What to Look for in a Used Taxi

A taxi is such a big purchase. What to look for in a used taxi.
A taxi to a taxi driver is their place of work and home from home. When you spend so much time sitting in one place you start to notice all of the little things. It's the things like a good cd player, comfy seats, air conditioning and fuel injection that help with job satisfaction and make the job that much easier. All of the little things add up however. If you're buying a brand new taxi with bells and whistles it's going to cost.

Considering a used taxi is worth a shot especially if you can get a warranty for peace of mind. Taxis are built for purpose so they're hard wearing and reliable for long periods of time. They're the workhorse of the UK and they get many late people where they need to be on time.

There are a large range of models available. The more traditional black cabs are known as LTI's due to the company that produces them. (London Taxis International) The Metro cab is the rather boxy looking version of the black cab. It is less stylish than the original but is still identifiable as a black cab. A new popular cab is the E7 by peugeot. These have been created through a project between car manufacturer Peugeot and Cab company Cab Direct.

The most important aspects to buying a cab are numerous. From the customers point of view its got to be spacious and immediately identifiable as a taxi. That's pretty much a given for all of the models mentioned. The next important point would be reliability and to an extent the deal on the warranty and repairs that you can get from the taxi dealer.

As black cabs are built for grueling road punishment they're not going to break often but when they do it's best to be prepared. A five year warranty can remove any fears of breaking down and losing income. A used taxi is only as good as the previous owner perhaps or in the case of a warranty, the deal you can get.
   By Calum Macleod
Published: 6/9/2009
 
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