# Should I buy a new car and join Uber?



## datGuy_bry (May 22, 2016)

Hello!

I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?

Thanks!

Edit: To clarify, I'm a sub-contractor and I don't use my own vehicle working for the post office. I make $36k -42k a year


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> Thanks!


Buy your Mercedes used from Hertz rentals.Get a 2015 model and you probably can pay it off doing just 10-15 Uber hours a week.


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## Brian-drives (Jan 13, 2015)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> Thanks!


You are CRAZY!!!!
Go buy a new car and I have a bridge to sell you. There are so many NO reasons , my fingers would get tired typing .
I am sure a new car dealer world love to take your $$.


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## datGuy_bry (May 22, 2016)

Brian-drives said:


> You are CRAZY!!!!
> Go buy a new car and I have a bridge to sell you. There are so many NO reasons , my fingers would get tired typing .
> I am sure a new car dealer world love to take your $$.


 Can you please list the top 3? And thank you all for replying!


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Brian-drives said:


> You are CRAZY!!!!
> Go buy a new car and I have a bridge to sell you. There are so many NO reasons , my fingers would get tired typing .
> I am sure a new car dealer world love to take your $$.


He has a good job besides Uber.
He wants a new car.
Uber could pay for the new car.


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## Brian-drives (Jan 13, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> He has a good job besides Uber.
> He wants a new car.
> Uber could pay for the new car.


To "make" $500 week, just using real simple math, is 600-700 miles a week. 
3 reasons 
1. Uber changes the car classes at will.
The Mercades you buy today for "lux" is an "X" tomorrow .
2. Uber changes the pay at will. 85 cents today 60 cents tomorrow .
3. What is your "new" car worth after 1 year and 50,000 miles? Plus 1 person puking in it every month ?

Buy a good used car.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Just the tax write off alone could help him .
My biggest fear would be ,as contract employee,losing main job and having just Uber.
Here's an example 4 year finance,vehicle has 29,000 mi.
They DO have 2016 models. Practically pick your color.


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## Santa (Jan 3, 2016)

Do not buy new and do not buy a CLA. The customers do not like the slanted roof as they would be hitting their heads.

I hope Optimus Uber could shed a better light on this situation.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Or,you could go the Luxury Black XL route. Nicer than a chevey suburban with leather . . .7 passenger besides driver.A nice Mercedes GL 450


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## Realityshark (Sep 22, 2014)

Dont do it. You are two years too late.

If you must try Uber, buy a very high mileage used car for a couple thousand dollars. Pay cash. Drive it for Uber and see if you can make enough money for your new car.

After a month or two, you'll figure out how terrible Uber is, and then you can dump the worthless car and come up with a better plan.

If you're lucky, you'll make enough to pay for the used car as long as you bought something cheap, at about the time you realize how terrible uber is. It doesn't take long to figure out. 

Uber sucks. You'll hate it.


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


If you are working 3 days a week ubering, you can expect to log about 25000 miles a year on the vehicle- that's a lot, it will depreciate the vehicle pretty rapidly especially after adding in your personal mileages.

Second, the entire sharing economy is in a state of flux, it hasn't settled out yet. Lower fares, a lot more drivers entering the fray both for uber and other livery providers, I don't think its realistic to count on any particular amount of income from ubering during such a lengthy period of 60 monthly payments.

Third, Uber is heck for deactivating people at the drop of a hat,

I can't see any real upside to signing this note. BTW, if they ask you want you are buying the car for, commercial vehicles may require more down, higher interest rate, as you are eating up the value of their collateral quicker and its less secure for them.


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## Bill Collector (Dec 17, 2015)

$2000/month is doable working part time.. Depends on the market I suppose.. That's been my goal.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


He would probably like the small sporty SUV.
The ML 350.


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## JJ/Uber/Miami (Jun 24, 2015)

Brian-drives said:


> To "make" $500 week, just using real simple math, is 600-700 miles a week.
> 3 reasons
> 1. Uber changes the car classes at will.
> The Mercades you buy today for "lux" is an "X" tomorrow .
> ...


Excellent points.


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## maui (Dec 22, 2015)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


Might I suggest hiring a Dominatrix and request weekly canings? Probably a better investment for the abuse you are about to get yourself in to.

I am not a Mercedes, but an Infiniti G37x.

$500 monthly part time is reasonable, and even $1000 possible if you are able to hook into bonuses, but the biggest question... 8 months in when you HATE the people you are picking up, and then you get your first accident or damage and have to deal with James River, are you going to be crapping cinderblocks thinking about the next 50 months you need.

Also be aware, you will have insurance, maintenance, and other costs... especially when you are putting on tons of mileage. Your goal should be more like $1000/ month to pay for the vehicle, insurance, and save up for maintenance, repairs and the uncovered damage. You should count on at least 8K miles yearly, so over 5 years you are looking at close to 50K miles of hard driving.

The question is, how much is left of your car and soul after 5 years.

Now if you can get Black or Select, it may help, but for UberX you are looking to get into a hole doing this.


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## jodie (Mar 25, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> He would probably like the small sporty SUV.
> The ML 350.
> View attachment 41338


tohunt4me im coming to you when im ready to buy a car!


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Brian-drives said:


> To "make" $500 week, just using real simple math, is 600-700 miles a week.
> 3 reasons
> 1. Uber changes the car classes at will.
> The Mercades you buy today for "lux" is an "X" tomorrow .
> ...


He only needs $500-$800 a month for car note,insurance,maybe even gas.he WANTS a new car.
I think he can easily do it.
He can do it at X prices.
I know I can.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

jodie said:


> tohunt4me im coming to you when im ready to buy a car!


I drive the same kind of car you do.
Shhhhhhhh !
I find it is excellent for Uber X.
Trunk room,roomy enough,high safety rating 100,000 Mile warranty fuel economy,and inexpensive.


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> He only needs $500-$800 a month for car note,insurance,maybe even gas.he WANTS a new car.
> I think he can easily do it.
> He can do it at X prices.
> I know I can.


He can earn that kind of money working at the local 7-11 a few shifts a week, and he won't be putting a lot of wear and tear on the new car he wants to drive around.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

maui said:


> Might I suggest hiring a Dominatrix and request weekly canings? Probably a better investment for the abuse you are about to get yourself in to.
> 
> I am not a Mercedes, but an Infiniti G37x.
> 
> ...


You buy another one after 4 years.


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## jodie (Mar 25, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> I drive the same kind of car you do.
> Shhhhhhhh !
> I find it is excellent for Uber X.
> Trunk room,roomy enough,high safety rating 100,000 Mike warranty fuel economy,and inexpensive.


I agree!!! I love the little sporty look, its roomy enough, and considered compact with insurance companies! I looked at every car in my price range (new) and this was, by far, my favorite! My back hurts when sitting for long, but I just have to deal.


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## Tim54913 (Jul 13, 2015)

Brian-drives said:


> To "make" $500 week, just using real simple math, is 600-700 miles a week.
> 3 reasons
> 1. Uber changes the car classes at will.
> The Mercades you buy today for "lux" is an "X" tomorrow .
> ...


I think you miss read his post. He wants to make $500 a MONTH, not a week.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

jodie said:


> I agree!!! I love the little sporty look, its roomy enough, and considered compact with insurance companies! I looked at every car in my price range (new) and this was, by far, my favorite! My back hurts when sitting for long, but I just have to deal.


I put the seat back straight up and down.back never hurts.I'm 6 foot tall,and push seat way up for back seat leg space.still have enough .
room.
Before Uber,I used to have seat way back and reclined.used to get back pain back then.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Tim54913 said:


> I think you miss read his post. He wants to make $500 a MONTH, not a week.


He could probably do that with 2 weekends a month while taking 2 off.
I think Uber would be perfect for what he wants.
Ratings would be no problem for him with the car he wants.
Look at him. They would love him.
Put him in a black coat white shirt black tie,and he's ready for the cover of Mr. Uber.


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## prdelnik666 (Sep 17, 2014)

datGuy_bry said:


> Can you please list the top 3? And thank you all for replying!


Save up and pay cash for a used car. Never buy a new car and never have more then half of your annual income in assets that are going down! In your case $20,000 is about how high you should go in all of your vehicles. Driving for Uber your car will be worthless much faster. Be smart with your money. Never a new car


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## osii (Aug 21, 2014)

With an Uber Select vehicle and working the bar rushes you probably can do that in 3 or 4 nights a month. Don't forget Uber takes about a third in commission on Select.

Personally, I would buy the nice car and buy another POS that passes and drive that to make the money for your new car. All it takes is one puker to ruin everything. Also if you are a homeowner, it's a ton of risk to take. You really may be better off just getting a good part time job that pays $15/hr. 6 hours a week.

Buy what you want, give it a shot, if it works for you, ok, if not you have other options.


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## maui (Dec 22, 2015)

osii said:


> With an Uber Select vehicle and working the bar rushes you probably can do that in 3 or 4 nights a month. Don't forget Uber takes about a third in commission on Select.


Tallahassee where they are from does not have BLACK or Select. Uber is phasing these out of most cities. As an example, Boston does not have Select and they stopped taking new Uber Black drivers over 2 years ago.

Tallahassee is $0.13 / Min, $1.05 / mile, $1.00 fee and $4 min.

Also, there will likely be another round of rate cuts in the next 6 months if Uber sticks to their trends


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## osii (Aug 21, 2014)

If that's the case, just buy a 2008 that qualifies and gets good mileage and drive that. Since he's only driving part time I would go with an older car, full time I would recommend a cheap new car.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

maui said:


> Tallahassee where they are from does not have BLACK or Select. Uber is phasing these out of most cities. As an example, Boston does not have Select and they stopped taking new Uber Black drivers over 2 years ago.
> 
> Tallahassee is $0.13 / Min, $1.05 / mile, $1.00 fee and $4 min.
> 
> Also, there will likely be another round of rate cuts in the next 6 months if Uber sticks to their trends


He could get the 7 passenger and do XL.
The Mercedes GL 450 gets 21mpg hwy/17 city.
Better than a mini van.


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## osii (Aug 21, 2014)

I simply would not allow x pax in any lux car.


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## osii (Aug 21, 2014)

Hey OP, Here's your answers:

$115 week = 8 to 10 hours and 200 miles. 16 to 20 rides.


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

osii said:


> Hey OP, Here's your answers:
> 
> $115 week = 8 to 10 hours and 200 miles. 16 to 20 rides.


Did you include taxation? Got to figure 25% marginal rate for income tax, and 15% for FICA. At least there is no state income tax in Florida.


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## osii (Aug 21, 2014)

I_Like_Spam said:


> Did you include taxation? Got to figure 25% marginal rate for income tax, and 15% for FICA. At least there is no state income tax in Florida.


Not this shit again, who pays taxes on this gig??? You have to be a TFM to pay any taxes at these rates. If anything, doing this gig will lower his taxes from his straight job.


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## EcoboostMKS (Nov 6, 2015)

1. The CLA is a poor excuse for a mercedes, but that's just my opinion. Different strokes for different folks.
2. Don't destroy a new car by turning it into a cheap taxi
3. Live within your means. If you can't afford it, you probably shouldn't have it. But this is your decision to make.
4. If you're really set on doing uber, do it with your current practical and already paid for car and just save up. When you've got enough money, buy the new car and stop driving uber.


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## UberBlackDriverLA (Aug 21, 2014)

NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER BUY A NEW CAR TO UBER IN! A new Mercedes will go down in value at least $.25 to .30 per mile and that does not include gas and maintenance.

At UberX rates, you will have to work 25 hours per week to make your $500 per month.

And do you want the college kids puking in a new Mercedes?

Go ahead and buy your new car, but keep your old clunker to make money Ubering in to pay for the other car.


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## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

What are the rates in your market. If under $1.00/mile, you are going to lose money driving a Mercedes for Uberx.


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## JJG47 (Sep 6, 2015)

If you want to buy a new car, buy one within your current means. I don't know why anyone would want to buy something that requires them to get an extra job to pay for it .... (Uber or otherwise)


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

Greguzzi said:


> What are the rates in your market. If under $1.00/mile, you are going to lose money driving a Mercedes for Uberx.


Even if it is more than a buck now, it might not be that high a few months from now. Makes the whole scheme very risky at best.


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## Greguzzi (Jan 9, 2016)

I_Like_Spam said:


> Even if it is more than a buck now, it might not be that high a few months from now. Makes the whole scheme very risky at best.


100 percent true.


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## Tim In Cleveland (Jul 28, 2014)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


No one making $36K-$42K a year needs a new Mercedes. You are crazy! You don't need to finance a $45K+ car even with the hope of earning more money. No matter how much you "figure" you will make with Uber or any rideshare, you will make less and less each month. Countless, COUNTLESS stories have been on these forums of Californians who did the same thing only to go from earning $5K+ a month to $800 (and they were working full time). They lost their homes and had their cars repossessed. If a statement comes from Uber, it's most likely a lie. You are probably a shill out to sucker others into making this stupid choice.


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## UberMeansSuper (Aug 3, 2015)

Buy a brand-new 2017 Mercedes-Benz and every rider will appreciate it. Uber studies have shown the following about partners who drive brand-new cars:

Pax do not slam your doors -- they figure that, if this were their car, they wouldn't slam its doors
Pax tip at least 25%, 100% of the time -- pax have respect and admiration for a driver sophisticated enough to spend money to ensure they ride around in style and they show that reverence in the form of tips
Drunks will not throw up in it -- the new-car smell has a chemical called _no-emesis hydroxide, _which acts as a vomit inhibitor when it enters the bloodstream via the respiratory tract, so it makes it the perfect car for After-Midnight bar runs
Toes-to-Curb ratio doubles -- sometimes, pax take their sweet-a$$ time to get ready and leave you waiting while they finish putting on make-up, bathing their dog, or even just now calling over the wait staff for the check. Not with a brand-new car. They will look at the car that has accepted their request, recognize that it's a new car, and immediately walk outside to meet you at the curb
I highly recommend you follow through.


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

Tim In Cleveland said:


> No one making $36K-$42K a year needs a new Mercedes. .


4 months wages, or about 12-14k in your case, is a plenty large enough amount to pay for a car. And even if you wanted to press it a bit on the initial price, Mercedes is a very expensive automobile to maintain. A gal I used to work with owned an S-class Benz, had to basically take it to the dealer and the bills were outrageous.

Driving this particular vehicle for uber, where you will put on a lot of miles, just seems to be asking for some financial hardship.


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## JuanIguana (Nov 24, 2015)

UberMeansSuper said:


> Buy a brand-new 2017 Mercedes-Benz and every rider will appreciate it. Uber studies have shown the following about partners who drive brand-new cars:
> 
> Pax do not slam your doors -- they figure that, if this were their car, they wouldn't slam its doors
> Pax tip at least 25%, 100% of the time -- pax have respect and admiration for a driver sophisticated enough to spend money to ensure they ride around in style and they show that reverence in the form of tips
> ...


(Spoken like a true Mercedes salesman )


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## JuanIguana (Nov 24, 2015)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


Ask yourself this question:

How many miles am I willing to put on my shiny new Mercedes in one year (with total strangers sitting in it, maybe farting in it, but definitely letting their shoes scuff up the backs of the front seats in it, etc.)?

This should automatically trigger subsequent questions, like "how many miles will I have to put on my car to make $500 each week?" (DO calculate that estimate NOW)....and then "how many TOTAL miles will I have to drive to gross $500 each week?". (hint: you will drive many more than 25,000 miles in a year just to gross $500 each week).

That's gross. No pun intended.

And you may ask yourself "am I right? Am I wrong?" David Byrne, 1980


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## Alpha7 (May 23, 2016)

Simple answer: No don't buy a new CLA CLass for Uber.

Especially new. Your car will depreciate faster than you can imagine and you will hit those 50k miles under warranty within a year and a half and then you're screwed. 

Buy a 2k car off craigslist. Run the shit out of it. Save. Then buy your CLA. also, the CLAs coupe backseat design is uncomfortable for passengers over 6 foot. 

Trust me, I have a CLA. Been running it for a couple days just for fun and will only run it for about a week more until I get my registration on my old Mercedes c230. 


Not worth it, however.. PAX love it. Get compliments on it all the time when I run LYFT . They don't expect a nice ass Mercedes picking them up.


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## claimbuster (Mar 25, 2016)

A big #1 question that you need to answer, can you afford those payments if UBER does not work out for you? Don't get yourself financially obligated to something like that until you are sure if UBER works.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

There is an Uber Driver here in Denver that I gave a ride to once . He has a Tesla and he uses it about 8 hours a week doing Uber (mainly sat and sun day) he says he just does it enough to pay his car payment and insurance . 

I've also known a guy that bought a new Car worked a few hours a week doing Lyft strictly to cover his Car Payment 

So yeah if that is the route you want to go , go for it 

But keep in mind the extra miles on a high end car cost more so you might not be helping your self. If you're going to do it I'd stick to surge only , and probably get it set up as a Select car and not even bother with UberX unless it's on a surge 

Also keep in mind your back center console is going to look like shit from people squezzing in and out, and from what i know of the CLA it's a very small car low roof line and very little back seat room. Which will cause a lot of wear on the entire back seat area. I started out using my BMW 335xi for Lyft and my back center console is now completely marked up from shoe marks . I now have a Passat I use which has more leg room then a 7series BMW so it's nice not having to worry about moving seats and the back getting damaged


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

I should of added that you should at least give doing Uber a try for a few weeks with whatever car you have now or if you don't have a car do a rental for a week or two via Uber . You'll probably end up in the red on the rental cost if only doing it part time but at least you'll know if you even want to mess with it before you commit to a new car in the hopes to have uber driving cover the payment costs


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## Oscar Levant (Aug 15, 2014)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


If you want the car and would Own It Anyway without uber I would say yes , and go to select route. but if you're depending on the the profits from Uber to pay your 
Car payment it is risky because you could be deactivated on a whim, keep that in mind.


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## Old Rocker (Aug 20, 2015)

I'd never buy a new car for Uber. Two years ago, maybe, but with the current rate structure, no.

Having owned a total of six Mercedes and BMWs, BMW has by far a better maintenance program; free maintenance for four years. I understand Mercedes has a new program with limited free maintenance. The scheduled maintenance on our Mercedes runs about $500-$800, the BMW is $0. 

The CLA is a crap Mercedes. Look it up on KBB and Edmunds.

My personal experience with Select is that it is about 5% of my rides. Even when I pick up in the 1 percenter areas of Houston, they rarely order a Select.


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## Old Rocker (Aug 20, 2015)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> There is an Uber Driver here in Denver that I gave a ride to once . He has a Tesla and he uses it about 8 hours a week doing Uber (mainly sat and sun day) he says he just does it enough to pay his car payment and insurance .
> 
> I've also known a guy that bought a new Car worked a few hours a week doing Lyft strictly to cover his Car Payment
> 
> ...


I used to have a 335. Sweet, sweet, sweet.


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## Uberbrethren (Feb 25, 2016)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> I should of added that you should at least give doing Uber a try for a few weeks with whatever car you have now or if you don't have a car do a rental for a week or two via Uber . You'll probably end up in the red on the rental cost if only doing it part time but at least you'll know if you even want to mess with it before you commit to a new car in the hopes to have uber driving cover the payment costs


Great advice, Jimmy.


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## Old Rocker (Aug 20, 2015)

You can do the xchange lease for two weeks and turn it in with no disposition fee... I think. Of course, don't tell the dealership you're only keeping it for two weeks.


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## Campark (May 14, 2016)

Of ypu dont drive now you should try first. What if you get booted asap? Ratings fall too low... or somethi g else might not even be your fault... you might hate it too.... i use an extra 100 bucks a month in cell data as well...


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

Well, you asked...


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## Digits (Sep 17, 2015)

You could make $150/wk in a new Benz and if your market has select, it would take you just 10 hrs of driving to achieve it on weekends. As the OP suggests that he wants a new Benz for himself and not to Uber full time, but just enough to make $125/wk net to be able to pay for it. He also mentions that his full time job is right next door, therefore not much miles back and forth to work. He can enjoy driving his new car which he really wants anyways by making a few select trips on weekends and be able to make $150 on a tank of gas. Go ahead and do whatever you wish. Shit happens in life all the time and don't give a shit about it. A new car is meant to be worn out and beat up with time.


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

My advice is to not join Uber....


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## UberJag (Feb 29, 2016)

I haven't read through all the comments but be careful. I've been driving with Uber and decided that I needed a new car. I planned on going out this week to get one so I got pre-approved for a loan. I was looking a the paperwork and noticed that it says "for personal use only". I called the lender and they said I cannot use the car for Uber! I work full time at another job and only drive for Uber very part time...they still said no! It's way too expensive to lease through Uber....like over $800 a month for a Toyota Corolla!


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## rtaatl (Jul 3, 2014)

If you must go find something like a 2011 C300 (before they dumbed it down to the C250). You'll probably get a decent price on it where depreciation isn't too big of a deal and won't have to worry about Uber unless you're just bored. Even then maybe the vehicle would qualify for select and you can skate by with a little extra money and a few stories to tell. But whatever you do don't go out and buy something new because you'll just tear it up.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> There is an Uber Driver here in Denver that I gave a ride to once . He has a Tesla and he uses it about 8 hours a week doing Uber (mainly sat and sun day) he says he just does it enough to pay his car payment and insurance .
> 
> I've also known a guy that bought a new Car worked a few hours a week doing Lyft strictly to cover his Car Payment
> 
> ...


Spray paint.

Scuffs disappear . . .


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

Campark said:


> Of ypu dont drive now you should try first. What if you get booted asap? Ratings fall too low... or somethi g else might not even be your fault... you might hate it too.... i use an extra 100 bucks a month in cell data as well...


Cheap UNLIMITED cell phone.
Prepaid.
Under $50.00 a month total.


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## Slavic Riga (Jan 12, 2016)

Tim In Cleveland said:


> No one making $36K-$42K a year needs a new Mercedes. You are crazy! You don't need to finance a $45K+ car even with the hope of earning more money. No matter how much you "figure" you will make with Uber or any rideshare, you will make less and less each month. Countless, COUNTLESS stories have been on these forums of Californians who did the same thing only to go from earning $5K+ a month to $800 (and they were working full time). They lost their homes and had their cars repossessed. If a statement comes from Uber, it's most likely a lie. You are probably a shill out to sucker others into making this stupid choice.


Tim You are right. He is a Uber employee. Uber wants input to show Mercedes their maximum interest by statistics. 
DatGuy, Thisguy or Whatever is his name is a sub-contractor for US Postal Service. Can he please clarify if his TOS Agreement permits him to work for a Private for Hire Transportation Company.

FYI. Mercedes & Travis K at loggerheads after the poaching of Carnegie Mellon University Engineers.


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

UberJag said:


> I haven't read through all the comments but be careful. I've been driving with Uber and decided that I needed a new car. I planned on going out this week to get one so I got pre-approved for a loan. I was looking a the paperwork and noticed that it says "for personal use only". I called the lender and they said I cannot use the car for Uber! I work full time at another job and only drive for Uber very part time...they still said no! It's way too expensive to lease through Uber....like over $800 a month for a Toyota Corolla!


Sounds like you are trying to lease?

If you are looking to lease they are absolutely within their rights to say no. You could easily put 3 times the wear and tear on the car and kill it's value. If it's a lease it's very possible that under the terms that they can charge you a massive penalty for driving too many miles. It can be as high as 30c a mile. In four years it's not out of the question for a person driving uber to put an extra 100,000 miles on a leased car, which means at the end of the lease you would need to purchase the car for the entire original value minus what you have in equity, which will end up being a huge chunk of change at the end of the lease period, or they can just charge you an extra... $30,000 for going over the mileage you agreed to on the terms of the lease, depending on how evil they are.

If you are looking to Buy, there are fare fewer things that they can say you cant do, however they may require you to get a far far more expensive insurance policy than you want or need, or they can just contractually say that you cant use it for commercial purposes. Because they are lending you money to purchase a vehicle they can stipulate what you can and can not use it for. Afterall the car is the collateral for the loan, and if you default they have to "believe" that they can repo the car and collect what you owe.

Either way as a lender they "ARE" allowed to say that you cant use it for commercial purposes. Using it for commercial purposes increases the risk of something happening, which increases the risk to them.


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## UberJag (Feb 29, 2016)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> Sounds like you are trying to lease?
> 
> If you are looking to lease they are absolutely within their rights to say no. You could easily put 3 times the wear and tear on the car and kill it's value. If it's a lease it's very possible that under the terms that they can charge you a massive penalty for driving too many miles. It can be as high as 30c a mile. In four years it's not out of the question for a person driving uber to put an extra 100,000 miles on a leased car, which means at the end of the lease you would need to purchase the car for the entire original value minus what you have in equity, which will end up being a huge chunk of change at the end of the lease period, or they can just charge you an extra... $30,000 for going over the mileage you agreed to on the terms of the lease, depending on how evil they are.
> 
> ...


It's not a lease, it was to purchase. I think lenders are getting wise and realize a lot people are buying cars to use for rideshare. I get it but I have a full-time regular job and just do this very part time. They still said no. I guess I may have to stop my Uber driving because I need a new car for my horrible commute to my regular job in Silicon Valley. I make a lot more money doing that and I need a reliable car.


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

UberJag said:


> It's not a lease, it was to purchase. I think lenders are getting wise and realize a lot people are buying cars to use for rideshare. I get it but I have a full-time regular job and just do this very part time. They still said no. I guess I may have to stop my Uber driving because I need a new car for my horrible commute to my regular job in Silicon Valley. I make a lot more money doing that and I need a reliable car.


Or the evil cab companies are paying off the lenders to not allow ride sharing.... Rambles incoherently.... Hands you an aluminum hat and runs away shouting darned conspiracy!


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## ChortlingCrison (Mar 30, 2016)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


If you want to driver uberX, use the cheapest or rent/wreck car possible. No giving water/mints allowed.


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## AceManShow (Sep 24, 2015)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


*NO NO NO NO NO DONT DO IT. NO NO NO & NO...

Bad idea.*


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Let me put it this way. I can make more money and tear my car up less delivering pizza then doing uber. I know this because I've delivered pizza for many years and I've done uber for about the last year-and-a-half. The only, absolutely only, thing uber has going for it is you can make money at times that you cannot deliver pizza and if you don't want to go to work you don't have to. Of course if you're trying to pay for new Mercedes you will have to. If all you want to do is work a couple of nights a week and get a new car out of it, deliver pizza. You'll be better off.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

A lot of people got a little off topic in here , the OP said he wants to make an extra $500 a month to pay his car payment . Not $500 a week or anything else . 
If I were going to do this tactic I'd plan on making a Gross of $1000 a month . To make a $1000 a month you can work one Saturday night a week for 6 -8 hours , I'd stay away from past midnight though. Work 4pm to Midnight , you'll get some decent surges during that time , you'll get a bunch of select rides of guys impressing their women with a nice car pick up etc.. 
I have always make over $300 Saturday evening and never work the bar close times although if you want to do that you can some times make $200 in 3 hours Midnight to 3am . 

I'm not sure how good Lyft is in your market but in my Market Denver is a Lyft town . With the nicer car you will get better tips (although the CLA while very nice has a horrible back seat worse then my 335 and I thought that was bad) I noticed when I was driving a Hyundai Elantra I didn't get very good tips , my BMW and Passat I get amazing tips around 15% of my gross fare I get back in tips 
I only run Lyft and Uber Select . The only time I mess with UberX is for ride count for a bonus or when it's Surging over 2x 

You're going to put around 500-1000 miles extra on your car a month to make a $1000 . 

All these people talking about 50k miles in a year aren't doing it right . I rarely ever go over 3000 miles in a month , I drive full time and Gross between $1000-$1800 . My first Month I probably put on 5k miles but I was driving around like an idiot with no plan , but I still Grossed over $4k . Start your night off where you live , I turn my app on in my living room and wait for my first ride (granted I live downtown) when you drop a passenger off pull down the street , park and wait for another ride . Don't chase the surge , odds are by the time you get to a surging area it will be gone 

Try Uber out first in a different car before you decided to buy a new car 

Look over your budget and make sure if Uber/Lyft doesn't work out you could still make your car payments , because one slip up and they can kick you off the network


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> Look over your budget and make sure if Uber/Lyft doesn't work out you could still make your car payments , because one slip up and they can kick you off the network


You left the most important part to the end. Uber is just NOT DEPENDABLE. So you better have a GOOD backup plan, and right now he just has new car fever and NOTHING ELSE.

I have a fairly new car. Did not buy it to Uber, and I would not buy one to Uber. Period. IF you are buying one anyway, fine, but don't look to pay for it with Uber because there is no knowing what will happen, and 5 or 6 years of a note is a long time.

Actually, if you can't pay off a car in 3 years you can't afford it.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

Fuzzyelvis said:


> You left the most important part to the end. Uber is just NOT DEPENDABLE. So you better have a GOOD backup plan, and right now he just has new car fever and NOTHING ELSE.
> 
> I have a fairly new car. Did not buy it to Uber, and I would not buy one to Uber. Period. IF you are buying one anyway, fine, but don't look to pay for it with Uber because there is no knowing what will happen, and 5 or 6 years of a note is a long time.
> 
> Actually, if you can't pay off a car in 3 years you can't afford it.


Yeah that's kind of what I was getting at, you can't budget around Rideshare driving

I always take put a 6 year loan and pay it off usually in 2.5 years. I make a double payment every month but I'd there is a month I'm short I have the option to pay the standard lower amount


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> Yeah that's kind of what I was getting at, you can't budget around Rideshare driving
> 
> I always take put a 6 year loan and pay it off usually in 2.5 years. I make a double payment every month but I'd there is a month I'm short I have the option to pay the standard lower amount


Yeah, I've done that. If you can get practically free money (very low interest rate) then you may not want to pay it off early. But you should be able to. If you couldn't afford to make double payments then you probably shouldn't buy the car, regardless. My car payment right now has an interest rate lower than my mortgage. So I'm better off paying extra on the mortgage. The previous vehicle I had the interest rate was higher and I paid it off as fast as possible.


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## RamzFanz (Jan 31, 2015)

datGuy_bry said:


> Can you please list the top 3? And thank you all for replying!


Buying new is not smart. Not at all.

1) You will be upside down on your loan.
2) You will destroy the already plummeting equity in the car.
3) People will destroy it.

Practical would be buy used and then buy a beater UberXL vehicle to pay for them both.


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## ColdRider (Oct 19, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> He has a good job besides Uber.
> He wants a new car.
> Uber could pay for the new car.


36k to 42k per year is a good job?

He wants to look like he has money.

Uber won't pay when someone destroys it.


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## JaredJ (Aug 7, 2015)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


You don't make enough yet to buy a new Mercedes. bottom line. Even a stripped down CLA is out of your budget with your income. If you want more, do more. Are you still living at home?

Just because you can pay the bill doesn't mean you can afford it.


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## yojimboguy (Mar 2, 2016)

I did almost the same thing as the OP for different reasons. I bought a new car in December. In January I thought of driving it for Uber to help cover the car payments. In February I actually started driving for Uber.

First, I am EASILY covering the car payments, which are a little over $300 a month. I'm netting about $2000 a month driving about 30 hours a week. But I also have a full time day job with health insurance, vacation, etc. If I was ONLY driving for Uber, I couldn't have afforded to buy the car.

Second, my understanding is that financing companies are unlikely to finance the purchase based on a promise to pay from future Uber earnings. You have to already have an income source sufficient to give some assurance of future payments.

So, OP, if you can do that, which means if you can afford to buy the car without Uber in the finance picture at all, then go for it. I LOVE my new Mazda3. Maybe if I had the Uber idea first, I might have bought it fully loaded, or bought the somewhat upscale Mazda6, but I'm happy with what I did.


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## Huberis (Mar 15, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> He only needs $500-$800 a month for car note,insurance,maybe even gas.he WANTS a new car.
> I think he can easily do it.
> He can do it at X prices.
> I know I can.


It is very risky. There is zero guarantee the guy will last as a driver. By financing such a car he virtually guarantees being indentured to the work as long as it lasts.

Also, if he is financing such a car, he damn well needs to be sure the lien holder is cool with what he is doing and he would need to be positive the car would have proper coverage should it get damaged.

- Uber only pays up to $25,000 in damages beyond the $1,000 deductible - if they cover you at all should the need arise.

It is a really poor way to get a Mercedes, very risky. As for driving Uber, there is very little reason to drive such a car for TNC work. Uber isn't intersted in making their pax feel like a "baller" as Travis used to suggest. Their direction is headed toward very low rates, Uber Pool. Look at the gripes of Uber Black drivers, drivers who are heavily invested, they feel they are being undercut, they protest just like and alongside taxi drivers......

Don't scratch the itch, wait until you can afford it.


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## EX_ (Jan 31, 2016)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


This probably has to be the dumbest idea anyone has ever had in the history of forever... today.

Here's a better idea: Keep working your USPS contractor job, and merely adjust your existing budget for a newer car. From what you explained, it doesn't appear you actually need Uber to make your purchase/lease possible, nor should you willingly subject yourself to the aggravation of doing Uber either.


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## BurgerTiime (Jun 22, 2015)

datGuy_bry said:


> Can you please list the top 3? And thank you all for replying!


#1 Just walk into the lot and offer the salesman $2000 for the Mercedes. That's what the depreciation will do to your "new" car.
#2 make below min wage
#3 driving around idiots will make you go insane. Examples: People feel untitled and don't care it's your own personal vehicle. You will find gum, trash, spilled drinks, finger nails, food crumbs, left articles behind and they will swear they tried reaching you and you refused to answer will rate you low.
Families will take their sweet time putting in car seats (up to 10 minutes) making sure it's in there right and won't give a damn about ruining your leather. And let's not forget the puke from morons that can't handle their alcohol. Your car will get scratched from stupid people leaning on your car when they get out with keys in their pocket.
On the weekends especially they will try and overload your car. Seats 4? Naw let's try 6! It will happen.
There's a reasons why 90% of Uber drivers don't last 6 months. If your looking at min payments, you'll be doing this for 5 years! Lol Goooooooooood luck!!! That car isn't worth it nor be worth anything by the time it's paid off!


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## dirtylee (Sep 2, 2015)

Don't just buy one car, buy 2 cars. The new Mercedes & a used Honda civic. Should be able to cover both payments just working Saturdays.


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## Steve Joseph (Oct 21, 2015)

BurgerTiime said:


> #1 Just walk into the lot and offer the salesman $2000 for the Mercedes. That's what the depreciation will do to your "new" car.
> #2 make below min wage
> #3 driving around idiots will make you go insane. Examples: People feel untitled and don't care it's your own personal vehicle. You will find gum, trash, spilled drinks, finger nails, food crumbs, left articles behind and they will swear they tried reaching you and you refused to answer will rate you low.
> Families will take their sweet time putting in car seats (up to 10 minutes) making sure it's in there right and won't give a damn about ruining your leather. And let's not forget the puke from morons that can't handle their alcohol. Your car will get scratched from stupid people leaning on your car when they get out with keys in their pocket.
> ...


This, this and THIS!!!!


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## SuckA (May 4, 2016)

I wouldn't go out and BUY a new car to do ride-share. Rideshare takes a toll on cars, if you are buying a car to do this, buy a used car that gets at least 20mpg city. Honda's are great cars that need little maintenance. Mercedes Benz require A and B maintenance intervals that cost between $200-$550 every 11k miles(Mercedes use Mobil 1 synthetic oil with canister type filters that last 11k miles) These A/B maintenance's don't include brakes or other major repairs.
I'm one of the few people that drive a Mercedes Benz for rideshare in my area, but my car gets 20/29 mpg, and even thou I pay $3.50 for a gallon a gas, I still make decent money because of the gas mileage and customer tips.


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## PS523 (May 17, 2016)

Buy the new car for yourself NOT Uber.


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## BentleyK9 (Oct 12, 2015)

I was driving an 07 Taurus (great shape but high mileage) when Uber started in St Louis. 2500 miles in last quarter of 2015.
Was in need to upgrade but hated getting back into a car payment routine.
After being in a NON Uber car wreck 2 weeks ago, totaling the car, this forced my hand on the upgrade.
2015 Hyundia Sonata with low mileage and silky smooth ride is now my "Uber Chariot".
Since it was a used car I am not worrying about depreciation. Just taking the mileage write off. Plus It gets average 30+ mpg. Figure since I average $200+ a weekend, Uber pay will cover a few car payments and insurance each month.


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## Reversoul (Feb 8, 2016)

Brian-drives said:


> You are CRAZY!!!!
> Go buy a new car and I have a bridge to sell you. There are so many NO reasons , my fingers would get tired typing .
> I am sure a new car dealer world love to take your $$.


Funny how you have the gull to call him crazy and say u have an entire list of reasons not to do it, yet you don't/ can't even list a single reason.

He wants a nice car and has a way to earn the extra cash to pay for it. How is that crazy??

To me he sounds the opposite of crazy. He seems like a motivated person who works hard for the things he wants in life.

Unlike so many of the lazy people in this country who expect everything handed to them on a silver platter.

Next time u ridicule someone for being proactive, at least have the marbles to back it up.


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## UberBlackDriverLA (Aug 21, 2014)

james berry said:


> I was driving an 07 Taurus (great shape but high mileage) when Uber started in St Louis. 2500 miles in last quarter of 2015.
> Was in need to upgrade but hated getting back into a car payment routine.
> After being in a NON Uber car wreck 2 weeks ago, totaling the car, this forced my hand on the upgrade.
> 2015 Hyundia Sonata with low mileage and silky smooth ride is now my "Uber Chariot".
> Since it was a used car I am not worrying about depreciation. Just taking the mileage write off. Plus It gets average 30+ mpg. Figure since I average $200+ a weekend, Uber pay will cover a few car payments and insurance each month.


The Sonata is a very nice car. I just rented one to drive to Vegas. It was far superior to the Camry and Altima that I have rented. That being said, the car is too new for Uber. Yes, it will work, but you will make about 10 cents a mile less than in an older fuel efficient car. New cars just go down in value too fast. Besides that, enjoy your new ride!


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## groovyguru (Mar 9, 2015)

maui said:


> Might I suggest hiring a Dominatrix and request weekly canings? Probably a better investment for the abuse you are about to get yourself in to.
> 
> I am not a Mercedes, but an Infiniti G37x.
> 
> ...


I wish I had hired a dominatrix instead of buying my E350 Benz. I would have had more fun and could have suspended the payments on any given day.


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## Clx (Apr 13, 2016)

Brian-drives said:


> To "make" $500 week, just using real simple math, is 600-700 miles a week.
> 3 reasons
> 1. Uber changes the car classes at will.
> The Mercades you buy today for "lux" is an "X" tomorrow .
> ...


he said 500 per month... stopped reading the rest of this filth.


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## Clx (Apr 13, 2016)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


To the OP I would just say it's a known fact that buying a brand new benz is a silly idea as far as resell value. You lose like 25% value in the first year. Which is why you or anyone buying a benz should be getting it CPO. Comes with better maintenance value and better warranties. The tricky bit is you need to trade it in after about 2 years (assuming normal usage) and get the newer version of the car. Your trade in will retain most of its original value. rinse repeat.


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## SuckA (May 4, 2016)

PS523 said:


> Buy the new car for yourself NOT Uber.


Exactly, I'm not buying a new car until I'm completely thru with rideshare.


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## Modern-Day-Slavery (Feb 22, 2016)

It Depends on the following:

• your life circumstances -Do you have no other skills? Are you unable to work anywhere else?

• Rates in your city - be careful these can change at any time and probably will before you repay the car.

• Are you okay to work very long hours?

• A second hand car would make more sense as a new one will depreciate faster than you can earn money.

Good luck.


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## SuckA (May 4, 2016)

I drove a Sonota when my Benz was in the Body Shop. It's not bad from a cheapo car, I would go Honda over Hyundai. Just from owning 2 Hondas 95 Civic EX and a 89 'CRX they were maintenance free cars. Both saw 90k with 0 major repairs. I guess Hyundai have a real good warranty but that warranty generally only covers power train


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## Dback2004 (Nov 7, 2015)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> you can work one Saturday night a week for 6 -8 hours


How'd you get more Saturday nights in your week? I'd love a few extra!! (Sorry, I couldn't resist)

To the OP - if you can't afford the car without Uber, don't buy the car. However, if you can afford the car, and want the car, and want to drive Uber to make some cash while you're out driving your new toy, then go for it. But don't make big financial decisions based on the promise of Uber. Because there's no guarantee it will work out the way you think for as long as you think it should.


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## Hunt to Eat (Nov 19, 2015)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


If you're planning to keep the car nice, this isn't a very good plan. If you simply want to have a 'Ced to drive into the ground, this is a good plan. Just make sure you know what you're doing and that your car is going to deteriorate more rapidly that you'd like. And remember that C class 'Ceds are solid cars until about 85K miles, then the repairs start eating you up.


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## HoldenDriver (Jan 18, 2016)

If you want a newer car for yourself, buy one with poor residuals on the used market. A one-year-old Chrysler 200 can be bought for <50% of its original retail sales price.


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## ubersuv14 (May 21, 2016)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


Buy a used black on black 2012 or newer navigator and get a uber SUV account. SUVs are the top of the food chain and maximize the number of calls you can pick up.


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## HoldenDriver (Jan 18, 2016)

ubersuv14 said:


> Buy a used black on black 2012 or newer navigator and get a uber SUV account. SUVs are the top of the food chain and maximize the number of calls you can pick up.


Depends on your market. In Los Angeles, sure. In my market, there isn't even uberSUV, so that would be a huge waste.

Not sure an SUV would work out in Tallahassee. I might consider uberXL and drive for uberXL and uberX in that area. Really depends on if you go into wealthier neighborhoods. You can get a used Dodge Grand Caravan for $8,000.

That said, the OP sounded like he wanted a daily driver, which is why I suggested a Chrysler 200 - massive hit in residual value in the first year = better value for you.


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## gofry (Oct 20, 2015)

yojimboguy said:


> That said, the OP sounded like he wanted a daily driver, which is why I suggested a Chrysler 200 - massive hit in residual value in the first year = better value for you.


While I think it's a bad idea to buy a new car to drive for Uber, the 200 has also been discounted about $9k because they are discontinued and nobody is buying them.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

Dback2004 said:


> How'd you get more Saturday nights in your week? I'd love a few extra!! (Sorry, I couldn't resist)
> .


Haha I meant to write one Friday or Saturday night lol


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## HoldenDriver (Jan 18, 2016)

gofry said:


> While I think it's a bad idea to buy a new car to drive for Uber, the 200 has also been discounted about $9k because they are discontinued and nobody is buying them.


To be clear, I do not suggest people buy a 200 new. Even with discounts it's going to depreciate vastly. Buy a year-old used one and grab a Chrysler/Mopar lifetime warranty (just has to be 4 years and under 48,000 miles). I recommend a V6 as the residuals are much better.

You'll pay about half the original retail price, and have a great (300 horsepower) ride.


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## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

tohunt4me said:


> He could get the 7 passenger and do XL.
> The Mercedes GL 450 gets 21mpg hwy/17 city.
> Better than a mini van.


I drive an XL in Tallahassee. He'll have to drive every weekend, maybe more in the summer to net $500


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## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

Jimmy Bernat said:


> There is an Uber Driver here in Denver that I gave a ride to once . He has a Tesla and he uses it about 8 hours a week doing Uber (mainly sat and sun day) he says he just does it enough to pay his car payment and insurance .
> 
> I've also known a guy that bought a new Car worked a few hours a week doing Lyft strictly to cover his Car Payment
> 
> ...


You can't make the payments on a Tesla in 8 hours a week. A Tesla won't even run 8 hours without charging it overnight after 4


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## HoldenDriver (Jan 18, 2016)

Rat said:


> You can't make the payments on a Tesla in 8 hours a week. A Tesla won't even run 8 hours without charging it overnight after 4


This is the problem with the Model 3 and the Bolt. Unless you have a Level 2 charging station at home, you can't recharge enough to drive Friday & Saturday back-to-back. Maybe if there's a Level 3 (or Supercharger) charging bay nearby, you could charge to 80% at the end of the shift in 90 minutes. But that means staying in-town for an extra 90 minutes at like 3 AM before going home.

And if you have multiple Bolts doing Uber on weekends, you can imagine traffic jams at those Level 3 bays forming.

Not sure where the GL 450 came from. A Dodge Grand Caravan from 2013 will be $5,000 less, and ~50,000 miles less on the odometer at that price. Then use $3,000 of that to buy a Chrysler/Dodge lifetime warranty, and run it into the ground.


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## BobbyLee (Jan 30, 2016)

Don't buy a Mercedes! Buy a Lamborghini! What are you waiting for!? I'm sure there are hundreds, no THOUSANDS of Uber drivers right here in this forum that could easily pay off a Lamborghini Gallardo in no time flat just driving on the weekend! And don't forget about all the wonderful tax deductions you'll get!


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## I_Like_Spam (May 10, 2015)

BobbyLee said:


> Don't buy a Mercedes! Buy a Lamborghini! What are you waiting for!? I'm sure there are hundreds, no THOUSANDS of Uber drivers right here in this forum that could easily pay off a Lamborghini Gallardo in no time flat just driving on the weekend! And don't forget about all the wonderful tax deductions you'll get!


I'm sure the Gallardo is a great car, but it doesn't qualify for Uber as it is a 2 seater.


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## Just one more trip (Jun 14, 2015)

tohunt4me said:


> He only needs $500-$800 a month for car note,insurance,maybe even gas.he WANTS a new car.
> I think he can easily do it.
> He can do it at X prices.
> I know I can.


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## HoldenDriver (Jan 18, 2016)

I_Like_Spam said:


> I'm sure the Gallardo is a great car, but it doesn't qualify for Uber as it is a 2 seater.


True enough, Uber has done Lamborigini tests in Dubai. $199 minimum fare. But only Lambos from a dealership qualify, so it's not a standard service.

There are YouTubes of people doing pickups in Lambos, illegally of course. Hence the Batman costume disguising the driver.


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## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

HoldenDriver said:


> This is the problem with the Model 3 and the Bolt. Unless you have a Level 2 charging station at home, you can't recharge enough to drive Friday & Saturday back-to-back. Maybe if there's a Level 3 (or Supercharger) charging bay nearby, you could charge to 80% at the end of the shift in 90 minutes. But that means staying in-town for an extra 90 minutes at like 3 AM before going home.
> 
> And if you have multiple Bolts doing Uber on weekends, you can imagine traffic jams at those Level 3 bays forming.
> 
> Not sure where the GL 450 came from. A Dodge Grand Caravan from 2013 will be $5,000 less, and ~50,000 miles less on the odometer at that price. Then use $3,000 of that to buy a Chrysler/Dodge lifetime warranty, and run it into the ground.


Chrysler may not honor that warranty for commercial use. I know I wouldn't. They would lose a bundle on it.


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## HoldenDriver (Jan 18, 2016)

Rat said:


> Chrysler may not honor that warranty for commercial use. I know I wouldn't. They would lose a bundle on it.


There have been debates on this. The service contracts by Mopar may not been updated to catch up with the times. Commercial driving *is* permitted by the Mopar extended warranties. It does explicitly exclude taxi and limousine use. But, in California at least, Uber is legally *not* a taxi service*.

Edit: * Except for TCP Commercial services - uberBLACK, uberTAXI and uberSUV.

This makes for an odd scenario, where Mopar has explicitly permitted commercial driving, and hasn't stated outright that ridesharing - which is not a taxi, legally now - is excluded.

_Of course, it is possible Mopar sees this as a selling point, and is fine with commercial ridesharing - since the vast majority of drivers only do it part time. I wouldn't encourage anyone to write in and ask for a clarification, it may prompt them to add an explicit exclusion._

If Mopar/Chrysler/FCA wants to exclude Uber and other ridesharing uses, they should explicitly add "commercial ridesharing" to their exclusions. Until then, I suggest people get grandfathered while the getting is good, and don't pick a fight - remove the Uber badges before taking your car to a Chrysler dealership for service.

Mopar has made other goofs and honored the older terms in the past. For example, for two weeks, people who bought the Alfa Romeo 4C supercar were offered lifetime warranties for only $3,000. Mopar said it was a mistake, but honored the brave few that signed up. Had I known, I would have sold at least my appendix.

After all, those that buy a lifetime Maximum Care warranty right now will be grandfathered against future exclusions. _I really didn't want to buy a car for another year or two, but with Mopar lifetime warranties always at risk... I grabbed a 200S V6 while they were still 50+% off retail, and paid $2,600 for the lifetime bumper-to-bumper, with a mere $100 deductible!_


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## UberPissed (Aug 13, 2014)

I didn't read all of the other posts, but here are my two cents. I'll try to be objective as most of the people here are bitter and jaded (and for the most part with good reason).

I started in June 2014 in Chicago. The rideshare game has seriously deteriorated over the past two years. When I started, they were doing an incentive - $1 extra for every ride you did, and the surge was good often had surges around 3x. One weekend I hit it hard and did over 80 trips in 2 days. I didn't get my $80 incentive becuase that "ended two days ago, and we sent you an email about that" (no they didn't). That's when I found this site, and soon learned that uber just doesn't care about you.

If you get this car, you are essentially having uber convert the depreciation of your vehicle into cash (weekly payouts) but at a less than 1:1 ratio. The deal would be good for you if you could make equal to or greater than the depreciation of your vehicle. In other words, in one year, if your vehicle is devalued by $10,000, it's a good deal if you can make at least that. However, most people are not able to do that because they have new vehicles that depreciate faster than you can make money on (e.g., one mile driven on a 2016 vehicle will devalue it greater than a 2005 vehicle).

For that reason, I went out and bought a 2008 Prius for $2,300. Great condition, and I get 49 MPG on it. After a few weeks, my payouts covered the cost. Now my only expense is gas. It doesn't really depreciate since I bought it for about 55% of book value. The value has been sucked out of it. 

So, to your point, you aren't really doing this to make money. Lost of people probably say don't do it, but for you, you may have a different "break even" point. If you have a $500 payment, and you can make $250/m, it may be worth it to you, as you can get the benefit of a $500/m vehicle for half the cost.

I can tell you though, that in Chicago, if you you are lucky, you are going to get $20/hr with mild surge. I typically net 18-30 in fares before expenses. I would say that about 1/2 of that is absorbed by taxes and gas. For S&G, here are my numbers for yesterday, which is a higher surge day. In other words, it's not getting much better than this:

8 hours driven, 112 miles. 
Net fare - 199
Net/hr ~25
Less mileage ded - (61)
Less taxes (42)
Net profit - 96 
Net/hr - 12

In this example, you would need to drive 42 hours per month to get to your magic number (when you factor in expenses and taxes). 

Keep in mind that it was surging most of the day - if there was no surge, then the numbers drop significantly - net fare goes down to 141, and the net profit is around 56 ($7/hr). To get to that number, you would need to drive 71 hours.


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## HoldenDriver (Jan 18, 2016)

Certainly everyone here pretty much is in agreement that a used car is a better deal - possibly the Bolt/Tesla3 could tip that, but for now, used is always best.

Still, an '08 Prius in good condition with a battery not near death for under $3k is an insane deal. I doubt most would be able to get that same deal locally. Heck, my old '08 Malibu is worth twice that private-party blue book.


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## Rat (Mar 6, 2016)

HoldenDriver said:


> There have been debates on this. The service contracts by Mopar may not been updated to catch up with the times. Commercial driving *is* permitted by the Mopar extended warranties. It does explicitly exclude taxi and limousine use. But, in California at least, Uber is legally *not* a taxi service*.
> 
> Edit: * Except for TCP Commercial services - uberBLACK, uberTAXI and uberSUV.
> 
> ...


Is that warranty available on a 2010 Chrysler T&C?


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## HoldenDriver (Jan 18, 2016)

Rat said:


> Is that warranty available on a 2010 Chrysler T&C?


While extended Mopar warranties are available on older cars, the lifetime service contract option is only available on FCA (Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, or RAM) cars built within the last 4 years, 48,000 miles. No diesel, hybrid, Viper, Hellcat or 4C (anymore).

Used cars do qualify, but except for Florida and North Carolina, the lifetime policy expires once the car is sold or transferred (even in death).

On the bright side, SRT cars do now qualify (Viper and Hellcat aside - both do qualify for lower Mopar tiers).


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## Redtop (Oct 20, 2015)

Here is what you should do:

Create a spreadsheet with several columns.

In the top row put the cost of the car
Next row the estimated value of the car after 5 years if you use it for personal use at (say) 12,000 miles a year.
Next row the estimated maintenance if you use it for personal use
Next row the estimated insurance
Subtract these four rows from the top row, and you have your cost of ownership excluding gas

Now in each column put the following for different assumptions about how the Uber thing will go:
Hours per week driven
Miles driven per week
Gross earnings per hour
Miles driven over 5 years
Incremental maintenance
Incremental insurance (don't kid yourself and not get a rideshare policy)
Gas for Uber use

Based on the above:
Gross hours per year times earnings per hour - that's your income
Value of the car after 5 years if you don't drive for Uber, vs. if you do - that's your depreciation
Incremental costs for gas, maintenance, insurance
Subtract these last two items and that's your net earnings.

Do these for different scenarios. If you work a lot or a little. Don't forget to build in some scenarios where the Uber experience deteriorates. For example, if you estimated your earnings 6 months ago, then found out that Uber was going to roll out UberPool in a way that depresses drivers' earnings, you'd have an inaccurate estimate.

Finally, calculate your taxes. Take gross earnings less 54 cents per mile, that's your taxable income. Assume 15.3% self-employment tax and, depending on your personal tax situation, 10-25% for federal income tax and an additional amount for state income tax.

My personal guess is that it's going to be really hard to show a decent profit if you buy a new, expensive car. I get the same rates for driving my 2006 Ford Taurus that you'll get for your 2016 Mercedes.


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## HoldenDriver (Jan 18, 2016)

The problem is there are x-factors. That 2006 Focus is far more likely to have a transmission fail, than a new mercedes. Or in my case, I capped my repair costs at $100 with the warranty. You can estimate, but it doesn't resolve it completely.

On the bright side, if you do buy a car, and opt-out of binding arbitration - you can sue Uber in small claims court for detrimental reliance when they deactivate you! Small claims judges tend to be more deferential to the little guy - and you might get Uber to pay for your car after all...


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## Ubersucksgas (May 31, 2016)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


Yes, why not. You are going to make 35/hr anyway.


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## Ray H (Aug 14, 2015)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


Because there is no job security it won't be a good idea if you lose your job and Pax may damage or turn your new car into a puke bucket


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## Activist1 (May 15, 2016)

Depends on your market. Heard the South is really poppin off and you could pay off the car


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## Laronda (May 25, 2016)

Maybe not buying a Mercedees would be the first place to start.


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## Lnsky (Jan 2, 2016)

Uber will let you drive an Old ass Meecedes like 15 years old. Buy a used car but not before having it looked at by a mechanic to make sure it runs. 

Uber will suck the life out of your car so just be prepared for the expenses. In the same as you with the work from home. I had a Lux car note and insurance for my car to sit. When my boyfriend and I broke up I started Ubering to fill the time.


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## HoldenDriver (Jan 18, 2016)

Lnsky said:


> Uber will let you drive an Old ass Meecedes like 15 years old. Buy a used car but not before having it looked at by a mechanic to make sure it runs.
> 
> Uber will suck the life out of your car so just be prepared for the expenses. In the same as you with the work from home. I had a Lux car note and insurance for my car to sit. When my boyfriend and I broke up I started Ubering to fill the time.


Be careful with generalities. Uber requirements vary from one market to the next. Yes, some will let you drive with a 2001, my market did recently. Others require much newer cars. Make sure you know if your car can drive for Uber before buying it. *But never buy new*.


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## uber strike (Jan 10, 2016)

you have to be smart and take advantage of any loopholes sort of speak, that allow you to be most profitable. for instance, in Los Angeles uber x cars can be 15 years old. if you are smart you will invest in a cheap car. why run a new car to the ground? instead, drive a car that doesn't hurt you when you run it to the ground. this way you are not affected by depreciation and you are not finding yourself at the dealership in 4 years having to shell out another $25,000. 
driving a cheap car will give you the most profit out of excessive miles driven.


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## HoldenDriver (Jan 18, 2016)

You can get too cheap though.

$14,000 Chrysler 200 (very do-able, especially with 2.4L engine)
+$2,600 Lifetime Warranty from Chrysler/Mopar
= $16,600 Total Investment for 200,000 miles of Use

$3,000 Chevrolet Impala 2001
+$1,000 per year in maintenance x 10 years = $10,000 (_budgeting on new transmission, alternator, and water pump - as well as engine gasket repair - all four are very likely on a 2001 Impala, plus a couple grand for miscellaneous repairs that arise at annual inspections_)
= $13,000 total investment

So for an extra $3,600 you get a much safer, more modern car that your date *won't* think is girl repellent.

Now you might say have a beater car for Uber and your own personal driver. But then you have to factor in insurance and annual registration, which can easily top $500 per year. Over 10 years, that's $5,000 - covering the $3,600 spread in the example above.


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## Michael Sotomayor (Feb 11, 2016)

These replies are so weird lol.. Look if you ever were to ride UberBLACK then it has to be a full-time (70 hours a week) gig. Else how can you hit a sweet spot of $8,000+ in sales a month? I've already calculated all the expenses. Reality is you do make less then $7/hour as an uber x driver. So if you think stacking up miles and maintenance costs and gas prices are reasonable enough for you to put work in order to pay for a new car which in the end will end chewed up.. then go ahead mate! lol good luck with that.


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## HoldenDriver (Jan 18, 2016)

Michael Sotomayor said:


> These replies are so weird lol.. Look if you ever were to ride UberBLACK then it has to be a full-time (70 hours a week) gig. Else how can you hit a sweet spot of $8,000+ in sales a month? I've already calculated all the expenses. Reality is you do make less then $7/hour as an uber x driver. So if you think stacking up miles and maintenance costs and gas prices are reasonable enough for you to put work in order to pay for a new car which in the end will end chewed up.. then go ahead mate! lol good luck with that.


You have to learn to drive with a bit more skill, and it depends on market. I make $30/hour by only driving during high surges. I have a job that lets me hit the pause button at any time, so I only Uber when it's seriously profitable.

If you drive all the time for Uber, you'll find your profits aren't that much higher than people who skillfully only drive when it makes sense to... in most markets.


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## Michael Sotomayor (Feb 11, 2016)

HoldenDriver said:


> You have to learn to drive with a bit more skill, and it depends on market. I make $30/hour by only driving during high surges. I have a job that lets me hit the pause button at any time, so I only Uber when it's seriously profitable.
> 
> If you drive all the time for Uber, you'll find your profits aren't that much higher than people who skillfully only drive when it makes sense to... in most markets.


exactly well said. The only time you want to do this as a full time job is when you're in a major city hub like NYC and are doing it professionally.. Yes you'll rake in a good $6,000 a month but you've become a slave to the system. For if you don't work ONE DAY then you are screwing yourself from paying an $800 car payment, a $500 insurance payment, etc. And you're stuck doing it for 3 years (life of the car loan)


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## Cocobird (Dec 9, 2015)

datGuy_bry said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm tired of being practical and would love a new car. I've been thinking about buying a Mercedes Cla class and then signing up for uber part time to pay it off monthly. I'm already a contractor for the U.S. Postal service and I live right next door, so no mileage going to work every day. Do you think this is a good idea? I just want to make $500 at the minimum every month. Second, how many hours would I have to work to reach my goal? And how much wear and tear (mileage) would it put on my vehicle?
> 
> ...


Honestly.. No. It won't be a new car after you pay it off with Uber.


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