I’m currently driving for Uber in my 2022 Civic. I want to buy something better suited to the task, i.e., something that’s already been mostly depreciated. I need something 2010 model year or newer (Uber requirements are no more than 15 years old, and I want something that will still qualify in a few years), four doors, with good fuel economy. I’m open to hybrids because of their fuel economy, but I don’t know much about them, so I’d like to hear pros and cons, and suggestions for best models/years. I prefer Japanese makes, but I’m open to persuasion on specific models/years from others. Obviously I’d like to pay as little as possible, preferably something I can pay cash for outright.
You really want to take a financial loss on a 2022 ( if you really have a 2022 ) vehicle to buy a 10 year old vehicle . Also you can’t look at the many used vehicle sites to find something that would meet the requirmentsyou have . Buying a 10 year old Hybrid would be a gamble .
Financial loss - you mean by selling my Civic (and yes, it’s really a 2022)? Well, I’m planning on keeping 2 vehicles - one personal and one business. But yes, I am thinking hard about selling the Honda eventually. And yes, given how much I paid for it (too much), I’m looking at selling it at a loss. But on the plus side, I can wait as long as I like to sell it, to minimize the loss.
Edit: yes, it’s a gamble buying an old vehicle, but since I’ll be keeping 2 cars, it won’t be a big gamble - I’ll have 1 vehicle running in the event the other goes down.
If I was to buy an older car for the type of use that you subject your car to, I would look for a Buick sedan that was being sold by an elderly person. Their reliability tended to be pretty good, they can be repaired by any mechanic, they are not expensive to repair, and your passengers will be comfortable.
No matter what you wind up buying, make sure that you have your mechanic inspect it prior to purchase, and–ideally–buy one whose service records can be viewed by you.
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Recent reports of Uber robberies in mpls lately. But, we have a bunch of social issues in mpls. With car shortages, maybe your civic is worth more then you paid?
Cavell, I wish, but I bought it like 2 months ago. But I’d love to be wrong. Fact is I don’t mind the idea of taking a loss, as long as it isn’t a big one. As I said above, I can sit on it until I get a good offer - I’m in no hurry. But I would like to switch it from work vehicle to personal ASAP, so that I’m not piling 800-1000 miles a week onto the odometer.
P.S., what is mpls? Minneapolis? I’ve had pretty good experiences with passengers so far, but I don’t drive much later than 8pm most nights.
Edit: and I don’t have much to steal, other than the car itself. I don’t carry cash or have anything expensive in the car.
VDC, a Buick (say, a LaCrosse?) is an interesting suggestion. Hadn’t really considered anything like that. Personally I don’t think I need something more comfortable than my Civic - my passengers seem satisfied with it - but then again, my butt is pretty sore after 10 hours of driving, and something more luxurious might help with that.
I would look for a 4 year old hybrid… Camry maybe. Still lots of life in the car, depreciated price. 4 door, all the benefits of a hybrid.
Me thinks that soreness will happen with almost any vehicle after 10 hours.
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While I’ve never driven commercially as a taxi I did operate a van under a 1099 contract for several years quite successfully and my unsolicited advice would be to consider what vehicle best suits the daily needs that is relatively economical over the long run and it would be worthwhile to look into the tax filing options comparing per mile vs actual costs. Long ago I bought a new van and got a tax write off that equaled 1/2 the truck’s cost plus a 50% depreciation write off that year.
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As a business car, I think you should consider a midsize hybrid. In addition to the Camry, look at the Sonata and Optima. They are $2000 to $3000 less than the Camry, all 2012 cars. An average price might be as low as $9300 for the Hyundai or Kia and $12,300 for the Camry. That gives you 5 years of use with Uber. If you take a loan out, you will pay $750 more on a 5 year loan. It’s up to you whether you want to pocket the $750 or spend it on the Camry. Whatever you buy, get it evaluated by a good mechanic before you buy. Also, I would keep the Civic for at least the 5 years you own this new Uber car.
I use Uber a lot. My typical gratuity is 20%. I can tell you that if you picked me up in a ten year old, clapped out car with a back seat smelling like a$$, the tip would be closer to, or equal to 0%. Usually, my Uber drivers are in a new to 3 year old car.
That is a very good point. If the OP decides to buy an older car, he should be very careful to buy one that looks decent, and then have both the exterior and the interior detailed.