What car would you get to be a taxi driver?

Hyundai Ioniq/Nissan LEAF.

I say this as someone with a private hire license who has had diesel, petrol hybrid, and full EV.

Electric makes the most sense these days provided you're in an area with good infrastructure for charging it.

The two models above are really nice places to be all day as a driver too. The LEAF In particular with the 'zero gravity' seats are the only ones that I can sit in all day long and get out at the end of the day with zero pain in my back or stiffness in the neck.

Also, check VERY Carefully before you buy anything. I see you were linking cars like the Peugeot 2008. I would be amazed if any council allowed such a car onto a taxi fleet. They aren't very spacious in the back and likely don't meet the required measurements to get licensed.

Prius

Nip down your local high Street over weekends and have a look what others have. Autotrader/ motors website can sort on loads of stuff. Must be Facebook groups for drives as well

Prius seems like the best choice due to the fuel but watch out for "Catalytic converter theft" iv heard it's a massive problem with many insurances refusing to pay out due it being so common!

My mate used an Octavia or Superb and a woman I know had an A4 but upgraded to an A6. Both diesel

Some of my suggestions:
Toyota (hybrid): Prius, Auris, Corolla, CHR
[reliable, no cambelt, no clutch/gearbox, no dpf to go wrong, bit slow but fast enough]
Lexus (hybrid): IS300h
[reliable, no cambelt, no clutch/gearbox, no dpf to go wrong, not quite as efficient but has more power]
Hyundai: Ioniq (hybrid)
BMW (diesel): 320d
Skoda (diesel): Octavia

Rs6 or the S3 if you're on a budget. I get 35mpg.

Most ubers are a Prius in many areas so i guess that is the best

One that can be a wheelchair taxi. There aren’t enough of them round our way, in London all taxis have to be wheelchair accessible but that rule doesn’t exist for the rest of the country.

kapmotorgroup.co.uk/use…532 ???

Where I am they are all just about all diesel Skodas

Prius after 66 reg new shape. I have seen 3 cars running on Uber getting 70 to 75mpg average . Old shape 55mpg

Challenger !

Skoda Octavia

Your friend should hang around local taxi/private hire offices & watch see what they driving. Those in the trade have already worked out what are the best vehicle.
It's not all about the mpg; these cars tend to do a lot of mileage quickly, and a lot of that can be short journeys/stop-start; creates different wear & tear.
If buying second-hand & it's a popular taxi/private-hire car, need to be careful don't end up buying one that's already been used for hire&reward! They can put on a lot of mileage quick & can still look very good (guy I knew stripped the interior from a brand new car, stored it & replaced with that from a scrapper - original to be refitted when he sold it on)
If you friend is doing this as a primary source of income, they really need to have an emergency fund set aside, if they won't be earning if car is VOR; some hire&reward insurance companies can be slow, then there's the uninsurable stuff like wheels tyres etc.

Rent one for a bit see if they like it because after you buy it your committed for 4 years. Easiest job to get into but the hardest to leave.

I would look at diesels and especially diesel estates, practical for masses of shopping/luggage etc. I have an older accord estate 2.2 diesel that gets just shy of 50mpg for everyday driving and 60+ for motorway. I dont know if they still do an equivalent but I have always said it would be a great taxi. It has more boot space than most estates and with the seats folded down can fit a single divan AND mattress - and still able to fully close the boot! Can also inflate a double airbed into the space to sleep on - thats how big it is! 16 year old car and in the last 10 months put almost 12k on it trouble free. I had a civic with the same engine that had 240k when I sold it and is still running just fine.
What sold me was when looking at reliability of the engine and how many miles to expect the consensus was no-one knows as no-one seems to have killed one thats maintained correctly.

Don't forget about dealer support.

The best car in the world is useless if it is stuck in the dealer's car park for 3 months waiting for a spare part on order.

They either need a local dealer or specialist with a good reputation.

That can be a strong factor: an Audi might beat a Prius in every way, but if her local town has 'Tom's Toyota Taxi Toolsmith' that every taxi driver swears by, I'd be getting the Toyota.

Get a 7 seater
Charge more and you can do airport runs