Recommendations

A high-end, boutique car service that's pricey but worth it.

Guide: Travel (Taylor)

Strengths

• Most car services drive me bananas. I think my clients and I have experienced most of the typical problems - late arrivals, skanky vehicles, bad drivers, smelly drivers, lost drivers, mean drivers, chatty drivers, loud PA systems, etc.
• Luxury Ride NYC is a high-end boutique car service I've found to be great. Why? New, clean Mercedes S Class cars. Excellent drivers who are courteous, know where they're going, and drive safely and smoothly. And they're on time!
• The drivers give you their cell phones, so no frustrating back-and-forth conversations with dispatchers.

Shortcomings

• Expensive. Also they're a boutique operation, so their fleet is limited in size.

Insider tips

• Tell the operator you found them through Word Of Mouse and they'll give you a 10% discount.
• Get the cell phone number of your driver.
• Be sure to have them pick you up rather than park.
• They have a corporate account program, called Luxury Ride VIP (www.luxuryridevip.com) . Corporate accounts get beneficial rates, and can use the VIP website to make reservations, view trip history, print receipts, etc.

Anecdotes

• I've been using them for a few months now for trips from NYC to Newark and JFK airports, and they've been consistently impressive. The cars have been immaculate. The drivers have been on time and in the right place. If I'm feeling chatty, they'll chat. Otherwise it's quiet jazz, and rides so smooth I almost always fall asleep.

Credentials

• They've been in operation since 1999.