Planning logistics when traveling with a larger party can be quite frustrating and time consuming. Not to mention expensive! Our friends over at RideGuru did some research on whether a traditional Van Taxi or an Uber is cheaper for a group of 5 to 6 people. Keep reading to see their analysis.
First, what is a Van Taxi? A van taxi or minivan taxi is still a traditional yellow cab but instead of a sedan that can only seat up to 4 passengers, the car is a minivan that can seat up to 5 or 6 passengers. Uber XL is Uber’s version of a van taxi, an Uber XL is also a minivan car with seating for up to 6 people.
It is important to note that in most cities van taxis are the same price as sedan taxis so for this comparison RideGuru used traditional taxi price estimates to compare with Uber XL estimates.
The first comparison RideGuru completed was in New York City from Grand Central Station to Lower Manhattan and Taxi (same as Taxi Van) came out cheaper. As you can see below, the estimated price for a van taxi for this trip is $17.21 vs Uber XL which is $20.43 plus the potential for surge pricing. For longer routes these two prices would only get farther apart as Uber XL’s metered per mile fee is more than a Van Taxi Cabs.
Next RideGuru tested out the fares in Boston, MA by completing a route from Logan Airport to Fenway Stadium. Again Traditional Taxi Cabs came out cheaper than Uber XL by about $3. And remember once again, this was without any Surge Pricing that Uber could activate at any time.
Lastly, RideGuru compared Van Taxis and Uber XL in Chicago, Seattle, and Detroit and each time Taxi won over Uber XL.
Though, this isn’t always the case. In Miami and San Francisco RideGuru found that Uber XL was actually cheaper than a Van Taxi!
Test out your route on RideGuru to see if taking a Van Taxi is more economical than Uber in your city, it may save you some travel cash!
*note: Some cities do charge a per person surcharge for each passenger after the first. Normally this per person surcharge does not exceed $1 per person, so the amount is fairly minimal but as Uber XL does not charge an per person fee it is important to note.
