Chances are, you’ve been a rideshare rider. Uber, Lyft and Sidecar have transformed the previously cab-starved San Francisco into a place where a cheap ride across town is a few minutes and a couple of smartphone taps away. San Francisco has also proven to be the most profitable market for rideshare drivers; it’s where they make the most money. Which might beg the question: why not give it a shot?

California law specifies that a rideshare car must be from model year 2005 or newer. That means you could pick up something inexpensive from Craigslist and fix it as you go, or you could buy or lease something new, and you’d have less vehicular downtime.

One of the niches you can fill as a driver is with a vehicle that can seat six or more passengers (Uber XL or Lyft Plus, for instance), with potentially greater earnings. For that purpose, the Honda Odyssey I tested recently would be a good fit. Odysseys start just under $30K for the LX, and the one I drove was the value-priced SE, which for $33,375 includes includes a flip-down WVGA media screen for the second row. It also includes the Odyssey’s neat HondaVAC, an integrated vacuum cleaner that would be very helpful in cleaning up after the bar crowd.

The Odyssey is the best-driving minivan. It’s sharper than the Toyota Sienna and smoother than the Kia Sedona. Its 248-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 jumps the Odyssey from the line, and city mileage is a reasonable 19-mpg, though you’d expect less on San Francisco’s hills. Handling has always been an Odyssey plus, and visibility is panoramic. In this niche, the Odyssey would be my first stop.

Otherwise, hybrids are the best choice for their terrific city gas mileage. It’s why you see swarms of Priuses outside the Powerhouse on a Saturday night; in fact, it can be difficult to determine exactly which Prius you had requested.

You might also consider the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Unlike the Prius, the Sonata Hybrid has a slightly weak initial throttle response. The combined 193 horses from the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and lithium battery are ample enough, but it can seem like the Sonata Hybrid is slow to get moving. Sport mode helps, and the rest of the Sonata is satisfying, with amiable reactions and a clear view out. According to the EPA, the Sonata Hybrid hits 40 mpg city, which would help to maximize your earnings.

Inside, the Sonata Hybrid SE is quite nice for its $26K entry price, with attractive materials that feel durable enough for all the passengers you’d be ferrying. And the Forward Collision Warning (FCW) would be a help while scooting through downtown, though you’d have to add the $4,500 Ultimate Package to the $30,100 Sonata Hybrid Limited to get it.

The Bay Area success of ridesharing might encourage you to look into becoming a driver yourself, and both the Odyssey and Sonata Hybrid would be right for the job.

Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant at www.gaycarguy.com. Check out his automotive staging service at www.carstaging.com