What Car To Use For Uber In London - Vehicle List And Requirements

The Most Popular Cars To Use For Uber In London – Vehicle List:

Uber has quite broad requirements for the cars that you can drive on the platform. You can still drive a beater like a 2008 Mondeo and still be on the platform. I think the taxi companies are missing the chance to brand themselves as a green cab company and win the “war” against the polluting black cabbing diesel. You can see the full list of vehicles accepted on Uber in London here:
Let’s take a look at the most popular cars to drive for Uber in London – accepted vehicles:

1. Toyota Prius – MPG – 45-55 MPG* – The Most Popular Uber Vehicle in London

Toyota Prius Hybrid Is the Preferred Car For Uber
The Toyota Prius is by far one of the most popular choices for London drivers. Anything from the second half of 2008 and up will be accepted on the platform all the way to 2017. Its popularity is mainly due to it being a hybrid, and it is a fantastically build a vehicle for the money. Yes, it is more expensive than any of the next few choices, but rightfully so. It gives average London driving MPG of about 50-55 miles to the gallon petrol. Not bad for a 1.8 litres petrol with a CVT transmission. Maintenance is relatively cheap, except for the battery and the hybrid electrical part, but Toyota is known to offer great support to Uber drivers. You can have a few incentives to repair your Prius at a Toyota dealer taking advantage of Uber’s Momentum program. I’ve seen some 2008/2009 Priuses that look and drive like new and still hold value, even with the beating they endure while driving as a private hire vehicle.

2. Honda Insight – MPG – 40-50 MPG*

Honda Insight is the one and only Prius rival. It is a bit of an inferior younger brother, but it is a decent car for cab driving in London. It is even cheaper than the Prius to run, costs less, and it doesn’t look too shabby. It has a slightly smaller engine than the Prius – 1.3litre petrol, the CVT transmission is known to be a bit whiny under hard acceleration, and it has a bit worse mileage than the Prius, although it is not too bad comparing the running costs between the two.

3. Skoda Octavia/Superb – 30-45 MPG*

The Skodas are primarily a cheaper Volkswagens. Easy to maintain, cheap and reliable workhorses. No wonder you see so many with PCO badges on the windows. You would want the diesel versions, with or without BlueMotion system, to maximise on the MPG. The Superb is the bigger brother of the Octavia, is a bit better equipped, but more expensive and thirstier at the pump. Parts and maintenance are cheap, though, except for the typical diesel city driving issues – particular filters and cats getting clogged up. Both the Octavia and Superb are large vehicles that fit comfortably 3 in the back, so you’ll have no problem getting it on the Uber platform.

4. Vauxhall Insignia – 30-40 MPG*

It is the choice for Uber only if you plan on driving near places like Watford, Croydon, Romford and such. You will more than likely struggle to hit 40 mpg in the city, the mid-40s on the highway in a sluggish, but comfy ride. The Insignia is a good looking car, passengers like the ride very much but it is not particularly fun to drive. It is slowly accelerating, the visibility from the inside is not the greatest, and the acceleration leaves much to be desired. Running costs are low, on the other hand, replacement parts are cheap-ish and widely available. I wouldn’t recommend it for SOHO or anything like that, it will struggle with some of the turns there, and the DPF will get clogged sooner rather than later if you are not taking the car out for regenerating runs.

5. Ford Mondeo – 30-40 MPG*

The Mondeo is a proven workhorse when it comes to Private Hire. Large, comfy vehicle that is relatively easy to maintain. Known problems on the Mondeo are the Dual Mass Flywheel and the injectors going bad. Both things are pretty expensive. While the injectors are somewhat easy to replace yourself, the DMF will be an expensive part and even more expensive labour charge. It is cheap to acquire used, just be careful with hidden problems if you are buying from a dodgy seller.

All Vehicles Accepted For UberX – Car Requirements

FIAT – SCUDO
FIAT – ULYSSE
FORD – C-MAX
FORD – FOCUS
FORD – GALAXY
FORD – GRAND C-MAX
FORD – KUGA
FORD – MONDEO
FORD – S-MAX
FORD – TOURNEO
FORD – TRANSIT CONNECT
FORD – TRANSIT CUSTOM
FORD – TRANSIT VAN
HONDA – ACCORD
HONDA – CIVIC
HONDA – CR-V
HONDA – INSIGHT
HYUNDAI – ELANTRA
HYUNDAI – I30
HYUNDAI – I35
HYUNDAI – I40
HYUNDAI – I800
HYUNDAI – IONIQ
HYUNDAI – IX35
HYUNDAI – SANTA FE
HYUNDAI – SONATA
HYUNDAI – TRAJET
HYUNDAI – TUCSON
INFINITI – Q50
INFINITI – Q70
JAGUAR – X-TYPE
JAGUAR – XE
JAGUAR – XF
JAGUAR – XJ
KIA – CARENS
KIA – CEE’D SPORTSWAGON
KIA – CERATO
KIA – MAGENTIS
KIA – NIRO
KIA – OPTIMA
KIA – SEDONA
KIA – SORENTO
KIA – SPORTAGE
LAND ROVER – DISCOVERY
LAND ROVER – FREELANDER
LAND ROVER – RANGE ROVER
LAND ROVER – RANGE ROVER EVOQUE
LAND ROVER – RANGE ROVER SPORT
LAND ROVER – RANGE ROVER VOGUE
LEXUS – CT
LEXUS – GS
LEXUS – IS200
LEXUS – IS220
LEXUS – IS250
LEXUS – IS300
LEXUS – LS
LEXUS – RX
MAZDA – CX-5
MAZDA – MAZDA3
MAZDA – MAZDA5
MAZDA – MAZDA6
MERCEDES-BENZ – C-CLASS
MERCEDES-BENZ – CITAN
MERCEDES-BENZ – E-CLASS
MERCEDES-BENZ – GL-CLASS
MERCEDES-BENZ – GLC-CLASS
MERCEDES-BENZ – ML-CLASS
MERCEDES-BENZ – R-CLASS
MERCEDES-BENZ – S-CLASS
MERCEDES-BENZ – V-CLASS
MERCEDES-BENZ – VIANO
MERCEDES-BENZ – VITO
MG – MG 6
MITSUBISHI – CARISMA
MITSUBISHI – GRANDIS
MITSUBISHI – LANCER
MITSUBISHI – OUTLANDER
NISSAN – ELGRAND
NISSAN – LAFESTA
NISSAN – LEAF
NISSAN – e-NV200
NISSAN – NV200
NISSAN – PATHFINDER
NISSAN – PRIMASTAR
NISSAN – PULSAR
NISSAN – QASHQAI
NISSAN – QASHQAI+2
NISSAN – SERENA
NISSAN – X-TRAIL
PEUGEOT – 3008
PEUGEOT – 308
PEUGEOT – 308 SW
PEUGEOT – 4007
PEUGEOT – 407
PEUGEOT – 5008
PEUGEOT – 508
PEUGEOT – 508 SW
PEUGEOT – 607
PEUGEOT – 807
PEUGEOT – BIPPER
PEUGEOT – E7
PEUGEOT – EUROBUS
PEUGEOT – EXPERT
PEUGEOT – EXPERT TEPEE
PEUGEOT – HORIZON
PEUGEOT – PARTNER
PEUGEOT – TRAVELLER
PORSCHE – CAYENNE
PORSCHE – MACAN
PROTON – GEN-2
PROTON – PERSONA
RENAULT – ESPACE
RENAULT – FLUENCE
RENAULT – GRAND SCENIC
RENAULT – LAGUNA
RENAULT – MEGANE
RENAULT – MEGANE ESTATE
RENAULT – TRAFIC
ROVER – 75
SAAB – 9-3
SAAB – 9-5
SEAT – ALHAMBRA
SEAT – ALTEA XL
SEAT – EXEO
SEAT – LEON ST
SEAT – TOLEDO
SEAT – X-PERIENCE
SKODA – KODIAQ
SKODA – OCTAVIA
SKODA – RAPID
SKODA – RAPID SPACEBACK
SKODA – SUPERB
SSANGYONG – RODIUS
SSANGYONG – TURISMO
SUBARU – LEGACY
TESLA – MODEL S
TOYOTA – AURIS
TOYOTA – AURIS TOURING SPORTS
TOYOTA – AVENSIS
TOYOTA – CAMRY
TOYOTA – ESTIMA
TOYOTA – PREVIA
TOYOTA – PRIUS
TOYOTA – PRIUS+
TOYOTA – PROACE
TOYOTA – RAV4
TOYOTA – VERSO
VAUXHALL – ANTARA
VAUXHALL – ASTRA
VAUXHALL – INSIGNIA
VAUXHALL – SIGNUM
VAUXHALL – VECTRA
VAUXHALL – VIVARO
VAUXHALL – ZAFIRA
VOLKSWAGEN – BORA
VOLKSWAGEN – CADDY
VOLKSWAGEN – CARAVELLE
VOLKSWAGEN – CC
VOLKSWAGEN – GOLF ESTATE
VOLKSWAGEN – GOLF SPORTWAGEN
VOLKSWAGEN – JETTA
VOLKSWAGEN – PASSAT
VOLKSWAGEN – PHAETON
VOLKSWAGEN – SHARAN
VOLKSWAGEN – SURAN
VOLKSWAGEN – TIGUAN
VOLKSWAGEN – TOUAREG
VOLKSWAGEN – TOURAN
VOLKSWAGEN – TRANSPORTER
VOLVO – S40
VOLVO – S60
VOLVO – S80
VOLVO – S90
VOLVO – V40
VOLVO – V50
VOLVO – V60
VOLVO – V70
VOLVO – V90
VOLVO – XC60
VOLVO – XC90

To drive on the Uber platform, your car has to be certified as a private hire vehicle from Transport of London, has valid MOT, V5s counterpart and Hire and Reward Private Hire insurance, which usually carries a hefty price tag. Please keep in mind if you’re purchasing a new vehicle specifically for Uber that to register it as a private hire vehicle the car be no older than five years. Anything older than five years will not be able to register as TFL private hire vehicle. For example, if you buy a 61 Registration you won’t be able to register it as a new PHV. The only way to do so if it has already been registered with TFL before and you take over the tag.

Vehicles Accepted For UberXL In London – Approved Cars

AUDI – Q7
CHEVROLET – ORLANDO
CHRYSLER – GRAND VOYAGER
CITROEN – C8
CITROEN – DISPATCH COMBI
CITROEN – GRAND PICASSO
DAIHATSU – GRAN MAX
FIAT – SCUDO
FORD – GALAXY
FORD – GRAND C-MAX
FORD – TOURNEO
FORD – TOURNEO CUSTOM
FORD – TRANSIT CONNECT
FORD – TRANSIT CUSTOM
HYUNDAI – I800
HYUNDAI – SANTA FE
KIA – CARENS
KIA – SEDONA
KIA – SORENTO
LAND ROVER – DISCOVERY
MERCEDES-BENZ – CITAN
MERCEDES-BENZ – GL-CLASS
MERCEDES-BENZ – R-CLASS
MERCEDES-BENZ – V-CLASS
MERCEDES-BENZ – VIANO
MERCEDES-BENZ – VITO
MITSUBISHI – GRANDIS
NISSAN – NV200
NISSAN – QASHQAI+2
NISSAN – SERENA
NISSAN – X-TRAIL
PEUGEOT – 5008
PEUGEOT – 807
PEUGEOT – EUROBUS
PEUGEOT – EXPERT
PEUGEOT – TRAVELLER
RENAULT – ESPACE
RENAULT – GRAND SCENIC
RENAULT – TRAFIC
SEAT – ALHAMBRA
SKODA – KODIAQ
SSANGYONG – RODIUS
SSANGYONG – TURISMO
TOYOTA – ESTIMA
TOYOTA – PREVIA
TOYOTA – PROACE
VAUXHALL – VIVARO
VAUXHALL – ZAFIRA
VOLKSWAGEN – CADDY
VOLKSWAGEN – CARAVELLE
VOLKSWAGEN – SHARAN
VOLKSWAGEN – SURAN
VOLKSWAGEN – TOURAN
VOLKSWAGEN – TRANSPORTER
VOLVO – XC90

Vehicles Requirements And Accepted For Uber Exec London

AUDI – AUDI A8 (Short wheel base)
AUDI – AUDI A6 (C7 Shape & 5 seater only)
BMW – BMW 5 Series (New shape)
BMW – BMW 5 SERIES SPORT (5 seater only)
BMW – BMW 7 SERIES (Short wheel base)
JAGUAR – JAGUAR XF SERIES
JAGUAR – JAGUAR X TYPE
JAGUAR – JAGUAR XJ SERIES (Short wheel base)
MERCEDES – MERCEDES S CLASS (Short wheel base)
MERCEDES – MERCEDES E CLASS *
TESLA – TESLA MODEL S
Most Popular Uber Cars In London

Vehicles Accepted For Uber Lux In London

BENTLEY – BENTLEY FLYING SPUR
BMW – BMW 7 SERIES (Long wheel base)
JAGUAR – JAGUAR XJ SERIES (Long wheel base)
MERCEDES – MERCEDES S CLASS (Long wheel base) *
LAND ROVER – RANGE ROVER VOGUE
ROLLS – ROLLS ROYCE (Any model)

Vehicles Accepted For UberACCESS In London – Approved Cars

CITROEN – CITROEN BERLINGO WAV
FORD – FORD CONNECT WAV
PEUGEOT – PEUGEOT PARTNER WAV
PEUGEOT – PEUGEOT HORIZON WAV
PEUGEOT – PEUGEOT EXPERT WAV
VOLKSWAGEN – VOLKSWAGEN CADDY WAV

Renting Versus Buying Your Uber PCO Car

That’s a tricky one. The economics of Uber driving are such that if you do not have your own, 2009 or newer, car, you have to work 50 to 60 hours or more to make any decent money. I am sure a lot of people are thinking about driving for Uber part-time to generate some additional income, but that should only be the case if you already have the car and just need to add insurance.

If you look at most offers on Gumtree or Uber’s approved PCO car rental providers, you will notice that it is hard to get a decent car for less than £200-£250 a week, even some offer excludes insurance at that price range. That is £10,400-£13,000 a year thinking long term. You can find a used Prius on Gumtree or AutoTrader for less than that, let alone Skodas or Fords.
I will cover my financial experience with Uber on the linked page, but if you want to try Uber and see if it works for hiring a car short term is a viable option. I wouldn’t recommend hiring for more than a few months till you have enough money to cover a used beater from Gumtree or a down payment on a finance deal for a Prius or Insight.

Private Hire Car Maintenance

Driving a cab in a busy city like London is a pretty heavy load on the car, so regular maintenance is essential. Tyres, brake pads and disks, oil changes and different other bits will have to be serviced much more frequently than on a normal car or a Sunday driver. Brakes are usually easy to repair yourselves if you are handy enough, as might be oil changes depending on whether you can service your car at your home or not. Tyres and windscreen chips are a different matter so you have to find a mechanic you can trust not to rip you off on maintenance for your vehicle. You have to take care of the MOT as well, which is due every six months for private hire and taxis rather than the year interval for standard vehicles.

If you hire a car from a reputable provider, all this will be taken care of, and all you have to do is just drive. Careful, because you have to return the car in the same condition as you received otherwise you will be charged for every little problem that the car developed under your care, and there will be some dings and chips from driving in a city like London, the inescapable truth.

What Car To Use For Uber In London – Vehicle List And Requirements