What is Uber Premier? (availability, car type + other FAQs)
In the years since its launch, Uber has been rolling out different ride options that meet customer needs.
One of these services is Uber Premier, which has debuted in different areas. If you’re interested in learning more, keep reading!
What is Uber Premier in 2022?
Uber Premier is a luxury ride option that costs above par and offers newer, higher-end vehicles. Uber Premier provides rides in sedans and SUVs, and only matches riders with top-tier, more experienced drivers. As of now, Uber Premier is only available in select markets, mainly those without other premium ride options.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about Uber Premier, including where it’s available, which cars to use, and more!
Where is Uber Premier available?
Uber Premier is currently available in select markets and is gradually rolling out to more markets, with Philadelphia’s addition in early 2022 being one of the latest major launches.
Outside the US, Uber Premier is available in places like India and Australia where there aren’t many other luxury ride options.
In Australia, the Premier was launched in June 2019, but it replaced the Black, SUV and Lux, all of which were discontinued less than 2 months later.
How to unlock Uber Premier?
Assuming you’re in a region where Uber Premier is available, you can unlock Uber Premier with an average rating of 4.85 based on 250 completed rides.
You’ll also need to submit your car for review, as the Premier is on a 6 year old or newer luxury car, as we’ll see in the section below.
What type of car is an Uber Premier?
Uber Premier’s main focus is on luxury sedans, which can be either sedans or SUVs as long as they have some value.
According to Uber’s website, the following cars have been approved for Premier:
- Alfa Romeo Stelvio
- Audi – A6, A8, A8 L, e-tron, SQ7, SQ8, Q7, Q8, Q9
- Bentley – Bentayga, Flying Spur, Mulsanne
- BMW – 5 Series, 7 Series, 740i, X5, X7
- Cadillac – CT6, CTS, Escalade, SRX, STS, XT5, XT6, XTS
- Chevrolet – Suburban, Lake Tahoe
- Ford – Expedition, Mustang Mach-E
- Genesis G90
- GMC Yukon
- Infiniti – QX60, QX80
- Land Rover Range Rover
- Lexus – ES, GS, GX, LS, LX
- Lincoln – Aviator, Continental, Corsair, MKS, MKT, MKZ, Nautilus, Voyager
- Maserati Quattroporte
- Mercedes-Benz – E-Class, GL-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, S-Class
- Porsche – Cayenne, Panamera
- Tesla – Model 3, Model S, Model X, Model Y
- Volvo – S90, XC90
For these vehicles to be eligible, they must be no more than 6 years old, which means they must have been in production from 2016 or later at the time of writing.
Cars used for Uber Premier also need to have leather upholstery to add to the luxury of the ride.
How many seats are there in Uber Premier?
The Uber Premier has 5 seats, while the Uber Premier SUV has 7 seats, suitable for 4 and 6 passengers respectively.
What is the difference between UberX and Uber Premier?
The difference between UberX and Uber Premier is that X is a standard ride type with regular cars, while Premier only offers premium rides with luxury cars.
For this reason, UberX is available in more markets than Premier and is more affordable.
UberX also uses vehicles that are 15 years old or newer, while Premier caps the age limit for eligible vehicles to six years.
Is Uber Premier the same as Uber Black?
Uber Premier is not the same as Uber Black. In fact, in markets such as Australia, Premier was introduced to replace Black.
Unlike Premier, Uber Black drivers must comply with other regulations, such as purchasing commercial insurance and complying with local paint laws.
Uber Black also requires vehicles to be black on the inside and outside to qualify, while Uber Premier does not have these color requirements.
However, Uber Black and Premier share several similarities, including:
- Drivers need to maintain a 4.85 star rating
- Eligible vehicles are required to have leather upholstery
- They use luxury SUVs and sedans
- Vehicle needs to be relatively new, Premier has a 6 year limit, Black has a 7 year limit
What’s the difference between Uber Premier and Uber Lux?
The difference between Uber Premier and Uber Lux is that Lux is a higher-quality ride type than Premier, and is generally the most expensive ride type available.
Uber Lux is also less available than Premier and is currently only available in Los Angeles following a massive pullback from other markets.
Both use luxury cars, but Premier limits car age to 6 years, while Lux also allows classic and vintage vehicles as long as they are still in good working order.
What’s the difference between Uber Premier and Uber Comfort?
The main focus of Uber Premier and Uber Comfort is different. The Premier uses mostly luxury cars, while the Comfort focuses on more spacious cars.
Since most luxury cars already offer more space for passengers, many cars that qualify for Uber Premier are also eligible for Comfort.
However, Comfort doesn’t dictate how expensive a car needs to be, which means many of its vehicles aren’t eligible for Premier.
For example, both the Premier and the Comfort can use the Bentley Bentayga, but the Comfort can only use the Honda Accord.
Both Comfort and Premier require drivers to score at least 4.85.
Is Uber Prime worth it?
Whether Uber Premier is worth it depends on your needs and budget, but Uber recommends it for special occasions like weddings and proms.
You should always keep in mind that Uber Premier is the most expensive type of ride in most places where it is available, and the only benefit it has over other options is that it uses a luxury vehicle.
Before using Premier for any other reason than this, you should consider the following:
- Uber Comfort also requires drivers to have higher ratings to qualify
- UberXL gives you the same or more capacity as a Premier SUV
- Uber Comfort also lets you ride in a car with more head and legroom
To learn more, you can also read our posts on Uber Green, Uber Fleet, and Uber Comfort.
in conclusion
Uber Premier is a luxury-only ride type that requires drivers to have a rating of 4.85 or higher. Uber Premier’s eligible vehicles include sedans and SUVs up to 6 years old and can carry 4 or 6 passengers at a time, depending on their size.
Uber Premier is currently only available in a handful of markets, and in some of those markets it was introduced to replace other premium ride options like Lux and Black.
