# Anyone Ubering in a Versa or subcompact?



## ClayHunter (Apr 2, 2018)

So I'm looking for a new car that gets exceptional gas mileage and something cheap with a warranty. My commute to work is about 48 miles each way (going into the city in the morning and coming out of the city at night) and have decided to sign up for uber and lyft just to try to make a few bucks going to and from work. My current car is a Chevy Silverado 1500 that gets about 18mpg combined which is starting to kill me financially. I originally wanted a Chevy Sonic sedan with a 6 speed manual transmission because I had one as a loaner while my truck was getting some warranty work done and really enjoyed the handling and fuel economy but my local Nissan dealer(fenton nissan of legends for anyone In the KC area) is having a special right now where all new vehicles come with a 20 year 200,000 mile power train warranty. I shot the dealer an offer on a 2018 Versa S for $9500 because the S is the base model and is extremely bare bones but he said no and shot a counter offer of 10k so I politely said no and left. Anyway a week later he called me and said his manager would allow me to pick one up for $9,500 which I almost cant refuse with a powertrain warranty like that, but do you think my ratings will suffer with a subcompact? The thing that stands out about the versa sedan is that it has an incredible amount of rear passenger legroom (I think its 41 inches), and trunk space. Its a very barebones car but seems like it would be the perfect rideshare car because of the price and space. What do you guys think? should I go for it since rideshare isn't my main source of income or will my ratings suffer so bad ill get deactivated?


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## Asificarewhatyoudontthink (Jul 6, 2017)

While ubering home is probably easily doable I, for one, would not trust it to get to work by a scheduled time. 

Unless, if you leave substantially early and shut it off as soon as you are close. 

My reasoning is based on how unreliable the Destination Filter can be. 

But, if you have a job with Flex time scheduling than you should be fine.


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## ClayHunter (Apr 2, 2018)

Asificarewhatyoudontthink said:


> While ubering home is probably easily doable I, for one, would not trust it to get to work by a scheduled time.
> 
> Unless, if you leave substantially early and shut it off as soon as you are close.
> 
> ...


Yeah I do not have a schedule, I try to get to work anywhere from 6am-10am depending on when I get up and I usually work 8-10 hours and head home but I really don't have to be to my office at a specific time except maybe 2-3 days a month.


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## EaglesFan (Mar 10, 2015)

I don't see why your ratings would suffer. I was seriously considering that car too and like you say it has the leg room of a mid sized sedan even though it's a subcompact. It should be comfortable for passengers. PS the only reason I didn't pick it was cause I was concerned about the reliability of CVTs. Does the power train cover the transmission? I read both the manual and the CVT versions have had issues. But that's a good price for a new Versa. I think even the manual is like 12k or 13k and the warranty sounds good.


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## ClayHunter (Apr 2, 2018)

EaglesFan said:


> I don't see why your ratings would suffer. I was seriously considering that car too and like you say it has the leg room of a mid sized sedan even though it's a subcompact. It should be comfortable for passengers. PS the only reason I didn't pick it was cause I was concerned about the reliability of CVTs. Does the power train cover the transmission? I read both the manual and the CVT versions have had issues. But that's a good price for a new Versa. I think even the manual is like 12k or 13k and the warranty sounds good.


Yeah it does, it also covers the clutch which is a common ware item, the only catch is every time the vehicle is serviced it has to be at the dealership but the oil changes at the dealer are like $30 so its not that bad.



EaglesFan said:


> I don't see why your ratings would suffer. I was seriously considering that car too and like you say it has the leg room of a mid sized sedan even though it's a subcompact. It should be comfortable for passengers. PS the only reason I didn't pick it was cause I was concerned about the reliability of CVTs. Does the power train cover the transmission? I read both the manual and the CVT versions have had issues. But that's a good price for a new Versa. I think even the manual is like 12k or 13k and the warranty sounds good.


Also I pulled this quote from Nissan's USA website, this applies to all dealers because I don't think all of them are doing the 20year200k warranty. "Vehicles *equipped* with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) also have a 10-year /120,000 mile CVT limited warranty extension.''


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## EaglesFan (Mar 10, 2015)

Just make sure you read the fine print. I've never heard of anyone offering a 20 year 200k mile warranty and selling that far below msrp. But if it's legit I'd say buy it.


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## Aerodrifting (Aug 13, 2017)

I would never get any car with a poor frontal crash rating.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

ClayHunter said:


> So I'm looking for a new car that gets exceptional gas mileage and something cheap with a warranty. My commute to work is about 48 miles each way (going into the city in the morning and coming out of the city at night) and have decided to sign up for uber and lyft just to try to make a few bucks going to and from work. My current car is a Chevy Silverado 1500 that gets about 18mpg combined which is starting to kill me financially. I originally wanted a Chevy Sonic sedan with a 6 speed manual transmission because I had one as a loaner while my truck was getting some warranty work done and really enjoyed the handling and fuel economy but my local Nissan dealer(fenton nissan of legends for anyone In the KC area) is having a special right now where all new vehicles come with a 20 year 200,000 mile power train warranty. I shot the dealer an offer on a 2018 Versa S for $9500 because the S is the base model and is extremely bare bones but he said no and shot a counter offer of 10k so I politely said no and left. Anyway a week later he called me and said his manager would allow me to pick one up for $9,500 which I almost cant refuse with a powertrain warranty like that, but do you think my ratings will suffer with a subcompact? The thing that stands out about the versa sedan is that it has an incredible amount of rear passenger legroom (I think its 41 inches), and trunk space. Its a very barebones car but seems like it would be the perfect rideshare car because of the price and space. What do you guys think? should I go for it since rideshare isn't my main source of income or will my ratings suffer so bad ill get deactivated?


I think the Versa can still be bought without arm rests and Airconditioning !
You should have Airconditioning if you plan to Uber.
I have seen a guy in New Orleans doing Uber with a Versa with trunk.
Loading suitcases in trunk
I have rented Nissan Versa.
I found it comparable to Mazda 3.
Car magazines disagree with me.
It gets 33-35 mpg. Stomping it hard.
( better than mazda3)
I found size, acceleration about the same.



ClayHunter said:


> So I'm looking for a new car that gets exceptional gas mileage and something cheap with a warranty. My commute to work is about 48 miles each way (going into the city in the morning and coming out of the city at night) and have decided to sign up for uber and lyft just to try to make a few bucks going to and from work. My current car is a Chevy Silverado 1500 that gets about 18mpg combined which is starting to kill me financially. I originally wanted a Chevy Sonic sedan with a 6 speed manual transmission because I had one as a loaner while my truck was getting some warranty work done and really enjoyed the handling and fuel economy but my local Nissan dealer(fenton nissan of legends for anyone In the KC area) is having a special right now where all new vehicles come with a 20 year 200,000 mile power train warranty. I shot the dealer an offer on a 2018 Versa S for $9500 because the S is the base model and is extremely bare bones but he said no and shot a counter offer of 10k so I politely said no and left. Anyway a week later he called me and said his manager would allow me to pick one up for $9,500 which I almost cant refuse with a powertrain warranty like that, but do you think my ratings will suffer with a subcompact? The thing that stands out about the versa sedan is that it has an incredible amount of rear passenger legroom (I think its 41 inches), and trunk space. Its a very barebones car but seems like it would be the perfect rideshare car because of the price and space. What do you guys think? should I go for it since rideshare isn't my main source of income or will my ratings suffer so bad ill get deactivated?


Think of the tax write off.
Driving nearly 100 miles a day ?
57 cents a mile.
$57.00 a day tax credit for turning app on.
Meanwhile, you will burn less than 3 gallons a day on your commute.

I havent seen that car advertised at under $10,000.00 in several years.
You wont even get tinted glass at that price.


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## ClayHunter (Apr 2, 2018)

Aerodrifting said:


> I would never get any car with a poor frontal crash rating.





tohunt4me said:


> I think the Versa can still be bought without arm rests and Airconditioning !
> You should have Airconditioning if you plan to Uber.
> I have seen a guy in New Orleans doing Uber with a Versa with trunk.
> Loading suitcases in trunk
> ...


It has AC but no armrest lol, i had a base model Saturn Ion that was a 2006 and its pretty comparable. It has a 12v outlet, a basic stereo with an aux outlet, manual seats/locks/windows/transmission. Its extremely bare bones but still has everything i need. The 2018 has adjustable headrests and 4 speakers. The previous years did not and only had 2 speakers in the front door panels.



tohunt4me said:


> I think the Versa can still be bought without arm rests and Airconditioning !
> You should have Airconditioning if you plan to Uber.
> I have seen a guy in New Orleans doing Uber with a Versa with trunk.
> Loading suitcases in trunk
> ...


I really like that idea, never even thought about that.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Personally , i was impressed with the car.
For the money.
The car magazines bad mouth it.
They all seem to love Mazda.
Mazda doesnt get the fuel economy it should. Bare steel in trunk. No insulation.
Im not as impressed with Mazda as the reviewers. I had rented each car about 3-4 weeks.
Rental agency always seems to give me brand new cars. I break them in 80 -90 m.p.h. on interstate.( my 33-35 m.p.g. is at these speeds, mazda did 31m.p.g. doing same)
Put several thousand miles on both cars.
So . . . i can honestly say for the money i prefer the versa.
( i am perfectly happy with a 1.8 liter engine with 6 spd. Auto. I can keep up with almost anything on highway. I did not find versa lacking in performance.)


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## SurginGeneral (Aug 9, 2017)

Anyone with a Honda Fit here? I’ve always liked those go carts, but they seem quite tiny

Those Versas have a lot of space. I think that’s a very good buy for a rideshare vehicle


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## ClayHunter (Apr 2, 2018)

SurginGeneral said:


> Anyone with a Honda Fit here? I've always liked those go carts, but they seem quite tiny
> 
> Those Versas have a lot of space. I think that's a very good buy for a rideshare vehicle


Theres a guy on YouTube who uses a honda fit and has nothing but good things to say about it.


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

The Versa hatchback is actually a pretty perfect rideshare car as they have a good amount or rear leg room and a hatch they're also pretty cheap for the year. Although for the price of a used versa I could buy an older car that qualifies for xl or select but some want to have a cheaper newer car and a 2012 Versa hatch can be had for around $5k heck I saw a 2015 for $6k. I believe it's the cheapest car sold in America


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## Aerodrifting (Aug 13, 2017)

Just my 2 cents:

If you are only doing rideshare part time (commuting) and plan to keep the car around for a while, You might want to consider a car that's comfortable for you. Most riders won't be in your vehicle for over 60 minutes, And most likely you won't see their face again ever, *Their seat comfort should be the least of your concern.* As long as they have enough legroom and not kicking on the back of my driver's seat, I do NOT care.

Versa is great in terms of cost, fuel economy and warranty (in your case), But you better make sure you love the car if you are planning to stick with it for 200k miles without regrets. Are you sure you can put up with all the cheap material, hand cranked window, manual lock, lack of center storage every single day?


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## RynoHawk (Mar 15, 2017)

SurginGeneral said:


> Anyone with a Honda Fit here? I've always liked those go carts, but they seem quite tiny
> 
> Those Versas have a lot of space. I think that's a very good buy for a rideshare vehicle


I Ubered as a passenger in a Fit. I'm 6'3" and was comfortable in the back seat with the front seat all the way forward. Okay for a five mile ride anyway.


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## UberDez (Mar 28, 2017)

Aerodrifting said:


> Just my 2 cents:
> 
> If you are only doing rideshare part time (commuting) and plan to keep the car around for a while, You might want to consider a car that's comfortable for you. Most riders won't be in your vehicle for over 60 minutes, And most likely you won't see their face again ever, *Their seat comfort should be the least of your concern.* As long as they have enough legroom and not kicking on the back of my driver's seat, I do NOT care.
> 
> Versa is great in terms of cost, fuel economy and warranty (in your case), But you better make sure you love the car if you are planning to stick with it for 200k miles without regrets. Are you sure you can put up with all the cheap material, hand cranked window, manual lock, lack of center storage every single day?


True , even if you're doing rideshare full time having a vehicle that you enjoy driving and feel comfortable in is a huge factor. I've ubered in a lot of different cars and some of them made me miserable I was in a 2016 Hyundai Elantra as a rental for just a few weeks and I hated that car so much , I found myself working less . Now my two main Uber cars are an Infiniti JX35(QX60) and a Ford Explorer . The Explorer is by far the more comfortable car for the pax , and I really enjoy driving it however it's more work driving it than the Infiniti so I noticed I get tired slightly quicker in the Explorer and even though they get similar MPG the fact that the Infiniti drives easier I find myself more willing to work longer hours and I'll drop down to X more regularly than in the Explorer .


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## ClayHunter (Apr 2, 2018)

Aerodrifting said:


> Just my 2 cents:
> 
> If you are only doing rideshare part time (commuting) and plan to keep the car around for a while, You might want to consider a car that's comfortable for you. Most riders won't be in your vehicle for over 60 minutes, And most likely you won't see their face again ever, *Their seat comfort should be the least of your concern.* As long as they have enough legroom and not kicking on the back of my driver's seat, I do NOT care.
> 
> Versa is great in terms of cost, fuel economy and warranty (in your case), But you better make sure you love the car if you are planning to stick with it for 200k miles without regrets. Are you sure you can put up with all the cheap material, hand cranked window, manual lock, lack of center storage every single day?


Yeah im not to worried about that because i still have a full size pickup and my wife has a newer buick regal, the versa is just gor a cheap beater to get to and from work and maybe for rideshare.


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## Dammit Mazzacane (Dec 31, 2015)

I rented a base Versa Note hatchback model once, and while it was a neat little car with good ergonomics I can't imagine driving it for hours on end would be comfortable.
You could get "more car" in the used market versus buying a new Versa.

You could at least spring for a Mitsubishi Mirage for the better MPGs, and haggle down the dealer more than what you'd pay for the Nissan IMHO... https://www.caranddriver.com/mitsubishi/mirage-g4


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## SurginGeneral (Aug 9, 2017)

RynoHawk said:


> I Ubered as a passenger in a Fit. I'm 6'3" and was comfortable in the back seat with the front seat all the way forward. Okay for a five mile ride anyway.


Cool! I appreciate the info. That's what I figured when reading the on paper legroom. I also feel longer rides (or driving for hours) may wear on you in the Fit.

Hmm... the research continues.


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## Uber_Yota_916 (May 1, 2017)

EaglesFan said:


> Just make sure you read the fine print. I've never heard of anyone offering a 20 year 200k mile warranty and selling that far below msrp. But if it's legit I'd say buy it.


In my market Kia's are being sold with the 20 yr, 200k warranty.


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## njn (Jan 23, 2016)

Some warranties exclude commercial use, I know Honda does.

https://www.carbuyingtips.com/articles/blog/uber-drivers-voided-extended-warranty-and-insurance.htm


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## Syn (Jun 30, 2017)

I do, I have a 2015 Toyota Yaris hatch for Uber/Lyft since I don't want to put mileage on my good car.
Its also base model. No power lock, no arm rest, no cruise control. Although it does have power windows, touchscreen with Bluetooth, a/c, etc. 72,000 miles so far and not a single issue.

I have 1,964 rides with Lyft and my rating is 4.9.
I have 4,176 rides with Uber and my rating is 4.95.

Keep your car clean, know the city and be friendly (unless people don't want to talk - then just shut up and drive). That's all that matters. People are usually surprised how spacious backseat is, although there is barely any trunk space. I usually see people rolling their eyes when I pull in, but usually the next comment is "its much bigger than it looks from their outside". Sure, you'll get some 1s and 2s every now and then, but overall ratings won't suffer.

No reason to spend $$$ on bigger cars or gas. Keep expenses low - its more important than to earn more.


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## serlailai (Apr 4, 2018)

SurginGeneral said:


> Cool! I appreciate the info. That's what I figured when reading the on paper legroom. I also feel longer rides (or driving for hours) may wear on you in the Fit.
> 
> Hmm... the research continues.


I've been doing uber for about a month in a Honda Fit. I've had two passengers who were probably 6'8" or more, and it was rough. The front seat even all the way back doesn't provide the legroom for people like that, and forces their knees against the dashboard. Back seat might actually be better.

Other than that, though, I've been pleased with it. Several people have commented that it's roomier than they expected, and I've fit four people in it multiple times without issue. Trunk space is a bit limited, 2 maybe 3 full size suitcases is the limit before a seat or two needs to be folded down. Road noise and whatnot is bad on cobblestones/rough roads and highway, so keep that in mind. I have seen people who have done aftermarket soundproofing, but it's not worth it imo.


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