top of page

The 7 Best NYC Car Services :

 

Let’s face it, there is no way of getting around New York City that is guaranteed to be without mishap 100% of the time.  Any New Yorker knows it and every visitor eventually accepts it.  Subways and trains fall prey to mechanical or other systemic failure. Cars, taxis and bus schedules succumb to road disruptions and heavy traffic.  And even if you do happen to secure a taxi or car service, and feel assured of a relatively unencumbered ride to your destination, your comfort and safety remain at the mercy of the vehicle and the driver.  What can happen?  A potentially great experience becomes forgettable or, even worse, a routine drive becomes an awful experience.  

 

Of course, these hazards can affect even the best NYC car service companies just as they do everyone else. There is not a single NYC car service that will be perfect 100 percent of the time. However, there are some car service companies that have distinguished themselves with a superior level of service, reliability, and customer experience. We’ve researched and tested many of the NYC car service options and here we share with you what we found to be the 7 best NYC car services in 2017.

 

1 - Automotive Luxury Limo & Car Service

http://automotiveluxury.com   (800) 843-8294

 

Hands down this was the top car

service for us in terms of experience

and quality. They have a national

presence but clearly the Tri-State area 

is their territory.  Their website told us

everything we needed to know about 

their service area in the tri-state region

(basically complete coverage).  

When you call, you actually get someone

working at the company who understands

NYC.  Their fleet includes six different

vehicle service classes so no matter whether you have a large group or want a private ride, they’ve got you covered.  Arrangements were an easy phonecall and after that everything was available by email updates.

 

What we liked best was their professionalism and the luxury class vehicles. They only hire professional chauffeurs and they treated us like we were the most important executives in the city.  One thing that really set us back on our heels was that we tested something they promised on the website and it turned out better than we ever expected. We sent them a raw agenda of our arrival times and destinations, and they turned it into a smooth, wholly enjoyable experience. From the pickup at JFK and ride to the hotel, the chauffeur did everything, we never even touched our luggage. We had plenty of time before our event so our chauffeur even threw in a sightseeing tour for us.  The fees were not that different from most other car services so there’s really not much more that needs saying here!  The only thing lacking would be an app for online booking as some other services offer.  

 

2 - Presidential Luxury Limousine

http://presidentialluxurylimo.com/  (855)-PLL-6066

 

Presidential started offering their luxury transportation

services in 1991, making their focus punctuality.  

The customer doesn’t pay if they aren’t on time.

 Their fleet consists of over 120 brand new cars including

Sedans, SUVs, limos, sprinters, buses, and even private jets.

They have partners around the nation, so they don’t focus

solely on the Tri-State area on their website as they want

to coordinate logistics for you no matter your destination

 

Whether you need transportation to the airport, for an

event or wedding, to go sightseeing, on a NY wine tour,

or for business, Presidential makes it very clear that they are

professionals at providing transportation for any occasion.  Their website is very informative and easy to navigate and make a reservation on.  You can also call them directly or use their mobile app, where you can instantly schedule a reservation, locate your driver en route, and see when they've arrived with a text notification. Presidential simply asks you to give them a 45-minute notice and they will have a car waiting for you. All in all, Presidential Luxury Limousine is one of the top transportation services in NYC for obvious reasons.

3 - Dial 7

https://www.dial7.com  (212) 777-7777

 

Dial 7 website has a lot of detailed information about the service areas

they cover, their rates for different services or trips, and the types

of vehicles they can offer (large groups to small sedans). You can

make eReservations from the website as well.  Dial 7 was fairly reliable

in terms of staying on schedule for pick-ups at airports and elsewhere.

However, the level of professionalism is a steep departure from our

top picks offering professional chauffeurs.

 

The main drawback we found was the inconsistency of driver experience

and professionalism.  Sometimes the experience was fine, sometimes

unsavory and it almost always came down to the demeanor and

professionalism of the driver. The emphasis is not on exceptional

experience. At airports they only offer curbside pick up outside the baggage areas so be prepared to be on the lookout for them, rather than the other way around.  It’s a little less money and a little more convenient to make reservations but you’re giving up some on the level of service.

 

4 - Uber

https://www.uber.com/cities/new-york  (866) 576-1039

 

Uber is currently the most technologically accessible car service around.

That’s their strong suit and it is a strong advantage over most other

services at this time. If your only priority is convenience for a quick pickup

and delivery - then Uber is for you. Uber has a phone app, from which we

logged in, selected pick up area and destination, selected a level of service

(standard, black, suv, lux, etc.)  agreed to the rates and made payment

arrangements. We could have arranged to share the ride as well which

would have split out the fare. The rates are comparable to a taxi and in

some cases quite a bit less.  It couldn’t be much simpler than that.  

Our driver was on time and we got to where we needed to go without

incident.

 

 The two main drawbacks here are the lack of professionalism and that the pricing can vary widely depending upon time of day, location, etc.  If it’s one of those times that getting transportation is difficult then you are going to pay quite a bit for Uber. And keep in mind that most Uber drivers are not professional drivers and they may not even be at all familiar with the pick up or destination area.  Our own trip was uneventful but the risks are known and all you need to do is check out reviews or the local news for the common mishaps experienced by unfortunate customers.

 

5 - Carmel Car and Limousine Service

https://www.carmellimo.com  (866) 666-6666

 

Carmel Car Service offers rates that are cheaper than other car services but the reliability can

be inconsistent according to customer experiences we reviewed.  The main benefits offered

by Carmel are the simple to use website with online reservation tools and the frequent coupons

and discounts available.

 

They offer a smartphone app which seemed a great idea but we found that it doesn’t always do everything it’s supposed to do. It was more frustrating to rely upon it and have it not work than to not have it at all - we ended up deleting it.  The cars are clean but nothing special. The drivers are generally intent only on getting passengers from point to point.  This is no executive car service but they are still a better bet than most of the other cheaper car services out there.

 

6 - Luxor Limo

http://www.luxorlimo.com  (866) 998-4111

 

Here’s another top choice for those

wanting or needing a luxury level NYC

car service for airport trips or anywhere

else within NYC. They are pricier than

most others but if consistency of

experience is a priority, it’s worth it.  

Their primary territory includes the

NYC 5 boroughs and all major airports

serving the area. The website let us

know everything we needed to set up

a reservation and book a trip.

Customer service was responsive and

intelligent over the phone or by their online chat so it was easy to get in touch and keep in touch regarding delays, or other change of plans.  

 

Their fleet includes everything from luxury sedans to 36 passenger buses so they can accommodate most occasions regardless of group size.  Only one other service we reviewed had an even more expansive luxury fleet.  We were impressed with their professionalism; they only hire professional chauffeurs and train them to ensure quality and consistency of service. Since Luxor caters to corporate and executive clients, they are able to offer many accounting and reporting services, and other executive style amenities in their service. Our review of their service and customer experience puts them as one of the top choices for those seeking an executive style experience and a consistent quality of service.


 

7- OZO Car service

http://ozocar.com  (866) 696-5966

 

We felt compelled to mention OZO, the low emission car service

because there are plenty of us who just want to make what we feel is

the more responsible choice in as many things possible - even if it

means going against convention.  There’s nothing outstanding about

their service levels but the offering of only hybrid, cleaner vehicles is a

distinction worth noting.  

Their mantra is “eco, not ego, status, not status quo.”  And they carry

this simplicity throughout their operation.  They offer only hybrid

vehicles so they don’t have a large fleet of options (Prius, Camry,

and Lexus 400).  Because of the fleet limitations, this is really

only an option for your personal transportation around NYC and the

surrounding airports.

 

They are small but they do hire and train their own drivers as professional chauffeurs, a definite plus in our book.  They seem to take feedback seriously so the drivers are friendly, the cars are clean - not just green, and the reliability of service is better than most.  The website is pretty thin, with a small and homey ‘feel’.  Reservations require you to set up an account online, etc. but it’s not too bad.  This is a great ‘feel good’ choice and you won’t be making any sacrifice on service levels or economy to do so.  

 
Best NYC Car Services - Automotive Luxury
bottom of page