Which Uber Car Makes The Most Money

Of all the questions we get from people who want to become an Uber driver, the most common one is, "Can I drive for Uber with my car? Does my car qualify?"

This page covers the current Uber vehicle requirements and provides example cars to show you what qualifies for each Uber service.

Article Contents

Uber Vehicle Requirements
- See Qualifying Cars in Your City
- Requirements for X, XL, Select, Black, Lux
The Uber Vehicle Inspection
How to Rent a Car for Uber

Uber Vehicle Requirements

Vehicle must be 10 – 15 years old or newer, varies city to city
- Use Uber's vehicle search tool
Must be a four-door car, truck, or minivan. Manual (standard) transmission is OK
Vehicle must have at least 5 factory-installed seatbelts
Must pass a mechanical vehicle inspection
Valid insurance: Driver's name must be on the insurance for the vehicle
Valid registration: Does NOT have to list driver's name
Driver must pass a background check and driving record check (See background check details here)

Vehicles that DON'T qualify for any Uber service

No full-size vans (Ford Transit, Ford E-Series, GMC Savana, etc)
No taxis or taxi-style paint
No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles (salvage title)

Need a car? How to rent car for Uber

Rent a car through HyreCar, a peer-to-peer rental network
Guide: How to rent a car for Uber
How to contact Uber if you have a question

How to See Vehicles that Qualify in Your City

Uber doesn't always make it easy to find the eligible vehicles and model years for your city. Uber only displays very general requirements on the Uber driver signup page, and you might find conflicting results when you search online.

Use Uber's vehicle search tool

Use Uber's eligible vehicle search tool and input your city in the search bar. You will see a list of eligible vehicles and the minimum model year requirement. You'll also see which Uber service that each vehicle qualifies for.

screenshot of the uber eligible vehicles tool that is available at uber.com

Uber finally created an easily searchable list of vehicles for every city

Use Google to find the vehicle requirements page for your city

Another way to find detailed vehicle requirements for your city is with a special Google search. Search for "Los Angeles vehicle requirements site:uber.com." The 'site:uber.com' will limit your results to official Uber.com pages.

The correct Google result will have a title that says something like 'Vehicle Requirements | Uber Los Angeles'

Uber X Vehicle Requirements

Uber X is the basic Uber service that accommodates up to 4 passengers. Almost any 4-door vehicle that is 10 years old or newer will qualify as long as it is in good mechanical and cosmetic condition.

Uber X vehicles must meet these requirements:

10 – 15 years years old or newer in most cities
- Check Uber's vehicle search tool for info about your city
Must have five seat belts (room for four passengers)
Four full doors – No center-opening rear doors (Honda Element) or three doors (Hyundai Veloster)

Example UberX cars: Toyota Prius, Honda Accord, Mazda3 and Mazda6, Toyota Camry and Corolla, Ford Focus, Nissan Altima, Nissan Sentra, Ford F-150, Toyota Tacoma, Honda Civic, Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Cruz, Chevrolet Cobalt, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Passat, Chrysler 300 and 200.

Some Subcompact Vehicles Aren't Eligible for All Driver Promotions

Certain subcompact vehicles qualify for Uber X, but are not eligible for all driver promotions. If you drive with an ineligible subcompact, you can still receive a signup bonus and referral rewards, but you may not be eligible for other ongoing promotions such as the Quest bonus.

Subcompact models that are ineligible for some promotions include: Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Sonic, Chevrolet Spark, Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Nissan Versa, Nissan Versa Note, Pontiac G3, Toyota Prius C, and Toyota Yaris.

Related Topics

What's the Difference Between UberX, XL, Select, and Black?
Uber Driver Requirements: Do You Qualify to Drive?

Uber XL Vehicle Requirements

Uber XL is a service intended for groups of 5–6 passengers. Prices for XL are higher than X, so you'll make more money per ride if you drive an XL vehicle. Uber XL is a commonly requested ride type for airport passengers.

Must seat six passengers (7 factory-installed seatbelts)
Typically same model year requirement as Uber X, but can vary
No full-size vans or box trucks

Example UberXL cars: GMC Acadia, Dodge Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer, Ford Flex, Dodge Durango, Dodge Grand Caravan, Jeep Cherokee, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Yukon XL, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Highlander, Nissan Quest, Chevy Traverse, Hyundai Santa Fe

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Uber Comfort Vehicle Requirements

Uber Comfort offers larger vehicles with more legroom at a lower price than UberXL and Black. Uber Comfort is a popular option for airport trips and for riders who don't want to ride in a compact car.

Drivers must have at least 250 rides and a rating of 4.85 or higher
Vehicle must have more legroom than smaller cars
Vehicle must be newer than the UberX requirement

Example Uber Comfort vehicles: Larger sedans, minivans, and SUVs.

Uber Green Vehicle Requirements

Uber Green is a ride in an electric or hybrid vehicle. There is a $1 surcharge to passengers: half goes to drivers, half goes to Uber's green initiatives.

Hybrid or electric vehicles that meet Uber X requirements
5 factory installed seatbelts
Not available in all cities

Example Uber Green cars: Toyota Prius, Honda Accord Hybrid, all Tesla models, Toyota Camry and Rav4 Hybrid, Hyundai IONIQ electric.

Uber Select Vehicle Requirements

Uber Select is a ride in an entry-level luxury vehicle with a leather interior. Uber Select costs more than Uber X and XL.

Entry-level luxury sedans
Newer model year required
5 factory-installed seatbelts
Leather or vinyl interior – no cloth
Available in California and New York

Example Uber Select cars: Audi A3 and up, Acura RLX, Acura TL & TLX, BMW 3 Series and up, all Lincolns, Mercedes C-Class and up, Volvo S60, Acura, most Cadillacs, Hyundai Genesis, all Infinitis, Hyundai Genesis & Equus, Infinitis, Tesla Model S, Volvo S60 & S80.

Uber Black and Black SUV Vehicle Requirements

Uber Black and Black SUV are the high-end, high-cost Uber service that has the highest vehicle standards.

Black paint, black leather interior
Newer model year required (typically 5 years old, varies city to city)
Commercial registration and insurance
Must have city-specific airport permits (when required)
Full Uber black requirements and how to qualify for Black service

Example Uber Black cars: Audi A6 A7 A8, BMW 5 & 7 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and S-Class, Porsche Panamera, Tesla Model S, Jaguar XF and XJ, Cadillac XTS

Example Uber SUV cars: Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Lincoln Navigator, GMC Yukon XL, Infiniti QX80, Mercedes GL-Class, Lexus LX

Uber Lux Vehicle Requirements

A luxury car service that only accepts the top models from luxury brands.

Full-size luxury vehicle
Commercial insurance required
Available in California and NYC

Example Uber Lux cars: Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Porsche Panamera, Tesla Model S, Range Rover, Jaguar XK, Lexus LS, Bentley, Maybach, Rolls Royce

Uber Eats Vehicle Requirements

Uber Eats is an on-demand food delivery service that has easier vehicle requirements. The main difference is that Uber Eats accepts vehicles with 2 doors, and your vehicle can be older.

Uber Eats vehicles can be 20 years old or newer in some cities, while others only allow 15 years old or newer. Read more about driving for Uber Eats here.

The Uber Vehicle Inspection

You must have your vehicle inspected before you can begin accepting ride requests. You can have your vehicle inspected at a local Uber vehicle activation center, or at a state-certified mechanic in your area.

Inspections at Uber activation centers may be free, but Uber is starting to charge for inspections in some states. Independent mechanics typically charge around $30 for an inspection.

The inspection covers the basic mechanical condition of your car: Brakes, tires, lights, windows, and safety features are inspected.

Get a virtual inspection with RideShare Mechanic
Will your car pass the Uber vehicle inspection?

If your car qualifies for more than one service, you'll get ride requests for each

If you drive for Uber with a vehicle that is eligible for Uber XL, Select, or other Uber services, you will get requests for all of the services that your vehicle is eligible for. For example, if you drive an SUV that qualifies for XL, you will receive Uber X and XL requests.

How to enable or disable ride requests from other Uber services

You can select the types of trip requests you receive by visiting the Driving Preferences menu in the Uber driver app.

Tap the bottom area of the home screen to open your Trip Planner. Then tap the icon in the bottom left to open Driving Preferences. Tap on a service to enable or disable requests from that service.

Disable UberEATS delivery requests by adjusting your Driving Prefences on the home screen

Choose what type of ride requests you receive in Driving Preferences

The volume of UberXL and Select ride requests is typically much lower than the volume of UberX rides. Most drivers accept ride requests from all Uber services to stay busy.

Aging Out: What Happens When Your Car Becomes Too Old for Uber

It s possible for your car to age out of Uber's system. You won't be able to go online with that vehicle when it becomes too old for Uber.

Here's What Happens When Your Car Becomes Too Old for Uber

Find Out: Does Your Car Qualify for Uber?

The best way to find out if your car qualifies for Uber is to go this page at Uber.com and enter your city and vehicle model.

Ultimately, the only way to find out if your particular car qualifies is to go through the application process. After you let Uber know what kind of car you have and provide basic personal information, you'll be told if you should move forward to complete the background check and vehicle inspection.

Need a Car For Uber? Your Options

If you don't currently have access to a car that qualifies for Uber, there are several options to get access to qualifying cars. We wrote a detailed guide about how to buy, rent, and lease cars for Uber, but in summary these are your options:

Rent a car through Uber's partnerships with rental car companies
Rent a car through HyreCar, a peer-to-peer rental network
Buy a car, preferably an affordable used car