I delivered air freight and rush documents on a 24 hour call basis as a post retirement job. The last thing I needed was a manual transmission .
My parents have a CRV and a Prius and the CRV is a little bit roomier but after driving it for a week while her back healed Mom decided that the seat was a little too high compared to what she had in mind (she wanted to sit a little higher than in her old car but in her opinion the CRV was a little much) doing the exact same sort of trip the Prius will consistently get 2x the mileage of the CRV with a slightly lower height but not uncomfortable at all. Depends on what youâre used to.
Couriers are not paid much and need the most economical vehicle that can do the job or they make no money. It may sound hellish to spend that much time in a tiny, uncomfortable economy car, but itâs what many people have to do to make a living. A Prius could work because they are cheap to operate, but that doesnât apply to a small SUV or most other nicer cars. It also depends on the route being driven. If the route is mostly city driving, a Prius would be ideal. Not all courier routes are in the city. If it involves a lot of highway driving a Prius wonât pay for itself as easily. A Prius C is also a credible option, though it is a lot less comfortable. The regular Prius will be slightly more expensive to buy, of course. Most couriers Iâve known buy cars a few years old that have already depreciated quite a bit. The Prius holds its value well and used car prices are so high right now that couriers arenât having an easy time of it.
A Ford C-Max could be an option if you need a bit more room than a Prius
How about a Ford Transit Connect?
The Transit Connect can make a lot of sense if you carry enough bulk. Couriers who carry paperwork, medications, lab samples, and other small items donât need anything that big. If they carry larger courier bags and packages it would be very suitable. The C-Max is a little expensive and has some reliability issues, but is otherwise a nice size. Itâs a very popular cab in San Francisco, where they have to be Hybrids.
The Scion XB seems to be the most utilitarian vehicle among the reliable-economical choices. I would suggest an extended test drive prior to choosing a vehicle. 8+ hours a day behind the wheel of a vehicle can get tough. BTDT.
The xB would be a very thrifty choice. Itâs remarkably boxy, inexpensive, and reliable. Before buying a vehicle for courier/delivery work you really need to talk to your boss and co-workers. My brother went from standard courier business, delivering paperwork and very small parcels and needing only a small hatchback, to delivering packages that UPS would have previously handled and needing at least a minivan. All because the parent company pursued Amazon as a customer. It was a giant headache for everyone as the terminals couldnât handle the increased volume and half their drivers couldnât afford a bigger vehicle.
I own a Prius I bought it in 2008 when diesel fuel was over 550 a gallon my Prius now has 375,000 miles on it and it still gets 40 to 42 miles per gallon. It has been burning oil for the last year. We check the oil every single day. We use the Prius for delivery we drive between 30 500 miles three times to four times a week. I just had to replace a will bearing at the Toyota dealership in Canton Georgia. I also had to replace Air conditioning compressor about 150,000 miles ago. Overall the car is been very good but it is worn out now but we still keep driving it it keeps running. I am currently looking for another used Prius with about 100 K or less on it. We have never replace the battery.
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LOL! If that were true annual Prius sales would be zero. I canât imagine dropping off your Prius at the Toyota dealer for itâs regular 5,000 mile oil, filter, and $5,000 battery change.
I have over 700,000 miles in E350s. Their fuel mileage while not good is very consistent. 12mpg city. 12mpg highway.
After 3 years I would hope the OP would have made a decision .
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Yeah at 70,000 miles a year, they are probably ready to trade again.
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While reading OPâs post I was thinking Toyota Rav 4 or the Honda version, CRV I think they call it. For a more sedan-like ride, maybe a car with a hatch-back configuration. Besides the Prius, Yaris & other ideas posted above, VW Golf or Kia Soul maybe. I have a gut feeling the Kia Soul is what you need. Take a test drive, let us know what you think.
GeorgeâŠthis was originally from 2014. My gut says they made a decision a long time ago
Maybe theyâll come back and tell us what they decided.
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In considering cost, reliability, and longevity, these are only a small of my favorites. You can find them cheaply enough and with many miles to go on the odometer. In no specific order:
- 79-84 Mercedes 300d turbodiesel
- Any Chrysler w/ a slant 6,preferably Dart with a slant 6
- 1990 Honda Accord
- 1990 BMW 325i or 1989 735i; 6 cylinder
- Any Chevy or Ford with a 300 cid straight 6 cylinder.
My reasoning is these cars never leave you stranded and parts are cheap when you need one. Decent mileage and run forever with little maintenance. There are many others but they are not safe if run over by much larger cars.
I read an article in a classics restoration magazine the other day, they bought one of these for $500, a dayâs worth of fix-ups, and set out from England, down the entire length of France to Italy, then left, across to Bulgaria, where they gave it away, and flew back to England. Never a problem. Well, they forgot it was winter so their summer tires caused some minor crashes into snow banks, but everybody, and the car, survived.
I drove behind a customer on my way home accidentally. He never knew I was there. I didnât smell any diesel being burned, strikes me as efficient. Concerning the Mercedes 300d and Georges comment.
Latest up date.
My 2008 Prius now has 396,000 miles.
Number three cylinder is fouling the plug.
It still runs. We are going to try for 400k.
Where can I get a used engine at?