Personal cost test shows used Yaris outspends Uber in DC
A Washington couple found that a $6,000 used Toyota Yaris cost about $5,000 in a year, far exceeding the $1,600 they spent on ride-hailing before buying it.
In August 2025 the author and his spouse bought a used Toyota Yaris L for just over $6,000, hoping to test Uber President Andrew MacDonald’s claim that rising car prices make ownership less attractive. Over the following twelve months they incurred about $5,000 in typical car costs—fuel, insurance, registration, oil changes and a $250 transmission fluid service—plus occasional ride-hailing trips they still used for nightlife and convenience.
Their previous year of exclusive reliance on Uber, Lyft and Metro cost only $1,600. Although the vehicle enabled spontaneous trips to rural Maryland and Fredericksburg that Uber could not easily provide, the overall expense was three times higher than ride-hailing alone. The piece cites a 2021 Melbourne Business School study showing drivers value “non-use” benefits such as instant availability and status, and mentions failed mobility-as-a-service attempts like MaaS Global’s Whim. The author concludes that while personal cars still deliver unique freedom, broader alternatives have not yet reduced urban car numbers.
Why it matters
It highlights the real-world cost gap between car ownership and ride-hailing, questioning predictions that autonomous fleets will soon replace private vehicles.
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