New York City’s cab fleet is not one vehicle type — it is a regulated mix, and the right choice depends on passengers, luggage, and accessibility needs. Yellow cabs and green boro cabs run the same basic classes: sedans, SUVs, minivans, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles, with the class you get depending on what is at the stand or what you request through an app or dispatcher.
The classes, and what each fits
Sedans are the standard cab: room for up to four passengers with light luggage, and the cheapest ride in the fleet. SUVs and minivans carry up to five or six passengers with heavier luggage, and they are the right request for a family with suitcases or a group heading to an airport. Wheelchair-accessible vehicles are part of the fleet by regulation — they carry a passenger using a wheelchair plus companions — and they can be requested through dispatch or the cab apps rather than left to chance at the stand.
Two things the classes do not change: the fare rules and the driver’s obligations. Every yellow and green cab runs the same meter — $3.00 to start, $0.70 per fifth of a mile — and every cab must accept card payment. A larger vehicle does not carry a larger meter rate; it carries more people and more luggage. If a driver claims a vehicle class costs extra per mile, that is not the published system. For a booked private car rather than a street cab, JetBlack’s own classes run separately: sedan, SUV, stretch, Sprinter, and minibus, quoted per trip in writing.
Book Your New York Ride With the Price in Writing
What cab should a family of five request?
An SUV or minivan — a sedan will not carry five plus luggage comfortably.
How do I get a wheelchair-accessible cab?
Request one through dispatch or a cab app; accessible vehicles are part of the regulated fleet.
Does a bigger cab cost more per mile?
No. The meter is the same for every yellow and green cab class.
