends for those high fees the beautiful people on South Beach are willing to pay


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## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

oldfart said:


> There is no requirement for commercial insurance in the Miami market. Which is the market I used for my example.
> 
> And I too agree that a new car dosent make sense. My example was a $25000 car with less than 50000 miles. Assumming 200000 miles to the junk yard that's 12.5 cents a mile


As I stated originally I was using my market of Los Angeles for the examples. If you don't have a commercial insurance requirement that makes a substantial difference.

But once again your mat is off! You calculator must be broken or you just can't do math. The math example you gave is 16 cents a mile depreciation, assuming you take it all the way to 200k.

If you instead take it to 100k and sell it for 10k (generous) that's 30 cents a mile.

If you take it to 200k, you may have lower depreciation but you need to bump up the maintenance costs substantially. Also, it will take many more years to hit 200k at the low miles per week you are contemplating, meaning that the car will probably be excluded from the platform well before hitting 200k.

My point is that most drivers don't know how to crunch numbers for a business, as is evidenced in this thread. I've made some accurate real-world examples. If you don't get that, oh well.

Best of luck.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

DrivingForYou said:


> As I stated originally I was using my market of Los Angeles for the examples. If you don't have a commercial insurance requirement that makes a substantial difference.
> 
> But once again your mat is off! You calculator must be broken or you just can't do math. The math example you gave is 16 cents a mile depreciation, assuming you take it all the way to 200k.
> 
> ...


25000/200000= .125

It would be less if there is any salvage value

But the math isn't important, what is important are the underlying assumptions. Since we are working in different markets and since we are different people with different needs the answeee we come to will necessarily be different

Again I must remind you of the question we are trying to answer. "Do you agree or disagree with using a beater for rideshare ? I can make a case either way but personally I prefer as nice a car as I can afford as long as i can generate a reasonable profit with it


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## DrivingForYou (Aug 6, 2017)

oldfart said:


> 25000/200000= .125
> 
> But the math isn't important,


Dude you're worse at math than Barbie.

You said the car had 50k, and you'd take it to 200k. That makes 150k miles. Assuming a salvage value of 1k that ends up as 16 cents a mile, but substantially more if you finance. Not to mention higher tax and licensing costs.

But that underlying assumption is itself wrong, as you were also contemplating driving less than 50 miles a day. That results it a greater time depreciation.

Like I stated, I've attempted to show you real world figures, and your math is plain wrong, based on magical fairy dust figures.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

DrivingForYou said:


> Dude you're worse at math than Barbie.
> 
> You said the car had 50k, and you'd take it to 200k. That makes 150k miles. Assuming a salvage value of 1k that ends up as 16 cents a mile, but substantially more if you finance. Not to mention higher tax and licensing costs.
> 
> ...


 I meant to say I would add 200000 miles but whether it's 200000 more miles or 150000 more it makes no difference. The point is that the car won't lose 30 cents of value for every mile driven as you said. Perhaps the problem is that you are including finance charges with depreciation. While certainly finance charges will be an expense to consider if you finance the car. I'm assuming a cash purchase

And whether I would drive the car 50 miles a day or 500 makes no difference when figuring cost per mile. We are looking at a cost per mile calculation. My point with the 59 mile thing is that I think I could make the same money at 50 miles a day with a lux suv in Miami as I could with an x car at many times that

Again I would like to get you to focus on the big question. Does it make sense to use an expensive luxury car for rideshare? I think it does or can. I will accept your argument (if this is what you are arguing) that you will make more with a beater. But that doesn't mean I'll make nothing with my suv


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## reg barclay (Nov 3, 2015)

I was under the impression that this thread was primarily discussing Uber X. Being that Uber X pays the same regardless of which vehicle you use, then it would make sense to use a cheaper vehicle rather than an expensive one.

Once the discussion shifts to other Uber platforms (Lux, SUV, XL, etc) then it becomes a different matter. It then depends on how much more that platform pays over X, and how many of those rides you can get in your area (plus extra licensing costs etc, if applicable). Obviously, even when it comes to other platforms, not all eligible vehicles will have the same long term costs.


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## Who is John Galt? (Sep 28, 2016)

Uber_Yota_916 said:


> Well not to brag or anything. My beater 05 Corrolla earned me Ubers MVP award for my region. 18 mpg per mile! That is awful. Just wait until gas hits $4+. Also I will have driven my car for three years once I have replaced it. Started at 93 k miles will sell it at 250000 or 300000 miles. Corollas are bullet proof with proper maintenance.


An '05 Corolla! That is 12 or 13 years old. What is the vehicle age limit there?

.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

Who is John Galt? said:


> An '05 Corolla! That is 12 or 13 years old. What is the vehicle age limit there?
> 
> .


There are some markets where a 15 year old car is ok. Here in western NY, you can have a 15 year old car for Uber and a 14 year old car for Lyft. There are markets that have similar ranges as well.


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## Who is John Galt? (Sep 28, 2016)

rideshare2870 said:


> There are some markets where a 15 year old car is ok. Here in western NY, you can have a 15 year old car for Uber and a 14 year old car for Lyft. There are markets that have similar ranges as well.


Thank you. I find that amazing.

My state's (legislative) requirements stipulate 8 years maximum, whilst other mainland Aussie states are 10.

.


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## Uber_Yota_916 (May 1, 2017)

Who is John Galt? said:


> An '05 Corolla! That is 12 or 13 years old. What is the vehicle age limit there?
> 
> .


2002.



Who is John Galt? said:


> Thank you. I find that amazing.
> 
> My state's (legislative) requirements stipulate 8 years maximum, whilst other mainland Aussie states are 10.
> 
> .


My personal philosophy is to drive the nicest, cheapest and most comfortable car. I found my 05, that was owned by a lady who kept it immaculent and serviced at the dealership. It had 93000 miles on it. Besides regular maintenance I have had to replace the starter and serpentine belt.


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## Who is John Galt? (Sep 28, 2016)

Uber_Yota_916 said:


> 2002.
> 
> My personal philosophy is to drive the nicest, cheapest and most comfortable car. I found my 05, that was owned by a lady who kept it immaculent and serviced at the dealership. It had 93000 miles on it. ====/====


That is a very sound philosophy. It is a pity that (here) we are unable to push out the vehicle age limit a little more.

.


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## Uber_Yota_916 (May 1, 2017)

Who is John Galt? said:


> That is a very sound philosophy. It is a pity that (here) we are unable to push out the vehicle age limit a little more.
> 
> .


I bet it has to do with winter driving and the damage that it does to your car. Salt is a witch.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

Who is John Galt? said:


> Thank you. I find that amazing.
> 
> My state's (legislative) requirements stipulate 8 years maximum, whilst other mainland Aussie states are 10.
> 
> .


I've read on here that some places even accept older cars. I wouldn't even bother with ridesharing if there was a 10 year limit.


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## henrygates (Mar 29, 2018)

I don't get the limit at all. They should just have quick inspections (even by photo).

If someone wants to Uber in a 1995 Bentley, it'll be nicer than a 2016 Corolla. Any car a few years old can be junk if the owner doesn't care about it.


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## ncnealncn (Feb 15, 2018)

henrygates said:


> I don't get the limit at all. They should just have quick inspections (even by photo).
> 
> If someone wants to Uber in a 1995 Bentley, it'll be nicer than a 2016 Corolla. Any car a few years old can be junk if the owner doesn't care about it.


I'm not sure I would Uber in a Bentley but true there are a lot of older cars in better shape than some I have seen at our Airport staging lot.


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## DRII (Feb 24, 2018)

DrivingForYou said:


> Dude you're worse at math than Barbie.
> 
> You said the car had 50k, and you'd take it to 200k. That makes 150k miles. Assuming a salvage value of 1k that ends up as 16 cents a mile, but substantially more if you finance. Not to mention higher tax and licensing costs.
> 
> ...


you do realize that if you're using the actual expense method, you can write off much of the expenses you're talking about, right?

a lot of the comments in this thread don't seem to take into account tax write offs.

I have a 'nice' luxury car that I use for uberX, twin turbo - dual moonroof - leather seats both heated and cooled - etc. I get constant compliments on the car from riders! they really appreciate being picked up and driven in a nice vehicle.

I know many feel it is crazy to use such a car for uberX (select is not available in my area), however I've found the tax benefits to be quite high. I only drive part time and need to make around 400 dollars a month (sometimes I pull in up to twice as much so far this year). rideshare miles count for about 70% of my total miles (mainly because of the new destination feature, which allows me to have my app on going to and from my real job every day). my tax deductions are usually 2x to 1.5x my earnings, at least they were the 2 years I previously drove for uber. so hypothetically $5,000 in earnings and $7,500 to $10,000 in tax deductions.

so yes, technically I am losing money 'ubering' when accounting for all costs, but point is I don't feel all those costs especially the biggest one which is depreciation. I brought the car used in the first place, so I skipped much of the depreciation there (originally the car costs nearly 65K brand new), I did finance it, but those costs are also tax deductible. i'm doing some work to the car this year (new tires, custom paint job, adding a bodykit, etc all of which will benefit riders because they are legitimate car improvements), which is the main reason I decided to drive again this year because it will count as a decent deduction on my taxes.

so all in all I think using a nice car for uber, depending on individual circumstances, can be very beneficial vs using a 'beater' - for both the owner/driver and the riders.


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## ncnealncn (Feb 15, 2018)

This is one of the best threads I've read on here. Thank you for all the great insight. 

I bought an 8 year old car with low mileage from an older gentleman who ran into a wall at his Church. The front has scratches and it's a little crinkled. I've driven a few hundred rides with it and not one person mentioned the front end damage. In the past few weeks I had two pax mention that I am the highest rated driver they have ever seen. I was at 4.92. I just checked. I went up to 4.93 with this beater. I keep it vacuumed, and clean. I got it way under Kelly Blue Book. I plan to drive it a little while fix the front end and hopefully sell it at a profit. 

Watch Craigslist for deals. This guy's son just wanted to get rid of it. They don't need the money.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

ncnealncn said:


> This is one of the best threads I've read on here. Thank you for all the great insight.
> 
> I bought an 8 year old car with low mileage from an older gentleman who ran into a wall at his Church. The front has scratches and it's a little crinkled. I've driven a few hundred rides with it and not one person mentioned the front end damage. In the past few weeks I had two pax mention that I am the highest rated driver they have ever seen. I was at 4.92. I just checked. I went up to 4.93 with this beater. I keep it vacuumed, and clean. I got it way under Kelly Blue Book. I plan to drive it a little while fix the front end and hopefully sell it at a profit.
> 
> Watch Craigslist for deals. This guy's son just wanted to get rid of it. They don't need the money.


I suppose everyone has their own style in doing this. After reading everyone's comments here, I still stay firm on getting a cheap car. I strongly would recommend cheap compact cars that are already depreciated.


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## dogmeat (Mar 12, 2018)

oldfart said:


> I bet I get more tips because my car is bigger and cleaner than the beater. And I'm better looking too


What percentage of your fares tip you?


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## UberXking (Oct 14, 2014)

dogmeat said:


> What percentage of your fares tip you?


50%. I drive a 2005 with 180,000. My last car had 388,000 on it. Write offfs are the same for old cars or new cars. All drivers should mention the MIT study released March 2018. MIT found the average rideshare driver is making slave wages that amount to $3.50 an hour. You are compounding the problem by offering a ride in a newer car. I can guarantee you if you owned a fleet of cars providing trips for UberX rates it would be impossible to stay in business without using the cheapest most reliable vehicle available. Very easy to figure out what vehicle that is. If you're still scratching your head there are a few reliable models of vehicles under $5,000 available that also get great gas mileage


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## Retired Senior (Sep 12, 2016)

I have read thru most of the posts in this folder. 2 months ago I was at Key Hyundai in Milford and was handed the keys to a cherry red, certified, 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe with 40,000 miles. The cost was $15,000. The car was drop dead beautiful, and drove like a dream. Unfortunately, I can't have a car that nice in my condo complex, where drug addicts follow the mail men and the Fed Ex trucks and steal people's deliveries before they even know that they have been delivered!

I own the condo, and even tho it was damaged by a wind driven tree on March 2 I have no other place to go. My girlfriend is bi-polar and has physical problems. My cats need a stable environment. I live adjacent to 450 acres of forest, filled with coyotes, wild turkeys, raccoons, a few red foxes, and at least 1 bobcat. Thanks to this I can endure the vile 2 legged animals that troll the neighborhood.

So Uber with a beater? nah, but come Dec 31 I will no longer be able to drive my 2006 Santa Fe. I'd like to get something similar to the car I was shown at the dealership, but "cherry red" is out of the question.... I hope to have a few thousand dollars to use as a down payment and I believe I could handle monthly payments of $250 - $300 without a problem... although the knee surgery may put me out of business for a few weeks.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

Retired Senior said:


> I have read thru most of the posts in this folder. 2 months ago I was at Key Hyundai in Milford and was handed the keys to a cherry red, certified, 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe with 40,000 miles. The cost was $15,000. The car was drop dead beautiful, and drove like a dream. Unfortunately, I can't have a car that nice in my condo complex, where drug addicts follow the mail men and the Fed Ex trucks and steal people's deliveries before they even know that they have been delivered!
> 
> I own the condo, and even tho it was damaged by a wind driven tree on March 2 I have no other place to go. My girlfriend is bi-polar and has physical problems. My cats need a stable environment. I live adjacent to 450 acres of forest, filled with coyotes, wild turkeys, raccoons, a few red foxes, and at least 1 bobcat. Thanks to this I can endure the vile 2 legged animals that troll the neighborhood.
> 
> So Uber with a beater? nah, but come Dec 31 I will no longer be able to drive my 2006 Santa Fe. I'd like to get something similar to the car I was shown at the dealership, but "cherry red" is out of the question.... I hope to have a few thousand dollars to use as a down payment and I believe I could handle monthly payments of $250 - $300 without a problem... although the knee surgery may put me out of business for a few weeks.


To me there are different levels of beaters. I used to think of a camry from the 1990s when I used to hear the word "beater". Now I think of a 2005-2009 Corolla, Camry, or Civic. Maybe with some light scratches and faded paint with a little rust. Minor cosmetics are all fixable if you want it to be perfect. When your market allows a 15/14 year old, I think it's better to role with a cheapy. This may not work for other markets with stricter rules regarding the year but to me I'm all about minimizing my expenses.


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## thejeepfreek (May 7, 2018)

I use a 2007 civic for rideshare. Bought from a friend for under $2000 with under 160k miles. It’s been good so far for me. Outside is a 8/10 and inside is around a 7/10. I drive mostly at night so most passengers don’t notice things. I wouldn’t call it a beater, I got a good deal on the car. It does need struts and shocks though. I recommend new suspension components on any used vehicle you choose if it’s older than say, 2010.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

thejeepfreek said:


> I use a 2007 civic for rideshare. Bought from a friend for under $2000 with under 160k miles. It's been good so far for me. Outside is a 8/10 and inside is around a 7/10. I drive mostly at night so most passengers don't notice things. I wouldn't call it a beater, I got a good deal on the car. It does need struts and shocks though. I recommend new suspension components on any used vehicle you choose if it's older than say, 2010.


That's a steal. Don't "upgrade" to XL ever! I'd would stay with that Civic until you are expired year-wise. You probably can make 4x-6x what you paid for that car in no time if you haven't already.


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## thejeepfreek (May 7, 2018)

rideshare2870 said:


> That's a steal. Don't "upgrade" to XL ever! I'd would stay with that Civic until you are expired year-wise. You probably can make 4x-6x what you paid for that car in no time if you haven't already.


I only drove for lyft, October-December I paid it off doing 3 night a week, 3 hours at a time average.

Still only driving for lyft. Wondering if I should start using it for Uber too.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

thejeepfreek said:


> I only drove for lyft, October-December I paid it off doing 3 night a week, 3 hours at a time average.
> 
> Still only driving for lyft. Wondering if I should start using it for Uber too.


Your're missing out if your're not doing Uber. Uber is busier most of the time so I think you'll like it better.


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

Mike Brothers said:


> I think it'd be irresponsible to do rideshare in a vehicle that has a higher than normal chance to break down with a passenger in the car.


I drive a beater. Fork the pax; I have AAA so I'm covered for a tow back home no problem if the car breaks down; the pax can get their own ride away from the breakdown site. They always have the option of paying double the Uber fare and "upgrading" to a cab if they so choose. So, no.... I'm afraid that this is a case of "you get what you pay for".


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## dogmeat (Mar 12, 2018)

The Gift of Fish said:


> I drive a beater. Fork the pax; I have AAA so I'm covered for a tow back home no problem if the car breaks down; the pax can get their own ride away from the breakdown site. They always have the option of paying double the Uber fare and "upgrading" to a cab if they so choose. So, no.... I'm afraid that this is a case of "you get what you pay for".


The passenger in me wants to tell you to go punch some sand. The driver in me says damn the man!


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## thejeepfreek (May 7, 2018)

rideshare2870 said:


> Your're missing out if your're not doing Uber. Uber is busier most of the time so I think you'll like it better.


I'll have to check that out. I'm always busy with lyft in my area(Bridgewater, New Brunswick, Plainfields).


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## UBERPROcolorado (Jul 16, 2017)

rideshare2870 said:


> So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money". Well, when you get 13 mpg, of course your're not! In my opinion, I think people who have money to start with have the upper hand and that should be no surprise. There are lots of good cars under $4,000 on craigslist and by having a paid off beater, you should be able to do well. I think people have a problem handling money rather than having a problem with Uber/Lyft. There are lots of cars right now that are doing this and they're not cut out for it. What do you guys think?


The math is clear. It is the depreciation that kills the profit. I bought a car specifically for driving Uber. 2005 Chev. Trailblazer. Mint condition, loaded, 109K, solid ****** and motor. $3000. Will never drop under $3000 in value.

Riders love it. Lots of room. Comfortable. Great in the mountains. Room for dogs, ski equipt, etc.

6500 trips and a 4.99. Flash is useless. Utility, room and clean and reliable is what sells here.


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## MadTownUberD (Mar 11, 2017)

UBERPROcolorado said:


> The math is clear. It is the depreciation that kills the profit. I bought a car specifically for driving Uber. 2005 Chev. Trailblazer. Mint condition, loaded, 109K, solid ****** and motor. $3000. Will never drop under $3000 in value.
> 
> Riders love it. Lots of room. Comfortable. Great in the mountains. Room for dogs, ski equipt, etc.
> 
> 6500 trips and a 4.99. Flash is useless. Utility, room and clean and reliable is what sells here.


Good job!


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## Over/Uber (Jan 2, 2017)

Yep, depreciated “beater” it is.

8 year old Optima that has been reliable since October ‘17. 2500 rides. After the mileage deduction, mortgage deduction and charitable, I don’t have much left to tax.


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## oldfart (Dec 22, 2017)

We may be talking about the same thing, but depreciation the word I’d use 
. Im looking at estimated remaining life and replacement value

In other words how many miles are left in this thing, and when it’s time to replace it, what’s another one going to cost

I’m planning on another 200000 miles out of my suv (XL) and expecting to pay $25000 to replace it so my “cost” (depreciation if you will) is 12.5 cents a mile. Although I’m 72 years old. I might just decide to stop driving in 2 years and become an Uber rider instead of driver. In that case since I don’t have to replace my car I won’t even consider depreciation or replacement cost

Another driver might estimate 100000 miles are left in his beater and expect to pay $3000 to replace it, so his expenses are just 3 cents a mile

You might say the question at that point is, can I cover my expenses and net more with the bigger better car. But there’s more to it than that. I find I get a better class of customer with xl


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## anteetr (Jan 24, 2017)

oldfart said:


> We may be talking about the same thing, but depreciation the word I'd use
> . Im looking at estimated remaining life and replacement value
> 
> In other words how many miles are left in this thing, and when it's time to replace it, what's another one going to cost
> ...


Ah, but you can buy a XL eligible beater for $3000 as well and get the same customer. I'm sure you can find an 04-08 caravan for 3 grand and get 100k out of it.


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## rideshare2870 (Nov 23, 2017)

UBERPROcolorado said:


> The math is clear. It is the depreciation that kills the profit. I bought a car specifically for driving Uber. 2005 Chev. Trailblazer. Mint condition, loaded, 109K, solid ****** and motor. $3000. Will never drop under $3000 in value.
> 
> Riders love it. Lots of room. Comfortable. Great in the mountains. Room for dogs, ski equipt, etc.
> 
> 6500 trips and a 4.99. Flash is useless. Utility, room and clean and reliable is what sells here.


How is this working out for you? A Blazer gets 14 MPG which is really low. How much do you spend on gas?


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## UBERPROcolorado (Jul 16, 2017)

oldfart said:


> We may be talking about the same thing, but depreciation the word I'd use
> . Im looking at estimated remaining life and replacement value
> 
> In other words how many miles are left in this thing, and when it's time to replace it, what's another one going to cost
> ...


My thoughts are&#8230;

Not everyone has contacts to by from an auction. Retail in Colo at the time I purchased it was $5,200 - $6,200. The same unit retail in Florida would be closer to $3800.

Bet that 4x4s are not in big demand, might want to look at a sedan, you should be able to find a good deal on an American model, 2005-2006 with 100,000 or so.

It is hard to know when a car will break to the point its not worth repair. I use a mechanic/ friend and bring it in every 25 days for a quick once over.

The big thing is what do your riders look for in a car. In Colo they want clean, lot of room, rear with plenty of luggage room, 4x4, etc. Not as concerned with new, sporty , luxury, etc. Got to know your market and buy accordingly.

Hope this helps a bit.


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

SaintCl89 said:


> Bought my used car for $5500 with 155k on it. 2009 Ford Flex. Getting 19 mpg. 30 bucks to fill it (12 gallon tank). Work 4 nights a week for 6 hours. 150 per night x 4 -= 600 less 120 gas = 480. Not too shabby


Still driving a Flex @SaintCl89?


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## SaintCl89 (May 21, 2017)

Yessir. 243k on it going strong


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## KenLV (Jun 23, 2017)

SaintCl89 said:


> Yessir. 243k on it going strong


 Nice.

What have you had to do to it repairs wise?

I'm not talking oil/brakes/etc... maintenance, I mean repairs.

Timing chain/belt, fuel pump, engine/****** work, etc...

Just curious.

Edit; lol, the forum bot blocked the abbreviation for "transmission" that rhymes with fanny. That's just pathetic.


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## ncnealncn (Feb 15, 2018)

ncnealncn said:


> This is one of the best threads I've read on here. Thank you for all the great insight.
> 
> I bought an 8 year old car with low mileage from an older gentleman who ran into a wall at his Church. The front has scratches and it's a little crinkled. I've driven a few hundred rides with it and not one person mentioned the front end damage. In the past few weeks I had two pax mention that I am the highest rated driver they have ever seen. I was at 4.92. I just checked. I went up to 4.93 with this beater. I keep it vacuumed, and clean. I got it way under Kelly Blue Book. I plan to drive it a little while fix the front end and hopefully sell it at a profit.
> 
> Watch Craigslist for deals. This guy's son just wanted to get rid of it. They don't need the money.


I've been driving my beater for over a year now. I've made more than I paid for it, and I could probably sell it for what I have invested. I enjoy having a spare car at the house. I recently started renting it on Turo. I get about $20 a day and drive my Prius for Uber when it's rented.


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## nosurgenodrive (May 13, 2019)

rideshare2870 said:


> So here is what I think and I want some input on this whether you agree or not. I think having a beater is the only way to do Uber and Lyft. I'm seeing many people with Jeeps and BMWs, talking about "I'm not making no money". Well, when you get 13 mpg, of course your're not! In my opinion, I think people who have money to start with have the upper hand and that should be no surprise. There are lots of good cars under $4,000 on craigslist and by having a paid off beater, you should be able to do well. I think people have a problem handling money rather than having a problem with Uber/Lyft. There are lots of cars right now that are doing this and they're not cut out for it. What do you guys think?


I always wear a wife beater. This is how your pax knows you are a professional.


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## SaintCl89 (May 21, 2017)

KenLV said:


> Nice.
> 
> What have you had to do to it repairs wise?
> 
> ...


At 188 I did the engine. The new engine had 67k on it I had them strip it and do the water pump, timing chain, all guides, front and rear main seal, transfer case, and both fuel pumps.


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## goneubering (Aug 17, 2017)

SaintCl89 said:


> Yessir. 243k on it going strong


Sounds good. I've always liked the looks of the Flex. Lately I've been thinking about adding another vehicle so I appreciate your input.


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