Uneconomical Taxi's

[Pyrolysis]

There is a local taxi firm where i used to live in Elgin in Scotland who have run a Subaru Legacy GT-B as a taxi. I cant understand why. Ok it probably gets them between jobs faster than than the normal variant of diesel mondeos/vectras etc. But it doesnt make any sense to me. It certainly not an executive taxi, the interior is no more plush than a garden shed. It must cost a fortune to run in fuel and servicing etc. And its ancient now!
Has anyone else seen some unusual taxis about?

I thought taxis should be ones that were cheap to run to make more money since its a buisness!

[Raize]

The fuel costs are NOTHING compared to the hourly rate of the driver.

[Rick101]

Hourly rate?

Not many taxi drivers have an hourly rate.

[Pyrolysis]

Are the profits really that great that the car doesn't have an effect on things? I'm no Donald Trump but I'd probably not run a gt-b if I was in the taxi business!

[RacingJames1]

A firm in Birmingham used to run a couple of old LS400s. Maybe LPG?

[ILoveMondeo]

The car probably just keeps soldiering on with minimal costs and owes the owner nothing.

[MethylatedSpirit]

ILoveMondeo said:

The car probably just keeps soldiering on with minimal costs and owes the owner nothing.

Is that why you love your mondeo?

[rix]

One of the lads on the HSV section drives a VXR8 as a taxi

[Nickyboy]

[Jonny_]

Maybe the difference in running costs isn't that great, and the guy likes the car. Could be as simple as that.

Also, interesting car may generate repeat business, sad gits like us remembering the bloke with the Scooby over the more usual minicabs.

[ILoveMondeo]

MethylatedSpirit said:

ILoveMondeo said:

The car probably just keeps soldiering on with minimal costs and owes the owner nothing.

Is that why you love your mondeo?

I don't actually have it any more, but you're spot on. Cost bugger all the buy, did a st load of hard driven miles and cost me less than a weekend away. Was a cracking car.

[BorkFactor]

Just down the road in Inverness there was a guy that used an Audi S4 as a taxi for a while.

Possibly their normal taxi is getting work done and they are using the weekend car in the mean time?

[Impasse]

Isn't Elgin in the weather beaten wastelands of North Scotland? A reliable 4x4 would surely make the ideal form of transport.

[MagnaJeep]

A black Hummer H2 as regular taxi in Vienna (you may find it on google). Used to see it very often for a few years, then it suddenly disappeared. It probably dawned on the owner that it's a bit silly. Also a couple of S-Classes and an Audi Q7.

[Bungleaio]

There is a discovery 2 that has been used by one guy here for years now. He must have put an unbelievable amount of fuel in it.

[BorkFactor]

Impasse said:

Isn't Elgin in the weather beaten wastelands of North Scotland? A reliable 4x4 would surely make the ideal form of transport.

There was a guy in Inverness a few years back who used an old Discovery for a while, didn't last too long though as I have never seen it again.

[turboteeth]

Early 2000s in Bristol there were at least two Subaru taxis - a black import wagon with an extremely loud exhaust and dump valve and a 555 decalled blue WRX saloon. Very strange but they were both used for about a year then disappeared. Now it's just back to boring Previas and disabled accessible Doblos!

[Ozzie Osmond]

Cheap to buy? - tick.

Reliable? - tick.

Perfect taxi!

[h0b0]

Über in the US relies upon private cars as well as licensed cabs. So far mine have all bee dull but I'm waiting in hope for something interesting.

[vinnie83]

In Birmingham a few years ago, maybe 5, I saw an E55 AMG private hire car/taxi.

I know it was genuine too having owned one myself not long before and thought to myself back then how the chap could possibly make any money driving that bloody thing!