As a Lyft or Uber driver, your vehicle is the most important part of your job. Not only does it need to meet Uber and Lyft's strict vehicle requirements, but it should also leave your customers happy with their ride.
Below, we'll cover what makes a great Uber or Lyft car and lay out seven of the best cars for gig work.
What You Need in a Car for Uber and Lyft in Canada
When you start driving with a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft, there are particular features your vehicle must have:
Four Doors
First and foremost, Uber and Lyft require a vehicle to have four doors to qualify. So, it must be at least a sedan or hatchback with four doors. Coupes, regular-cab pickup trucks, and other two-door vehicles don't qualify.
Fuel Economy
You'll be doing a lot of driving as an Uber or Lyft driver, so you'll burn through plenty of fuel. Play it safe and find a vehicle with excellent fuel economy. If you can find a hybrid vehicle, you're in even better shape. If you’re considering an electric vehicle, Uber has launched a Green Future program that includes various incentives for drivers of fully electric vehicles. If you are worried about EV range, a plug-in hybrid may be a nice middle ground.
Low Ownership Cost
You're also going to rack up the kilometres as an Uber or Lyft driver, so you'll hit maintenance milestones quickly. Also, you'll run through a fair amount of tread on your tires in short order. Look for a vehicle with small or relatively common tire sizes to help you save on tire costs.
Try to avoid vehicles requiring special oils or filters, as these can get expensive quickly. Anything from premium luxury automakers like BMW or Mercedes-Benz will likely require these special oils or filters.
You also want vehicles with reputations for reliability. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are three brands that often have reputations for reliability.
Other Considerations When Choosing the Best Car for Uber or Lyft
Beyond the must-have items for an Uber or Lyft car in Canada, there are a few nice-to-have items. Here are a few features to keep top of mind when shopping:
All-Wheel Drive or Four-Wheel Drive
Canada has cold and snowy winters, and you don't want a little of the white stuff to keep you from earning. Having all-wheel or four-wheel drive will put you a step above the rest because you can get good traction in even the messiest winter storm.
Just keep in mind that four-wheel and all-wheel drive only help you when accelerating or going up a hill. It won't enhance your traction in a snowy corner.
Advanced Safety Features
You're going to be on the road more than most drivers, so you're bound to find yourself in hairy situations. Advanced safety features like automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors, and rearview cameras are great ways to avoid these situations altogether.
Advanced Entertainment Features
As an Uber or Lyft driver, you want to always get the highest ratings and big tips. What better way to earn these than by pleasing your passengers? You can increase your passengers' happiness by having some advanced entertainment features, such as Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, or SiriusXM satellite radio.
With Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, you can easily play your passenger's favourite music genre via Stitcher or other streaming service. If you have SiriusXM, you can find their favourite channel and let them soak up their favourite tunes on their ride.
The 7 Best Cars for Uber or Lyft in Canada
Here are some of the best cars to consider if you're planning on becoming an Uber or Lyft driver.
2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
The Toyota RAV4 is not only notoriously reliable, but the hybrid model delivers on multiple fronts in the powertrain department. First, the 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid comes standard with all-wheel drive, giving you maximum grip when things get slippery. Plus, it delivers 6L/100 km combined fuel consumption, ensuring your tank lasts your entire shift.
Inside, the 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid boasts all the latest technology, including a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM, and more.
Plus, it comes standard with all the desirable safety tech, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, and active lane control are standard. Blind-spot monitors were optional, so you may find a pre-owned RAV4 with those too.
The RAV4's sore spot is pricing, as Canadian Black Book lists the average asking price for the base LE trim as $34,042.
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid
The 2020 Toyota Corolla is a wonderful Lyft or Uber car for many reasons, but the hybrid version is even better. Sure, this compact car lacks the all-wheel drive of its RAV4 Hybrid cousin, but its electrified powertrain delivers good fuel economy at 4.5L/100 km combined fuel consumption rate.
It also comes standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and other great entertainment features.
Safety features are also first-rate with standard automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and active lane control. Blind-spot monitors were optional, so you may be able to snag a pre-owned model with them included.
And with a base average asking price of $24,965, this is a great value too.
2019 Honda CR-V
Rideshare drivers looking for a reliable used car know they can trust the 2019 Honda CR-V. With an impeccable reputation for reliability, it is nearly unbeatable.
Even though it's not a hybrid, it still gets good fuel consumption numbers of 7.8L/100 km from its 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder. Plus, it has ample rear legroom and plenty of cargo room for passengers who have luggage.
However, it is a bit light on features as it only has a 5-inch non-touchscreen infotainment system and no standard Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. However, if you find an EX or EX-L trim, they include a 7-inch touchscreen and smartphone integration.
The CR-V is also a great value with an average asking price of just $25,050 for the base LX trim.
2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid
The sporty-looking Toyota Camry is another legend in reliability, and the same goes for its hybrid version. This makes the 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid a great car for a Lyft or Uber driver. Plus, it's fuel efficient, with a combined fuel consumption rate of 4.9L/100 km.
Though It doesn't offer Android Auto, owners can retrofit Apple CarPlay to the infotainment system. Plus, Toyota's Entune 3.0 system can connect to select apps on a smartphone and run them through the 7-inch touchscreen.
The base Toyota Camry Hybrid LE carries an average asking price of just $28,241, making it a strong value.
2018 Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius basically invented the hybrid segment, and the 2018 Prius is, of course, a great option for Uber and Lyft drivers. It delivers an incredible 4.5L/100 km combined fuel consumption rating, making it a leader in fuel economy for rideshare drivers.
The base Prius comes standard with a 6.1-inch touchscreen, but the 11.6-inch screen is the real star of this lineup in higher trims. Sadly, there's no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay on the 2018 Prius. It does, however, have plenty of advanced safety tech, including standard forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, active lane control, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control.
With an average base asking price of $23,416, the 2018 Toyota Prius is an incredible value for rideshare drivers.
2018 Honda Civic
When you talk about gas mileage and longevity, few cars get more rave reviews than the Honda Civic, and the 2018 model year is a great option for Uber and Lyft drivers. The 2018 Honda Civic has two engine options, a standard 2.0-litre with 158 horsepower and a 1.5-litre turbo with 174 horsepower.
The Civic checks in at 7L/100 km with the base engine with its optional continuously variable transmission. The 1.5-litre delivers even better efficiency at 6.6L/100 km.
The base LX trim is a little bare with its 5-inch display screen and no smartphone integration, but the EX boasts a 7-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Safety tech is also limited, except on Touring and Sport Touring trims, including standard adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warnings, and forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking.
2018 Honda Odyssey
The only minivan on the list is the 2018 Honda Odyssey, which would qualify a driver for Uber XL. Plus, with its massive cargo space, it can handle people with lots of luggage. The Odyssey will take its biggest hit as a top Uber car is its fuel economy, as it carries a combined consumption rate of 10.7L/100 km.
The Odyssey fails a bit in standard features, as it lacks a standard touchscreen, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. However, moving up to the EX trim adds a touchscreen audio system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The EX trim also comes standard with top-line safety gear, including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warnings with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warnings and active lane control, and road departure mitigation.
With an average asking price of $26,474 for the base LX trim, the 2018 Odyssey is also a strong value for rideshare drivers.
Find your Uber or Lyft Car at Clutch
When you become an Uber or Lyft driver, getting the right new car is a key step in the process. You need a reliable vehicle with a strong reputation, low cost of ownership, plenty of room, the features your riders will want, and more.
At Clutch, Canada's first online pre-owned vehicle retailer, we have a huge inventory of vehicles that'll work great as a rideshare car. Plus, all our vehicles go through a 210-point inspection and reconditioning process to ensure they're in great shape, then we add a 90-day or 6,000-km warranty.
On top of this warranty, you get a 10-day or 750-km test-own period. If you don't love your new car, simply return it for a full refund or exchange it for another.
Check out our inventory today to find your next car, so you can start driving with Lyft or Uber.
