I'm currently driving a 2014 Acura RLX with 180K miles. The car has been relatively trouble-free. I did find that after I replaced the Transmission Fluid with Genuine Honda ATF that it stopped bucking as if there was a problem with the engine mounts. (I'd recommend changing the Transmission Fluid every 30K miles for any Acura Automatic.)
In order to drive Uber (or other services) Higher Level service, I'll need to get an appropriate luxury car. Currently under consideration are a Mercedes E Class Diesel, Hyundai/Genesis G90, Kia K900, Lexus LS500, and the Volvo S90.
Although I owned a 2003 ES300 previously, the issue with the Lexus is that the prices vs. the others for even a slightly used one are $20,000 more than a Volvo S90. I know that the Lexus is more dependable, but really $20,000 worth?
Another question, is should I just keep driving the Acura, and save my money until such time as it becomes necessary to put in $3K+ into it just to keep it running?
Also, are there any recommended Chips / Replacement Air Filters [i.e. K&N] that I could get to increase my current MPG? Or, do those come with their own set of problems?
I assume the Acura is highway miles. If you are maintaining the transmission and it runs fine then keep it unless you get a good price. Volvos are decent cars they could be very reliable for a while but after 120 130k miles, who knows maybe it will be a money pit. $20,000 is a big difference but it also depends. If you are looking used, how many miles does the Volvo have and how many miles does the Lexus have? I am between those two. The Lexus would be more reliable but miles on the Volvo is also important.
Actually, I'm driving for Uber, and 90% of those miles are in NYC. Certainly not the easiest on a car, considering potholes, traffic, etc.
I'm definitely buying Used, as I've only bought 2 totally new cars in my life. One was my 1981 Civic when I'd recently graduated college, and didn't know any better. The other was my 2006 Mazda 5 which had just come out, and wasn't available on the Used market yet.
Thanks for your input.
Well that shows you how well American Honda Motor Co. builds vehicles these days.
What minimum year luxury car does Uber Black require? With the exception of the Lexus, none of those vehicles are going to be durable beyond 100,000 miles and/or will become money pits. However, if we are taking about the all-new current generation LS500 the jury is out on long-term reliability since it is using a new turbo-charged engine as well as a 10-speed Auto. Also, Consumer Reports currently has the LS500’s reliability as well below average.
I would strongly recommend the Lexus GS 350 RWD.
I would get he Lexus. It is more or less a Toyota. It will last a long time and will maintain it's value.
