Hooniverse Asks: What’s the most obscure Uber you’ve been in?

Kamil Kaluski

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I got an Uber ride the other day and an aging Honda Civic showed up. Getting into it I noticed that it was one of the first Civic hybrid models. I thought it was a great choice for Uber use – reliable, inexpensive, efficient, and just big and small enough.

Then I noticed something I didn’t expect – it had a manual transmission. It wouldn’t be so weird to see a Civic of that generation with a manual transmission but I didn’t expect the hybrid Civic to have it. But yes, this mild-hybrid and stick configuration was available on the seventh generation Civic from 2003 until 2005. A CVT model was also available for $1000 more.

The small 1.3-liter engine and its electric motor, with batteries charged from regenerative breaking, combined for 93-horsepower. That’s not a lot but it’s enough and that Civic wasn’t a big car. Most importantly, the EPA rated that Civic for 46 MPG in city and 51 MPG on the highway. The driver of this car said he gets about 50 MPG overall.

The driver stated that it has 230,000 miles on it and that he won’t be able to use after the end of this year due to Uber’s rules. But he said it has been solid and that he’ll keep even though he won’t be able to use to for work anymore. It did sounded like it needed a new half-axle, so hopefully he’ll take care of that.

In all my Uber trips, at least ones that I can recall, this was the most obscure vehicle I have had. And possibly the first with a manual transmission. What was yours?

About

Kamil Kaluski

Kamil Kaluski

East Coast Editor. Races crappy cars and has an unhealthy obsession with Eastern Bloc cars. Current fleet: 4Runner, Integra, Regal, Lada

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22 responses to “Hooniverse Asks: What’s the most obscure Uber you’ve been in?”

  1. Tamerlane's Thoughts Avatar
    Tamerlane’s Thoughts

    In California, I had a Lyft driver pick me up in her Volvo S80 with 300,000 miles.

    In Colombia, I had an Uber driver pick me up in an older version of the Chevy Onix(?). Uber drivers in Bogota were at war with taxi drivers so the guy made me sit in the front on the way to the airport and told me to pretend like we were cousins. He didn’t want his ass kicked at the drop off.

    He told me he was from the Amazon and that he rented the Chevy eight hours a day. The car ran 24-7 with a total of three tenant drivers.

    Reply
  2. neight428 Avatar
    neight428

    This sounds like another post-powerball winning hobby, driving for Uber/Lyft in all manner of odd vehicles.

    A wizard mural van would feature prominently, as would a lot of exotic two seaters, which may require some rule-skirting, but I figure that’s pretty much in Uber/Lyft’s DNA. Borderline monster trucks, military vehicles, actual limousines, a converted bus with a tended bar, complimentary, of course.

    Reply
    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      You just reminded me of those hilarious beer-bar-bikes that show a giant, unstable middlefinger to Berlin traffic all day long:

      https://luxeadventuretraveler.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Jdombs-Travels-Beer-Bike-Berlin-1.jpg

      Reply
      1. crank_case Avatar
        crank_case

        We have these in Dublin too *cringe*

        Reply
    2. Scoutdude Avatar
      Scoutdude

      My state’s lottery has a commercial in that same vein, where the would be winner proclaims he is going to be a pizza driver in a super car, just for fun.

      Reply
  3. Number_Six Avatar
    Number_Six

    New Audi Q7.

    Like, WTF

    Reply
  4. Number_Six Avatar
    Number_Six

    New Audi Q7.

    Like, WTF

    Reply
  5. 0A5599 Avatar
    0A5599

    I rode a camel in the desert, but that was sightseeing and not Point A to Point B.

    Reply
    1. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      But did you see a horse with no name?

      Reply
      1. Lokki Avatar
        Lokki

        You know, I never thought to even ask if the horses had names. We were kind of busy

        https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e0759c869dc7600aa9526c8bf8207b61cd55a25e40e3de073eac1c3faf22a89b.png

        Reply
  6. Lokki Avatar
    Lokki

    For me it’s probably a Ford Kuga… There was also a Peugeot 308, but I don’t imagine that either one is very rare for most Europeans. However for a Texas boy…

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Kuga

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot_308

    Reply
    1. crank_case Avatar
      crank_case

      As a European, I would like to offer my sincere apologies for the Peugeot 3008.

      Reply
  7. mdharrell Avatar
    mdharrell

    I’m guessing this would require one of those cellular telephones I keep hearing people mention, right?

    Reply
    1. Kamil K Avatar
      Kamil K

      I just checked… you can use a good old Dell desktop with a 17″ screen, connected to a 56k modem to request an Uber!

      Reply
      1. mdharrell Avatar
        mdharrell

        A phone number that can receive a text message for verification, not a land line, appears to be a requirement for setting up an account in the first place, however.

        Reply
        1. 0A5599 Avatar
          0A5599

          You could do that with a Google Voice account.

          Reply
          1. mdharrell Avatar
            mdharrell

            I have a Yahoo! Groups account. Is that more or less the same thing?

        2. nanoop Avatar
          nanoop

          Ask your chauffeur to do it for you: he probably has a cell phone, and it’s his job anyway, kind of.

          Reply
  8. crank_case Avatar
    crank_case

    The harbinger of the next sub-prime crisis

    Reply
  9. salguod Avatar
    salguod

    A Jaguar XJS in Vegas. I think the driver said he was some kind of physician between jobs or something.

    I think my daughter’s first Uber ride was a Kia Soul with fringe hanging from the roof and her driver was wearing a top hat.

    Reply
  10. Eduardo Rodrigues Avatar
    Eduardo Rodrigues

    Once I was picked up in a Fiat Idea Sporting in my hometown. This Sporting model is just an appearence package on a compact minivan, it was a flop when new and is pretty rare. By the way, i’m brazilian
    https://i.wheelsage.org/pictures/fiat/idea/autowp.ru_fiat_idea_sporting_19.jpg

    Reply
  11. Troggy Avatar
    Troggy

    Would 20 Toyota Echo’s count?

    In my city Ubers are marked as such with a placard and I see a diverse variety of vehicles, but every time I order an Uber I end up in another Toyota Echo.

    I can’t complain, the service is pretty good when compared to the taxis.

    Reply