WhatsAppWhat are the best car brands for PCO car hire?
As a private hire driver, one of the most impactful factors on your overall experience will be the vehicle you choose to use while you work. There’s obviously a massive range of options to choose from, and that range can make it feel quite tricky to make an informed decision.
Below, we provide some fundamental questions to ask yourself before you start your search for the right vehicle, followed by some of the best car brands and models on the market in 2026.
What market are you targeting?
One consideration to keep in mind is the target audience that you’re trying to aim for. If you’re trying to get as many passengers as possible, at a low to average price point, then you’ll probably find that it’s best to go for a hybrid hatchback.
If, however, you’re targeting a slightly more niche audience, whether that’s larger groups of people with luggage or customers looking for a more premium ride, then you might need to go for a slightly more luxury brand or for a larger model of vehicle.
What are your vehicle priorities?
Next, you’ll need to think about your vehicle priorities. Do you want something that’s comfortable and fast, and you don’t really care about fuel economy? Or do you really want to cut fuel costs as much as possible, and want to prioritise that over most other aspects?
In most cases, you’ll find that you just can’t have it all. Even if the car has all the features you want, you’ll then probably find out that it’s slightly outside of your price range.
What’s your budget?
Another factor to consider is your budget. Obviously, newer luxury vehicles will cost more to buy or hire than older hatchbacks, but it is a little bit more complicated than that.
If you hire a vehicle that allows you to carry more passengers, or carry passengers who want a luxury ride, you will also be able to charge more per ride.
As a result, if you know that you want to target one of these markets, you will be able to factor those slightly more elevated car hire fees against your ability to also earn more.
The best car brands for PCO car hire
Once you’ve answered the general questions outlined above, these car brands and models will be some of the best options to consider.
Toyota
If you want a reliable, comfortable vehicle that your passengers will be happy with, then Toyota is an excellent brand to go with. It’s one of the most popular PCO car brands across the world, and for good reason.
A Prius Plugin offers exceptional real-world fuel economy, which is especially important for drivers at the moment, given the volatility of fuel prices. They’re also very reliable vehicles, meaning you should expect minimal unexpected downtime.
BMW
For those who want a more luxury-oriented vehicle, a BMW is likely a better choice. The 530E M Sport, for example, offers impressive luxury that will allow you to offer Uber Exec rides at a much higher rate compared to UberX.
What’s more, unlike most luxury sedans, you’ll be able to benefit from an impressive MPG. While it’ll depend on how heavily you rely on the petrol engine vs the electric motors, you should easily be able to get a combined average of around 50 mpg, a lot more if you can regularly plug in and charge the battery.
Kia
While slightly less well-known compared to Toyota and BMW, the South Korean car manufacturer Kia also makes a wide range of great vehicles.
If you’re looking for something a little larger, that will work for airport runs with multiple suitcases, but can also easily be used for shorter journeys in the city, then the Kia Sorento 2 could be ideal.
It’s a mid-size SUV that’s comfortable to drive, but as it’s a plug-in hybrid, you won’t get the horrible fuel economy associated with most hybrids.
Skoda
Another car brand that often goes under the radar when it comes to PHV work is Skoda.
Something like the Skoda Superb SE Tech can offer a really nice premium feel, with enough space for extra baggage without going quite as large as an SUV.
You’ll get impressive fuel economy, with real-world average consumption regularly coming in at over 50 mpg combined. Of course, if you manage to make the most of the plug-in feature, you’ll get way better than that.
Stay flexible
In an ideal world, you’ll choose a car hire service that allows you to change vehicles every now and then until you’ve got one that’s perfectly adapted to your requirements.
You don’t want to lock yourself into a multi-year lease agreement or even end up purchasing a vehicle that you then find is totally unsuitable, and it absolutely doesn’t have to end up going that way.
If you’re hiring, make sure that you ask the provider you’re considering going with whether they offer this kind of lease model. If they don’t, and you definitely want to have that added flexibility, it’s absolutely worth looking elsewhere.
Maintenance + running costs
Of course, you’ll also want to look into expected maintenance and running costs before choosing a make or model. Some options have much more expensive parts, or require more specialist mechanics to do checks on them, and all of this can add up.
If you choose a car hire provider that includes vehicle maintenance as part of that package, this won’t have to be something that you need to worry about. It’s worth looking at services that do include vehicle maintenance, both regular and unexpected, if you want to insulate yourself against potentially financially crippling repair costs.
There’s no single ‘best’ car make for those who want to do private hire work. That being said, by analysing the criteria and questions outlined above, and then looking at some of the models we’ve listed, you should be able to find an option that suits you just perfectly in the long run.