The Complete Vehicle Guide: All 8 Vehicles Explained

Taxi Swiper features eight distinct vehicles, each with its own speed, price tag, game mode, and personality. Whether you are just starting out on a scooter delivering food through Prague's winding streets or saving up for the mighty Garbage Truck, understanding each vehicle is the key to climbing the global leaderboard. This guide breaks down every single vehicle so you can plan your upgrades, budget your earnings, and make the smartest decisions on your way to prestige.

1. Scooter — The Humble Beginning

Speed: 25 km/h · Cost: Free · Game Mode: Food Delivery

Every driver starts here. The Scooter is the slowest vehicle in the game, but it is also the most forgiving. Your job is simple: pick up food, flowers, wine, and gift orders from restaurants and deliver them to customers before the timer runs out. Wine orders (5% spawn rate, 2x fare) and gift orders (2% spawn rate, 2x fare) are rare but incredibly lucrative, so always grab them when they appear.

Optimal Upgrade Order

Invest in Earning upgrades first. Since the Scooter is slow regardless, squeezing more money out of every delivery gets you to the Taxi faster. After two or three Earning levels, add one Speed level to shave seconds off deliveries, then continue alternating with a bias toward Earning.

Pros & Cons

• Pro: Free to use, generous time limits, great for learning city layouts
• Pro: Wine and gift orders provide excellent early income spikes
• Con: Very slow at 25 km/h — longer deliveries feel tedious
• Con: Limited earning potential compared to later vehicles

When to move on: Save up $200 and unlock the Taxi as soon as possible. The Scooter served its purpose once you know the basic street layout.

2. Taxi — The Classic Workhorse

Speed: 54 km/h · Cost: $200 · Game Mode: Taxi Rides

The Taxi is a massive upgrade from the Scooter. More than double the speed means you can cover the entire city quickly, but the trade-off is tighter time limits on passenger rides. You will need to know your routes well — check our Beginner's Guide for navigation tips.

Optimal Upgrade Order

Balance Speed and Earning upgrades evenly. The Taxi's time limits are tight enough that Speed upgrades directly translate to more successful deliveries, but Earning upgrades compound your income for the next vehicle purchase.

Pros & Cons

• Pro: Excellent speed-to-cost ratio — the best value vehicle in the game
• Pro: Taxi rides are straightforward and fun
• Con: Tight time limits punish poor route knowledge
• Con: No special fare bonuses like wine or gift orders

When to move on: The Taxi is a reliable earner. Stay with it until you have $500 for the Police Car, or longer if you want to build up a cash reserve.

3. Police Car — Speed Demon

Speed: 70 km/h · Cost: $500 · Game Mode: Police Missions

The fastest vehicle in the entire game. The Police Car rockets through city streets responding to emergencies and chasing targets. At 70 km/h base speed (before upgrades), you will cover enormous distances in seconds. This speed is thrilling but demands sharp reflexes and near-perfect knowledge of the map.

Optimal Upgrade Order

Prioritize Earning upgrades. The Police Car is already blazingly fast — you do not need more speed as urgently as you need more income per mission. One Speed upgrade early on is fine, but lean heavily into Earning to fund the expensive Fire Truck.

Pros & Cons

• Pro: Fastest vehicle in the game at 70 km/h
• Pro: Police missions are exciting and action-packed
• Con: High speed makes collisions more likely on narrow streets
• Con: Targets can spawn far away, requiring deep map knowledge

When to move on: Use the Police Car's speed to grind out $1,000 for the Fire Truck. The fast mission completion rate makes this an excellent money maker.

4. Fire Truck — The Emergency Responder

Speed: 60 km/h · Cost: $1,000 · Game Mode: Fire Rescue

The Fire Truck marks the transition into mid-game territory. At $1,000 it is a serious investment, but the fire rescue mode is rewarding and unique. Rush to fire locations marked on the map and extinguish them by driving into the rescue zone. Multiple fires can appear simultaneously, so route efficiency matters. This is also the price point where you might consider unlocking Rome instead — the city costs the same $1,000.

Optimal Upgrade Order

Speed first, then Earning. Fire rescue missions have generous time limits, but the fires can be spread across the map. Extra speed helps you chain multiple rescues in a single run, significantly boosting your total session earnings.

Pros & Cons

• Pro: Fire rescue is a refreshing change of pace from delivery and rides
• Pro: Good speed at 60 km/h with forgiving time limits
• Con: $1,000 cost competes with the Rome city unlock
• Con: Fire locations can cluster on one side of the map

When to move on: Grind to $2,000 for the City Bus. Consider saving a bit extra to unlock Rome simultaneously if you have not already.

5. City Bus — The Steady Route Runner

Speed: 45 km/h · Cost: $2,000 · Game Mode: Bus Routes

A complete change of pace. The City Bus follows predetermined multi-stop routes across the city. Pick up passengers at designated bus stops and drop them off at their destinations. It is slower at 45 km/h, but bus routes are predictable and pay well for completed full routes. This is the calmest, most strategic vehicle in the game.

Optimal Upgrade Order

Earning first, always. The bus follows fixed routes, so speed matters less than how much you earn per stop. Max out Earning upgrades to turn every route into a money machine, then add Speed to complete routes faster.

Pros & Cons

• Pro: Predictable routes make it relaxing and strategic
• Pro: Full-route completion bonuses are generous
• Con: Slower speed at 45 km/h can feel sluggish after the Police Car
• Con: Less exciting gameplay compared to chases and rescues

When to move on: The Bus is a great passive earner. Save $3,000 for the Delivery Van while enjoying the predictable income.

6. Delivery Van — The Multi-Package Master

Speed: 55 km/h · Cost: $3,000 · Game Mode: Package Delivery

The Delivery Van brings back the delivery gameplay with a twist: multi-package runs. Pick up packages from hubs and plan efficient routes to deliver them all. This vehicle rewards players who know the city inside and out, as efficient routing between multiple destinations is the key to maximizing earnings. Check out the Wiki for detailed info on how package delivery scoring works.

Optimal Upgrade Order

Alternate between Speed and Earning. You need speed to hit multiple deliveries in a single run, but earning multipliers compound nicely with the multi-package bonus system.

Pros & Cons

• Pro: Multi-package system rewards route planning and map knowledge
• Pro: Solid 55 km/h speed — a good balance of fast and controllable
• Con: $3,000 price tag is steep
• Con: Inefficient routing leads to wasted time and lower earnings

When to move on: Save $5,000 for the Limousine. The Van provides strong, consistent income to get you there.

7. Limousine — The VIP Experience

Speed: 65 km/h · Cost: $5,000 · Game Mode: VIP Transport

The Limousine is the second-fastest vehicle and caters to high-end VIP passengers. The unique mechanic here is chaining: pick up multiple VIP clients consecutively without stopping for bonus multipliers on each successive ride. Skilled drivers who chain five or six VIP rides in a row can earn enormous fares. This is also the price range where Paris ($2,500) should be on your radar if you have not unlocked it yet.

Optimal Upgrade Order

Speed first. The chaining mechanic means faster rides equal more chains per session. Once you are consistently chaining 4+ rides, shift toward Earning to multiply those already-impressive chained fares.

Pros & Cons

• Pro: Chaining mechanic creates the highest earning potential per session
• Pro: Fast at 65 km/h with premium fares
• Con: Breaking a chain resets the multiplier — high risk, high reward
• Con: $5,000 is a major investment

When to move on: Start saving for the Garbage Truck's $8,000 price tag. The Limousine's chaining makes it the fastest earner if you are skilled.

8. Garbage Truck — The Endgame Titan

Speed: 40 km/h · Cost: $8,000 · Game Mode: Waste Collection

The final vehicle and the ultimate test of patience and strategy. The Garbage Truck is the slowest vehicle at 40 km/h, but it compensates with extreme durability — up to 30 lives with upgrades. Collect waste from zones across the city and transport it to dump sites. The Garbage Truck's real power is longevity: while other vehicles end sessions quickly after losing lives, the Garbage Truck keeps going and going.

Optimal Upgrade Order

Lives first, then Earning. The Garbage Truck's strength is marathon sessions. More lives mean longer runs, which mean more total earnings. After maxing Lives, shift to Earning upgrades. Speed is the lowest priority since the truck's slow pace is by design.

Pros & Cons

• Pro: Up to 30 lives allows extremely long, profitable sessions
• Pro: Unlocking it is the final step before prestige
• Con: Slowest vehicle in the game at 40 km/h
• Con: $8,000 cost requires significant grinding

When to prestige: Once you own the Garbage Truck (and all other vehicles), you can activate the prestige system. Resetting your progress grants a permanent earnings multiplier that carries across all future playthroughs. Prestige when you feel the multiplier will help you progress faster on your next run.

Vehicle Comparison at a Glance

Here is a quick reference table to compare all eight vehicles side by side:

General Upgrade Strategy

Across all vehicles, the three upgrade categories are Speed (+10% per level), Earning (+10% per level), and Lives (+1 per level). As a rule of thumb, prioritize Earning for slower vehicles where time limits are generous, and prioritize Speed for vehicles where tight deadlines determine whether you complete missions. Lives upgrades are most valuable on the Garbage Truck, where each extra life extends your session significantly. For a complete breakdown of upgrade economics, visit the economy section of the Wiki.

The Road to Prestige

Your ultimate goal is to unlock all eight vehicles, which enables the prestige system. The total cost to unlock every vehicle is $19,700 (200 + 500 + 1,000 + 2,000 + 3,000 + 5,000 + 8,000). That does not include upgrades, city unlocks, or color skins. Plan your spending carefully: unlock vehicles in order, invest in Earning upgrades to accelerate your progress, and take advantage of weekly challenges and daily login streaks for bonus income. Once all eight vehicles are yours, prestige resets your progress but grants a permanent earnings multiplier that makes every future playthrough faster.

Ready to hit the streets? Play Taxi Swiper now and put this vehicle knowledge to work. For more strategies, check out our money-making guide and the FAQ.