Does anyone use their car for driving for Uber/Lyft?

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I'm in the market for a new car and I'm super indecisive about which one I want to get. I've narrowed down my options to Civic Si, Civic Hatchback cvt , Mazda3, Hyundai Elantra Sport or wait for the 2020 Kia Forte GT which is basically the same as Elantra Sport but with Kia's design. Main factors affecting my decision are daily driving comfort, ride sharing/uber, usability, most safety features, mpg, price, long term reliability, and low maintenance.

I live in the Bay Area, so traffic can get bad. I want something that's fun to drive and offers the most features. I think it's a bummer that the new Si doesn't offer the standard Honda Sensing safety suite that are offered even on the lowest trim. I would like the hatchback with all the features (probably the ex) but it's not going to be as fun (CVT). The new Mazda3 looks nice/premium price, is 8 spd, but has the carryover motor from previous years.

I test drove the Si the other day with the salesman and stalled a couple times but overall was really nice and smooth. Help me decide! Will driving manual transmission get tiring if I were to drive for extended periods of time throughout the day? Will I wear out the clutch and spend more on maintenance as opposed to the CVT? Will I benefit much from using the Honda Sensing suite?

I'm an enthusiast but at the same time want to be practical

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[Trevor_Brown]

I think it all comes down to what you’re looking for in a car. Affordable luxury, price, reliability. Are you looking for something fun or comfortable? I’m biased towards the Si of course so take what I say with a grain of salt. I think the Si sedan is as practical as all other options (except the hatchback). I have driven both the Mazda 3 and elantra sport. The Si is definitely the better drivers car in my opinion. Buuuut..... if you plan to use the car transport people, you may want something with leather seats which are easier to clean and sanitize and more driver aids both of which the Si lacks. Also your passengers may not want to feel the jerky motion from manually changing gears, especially if you do not have a ton of experience. As to your question about getting tired driving a manual, regardless of which make/model on long trips, if you’re in downtown Atlanta or LA I would advise against a manual. If your driving on the freeway at freeway speeds, you will more than likely stay in 6th gear so not many gear changes going on there. I say make a list, write pros and cons for each car based on how you will use it, then when you decide, do as much research on the car as possible. Hope I was able to help somewhat.

 

[chi town brat]

I think it's a bummer that the new Si doesn't offer the standard Honda Sensing safety suite that are offered even on the lowest trim.

I test drove the Si the other day with the salesman and stalled a couple times but overall was really nice and smooth.

I'm an enthusiast but at the same time want to be practical

The Si Sensing Safety Suite is thankfully not on the Si or the R as it would be a PITA for those of us that use it as something other than a commuter.

I fully hate that soft clutch. You have to reprogram your shifting habits to not stall the car.

Practical is just a Civic. Enthusiast is an Si. In full love is an R. *wink*

Enjoy and I hope you make the right decision.

 

[Pekingduck]

I pick the si exactly for this reason. My job requires me to drive a lot and make multiple stops a day. I really enjoy driving my si and I find it relaxing going from one location to the next. I was contemplating about buying a nicer car since I spend about 4 hours in my car a day and I use it as my office as well and I have found it very tolerable. I had a Honda Fit before and it world apart considering it was only a 5k difference. So far my upkeep has been okay and it get decent mpg without even trying to hypermile it.

 

[dj_no_cue]

I have a manual EXT that i use for Uber and I love it. Customers love it too. I always get compliments for driving a manual and how impressive the gear box is. its easily one of the best manuals I've driven. My NSX isnt even so precise

 

[racer]

Ride sharing/uber sounds great, but work the $$ out first. How much time doing it? How many miles? How much more maintenance needed? imho, if you want to make money ride sharing, you need the tool with the lowest operating costs and easiest to clean out when things go wrong. That means some kind of hybrid (prius). If you are leasing, consider how ride share will eat up your lease miles too. (assuming like 90% of everyone, you will be leasing)

Ok, Now that you are not going to ride share, learn to drive stick and get an Si. You've already mentioned you aren't going to have fun driving a CVT, so why bother with any of them then. No auto/CVT.

Now its a short list. GTi, Si, Mini Cooper S (?)

 

[b4gel]

Ride sharing/uber sounds great, but work the $$ out first. How much time doing it? How many miles? How much more maintenance needed? imho, if you want to make money ride sharing, you need the tool with the lowest operating costs and easiest to clean out when things go wrong. That means some kind of hybrid (prius). If you are leasing, consider how ride share will eat up your lease miles too. (assuming like 90% of everyone, you will be leasing)

90% of everyone leases? I was under the impression that about 1 in 4 people lease their vehicles.

 

[racer]

90% of everyone leases? I was under the impression that about 1 in 4 people lease their vehicles.

Maybe I was a little high on that.. This article states about 30% of buyers lease. https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/06/08/why-rising-car-leases-should-worry-automakers.aspx

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