TOP 5 car models that are not dangerous to buy from taxi drivers

Most car owners, especially in Russian megacities, when buying a used car "from the doorstep" dismiss instances of cars if their history has at least a hint of working in a taxi. The AvtoVzglyad portal tells why this approach is not always justified.

What is most often associated with the phrase “car from a taxi” or “from under a taxi driver”? Most of the time, nothing good. In particular, in the imagination emerge, for example, pictures of body elements “aligned” in accidents - what is called “in a circle”. Or a broken and carelessly restored suspension. Or the most important nightmare of the future potential owner of the ex-taxi is the engine and transmission that have been smashed into the trash.

But if you “dig” this topic a little deeper, you can find out that some car models used for transportation can still be taken into personal property. Of course, with a pre-sale check of the technical condition, legal purity and the absence of an accident "behind". We have selected five vehicles that are widely used in taxis, the units of which are characterized by a fairly high survivability. That is, these machines, other things being equal, will not cause so many problems to the future owner.

So, in our TOP-5 of the most decent taxi cars in terms of technical condition, the Mercedes E-class takes its rightful place. These sedans are used in VIP taxis. Their technical condition is strictly monitored, their drivers are not reckless and drive carefully. For this reason, the technical condition of the cars at the time of sale, even with a serious mileage, as a rule, does not cause significant complaints.

Among the models of taxis, which can be recommended for purchase for personal use, was the Toyota Camry. Most of them are equipped with a reliable 2-liter 150-horsepower gasoline engine and an indestructible "automatic".

Approximately the same can be said about the Skoda Oktavia model with a 1,6-liter naturally aspirated 110-horsepower engine. In this car, from time to time you only need to change the oil in the engine, and change worn-out suspension units.

Also quite reliable are the Kia Optima 2.4 GDI AT (188 hp) and its “twin brother” (from a technical point of view) Hyundai Sonata 2.5 AT (180 hp). Such cars are often bought by private taxi drivers and carefully exploited. Let's make a reservation that you should not take sedans equipped with 150-horsepower gasoline engines. As operating experience shows, it is these engines that at the time of a run of 100 km very often require overhaul.

From among the "smaller" representatives of the horde of taxis, one can consider the possibility of acquiring another pair of models - "brothers" from the Hyundai / Kia concern. These are Kia Rio and Hyundai Solaris. But only if they have a naturally aspirated 1,6-liter gasoline engine under the hood, and an “automatic” in the transmission.

Such a motor is quite reliable and durable - especially if it was used all the time for measured meals around the city. And the presence of an automatic transmission gives some hope that the car was still owned not by the taxi company, but by a private taxi driver who took care of it and served it well.