# What car would you get for Ubering under $25k?



## diggstown (Apr 17, 2014)

I'm going to try Uber but first need to trade in my two door VW Rabbit. 

What 4 door car would be the best to start getting my Uber on!?


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## myuber (Apr 18, 2014)

2014 mazda 6 28 mpg city 38 mpg city 2014 vw passat tdi.. Most cost effective Is a 2014 toyota prius C.. 53 mpg city.. start $19k.. fully loaded.. $24k..


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## diggstown (Apr 17, 2014)

myuber said:


> 2014 mazda 6 28 mpg city 38 mpg city 2014 vw passat tdi.. Most cost effective Is a 2014 toyota prius C.. 53 mpg city.. start $19k.. fully loaded.. $24k..


Thank you, checking it out now.


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## Dave (Apr 12, 2014)

Get the Passat TDI certified pre owned. You can get them very luxuriously spec'd out and are very roomy and comfortable, with excellent gas mileage. I can't tell you how many times I've had riders say, "Thank God it's not another Prius"


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## Jeeves (Apr 10, 2014)

If you want to get a new car, I think the two best choices for uberX are the Prius C like myuber mentioned or perhaps a Nissan Versa, because they can be bought so cheap. To really lower your cost in driving: consider that a lot of cost is depreciation on the car from mileage. your best bet is to buy a 2007 or 2008 Prius from a private owner if you can find one that's priced right. Personally I would go with the Prius C or even a Prius 2 if you have the money and want more space.


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## diggstown (Apr 17, 2014)

Mazda 6 is slick, very nice BUT around here a little too expensive. I'm going to check out the TDI VW tomorrow. Thinking about Nissan Altima also. For whatever reason there are a few brand new ones for about $18,000. I was surprised to see new Altimas priced that low.

I was thinking about the Prius but just isn't my style. Also I definitely agree about depreciation but I tend to keep my cars a long time so by the time it gets sold or traded in it will be old as shit with a ton of miles.

Appreciate all the advice, thanks uberpeeps!


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## Dave (Apr 12, 2014)

The VW TDI will hold it's value quite well also.


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## myuber (Apr 18, 2014)

My first choice would be a 2014 honda accord hybrid.. 50 mpg city plus it's a honda.. great resale value.. starts at $29K they're pretty loaded at that price Too..


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## myuber (Apr 18, 2014)

Just heads up too.. sidecar let's you use two door cars..


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## Dave (Apr 12, 2014)

So does UberX


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## myuber (Apr 18, 2014)

Not from what the website says.. 2007 or newer 4 door sedan. Know lyft use too..


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## Dave (Apr 12, 2014)

I have two cars on my account.


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## myuber (Apr 18, 2014)

My bad.. i meant "2 door cars"..


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## diggstown (Apr 17, 2014)

So do these car services actually inspect your car in person or do they just look into your DMV background?


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## myuber (Apr 18, 2014)

They do both.. look at your car and dmv check


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## Jeeves (Apr 10, 2014)

I have been driving since October and haven't had my car inspected yet. I have gotten the request to take it in but I haven't actually done it. I haven't heard anything since the initial e-mail either.

Also given the recent investigations from NBC (which do seem a bit spotty), it seems like background checks/dmv history might not be as crucial as Uber makes it out to be.


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## Dave (Apr 12, 2014)

diggstown said:


> So do these car services actually inspect your car in person or do they just look into your DMV background?


Uber did not ask me to bring my vehicles to them when they hired me, but they did want photos of all angles of the exterior and interior.


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## Jeeves (Apr 10, 2014)

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/sep/19/business/la-fi-ridesharing-puc-20130920/2

This article talks about how the Public Utilities Commission passed regulations that include inspections. I'm not sure if there was a deadline to comply or not. Interestingly in the article they talk about the foreshadowing of insurance logistical nightmares. The heart of that being that of course any privately held auto policy will be cancelled and or negated when they find out you are driving for money.


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## LookyLou (Apr 28, 2014)

Currently in Seattle UberX is requiring you to get a "Courtesy Inspection" at Midas then upload a photo of the report into your account.


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## UberComic (Apr 17, 2014)

I had to get my car inspected at Midas.


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## Jeeves (Apr 10, 2014)

Yea I got the email requesting the inspection but there was no deadline, and thus far, no follow-up.


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## Seinfeld (Apr 11, 2014)

Did you pick a car diggstown?


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## franklin (Apr 21, 2014)

I have to think there's an arrangement where Uber gets a referral fee from any work done following a Midas 'Courtesy Inspection' No evidence, just my guess based on the way Uber operates. They could have gone to Firestone, Goodyear, Big O, Meineke. There's a reason they went to Midas.


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## diggstown (Apr 17, 2014)

Seinfeld said:


> Did you pick a car diggstown?


Hey Seinfeld, I did end up getting a Hyundai Sonata hybrid...so far it's been great!

Do you know how long it takes after applying to actually start driving for Uber?


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## zaner (Apr 9, 2014)

For me it was within a week. Hard telling what the wait time is these days. Id bet they are ramping up driver supply for summer demand.


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## Seinfeld (Apr 11, 2014)

It was a week or so for me too. Sounds like a good choice of car! Congrats. Keep us posted diggstown.


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## Oc_DriverX (Apr 29, 2014)

diggstown said:


> So do these car services actually inspect your car in person or do they just look into your DMV background?


I believe if that the inspection just needs to be done by a state licensed repair shop. Since Midas was a couple of weeks out on Uber appointments and my car was due for service, I just had the dealer do the inspection.


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## kenny (May 11, 2014)

In Boston there's no inspection or no photos or anything. As long as it's 2004 and a 4 door. I guess with uber every state is different.


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## camstarlet (Jul 9, 2014)

diggstown said:


> I'm going to try Uber but first need to trade in my two door VW Rabbit.
> 
> What 4 door car would be the best to start getting my Uber on!?


Did you end up selling your 2-door VW for a hybrid? Curious what you ended up with.

I have a 2-door VW as well, and started driving Sidecar to test out if I even liked Ridesharing before selling my car for a 4-door. I am so attached to this car, I just haven't had the heart to do it.

I am going to keep driving for Sidecar in LA until I really just have a hankering to drive Lyft / Uber as well - but I really don't want to have to get a different vehicle just for a part-time side job.  Are you getting a Prius? I will likely end up with a 2007 Prius if I trade at all...

Sidecar Rider $10 Credit: "Camille95"
Sidecare Driver $50 Bonus Credit (10 rides): "Camille95"


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## AMBUDRIVER03 (Jul 1, 2014)

I had to get a new tire on Monday, so I had the dealer do the inspection (they did it for free, since the tire was $200)... Lo An Behold, Monday night I was deactivated for not having the document correctly uploaded...

I uploaded it monday night and was reactivated tuesday morning... So it seems they're holding firm on the inspections.


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## AMBUDRIVER03 (Jul 1, 2014)

When decided I was going to be doing Uber, I had to go out and purchase a vehicle, as my other car is a 2006 Chevrolet K2500 Diesel Crew Cab.. and that's not going to work with Uber.

I really wanted a Passat TDI or a Chevy Volt, but decided against the VOLT because it only seats 4 people total (2+2).
In Los Angeles the TDI market is pretty hotly watched, and I couldn't find any 2010-2013 Passat TDIs with Low Mileage that I wanted at a steep enough discount...
These cars hold onto their value extremely well, even a 3 yr old model with 50k miles was still north of 25k...



Dave said:


> Get the Passat TDI certified pre owned. You can get them very luxuriously spec'd out and are very roomy and comfortable, with excellent gas mileage. I can't tell you how many times I've had riders say, "*Thank God it's not another Prius*"


I get the same thing haha... but I bought a brand new Passat TDI back in December with the explicit purpose of driving it for UberX.

It has worked out quite well, and the fuel cost is acceptable, $0.11-13/mile or so.

I have nothing against Prius-es, but it becomes quite a bit of a stereotype that most Lyft or UberX drivers drive Priuses.

The fuel cost and payment on a Prius would have been much less than my new Passat TDI, but at the end of the day, it has to be a vehicle that you're comfortable and happy with - regardless if it's just a job to you... I bought a car that I wanted to own/drive and also fit the bill for efficiency, comfort, and suitability for Uber...


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## diggstown (Apr 17, 2014)

camstarlet said:


> Did you end up selling your 2-door VW for a hybrid? Curious what you ended up with.
> 
> I have a 2-door VW as well, and started driving Sidecar to test out if I even liked Ridesharing before selling my car for a 4-door. I am so attached to this car, I just haven't had the heart to do it.
> 
> ...


Yeah I got a sonata hybrid, 37 mpg combined in SF bay area. it's nice but didn't realize how big it is until the next day after I bought it. That's good though if I ever drive for Uber! At the last second I applied for a career type position that I thought I was underqualified for but ended up getting it. So Uber plans are on hold now

I do miss my VW sometimes though, it was a great car.


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## London UberExec Driver (Jul 8, 2014)

Pruises are popular in London for UberX. Ford Mondeos are common as well (known as the Contour, I believe in the States), as they can be bought quite cheaply second-hand here, as they're often used as company/rental cars. 

Also common are the previous model Mercedes E-Class (W211) before 2009. They were probably already owned by the drivers before they signed up to Uber, rather than the drivers buying them specifically to use for UberX, as they are a lot more expensive to run than a Prius.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

I don't know if you get the Ford Mondeo there in the US. The diesel version runs at sometimes better than 40mpg. Being Euro built it has lots of bells and whistles. Huge trunk/hatch/wagon. Plenty of leg room and a 2 yr old model here in Australia would set you back $15,000-$25,000


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## Moofish (Jun 13, 2014)

Ford Mondeo is the Ford Fusion here in the US, don't offer a diesel model here that I know of, but there is a hybrid and full electric model.


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## Sydney Uber (Apr 15, 2014)

Moofish said:


> Ford Mondeo is the Ford Fusion here in the US, don't offer a diesel model here that I know of, but there is a hybrid and full electric model.


Do you like the Hatch? What would that sell for with about 30,000miles on it?


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## Moofish (Jun 13, 2014)

We don't have the hatch here either, hard to say exactly, the new base 2013/14 Fusions look to be about 20,000, 2010/12 a little lower at around $15,000. Hybrid being roughly 2000 more for each generation. The new Electrics are still $35,000.

Personally, i like the look of the newer 2013/14 sedans, but the hatch looks weird to me on a full size sedan. Personally, I have a Mazda3 hatch, which helps with the read headroom.

Edit: Looks like I mistook the Wagon for the Hatch from what I was looking at, the Hatch looks nice, but I still think the Wagon looks a little weird.


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