Whether you’re interested in making it your side hustle or potentially even your full-time gig, driving Uber is a desirable prospect. You’re aware that Uber has a lot of requirements for the vehicles that can join its ridesharing fleet. If all you have is a two-door car, can you be an Uber driver?
Two-door cars do not meet Uber’s qualifications for required vehicles. In some cases, Lamborghinis have been allowed into the Uber Black or Uber Lux services pool, but it’s unclear if Uber would still make that exception today. Uber Eats does allow two-door cars, but it’s not ridesharing.
In this article, we’ll talk more about Uber’s rules on two-door cars and whether you’re eligible to drive one for this rideshare service. There’s lots of great information to come, so check it out!
Can You Become an Uber Driver If You Have a Two-Door Car?
Two-door cars are usually coupes, a type of vehicle that has a shorter roofline on the rear that often slopes. They can encompass some truly luxurious vehicles such as Lamborghinis and the beloved, classic Dodge Challenger.
Even still, two-door vehicles are usually barred by Uber.
Let’s take a closer look at Uber’s ridesharing services and the requirements for each to see where, if anywhere, a two-door car would be allowed.
UberX
When you request a standard ride through Uber, the service is technically UberX. An UberX ride is for four people max. Uber requires that drivers own a vehicle such as a sedan that has room for four passengers and yourself (so five people total). The vehicle must be four-door.
UberXL
What if customers have a bigger group than four people? They’d need to fetch a ride in an UberXL. The vehicles in the UberXL class are larger to bring six people total to their destination. Your vehicle must have seven seats with seatbelts, and all seats must be factory-installed. More so, the vehicle needs four doors.
UberX Share
The carpooling service UberX Share–formerly known as Uber Pool–allows small groups heading the same way to ride together. Although Uber isn’t clear on their website about what the UberX Share requirements are, we’d assume that a four-door vehicle is a standard.
Uber Comfort
Do you like to stretch out your legs when riding? Uber Comfort is for doing that. The entire ridesharing experience is relaxed when riding in an Uber Comfort vehicle, and said vehicles are larger than the norm.
Not only must your Uber Comfort vehicle have four doors, but each door should be capable of operating independently. You also need a history of driving for Uber, with at least 100 trips under your belt and a rating of 4.85 or higher.
Uber Black
Ride in style in Uber Black, a high-end service where passengers sit in a classy vehicle commandeered by a highly-rated Uber driver. Uber requires its Uber Black drivers have a vehicle with a black interior and four doors. You must have driven for Uber at least 100 times and have a rating of 4.85. If your rating drops, you would become ineligible to drive for Uber Black.
Uber Lux
Uber Lux gets even posher than Uber Black. This high-quality rideshare service is a chance to ride in a new vehicle and make a big entrance. All Uber Lux vehicles must have four doors as well as room for at least four passengers plus the driver.
That said, in some cases, Lambos have been allowed in the Uber Lux program, and those are two-door vehicles.
Uber WAV
Uber WAV is a wheelchair-accessible ridesharing service. You need a Passenger Service and Safety or PASS certificate to join this class of Uber drivers. Your vehicle must also meet the requirements to be wheelchair-friendly.
Why Doesn’t Uber Allow Two-Door Cars?
Darn. You have to admit, you were quite looking forward to driving for Uber in your two-door car. As you can see though, no matter which type of Uber driver you want to be, a four-door vehicle is typically the requirement.
Why is that? Although Uber has never made an official statement on the matter, we have a few guesses.
Getting into and out of a two-door car is not easy. The driver or the front-seat passenger must get out and move their seats so the backseat passengers can climb in. If a woman is entering your vehicle in a skirt, she could feel uncomfortable climbing into the back lest an indecent exposure situation happen.
Besides that, older adults might find it too difficult to climb into and out of their vehicles.
The amount of legroom for rear passengers in a two-door car is usually less than in a four-door, so riders won’t have the best experience. Plus, if a rider ever felt unsafe in an Uber (which can happen), they’re literally trapped in the backseat.
When you consider all those reasons, you can now see where Uber is coming from when they disallow two-door cars in most cases.
What Other Requirements Must You Meet to Become an Uber Driver?
We want to note that the requirements to become an UberX driver vary by region across the United States. The following requirements are general and might not be the rules you have to follow in your city or town. That said, these requirements are from Uber’s website, so we assume they’re accurate and current.
Valid Driver’s License
If you’re at least 18 years old (19 in some parts of the country) and you have a valid driver’s license, then you can apply to drive for Uber. A valid driver’s license is current, FYI.
One to Three Years of Driving Experience
The amount of driving experience that Uber requires is dependent on your age. If you’re younger than 25, then Uber mandates that you’ve driven for three years, although not for a rideshare service. For drivers over 25, only one year of driving experience is necessary.
Eligible Vehicle
What constitutes an eligible Uber vehicle runs the gamut. Even for UberX services, in regions across the country, the rules change. Your vehicle should ideally be less than 15 years old, although some regions might require a vehicle that’s under 10 years old.
Keep in mind that for different Uber services, you’ll need a newer vehicle, especially for luxury services like Uber Lux and Uber Black. Your car must be high-class and have a black interior.
What About Lyft? Do They Allow Two-Door Cars?
A four-door car isn’t in the budget right now, so you figure you’ll look into other ridesharing services outside of Uber. Does Lyft mandate that drivers have a four-door vehicle as well?
Yes, they do. For the reasons discussed earlier, ridesharing services are not going to waiver on the four-door car rule.
If you’d still like to drive your car to make some extra money, you can always try Uber Eats. This isn’t ridesharing, but food delivery. Your earnings potential is potentially less, but since it’s just you and other people’s food in the car, a two-door vehicle is permitted.
Conclusion
If you’re hoping to make some extra cash as an Uber driver, you must have a four-door vehicle. That’s true whether you want to drive UberX to UberXL and Uber Comfort. Lambos have been allowed as Uber Black and Uber Lux vehicles, but that’s the exception, not the rule.
Only Uber Eats–which is delivery and not ridesharing–permits two-door cars. Even ridesharing competitors Lyft require a four-door vehicle for passenger transport!
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- About the Author
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John Cunningham is an Automotive Technician and writer on Rustyautos.com. He’s been a mechanic for over twenty-five years and has worked for GM, Volvo, Volkswagen, Land Rover, and Jaguar dealerships.
John uses his know-how and experience to write fluff-free articles that help fellow gearheads with all aspects of vehicle ownership, including maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting.