DCAcar® vs. Uber Black in Washington DC: which one is better?
6-minute read
Last updated November 1st, 2023
It’s a question that has confounded D.C.-area residents for some time now: DCAcar or Uber Black? My clients ask which service is better so regularly that I thought I would answer it once and for all.
Here are the three top concerns that clients care about.
1. Price
2. Quality of service (Car cleanness, driver professionalism)
3. Ease of booking and availability of service in different areas
Let’s take a look at how Uber Black scores in these three areas.
Uber Black prices (taken from the Uber app)
– Dulles to downtown Washington, D.C.- $109-$153 (Curbside pickup)
– Dulles to Bethesda, MD- $107-$134 (Curbside pickup)
The quality of service
Because there are so many drivers under the Uber Black umbrella, it is difficult to assess the quality of service with 100 percent certainty. On one hand, Uber has excellent, professional drivers who strive to maintain beautiful vehicles under its wing. On the other hand, there are some bad apples. To Uber’s credit, though, the company has cleaned up its driver pool. The company has deactivated many Uber partners who consistently displayed below-par ratings, and to my knowledge, this is an ongoing process. Drivers who consistently earn bad ratings over a period of time usually end up seeing their Uber membership revoked.
Ease of booking and availability of drivers
A part of what makes Uber appealing is how user-friendly the app is. Within seconds, users can pinpoint their location, and usually in moments a car will show up at their door to whisk them away. Uber also diligently updates and tweaks the app, making it so that connecting customers to drivers is a cinch.
But can you find an Uber Black everywhere? Anytime? Yes. Mostly. Depending on the time of day and your location, wait times can vary. Finding an Uber early in the morning is problematic sometimes due to the high demand. Users located in the outer areas of D.C. and suburban areas might also experience longer wait times simply because a lot of Uber drivers tend to not venture out of the D.C. metro area.
Concluding Thoughts on Uber Black
Uber is a company with very few blemishes. Its fleet of drivers is large and responsive while the company’s app is one of the most user-friendly transportation apps currently available. But given the nature of D.C., Uber is ideal for short trips within the city.
Now let’s take a look at how DCAcar stacks up.
The quality of service
Driver quality is one of the most important features of the DCAcar experience. Without a team of top-level drivers, DCAcar would not be the company that it is today. Our drivers are courteous and are extremely well-acquainted with the D.C. avenues and lanes. Unlike Uber, DCAcar customers can expect the personal touch of a Meet and Greet when our drivers pick them up from the airport. A DCAcar Meet and Greet entails the driver tracking the customer’s flight, waiting by baggage claim holding a placard that has the customer’s name on it, and assisting with luggage.
Ease of booking and availability of drivers
DCAcar may not have an app, but booking one of our cars on the DCAcar website is as easy as an app. In under two minutes (yes, we actually timed it), customers can book a reservation, finalize their payment and receive an e-mail confirmation. Since we are a traditional transportation service, all reservations must be made 24 hours before pick-up. The DCAcar net is wide as well: We provide service to all of Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland.
Concluding thoughts on DCAcar
DCAcar may not possess the technical wizardry of the Uber app, and given that DCAcar is a local company, it can’t compete with Uber’s army of drivers. But where DCAcar lacks in technology and size, it makes up for those shortcomings with stellar, personalized customer service and a slightly lower price.
Final thoughts on which service is better Uber Black or DCAcar:
The winner of this debate all depends on you, the customer. I know what you’re thinking. Because I own DCAcar, there is a fundamental conflict of interest in comparing the two services. But what is important is that based on the situation, one service may be better than the other. Are you simply looking for a last-minute, quick ride to your destination? Uber Black is probably your best bet. But for those longer trips, especially transport to any of the surrounding airports in the area, DCAcar is probably the more cost-effective and easiest option.
We have just conducted another comparison Alto vs DCAcar click the link to ream more.
About The Author — Davit Zakaryan is the Founder of DCAcar. A Car service in Washington DC serving all local Airports.
