# Do Uber Black, SUV, etc., lead to better profits than UberX?



## MasterDriver (Feb 13, 2018)

I’m still looking around for a new vehicle which I would use to drive with Uber, Lyft and other platforms. (“New” as in different from what I currently drive; the replacement will be preowned.)

But I continue to vacillate among buying...

1. just a normal sedan (like a Volkswagen Passat) that qualify only for basic services, like UberX and Pool;

2. a higher-end sedan (like a BMW 3- or 5-series or Audi A6) that could qualify for luxury options, like UberBlack or

3. an SUV (like a Chevy Suburban or GMC Denali) that could qualify for UberSUV.

*
My question is specifically for those of you who drive (or have driven) luxury sedans or SUVs with these apps in New York (and, to judge from how frequently I see such vehicles on the road, there must be many of you):

Does the revenue you receive from such premium rider options with Uber, Lyft, et al (such as UberBlack and UberSUV) truly cover the higher expenses of acquiring, maintaining and operating such a vehicle. Does it really result in a profit that is noticeably higher? Or do you not see much of an increase in your profits?

In other words, is a higher-end sedan or SUV really worth its cost when it comes to these driver apps?

(The vehicle would also be for other business uses and even my own personal use, so the driver app issue is one of a few factors going into this purchase.)

Please share your experiences. Thanks.


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## Brian-drives (Jan 13, 2015)

Only by a vehicle that you can afford without doing Uber .

Uber can change the rules at a moments notice of what qualifies for an acceptable car .

You could also be deactivated for no reason and a passengers lie.


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## mangoman808 (Aug 20, 2016)

Do the math properly and balance out the fact that Uber and Lyft situations can change at the drop of a hat and you will likely conclude that a used Prius or some kind of Japanese / hybrid car is your best bet for best margins on profit.

If you get a used BMW or an Acura MDX that’s gonna run you $30k minimum. Unless it’s older.

A used 2011 Prius is gonna be like $12,000 or less.

Add the fact that gas is the largest expense and you’ll conclude that it’s veey risky to get an expensive car.

The demand on select, lux, xl , plus are minuscule compared to UberX. You’re much better off studying the regular ride market and developing your own strategy rather than taking the seemingly easy way out by gettin an expensive car to cut down on how much work you put in.

For the record, I drive a gas 2014 Camry 60 hours a week and pull in $1800-$2100 per week. I do both apps. I often bang my head on the wall for saying that I didn’t want to drive a Prius and got a gas Camry instead. I should have at least gotten the hybrid Camry. My gas savings would amount to $3000-$4000 per year. That hybrid battery replacement would pay for itself after just 1 year of gas savings.

Study your market and develop a playbook for what to do next after every ride. 

I started in 2016 and averaged like $20-$25 an hour. 2017 I averaged $28 an hour over the year. This year i am averaging $31 an hour. My market gets more and more saturated each year but I’m still making more money each year because I study the patterns of pax and the times. You can make money on X if you are smart and work hard. 

Get a Prius or some kind of hybrid. And if not, a gas efficient sedan like a corllla or a civic , or a Honda Fit.


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## RideshareGentrification (Apr 10, 2018)

I'd say yes I do Lyft luxsuv but not black as I don't have the puc permits or commercial livery insurance yet. But I get about 2 or 3 people a week on select or lux rides that want to use me again also the amount of extra income I bring in on lux while isn't much it's enough for me to realize adding black and private clients would be worth it. I've got 2 BlackSUV cars and a black eligible car in my fleet so might as well make it happen 

You can buy great cars around $12k that will Be great for every platform for 2 years so even if you were to lose uber the car wouldn't kill you and you could cancel the expensive insurance.


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## MasterDriver (Feb 13, 2018)

Thanks, everyone, for the very helpful posts.

I should look into the Camry hybrid (or a similar class of sedan); I never really thought of that. Just curious, though, Mangoman: where would I charge the car, given the fact I live in an apartment building without a charging station?

And, RideshareGentrification, which cars would you recommend for around $12K that are suitable for every platform? Are you still referring to SUVs? Clearly, I need to look beyond the New York City region to buy a car for a reasonable price. The prices I’ve seen for vehicles in greater New York are exorbitant (like everything else, lol).


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## RideshareGentrification (Apr 10, 2018)

MasterDriver said:


> Thanks, everyone, for the very helpful posts.
> 
> I should look into the Camry hybrid (or a similar class of sedan); I never really thought of that. Just curious, though, Mangoman: where would I charge the car, given the fact I live in an apartment building without a charging station?
> 
> And, RideshareGentrification, which cars would you recommend for around $12K that are suitable for every platform? Are you still referring to SUVs? Clearly, I need to look beyond the New York City region to buy a car for a reasonable price. The prices I've seen for vehicles in greater New York are exorbitant (like everything else, lol).


You can sometime find the following cars for under $15k
-Volvo xc90
-acura mdx
-Chevy Tahoe /suburban or GMC equivalent
-Lincoln mkt
-Infiniti jx35/qx60

You're actually in the cheapest area for cars, I notice when I do nationwide vehicle searches (I'm guessing NYC is high) but New York state New Jersey and Pennsylvania always seem to be the cheapest areas to buy cars in the nation. Denver is where I live and the used car prices are some of the highest in the nation so I usually look to buy out of state. Arizona, Utah Nebraska and Texas are the cheap states in this part of the country

Although New York city might have different requirements for vehicles so check that out on the Uber site. I'm going by 2011 minimum on the car year


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## dauction (Sep 26, 2017)

@OP... Look at used Lincoln MKZ hybrid ... I paid 17 for a 2014 , black leather interior qualifies for select/premium. Getting 40+ MPG .. Really didnt want to go the Prius path ... your X passengers will be "impressed" that they get to ride in a lincoln and seems to pull in more tips . Cant comment on Select rides yet as Uber and Lyft dont offer those services in my City..But just changing my City to Minneapolis ... I will be leaving Uber in Select and leaving Lyft in X. ..


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## RideshareGentrification (Apr 10, 2018)

dauction said:


> @OP... Look at used Lincoln MKZ hybrid ... I paid 17 for a 2014 , black leather interior qualifies for select/premium. Getting 40+ MPG .. Really didnt want to go the Prius path ... your X passengers will be "impressed" that they get to ride in a lincoln and seems to pull in more tips . Cant comment on Select rides yet as Uber and Lyft dont offer those services in my City..But just changing my City to Minneapolis ... I will be leaving Uber in Select and leaving Lyft in X. ..


I have a 2012 MKZ Hybrid in my fleet it's the last year of the previous body style and it has now done 160k miles with no major issues Getting 45mpg . Great car they're hard to find in the 2012 model year they did a refresh in 2012 and then a redesign in 2013 so the 2012 in a hybrid is tough to find but if you find them yo ucan get them for around $6500-$11k depending on miles and condition. Awesome little cars much better than a prius (except for the lack of cargo space in the trunk is taken up by the battery but it's still not bad)


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## mangoman808 (Aug 20, 2016)

MasterDriver said:


> Thanks, everyone, for the very helpful posts.
> 
> I should look into the Camry hybrid (or a similar class of sedan); I never really thought of that. Just curious, though, Mangoman: where would I charge the car, given the fact I live in an apartment building without a charging station?
> 
> And, RideshareGentrification, which cars would you recommend for around $12K that are suitable for every platform? Are you still referring to SUVs? Clearly, I need to look beyond the New York City region to buy a car for a reasonable price. The prices I've seen for vehicles in greater New York are exorbitant (like everything else, lol).


Hybrid cars do not need a charging station. They are not electric cars. Hybrid cars are Prius's, Camry Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, Fusion Hybrid etc. You fill them with regular gas just like gas cars. --not a Tesla or a Nissan Leaf (those are electric cars that you plug into the wall socket and charge up).


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## azndriver87 (Mar 23, 2015)

is it profitable? yes.
will you make more revenue if you're doing uber black/suv only? maybe not. there's not enough leads.


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

If you are gonna step up, go SUV, forget sedans. Most of the select/lux riders prefer suvs. Xl will be your x


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## njn (Jan 23, 2016)

Black can legally do off app trips and build clients.


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## RideshareGentrification (Apr 10, 2018)

njn said:


> Black can legally do off app trips and build clients.


Which really is the only reason to do Black . Building your clientele


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## MasterDriver (Feb 13, 2018)

RideshareGentrification said:


> Which really is the only reason to do Black . Building your clientele


Hmm...I never even thought about the possibility of repeat clients. Good thing to consider.

So, if I go for an SUV, I'll probably be able to maintain about the same frequency of calls, especially if I'm open to most of the different rider options, including UberSUV and UberX (and the equivalents at the other apps)? I remember Uber saying that UberX was their most frequently used option and that most riders preferred sedans. But, maybe that isn't completely accurate in practice?

It does seem as if a full-size black SUV will give me the most rider options. Seems as if that should translate into more calls. Just wish they were more fuel-efficient.



Kodyhead said:


> If you are gonna step up, go SUV, forget sedans. Most of the select/lux riders prefer suvs. Xl will be your x


Good point. I imagine luxury riders in general (regardless of how they obtain their rides) prefer SUVs, if only for the added space.


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

If you are doing x, it wont be the same frequency of calls, just paid more per less trips.

Some people want space, some people want better cars, some people think better drivers

What part of new york?


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## MasterDriver (Feb 13, 2018)

RideshareGentrification said:


> You can sometime find the following cars for under $15k
> -Volvo xc90
> -acura mdx
> -Chevy Tahoe /suburban or GMC equivalent
> ...


Thanks for this list and info. For the Chevy and GMC SUVs, what's the maintenance like, especially on the older cars? At what point (years & mileage) do they tend to start to need a lot of visits to the shop? Also, is 2015 the year these cars became equipped with their backup cameras?



Kodyhead said:


> If you are doing x, it wont be the same frequency of calls, just paid more per less trips.
> 
> Some people want space, some people want better cars, some people think better drivers
> 
> What part of new york?


I'm in New York City.

Actually, being paid more per trip while driving fewer trips seems as if it would be a plus as long as my overall profits at least remain the same.

With a vehicle that can accommodate a larger number of passengers (say, six or seven) would the maximum number of riders for each party in Uber Pool, Lyft Line, and comparable options remain at two? Or does that number increase? Intuitively, it seems better for drivers if the number remains at two...


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

The challenge in NYC would be finding places to park and wait for free preferably near a bathroom.


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## RideshareGentrification (Apr 10, 2018)

You might want to ask some of these questions in the New York sub forum as I believe things are much different when it comes to UberBlack etc... 

Speaking only with what I know of requirements for Denver for UberBlack/SUV is most cars are a 2011 or newer to be eligible so I wouldn't buy anything newer than 2014 , as you're gonna log in a lot of miles and I would recommend flipping the car every 18-24 months to minimize depreciation loss . 
Also in regards to your question about the GM vehicles they're gonna probably be the most reliable out of the list I listed they are the industry standard for a reason . I know the 2014 and newer Tahoe, Yukon Suburbans have bad transmissions that can fail early so I'd stay with a 2012 or 2013 model year they're some of the cheapest and easiest cars to work on . Any car can have a backup camera and I believe that option was very common on those vehicles 2011 and newer , if it's not you can add one for incredibly cheap . I'd stay away from the top of the line models with the air ride suspension it will fail and you'll end up wanting to convert to a traditional suspension anyway . I see a lot of the 2011-2013 Suburbans for sale from Limo companies for $8k-$11k with 250k-400k miles that right there tells you how far they can go with good maintenance and preventative repairs . 

Also if you're going to be driving a large car that gets terrible gas mileage and costs more to operate you really can't do X or Pool unless it's surging and expect to make any money .
I only do X or Pool in the following situations 

1) Airport rematches , at Denver International Airport we have about a 2 minute window to get re matched with a rider after we have dropped off another rider . I usually leave myself available only for XL or higher for about a minute than click to start excepting X and pool . Our airport is 25 miles from the city so getting 77-83 cents a mile to get back into town is better than a deadhead . 

2) I get a ride to an area where premium rides aren't going to happen and I just want to get back into the city . Say Boulder , Colorado Springs tryign to get back to Denver I'll be available for everything but only except UberX or Pool with a long trip notification and then call to make sure they're actually heading in the direction I want to be or a better area .

3) Consecutive Ride Bonuses if Uber is offering say a $13 3 ride bonus and I've take 2 premium rides but want to call it a day I position myself in an area that will get me a minimum fare ride to get that bonus . Basically turning a $4 ride into a $17 ride . Doesn't always work out and sometimes I'll get a crappy 8 mile UberX ride but it all evens out in the end 


Again strategy and requirements are very market specific my guess is the way I do things wouldn't work as well in New York City and if I was working in NYC I'd be figuring out my own strategy


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## MasterDriver (Feb 13, 2018)

Kodyhead said:


> The challenge in NYC would be finding places to park and wait for free preferably near a bathroom.


Haha. That's already a problem with the Toyota Camry I currently drive. It would be a problem regardless of how small the vehicle. Finding a spot to park legally can be time consuming in and of itself and I often do pay the meter. I just can't be bothered to worry about whether or not, in the name of saving a few dollars and minutes, I'll return from my short break only to find a pricey ticket on my windshield. The traffic police tend to appear out of nowhere.

I recall seeing, just a few weeks ago, a motorist park his car illegally and stroll away. Within literally five minutes, an officer ticketed the car. A couple minutes later, the same officer ticketed the delivery truck around the corner, which was also parked illegally. The only time I stop on a street illegally is when I wait to pick up or discharge a passenger and then, obviously, I stay in the car the whole time and move it immediately when requested or to not block active traffic.


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

I used to work in Manhattan years ago, I can imagine now with technology how bad it is now lol


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## MasterDriver (Feb 13, 2018)

RideshareGentrification said:


> You might want to ask some of these questions in the New York sub forum as I believe things are much different when it comes to UberBlack etc...
> 
> Speaking only with what I know of requirements for Denver for UberBlack/SUV is most cars are a 2011 or newer to be eligible so I wouldn't buy anything newer than 2014 , as you're gonna log in a lot of miles and I would recommend flipping the car every 18-24 months to minimize depreciation loss .
> Also in regards to your question about the GM vehicles they're gonna probably be the most reliable out of the list I listed they are the industry standard for a reason . I know the 2014 and newer Tahoe, Yukon Suburbans have bad transmissions that can fail early so I'd stay with a 2012 or 2013 model year they're some of the cheapest and easiest cars to work on . Any car can have a backup camera and I believe that option was very common on those vehicles 2011 and newer , if it's not you can add one for incredibly cheap . I'd stay away from the top of the line models with the air ride suspension it will fail and you'll end up wanting to convert to a traditional suspension anyway . I see a lot of the 2011-2013 Suburbans for sale from Limo companies for $8k-$11k with 250k-400k miles that right there tells you how far they can go with good maintenance and preventative repairs .
> ...


Thanks, Rideshare, for all the very helpful tips and letting me know about the NY forum. I'll look more closely into the 2012 & 2013 Chevy and GMC SUVs. I do notice some comparatively inexpensive ones online. I suppose the limo companies would try to sell their old cars on sites like TrueCar? I'll also verify with Uber, et al, what the oldest year they accept is for UberSUV and the other pax options I'm interested in accepting.

Judging from your posts about X and Pool, I believe Uber in New York City does operate somewhat differently than in Denver.

1. For one, Uber and the other apps, following airport policy, use queue systems for two of the NYC area's three major airports. As a driver who wants to pick up a passenger from either Kennedy or LaGuardia Airport, you must be online and wait in a designated parking area until you are first in the virtual line of drivers, at which point you receive a call. At Newark Liberty, the third airport, once you drop off a passenger you may receive a request to pick up another one at the same airport-or you may not receive that call and wind up having to return to the city without a fare, which is annoying. Also, the wait time to receive a call, especially at Kennedy, can be so long as to be impractical and detrimental to your overall business.

2. This is certainly good advice and could work in NYC. I especially like the part about calling the rider ahead, before your arrival to verify they are actually going in the same direction you wish to go. I really wish Uber would allow drivers to set their preferred destinations many more times per day than the app currently allows and that the feature was always reliably available (it is not always available or reliable). Do passengers ever complain or otherwise give you a hard time when you call them to ask where they are going?

3. I've been driving using Uber since March and still have not seen Consecutive Ride Bonuses on that platform. I do see that Lyft sometimes offers them. Maybe Uber doesn't offer them for UberX in NYC?


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

I think you need a base company in nyc to do suv

Pretty sure there's a few thousand threads about it lol. While you are at it look up milk its entertaining and makes me smile everytime


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## MasterDriver (Feb 13, 2018)

Kodyhead said:


> I used to work in Manhattan years ago, I can imagine now with technology how bad it is now lol


lol. Yeah, it probably is worse. I never really noticed until I started driving with these apps. Cars not only double park, they sometimes triple-park. The city honestly needs to enforce its parking laws more consistently and assertively. In more residential areas, I see cars illegally parked on the street for days without having received a ticket. Everywhere, people double-park for a half hour or way longer and no one says anything to them. So, the so-called meter-maids are always busy, as I referred to earlier, but overall parking enforcement should really be better.



Kodyhead said:


> I think you need a base company in nyc to do suv
> 
> Pretty sure there's a few thousand threads about it lol. While you are at it look up milk its entertaining and makes me smile everytime


Hmm...one more thing to look into.


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## MasterDriver (Feb 13, 2018)

RideshareGentrification said:


> You might want to ask some of these questions in the New York sub forum as I believe things are much different when it comes to UberBlack etc...
> 
> Speaking only with what I know of requirements for Denver for UberBlack/SUV is most cars are a 2011 or newer to be eligible so I wouldn't buy anything newer than 2014 , as you're gonna log in a lot of miles and I would recommend flipping the car every 18-24 months to minimize depreciation loss .
> Also in regards to your question about the GM vehicles they're gonna probably be the most reliable out of the list I listed they are the industry standard for a reason . I know the 2014 and newer Tahoe, Yukon Suburbans have bad transmissions that can fail early so I'd stay with a 2012 or 2013 model year they're some of the cheapest and easiest cars to work on . Any car can have a backup camera and I believe that option was very common on those vehicles 2011 and newer , if it's not you can add one for incredibly cheap . I'd stay away from the top of the line models with the air ride suspension it will fail and you'll end up wanting to convert to a traditional suspension anyway . I see a lot of the 2011-2013 Suburbans for sale from Limo companies for $8k-$11k with 250k-400k miles that right there tells you how far they can go with good maintenance and preventative repairs .
> ...


BTW, I have yet to test drive a GM SUV (Chevy Suburban, GMC Yukon, etc.). What are they like to drive? I always assumed they provide a smoother ride than a Toyota Camry, where you can feel every bump and pothole in the road.


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## RideshareGentrification (Apr 10, 2018)

MasterDriver said:


> BTW, I have yet to test drive a GM SUV (Chevy Suburban, GMC Yukon, etc.). What are they like to drive? I always assumed they provide a smoother ride than a Toyota Camry, where you can feel every bump and pothole in the road.


I mean they're basically a truck not the smoothest ride maybe better than a Camry. Your best bet is to just go out with a list of a few cars you're interested in and go do some test drives. Make sure to get the cars on a hwy that u can hit 80mph and some bad surface streets. Slam on the gas, slam on the breaks give it a work out and see how it feels


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

The Arcadia was real nice imo but since they changed body styles I chose the qx60 since I can get away with it being new lol


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## MasterDriver (Feb 13, 2018)

RideshareGentrification said:


> I mean they're basically a truck not the smoothest ride maybe better than a Camry. Your best bet is to just go out with a list of a few cars you're interested in and go do some test drives. Make sure to get the cars on a hwy that u can hit 80mph and some bad surface streets. Slam on the gas, slam on the breaks give it a work out and see how it feels


Yes. And I have a lot of test driving to do, hehe.



Kodyhead said:


> The Arcadia was real nice imo but since they changed body styles I chose the qx60 since I can get away with it being new lol


Thanks, Kodyhead.


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

My next car I think will have to have captain seats in the middle row though fyi


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

RideshareGentrification said:


> You can sometime find the following cars for under $15k
> -Volvo xc90
> -acura mdx
> -Chevy Tahoe /suburban or GMC equivalent
> ...


Out of that list, the XC90 is my pick. Interior leather not up to commercial work though.


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## RideshareGentrification (Apr 10, 2018)

Sydney Uber said:


> Out of that list, the XC90 is my pick. Interior leather not up to commercial work though.


I love the swedes but why the xc90?? It's the cheapest on the list but also IMHO the most outdated also the 3rd row is not only small but a nightmare to even set up and put away. It is the only one that can easily be found in a 2011+ for under $9k though


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

RideshareGentrification said:


> I love the swedes but why the xc90?? It's the cheapest on the list but also IMHO the most outdated also the 3rd row is not only small but a nightmare to even set up and put away. It is the only one that can easily be found in a 2011+ for under $9k though


If it passes UBER's requirements, and UBER is your only gig, that's all you need. If it's got good service history, its a bargain!


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## RideshareGentrification (Apr 10, 2018)

Sydney Uber said:


> If it passes UBER's requirements, and UBER is your only gig, that's all you need. If it's got good service history, its a bargain!


I get what you're saying buy the bare minimum to qualify , but my guess is you haven't done XL type rides in an SUV ?

My Infiniti and Ford have some of the easiest access to the 3rd row of any SUV and people are still dumb as heck getting back there lol . The Ford actually has captain chairs so you don't have to move the seat but these morons will try to fold the seat which is just a single button you hold down for about 2 seconds and the power seat just folds for easy access they still can't figure it out . I actually try to get out for every group that needs the 3rd row and do it for them but people don't wait, don't listen it sucks lol I have not gotten in the habit of just ignoring weekend XL requests all together as they just don't pay enough to justify all the effort , I couldn't imagine doing it in an XC90 that would be a big ordeal


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

RideshareGentrification said:


> I get what you're saying buy the bare minimum to qualify , but my guess is you haven't done XL type rides in an SUV ?
> 
> My Infiniti and Ford have some of the easiest access to the 3rd row of any SUV and people are still dumb as heck getting back there lol . The Ford actually has captain chairs so you don't have to move the seat but these morons will try to fold the seat which is just a single button you hold down for about 2 seconds and the power seat just folds for easy access they still can't figure it out . I actually try to get out for every group that needs the 3rd row and do it for them but people don't wait, don't listen it sucks lol I have not gotten in the habit of just ignoring weekend XL requests all together as they just don't pay enough to justify all the effort , I couldn't imagine doing it in an XC90 that would be a big ordeal


Yes, I agree! you gotta get out of a SUV real quick before riders start pulling and tugging on the wrong levers

The XC90 was a suggestion to someone "dipping a toe" in UBER SUV work. I'm thinking minimal outlay, maximum service. It may not be easy to win private work with it, but he'd get farm out work from agencies if he wanted it.

I've run an Audi Q7 - it nearly sent me broke and almost killed my wife & 3 kids.

I currently operate a Mercedes Viano and Valente, SUV/Black but mainly private work. Having been at the wrong end of huge rectification bills once these Mercs are out of warranty in the past, it is a constant threat to profit.

After 23 years of Chauffering I'm up for experimenting. My Tesla Model X SUV has covered 91,000kms in 14 months, and has turned my business around, slashed operating costs whilst increasing takings by 30%.

My other "experiment" is an LDV (SAIC Motors) Chinese luxury people mover is a third of the cost of a Mercedes Viano and equal to it. Still new, so the Jury is out on that Van.


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## RideshareGentrification (Apr 10, 2018)

Sydney Uber said:


> Yes, I agree! you gotta get out of a SUV real quick before riders start pulling and tugging on the wrong levers
> 
> The XC90 was a suggestion to someone "dipping a toe" in UBER SUV work. I'm thinking minimal outlay, maximum service. It may not be easy to win private work with it, but he'd get farm out work from agencies if he wanted it.
> 
> ...


What market are you in?

I'm using my jx35 to get started with livery work and then I'm going to upgrade to a Navigator or GL350 something that's better at getting private clients The jx isn't bad 3rd row is easy access but not a ton of room, fuel economy is great for a suv (23/24 mpg on regular can get 26 on ethanol free) its been reliable to 125k miles but the transmissions in these can be ticking time bombs I got lucky and got one of the rare less problematic transmissions


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

RideshareGentrification said:


> What market are you in?
> 
> I'm using my jx35 to get started with livery work and then I'm going to upgrade to a Navigator or GL350 something that's better at getting private clients The jx isn't bad 3rd row is easy access but not a ton of room, fuel economy is great for a suv (23/24 mpg on regular can get 26 on ethanol free) its been reliable to 125k miles but the transmissions in these can be ticking time bombs I got lucky and got one of the rare less problematic transmissions


I operate the Model X in LUX/SUV/BLACK & Select only when on set destination. Here in Sydney Australia.

I've been hammered by German cars, did everything right by them. My mistake was expecting them to last more than 250,000kms (150,000 miles).

I HAD to try a left-field solution, otherwise I would've gone broke.


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## MasterDriver (Feb 13, 2018)

Kodyhead said:


> My next car I think will have to have captain seats in the middle row though fyi


Oh, why is that? Would you or your pax find that more convenient?


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## MyJessicaLS430 (May 29, 2018)

MasterDriver said:


> But I continue to vacillate among buying...
> 
> 2. a higher-end sedan (like a BMW 3- or 5-series or Audi A6) that could qualify for luxury options, like UberBlack or
> 
> ...


Please don't buy a new car for Uber particularly if you do that full time. If you can afford a new BMW, great; but be prepared with the maintenance bills that come one after another as soon as 3 years of purchase (this is my friends' experience).

Find a reliable car. My first car is for personal commutes only which is a 2003 Lexus LS430 just hit 90K miles 2 months ago. This car is so serene that the mandatory 90K service (approx $1400), recommended service every 10k and oil changes are the only expenses. My second car is for grocery shopping, road trips and Uber. It is a 2012 Lexus LS460 bought as a CPO and I am glad nothing bad appears even after the warranty expires. I don't think any European brands can beat the Japanese in terms of reliability.

So far, there are only 6 Select trips in 3 months of driving (I drive <10 hrs/week). My thought is that unless the car is primarily used for yourself, you don't need to buy a luxury for Select. FYI, this is the difference between Uber X and Select for a typical 27-mile airport trip in Houston.

Uber X: $0.6/mile x 27 miles = $16.2 + $0.12/min x 35 mins = $4.2 >> $ 20.4
Select: $1.66/mile x 27 miles = $44.82 + $0.21/min x 35 miles = $7.35 >> $52.17


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## Kodyhead (May 26, 2015)

BTW I noticed in many markets the standards have been lowered for cars, many allow a 15 yo car for X and the cutoff for Lux and luxSUV in my market is 2010 now


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