I rented an Uber Comfort-eligible Camry for my first year. Then I went Premier with a 3-Series. After three years and roughly 110,000 miles between rented cars, I have opinions about which vehicles actually pay back the rent and which ones just look pretty in the listing photos.
Most "best cars for Uber" articles online were written by people who've never sat in traffic at LAX for 90 minutes. So this one is going to be different. I'll tell you which vehicles on RideshareRenter make Comfort and Premier worth the upgrade, what the math actually looks like, and where I lost money learning the hard way.
Standard UberX in most markets pays around $0.85 to $1.05 per mile and roughly $0.18 to $0.30 per minute. Uber Comfort adds about a 20 to 25% premium on the rider's bill, and Premier adds 40 to 70%, depending on the city. The driver's cut tracks roughly with that bump, minus Uber's commission.
Translation in real numbers: if you average $25/hour gross on UberX, Comfort runs me about $30-$33/hour in Phoenix and Premier sits closer to $38-$45/hour. That's not life-changing money on a single ride. Over a 60-hour week, it's an extra $300 to $1,000 in gross income.
So why doesn't every driver run Premier? Because Premier-eligible cars cost more to rent. The vehicle has to be 2019 or newer in most markets, with leather or leather-style seats, and pass an extra inspection. On RideshareRenter the weekly rate for a Premier-eligible car typically runs $80 to $180 more per week than a base UberX rental. The math only works if you actually stay busy in the higher tier.
Uber Comfort needs a 4-door car, model year 2017 or newer in most cities (some markets allow 2016), with extra legroom. The rider sees it as "more space, no chitchat unless you start it." You as the driver get a slightly higher fare and can also accept normal UberX requests, which is the whole reason it's worth doing.
The vehicles I'd actually rent on RideshareRenter for Comfort:
What I'd skip: Nissan Altimas with CVT mileage above 80k. The transmissions are coin flips after that point and the last thing you want is a check engine light 4 hours into a Saturday night. Anything turbocharged with under 30k miles on the rental — they sound great but small turbos hate constant city stop-and-go.
Premier (formerly Black or UberSelect in some markets, depending on the city) wants a luxury 4-door, 2019 or newer, with leather. The list of approved makes typically includes BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Lexus, Acura, Cadillac, Genesis, Tesla, and select Volvo, Lincoln, and Infiniti models. Each city has its own approved list — check yours in the Uber driver app under Vehicle Requirements.
Vehicles on RideshareRenter that I've personally driven or watched other drivers crush it with:
| Tier | Avg Weekly Rent | Avg Hourly Gross (60hr week) | Weekly Gross (60 hrs) | Net After Rent & Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UberX (Sentra, Civic) | $215 | $25 | $1,500 | $1,070 |
| Comfort (Camry, Sonata) | $285 | $31 | $1,860 | $1,375 |
| Premier (Tesla M3, ES 350) | $465 | $42 | $2,520 | $1,790 |
These numbers assume a 60-hour week, average city, and roughly $215/week in fuel for UberX/Comfort and $90/week in electricity for the Tesla (or $250/week premium fuel for the BMW). Your market will be different — these are based on what I've actually netted in Phoenix, San Diego, and Las Vegas.
The takeaway: Premier nets you $415 more per week than UberX even after the higher rent. But you only hit those numbers if Premier requests are flowing in your market. In smaller cities, Premier requests can be thin. Test your market for two weeks on UberX first to gauge volume before committing to a Premier rental.
Three things have killed my Premier weeks in the past:
Slow Premier markets. Some cities have plenty of Premier riders during business hours but go dead at night. If you're a night driver, Premier may not pencil out.
Detail/cleaning costs. Premier riders are pickier. A spilled iced coffee that an UberX rider would shrug off becomes a 1-star and a cleaning fee complaint on Premier. Budget $25-$40/week in detail/wash costs.
Tire and brake wear on premium cars. A set of run-flats for a 3 Series is $1,400 vs $480 for a Camry. RideshareRenter rentals come with tires/brakes covered if they're worn from normal use, but check the listing's terms — some owners exclude consumable wear from coverage.
On RideshareRenter, when you search rentals in your city, filter by "Uber Comfort eligible" or "Uber Premier eligible" in the listing tags. Owners self-report eligibility, but the platform also shows the model year and trim. Cross-reference with Uber's approved list for your market.
One trick: message the owner before booking and ask if they've personally driven the car for Premier. If yes, they'll know the exact tier code that shows up in the driver app and any quirks (e.g., the inspection center that approves them fastest). If they bought the car as a rental investment and never drove it on Uber, expect to do more of the verification work yourself.
Yes. Once your vehicle is approved for Premier, you can toggle between Premier, Comfort, and UberX in the driver app. Most drivers run all three on at all times so they don't sit idle. Premier requests pay best, but in a slow Premier hour, an UberX request beats no request.
Some listings include unlimited Supercharging, others reimburse per mile, and some leave it on the driver. Read the listing's energy/fuel policy before booking. A Model 3 with included Supercharging can save you $150+ per week vs paying out of pocket.
In most major US metros, yes — provided you drive 50+ hours per week and your market has steady Premier demand. In secondary markets (think mid-size Midwest cities), Premier requests can be too sparse to justify the rent premium. Comfort tends to be the safer ROI move there.
Older Acura TLX and Lexus ES 350 listings (2019-2020 model years) typically come in around $360-$400/week. They're not flashy, but they pass Premier inspection and the riders don't care if it's the latest year as long as the car is clean.
Yes. Uber requires a Premier-tier inspection at one of their approved sites. The inspection takes 20-40 minutes and is usually free. Schedule it the same day you pick up the rental so you're not paying rent on a car you can't drive at the higher tier.
RideshareRenter is peer-to-peer and most owners don't run a hard credit check the way Hertz or Avis do. They look at your driving record, Uber rating, and how long you've been on the platform. So yes, Comfort rentals are accessible to drivers with bruised credit, which is one of the platform's biggest advantages over fleet rentals.
Comfort is the easiest tier upgrade to justify. Lower rent than Premier, broader rider pool, and any reliable mid-size sedan from 2019+ will earn you 20-25% more per ride. Premier pays better per hour but only if your market has the volume — and only if you're willing to keep the car detail-shop clean.
If you're starting out, rent a Comfort-eligible Camry or Sonata on RideshareRenter for two weeks, run Comfort + UberX, and track your actual hourly. If you're netting over $30/hour and you're driving in a top-15 metro, then it's time to consider stepping up to a Premier rental.
Drivers: Browse Comfort and Premier-eligible cars in your city on RideshareRenter. Most listings are approved within 24 hours and you can be on the road by the weekend.
Vehicle owners: Got a 2019+ Camry, Tesla, Lexus, or BMW sitting in the driveway? List your car on RideshareRenter and earn $1,200-$2,400/month renting to vetted Uber and Lyft drivers — much higher rates than Turo for the same vehicle.
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