When you need your car to earn your living, deciding which make and model to pick is critical, unreliability and poor fuel economy will decimate your profits. Further to this, poor space in the rear or boot can make your passengers’ experience worse, leading to poor ratings. 

In this blog, we take a look at the 9 best cars for use as a Taxi or Uber, including some specialised ones for differing needs, such as 7-seaters and luxury vehicles.

Toyota Prius 2.0 Petrol Hybrid - £37,315

Favoured by Uber and Lyft drivers, the Prius offers great economy, space and reliability, all vital to a successful taxi business. Toyota’s Synergy Drive system is one of the simplest and most ingenious drivetrains ever used in a car. It is responsible for much of the Prius’ economy and reliability.

Alongside its great drivetrain, the Prius has some other useful features, such as a large boot for passenger’s luggage plus a comfy and spacious interior. 

 is available from £37,315 with its 2.0 petrol and plug-in hybrid battery system offering 223 horsepower and over 50 miles of electric-only range.

With its dependable drivetrain, great economy and ample passenger space, a new or second-hand Prius would be our pick for a taxi.

Best Estate and Saloon Cars to use as a Taxi

For longer journeys, such as airport runs, a diesel may be the best option for any aspiring rideshare entrepreneurs. 

 has always been a favourite of taxi drivers due to its great reliability and spacious interior.

The hatch-saloon offers great accessibility to the load area, but we’d generally recommend the estate for that bit more luggage space. The efficient diesel engine can achieve up to 65 MPG, great for keeping fuel costs low.

 is a similar package to the Octavia, even sharing the same platform, the VW comes available with more kit and luxury, ideal if you're aiming for the Lux market, 

The Passat is only available with the VAG group’s 1.5 TSI Petrol engine, although this still achieves a great MPG of 52. The DSG gearbox offers a smooth and ultra-efficient gear change.

7-seater taxis are very common in the UK, they can carry 6 passengers, or 4 with loads of luggage space, and they don’t usually take up much more room than an estate Here are 3 of the best 7-seater cars on the market.

 has been a mainstay in the 7-seater market, offering dependable, practical people-carrying ability. 

The new Touran, being a Volkswagen, comes available with all manner of tech, including adaptive cruise control and Apple car play. 

One of the standout features is the folding seats, which allows all 5 seats rear of the driver to fold perfectly flat. This means you can carry larger items such as passengers' wheelchairs or bikes without issue.

As a good compromise between a commercial vehicle and an MPV, the 

offers great people-carrying capacity with its van-derived flat floor, allowing all the rear seats to be completely removed if needed.

If fuel economy or Company Car Tax is a concern, the Tourneo Connect is available as a PHEV with up to 68 miles of range on electric power alone. A benefit of the Tourneo being a blend of car and van, is that the driving position and infotainment system is modern and refined.

 is based on a Citroen Van platform. Again, we see that as a plus though, it has a flat load bay when the seats are removed, and can carry 7 people (including the driver) in comfort. 

At a starting price of £22,250, the Berlingo is a much more cost-effective solution than the Ford, too. The base trim comes with active lane-keeping assist, safety braking and cruise control, a great selection of features for the price. 

If your main market is the high-end clientele, looking to make an impression with their arrival, you’ll need a high-end vehicle. These are some of the most popular luxury-segment vehicles to use as a taxi.

Mercedes is synonymous with both luxury and private hire taxi companies across the world, whether that's a dependable 90’s 190e in Spain or a stylish 

 in Mayfair. The latter can be bought today in 2024 for around £64,500, which is unsurprisingly the most expensive car on our list so far. 

That cost is understandable though, with great infotainment, safety and passenger comfort features. Heated seats and LED headlights are standard, as is the impressive level of build quality. Many engine options are available including a plug-in hybrid.

Another giant in the luxury saloon segment, 

 has been on the scene for years, since 1972 in fact. The recipe has stayed roughly the same but with more luxury and features. The M-Sport base model comes with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and an automatic gearbox.

Equipped with LED headlights, BMW’s unique curved infotainment screen and driving assist, you do get a lot for your money. If more power or more economy is needed, there are a range of engine options including a 3.0-litre turbo petrol or a plug-in hybrid.

Ever since their first car in the late 90s, Lexus has cemented themselves as one of 

luxury brands. The Lexus ES is their mid-size saloon, offering ample passenger space but most of all excellent build quality and style.

Being a sister company to Toyota, you can be sure of the longevity and reliability, plus the hybrid system, like the Prius’, is super economical and very robust. Prices start at £43,595 which we think is great value when you consider the two German saloons above. 

Yes, so long as it’s licensed with your local council, this needs to be the same council that issued the taxi or PHV driver's licence, and meets the 

What does my car need to be used as a Taxi?

There are a few conditions that your car needs to comply with in order to be issued a private hire vehicle licence by your council. These checks will include:

Many councils also require the car to be Euro 6 compliant, and under 10 years old. 

Does my car need a taximeter to be used as a taxi?

Not always, alongside roof signs, colour schemes and a taximeter are determined by your licensing authority, aka the council area you wish to operate from. 

Check your local council website for more information.

Outside of the traditional black cabs now made by London EV Company Limited, the Toyota Prus is the most commonly used taxi vehicle.

The reasons for this are the same as ours for making it our top pick; it delivers great economy and has a very reliable drivetrain. 

If you’re expensing the cost of a car through a business, either as a limited company or self-employed, and you also use it for personal usage, you are technically in receipt of a 

, and as such will owe tax on that amount. 

If you only drive your taxi for work purposes, there is no company car tax due. 

We recently talked about company car tax in-depth and what cars to choose to avoid it.

Split the Cost of Repairing Your Taxi With Bumper 

If you have a big bill on the horizon, say a new clutch or cambelt is needed, being able to spread the cost of this over a few months can really help your cash flow. This is possible with Bumper, and at zero-percent interest. 

Best 9 Cars To Use As A Taxi

Congratulations to Brayleys Nissan Manchester, the latest site on the Bumper network to be named Dealership of the Month. 

Since joining the Bumper network in 2021, Brayleys have used Bumper’s PayLater to split the cost of their customers’ service and repair work. 

The team at Nissan Manchester also use PayLater via CitNOW, allowing customers to select their service work and flexible instalments within their eVHC and giving valuable time back to service advisors.

Chris Booth, Business Development Consultant for Bumper, is the site’s account manager. 

He said, “Congratulations to Brayleys Nissan Manchester. We've seen a big increase in conversion and customer retention with sites taking a proactive approach to offering Bumper, and Brayleys is no exception. 

“The team on site have put PayLater firmly into their everyday aftersales process and have now seen this reflected in their VHC stats and customer feedback.” 

A big well done to Tom, Billy-Jo, Jessica, and the whole team at Nissan Manchester on your win! 

Brayleys Nissan Manchester crowned Dealership of the Month 

Bumper has expanded its operations with the appointment of three new senior positions to support its ambitious growth plans in the UK and Europe. 

Alfie Sansom joins as finance director overseeing financial operations, credit and treasury management, tax structuring and capital allocation. He was previously head of finance at Conducktor and has worked at senior levels at PwC, Grant Thornton and Sky.

Jonathan Westwood has been appointed as Bumper’s head of legal and compliance. A general counsel with experience of international commercial contracts with Siemens and Experian, he joins from the Mortgage Advice Bureau where he was head of legal. He will spearhead Bumper’s risk, legal and compliance function 

as the company progresses towards regulated status.

Shreenidhi Subramanian joins as Bumper’s senior product manager. She has a background in fintech and will help scale and grow the business’ product portfolio.

Bumper is ranked at 281 in the FT1000 list of the fastest-growing companies in Europe and is the 49

 fastest-growing UK business across all sectors.

Headcount has grown significantly over recent years with 71 staff across t

he UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany and Netherlands and a further 16 in Turkey at the company’s dedicated 

Commenting on the appointments James Jackson, Bumper’s co-founder and CEO said: “We’re delighted to welcome Alfie, Jonathan and Shreenidhi to the team; all three bring a wealth of specialist and leadership experience to the business and we wish them every success in their new roles.

“As Bumper enters the next stage of its growth, which will see the number of repairs we help dealers to facilitate double this year to 500,000, we have created these new senior positions to support our expansion.”

Bumper announces new additions to management team as it accelerates growth plans

Bumper anuncia nuevas incorporaciones al equipo directivo

Bumper and Keyloop have launched the next phase of their integration by adding all payment types and automatic payment reconciliation for dealers. 

Bumper’s suite of digital payment solutions is included in the enhanced integration. Pay by link, payments made on the customers’ device via SMS or email; Pay by bank, an account-to-account open banking payment method; PayLater, interest-free monthly payments; and PayPads, the all-in-one point-of-sale device bringing together all payment types in a familiar mobile terminal. 

Increased payment flexibility at the checkout improves customer satisfaction and retention. A survey of Bumper customers found 90% would return to the same dealership because Bumper was offered as a payment option and 89% said they felt less stressed. 

This new solution is a major leap forward for retailers with reconciled payments within the Keyloop platform. Designed specifically for Keyloop’s dealer management systems, automated payment reconciliation saves all areas of the business time, from the advisors in the workshop to accounts teams in the back office. 

Payments automatically reconciled across all systems mean advisors no longer need to switch between platforms, minimising the risk of miskeyed information and improving efficiency. Currently available in the UK, further payment enhancements will be rolled out across Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands in the coming months. 

Bumper Co-Founder and CCO, Jack Allman, said, "This integration marks a major milestone in our mission to simplify and enhance the payment process for automotive retailers. We're excited to bring these advanced capabilities to Keyloop's network, driving greater efficiency and customer satisfaction." 

Sebastien Fabri, Partner Director at Keyloop said, “The new enhancement to the Bumper-Keyloop integration marks a significant step towards full digitalisation of payments and reconciliation in the automotive space. Consumers today demand flexible options at the checkout and Bumper affords them this opportunity. Whether that’s Buy Now Pay Later, paying remotely via link, open banking, or instore on the PayPad, this integration is an essential tool for any customer-centric dealer.” 

For more information on how the Bumper Keyloop integration can transform your dealership contact 

Bumper and Keyloop launch major enhancement to DMS payment integration 

Millennials are the most likely car owners to use buy now, pay later (BNPL) services to cover their car repair, servicing and MoT bills.

The Millennial demographic typically covers people born between 1981-1996.

Research by Bumper, the automotive fintech payment specialist, has identified 43 as the average age of customers using BNPL, with these owners choosing to spread their costs rather than pay upfront or use credit cards.

This overall average was consistent across franchised dealers but dipped to 38 for independent workshops.

However, older Generation X owners (born between 1965-1980) are likely to use BNPL for more expensive bills. The study found 47 was the average age of buyers using deferred payments for bills costing £2,000-£4,000; 

The UK and Ireland have the youngest average users in Europe (43), followed by Spain (45), Germany (46) and the Netherlands (47). 

“When it comes to settling workshop bills, budget-conscious millennials have identified the benefits of spreading their outgoings with BNPL, rather than racking up credit card debt,” said James Jackson, CEO and co-founder of Bumper. 

“Car owners born in the early 1980s will typically be at a life stage where they have monthly mortgage or rent payments and have a young family; so choosing to spread their motoring costs, interest-free over several months, makes perfect sense. 

“Our research also shows BNPL is not restricted to Millennials as older Gen X owners are

likely to use it to cover more expensive bills,” he said. 

This year Bumper forecasts it will help car owners to fund over £460m worth of car repairs. 

Millennials most likely age group to spread car repair costs with buy now, pay later (BNPL)

Millennials: La Generación que Prefiere Reparar su Coche con "Compra Ahora, Paga Después" (BNPL)

Millennials streuen die Kosten für Autoreparaturen am ehesten mit "buy now, pay later" (BNPL)

A big congratulations to our latest Dealership of the Month, Stephen James BMW Woolwich.

The site excelled in their use of Bumper's PayLater this month splitting the cost of customers' bills into interest-free monthly instalments.

BMW Woolwich noted how Bumper's digital payment options directly contributed towards the dealership's main objectives of increased conversion and customer satisfaction.

Steven Treais, Aftersales Manager at the Woolwich branch, said, “Bumper has dramatically increased our retail profit and the convenience of spreading the cost has also improved the customer experience.”

The team have embedded PayLater into their everyday aftersales process, using the flexible payment option to split the cost of customers' VHC service work, parts, and accessories. Similarly, the sales team use PayLater to enhance the customer experience by funding value-added products.

Samuel Manford (pictured holding the award above) said, “Bumper is a great way to pay for unexpected vehicle repairs. They offer easy and interest-free forms of payment to help customers get their vehicles back on the road. Whether it's £2,000 or £5,000, Bumper saves customers time and peace of mind."

Many customers at the site use PayLater via the CitNOW integration, which allows drivers to split the cost directly from their eVHC. 

Customers took to Trustpilot to praise the use of Bumper at Stephen James. One said, “Easy to set up payment plan. Very good service at a time when needed." Another driver said, “It’s more stress-free for customers to use.”

Congratulations to Steven and the team at Stephen James BMW Woolwich.

Dealership of the Month: Stephen James Woolwich

A Tesla battery replacement costs £8,000-£20,000 in the UK. Costs vary by model, with higher-end Tesla batteries exceeding £18,000.

However, there’s more to it than one fixed number. In this article, we’ll discuss how Tesla batteries work, the cost to replace them, and even tips on prolonging their lifespan. 

How much does a Tesla replacement battery cost in the UK?

The average cost for Tesla battery replacement is between £13,000 and £20,000, depending on the vehicle model and age. 

One of the biggest factors in battery cost is the capacity; the performance versions have larger battery packs with more cells that cost more to replace.

EV batteries make up a large chunk of a car’s cost, but Teslas tend to be pricier than most due to high material and labour expenses, among other factors.

EV batteries contain costly materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel, making them expensive—even for basic models. Tesla batteries cost even more due to vehicle complexity, much like luxury brands with higher repair costs.

Older Model S Teslas (some nearing 12 years) face rising repair costs due to limited parts availability at dealerships. Plus, with batteries buried under the car, replacement is labour-intensive and costly.

Comparing different model-specific Tesla battery costs

Want to stick with Tesla? Here’s how the different variants of each model compare. 

Tesla offers varying mileage periods for each vehicle, but generally provides an 8-year warranty across all models. Each period includes the condition that battery capacity must remain above 70%.

How often do Tesla batteries need to be replaced?

Tesla batteries barely ever need to be replaced. The company claims that the batteries last from 300,000 to 500,000 miles before you need to replace them. So, the Tesla battery cost might seem high, but most drivers will never have to pay it.

Do Tesla batteries really last 500,000 miles?

 explained that lab tests gave 80% battery retention at 500,000 miles. However, the real figure will always depend on the maintenance, usage, and charging habits. 

Can you replace a Tesla battery yourself?

No, replacing a Tesla battery yourself is not recommended. 

It requires specialised knowledge, tools, and safety measures. If the battery is replaced, Tesla’s warranty may also be voided. This is why it’s important to research ‘How much is a Tesla battery?’ when something seems to be wrong with the car.

Yes, Tesla may replace your battery for free, but only if it’s covered under warranty and the issue is due to a manufacturing defect. 

Battery replacements outside of warranty are generally at the owner’s expense—so you’ll need to know the latest Tesla replacement battery cost.

Tesla uses Lithium-Ion batteries, similar to those in laptops and phones, but on a much larger scale. These batteries store and release energy by moving lithium ions across electrodes, generating voltage.

A typical Tesla battery contains over 7,000 cells. To maintain optimal temperature, complex cooling and heating systems are used, with some Teslas using the car's air conditioning to cool the batteries.

Lithium-iron-phosphate batteries (LFP) in Teslas

Some Tesla models, like the single-motor Model Y and Model 3, use LFP batteries, which are considered safer than Lithium-Ion batteries.

LFP batteries have two distinct downsides: slightly reduced energy density, resulting in shorter range, and 

Tesla Model 3 battery replacement cost, you might want to check up on your battery to find out whether you’ll have to pay anytime soon.

Here are five quick steps you can use to check Tesla battery health:

How To Make Your Tesla Battery Last Longer

To avoid costly battery replacements, take care of your car’s battery from day one. Proper use is just as important as 

While advice can vary, here are the best tips to extend your Tesla battery’s life:

1. Regular Maintenance and Monitoring of Battery Health

To keep abreast of what habits affect the battery’s health, check in regularly with the battery monitor on your vehicle. It has great information about battery temperatures, state of charge and more. 

While supercharging stations are convenient, frequent use can harm the battery’s health. Most 

 recommend using slower household wall chargers.

It’s believed that slow charging helps retain up to 10% more battery health over 8 years compared to regular supercharging.

Temperature significantly impacts battery life, with extreme cold or heat reducing performance. 

In regions with extreme temperatures, EVs use battery cooling systems, even while parked, to prevent overheating.

Tesla offers a strong battery warranty compared to other brands, with all models covered for at least 100,000 miles or 8 years, whichever comes first.

If you intend to keep your EV for over 5 years, it is vital to check the warranty period from the manufacturer. For some comparison, Renault offers 8 years/100,000 miles, Toyota offers 15 years, and Ford only offers 3 years/60,000 miles. 

If you need to replace your Tesla or other EV’s battery, check your warranty period early, as Tesla won’t honour claims made after it expires.

How to make a battery warranty claim with Tesla UK

Contact the dealer or Tesla Centre where you purchased your car to initiate a warranty claim. 

Tesla will require details such as the purchase date, current mileage, battery capacity, and other relevant information.

Final thoughts on Tesla battery replacement

If you're considering an EV, it’s vital to ascertain what battery warranty the manufacturer gives and compare that to how long you intend to keep the car. Having to pay out of pocket for an EV battery replacement will rarely make for a cost-effective purchase!

Big battery costs aren't the only cost that comes with owning an EV!

 lets you split the cost service and repairs into monthly payments, completely interest-free.

Apply online for up to £5,000 and choose from 1,000s of trusted repairers. 

How Much Does A Tesla Battery Replacement Cost?

¿Cuánto Cuesta Sustituir la Batería de un Tesla?

Was kostet ein Batteriewechsel für mein Tesla-Modell?

Bumper’s fundraising team have successfully raised £1,400 for Ukraine’s Crisis appeal. 

Raised through the sale of raffle tickets to colleagues, family and friends, prizes were donated by Bumper’s partners. Kwik Fit, Arnold Clark, Zuto, Fyber Agency, Parkers Branded, and our guest speaker for the evening Claire Lomas all kindly donated prizes for the raffle. 

Prizes included luxury hampers, a Cloud Nine hair care set, a bottle of champagne, a gift voucher, and a Bumper-branded poncho. 

The funds will support those affected by conflict in Ukraine where the level of humanitarian need remains staggeringly high. 

Over the last two years, the conflict has caused over 10 million people to be displaced and recent shelling and cold weather conditions have increased the suffering for those still living in the conflict. 

Funds raised by Bumper will go towards funding healthcare, psychosocial support, crucial heating stations, door-to-door welfare checks, safe accommodation and power for vital services. 

Bumper’s Georgie Jackson is the head of the fundraising team. She said, “The situation in Ukraine remains as pressing as ever and we’re proud to be supporting such an important cause. 

“Thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket to our raffle, the generosity of you and the partners who donated the prizes means so much to us and without it we wouldn’t have been able to raise such an impressive amount.” 

Bumper’s fundraising team has set ambitious plans for the year ahead and hopes to raise further funds for more important causes. 

Alastair Shephard

Content Writer