Ford Explorer (circa 96')
Lincoln Town Car (circa 96')
There was only one Lincoln taxi in New York City, only approved for a probationary period.
Chevrolet Caprice (circa 96')
Random sourced photo (model year 92')
In the late 90's, the typical taxi was in transition from the Caprice to the Crown Victoria. The preference was for the Caprice, but due to low sales General Motors soon stopped production.
The colt like love for the large american car and the monopoly that they had over police and taxi markets possessed an entrepreneur to consider purchasing the entire production line and the rights to produce the vehicles once General Motors gave up on production. But after Chevy gave up on the Caprice the fleets turned their interest towards Ford's Crown Vic'.
With the entire market, Ford decided to extend production year after year, although there were always rumors that ford would soon end the Crown Victoria. Again an entrepreneur suggested taking over the operation, but Ford, with a strangle hold on the police and taxi market, has continued production to this day.
Currently Ford has limited sales to only fleets and removed the Crown Victoria from all pamphlets. According to
Wikipedia, Ford will stop production completely in 2009.
Ford Crown Victoria' (circa 95')
Isuzu Oasis / A.K.A. Honda Odyssey (circa 96')
The Odyssey/Oasis, was the city's first compact taxi since the Peugeot, and I believe the first van-taxi for New York.
The passenger doors swung out rather than sliding and were fairly large, which I think were requirements for the Taxi & Limo Commission. One feature were passenger seats that could be positioned either forward, for trunk space, or rearward for legroom. I rode in one with the seats forward once and had difficulty getting my 5' 7" body out of the car with my bag.
I imagine this car was fundamental in pushing taxi thinking outside of the box, suggesting that a taxicab needn't be a rear-wheel drive V-8 engined, wide bodied, long wheel base mammoth. With these 4-cylinder vans, drivers took a different, usually less aggressive approach to driving.
Section 2: Taxi Present-
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A: The Hybrids:
Lexus RX 400h (26 mpg city)
There was an article somewhere on how one of the Lexus driver/owners had a completely clean driving record even after driving for 30 years, impressive.
Toyota Highlander hybrid (4 wheel drive, 27 mpg city)
Toyota Highlander hybrid (model years 01' to 07')
Toyota Prius (48 mpg city)
Toyota Camry hybrid (33 mpg city)
Ford Escape hybrid (2 wheel drive, 34 mpg city)
The best bang for the buck, the Escape is sweeping the city with more than 1,000 vehicles both privately driven and also, owned by taxi fleets.
Ford Escape hybrid (model years 01' to 07')
Nissan Altima hybrid (35 mpg city)
This car has absolutely no advertising. The only way people learn there is a Nissan hybrid is through word of mouth. Nissan is actually borrowing hybrid technology from Toyota. The Altima is second only to the Toyota Prius in best city gas mileage on the
approved T&LC list. Fleets are already starting to purchase the car.
06' Saturn Vue Green Line(25 mpg city)
There since has been a larger redesigned Saturn, but no one has purchased it for taxi services yet.
There is one elusive 07' Honda Civic Hybrid that I haven't shot with the camera yet.
The one and only Honda Civic taxi in New York has less legroom, higher gas mileage, and relatively similar if less trunk room than the environmental front runner: Toyota Prius. The only image I could find on the internet was taken in Hartford, Connecticut, and is most likely not the real NYC taxi, which had no advert on the roof.
B: Wheelchair Accessible Taxis:
07' Chevrolet Uplander TC: Eldorado National Mobility
07' Dodge Caravan: Eclipse Mobility
Ford Freestar
Being phased out by The Taxi and Limousine Commision
Toyota Sienna: Freedom Motors Kneelvan (on right)
C: Regular Taxis:
Ford Crown Victoria Stretch
For the past 4 years or so all Crown Victoria NYC taxis have had extended rear doors
Toyota Sienna
Honda Odyssey
Being phased out by the Taxi and Limousine Commission
Honda Odyssey (model years 99' to 04')
Ford Explorer (circa 06')
How's this for hilarious, the only image I could find on the internet for the last Ford Explorer taxi involves the bizarre sport of
"Extreme Ironing" go figure. The Explorer is no longer on the approved list.
D: The Actors:
Ford Crown Victoria @ Brooklyn Bridge Downtown, on the set of "Pelham 1 2 3" (the remake)
Toyota Sienna
BTW I take back what I wrote on the earlier post a while back about the show. One of my passengers said they knew someone who participated. She told me her friends were NOT pre-selected for the show.
Also, the Driver is an officially licensed cab driver, and the cab is totally official... err... well.. The Taxi and Limousine Commission approved it despite having a completely eccentric meter, flashing lights in the roof, tinted windows that wouldn't even pass inspection on a normal civilian vehicle, and a trunk loaded with video and audio recording and transmitting equipment. Not to mention that Ben readily tells all the viewers that he won't take you out of Manhattan, sorry folks, you can't win, like, uhh, 10,000 dollars.
2 ... 2 ...
