I've used the two services around 400 times over the last four years. I've used Lyft more because both my school and work have deals with Lyft to offer free rides. From what I can tell, Lyft has a better reputation. This was true even before the Kalanick scandals. Drivers tend to tell me that Lyft is more likely to treat them like humans. Drivers have also told me that Lyft passengers tend to be friendlier but that's probably hard to generalize. Lyft has long had a tip feature which Uber only recently incorporated. I tend to give 25% and have almost never given a driver anything less than 5 stars.
From my understanding, you can do a few things to make more as a driver. The lux/premium/black car drivers earn 2-3 times more than regular Lyft or Uber X. Obviously, that's not helpful if you don't have a qualifying luxury sedan. Drivers have also said going after the surge zones can be a waste of time since other drivers will follow along and which kills the surge by the time you get there. Instead, if you know when a surge will occur (you know a concert will end or that the bars close at 2), it's better to sit there and wait for it to arrive. In some cases, you can help induce the surge by logging out of the driver app and logging into the passenger app (which will help you verify that the surge is occurring) and then logging back in. By logging out of the driver app, you help build up demand and avoid getting called before the surge arrives.
Drivers also tell me it's good to bring lots of snacks and water bottles for the ride. I'd guess you can maximize tips by doing a few things. If you have extra water bottles or mints, it feels luxurious for the passenger even if they never touch either. Additionally, people like it when they get to DJ so it's good to either have an aux or just ask them what they want. Lastly, I tend to (probably subconsciously) tip the most after a good conversation with the driver so being appropriately talkative helps.
