Car-service price check: Ditmas Park/Kensington

Take everything but a yellow taxi from Ditmas Park/Kensington. — Good luck finding one of these in upstate Brooklyn. But how do car services rate?

We’re on to the third stop of our ride through Brooklyn car service price-checks: Ditmas Park/Kensington. Some interesting results this time: While the rate to JFK was pretty constant—it seems like there’s a set borough-wide rate to that place—the prices for another of our destinations varied quite a bit: by more than 40 percent from the lowest quote.

We gave the hypothetical starting point of Cortelyou Rd. and Argyle Rd. (in the heart of Cortelyou’s happenings), and we asked for quotes to the following three destinations: 1) 9^th Street and Prospect Park West in Park Slope, 2) Metropolitan Ave. and Bedford Ave. in Williamsburg and 3) JFK Airport. We called each car service within a 20-minute span on an early weekday afternoon, and we also compared rates with those of a metered yellow cab. Here’s what we found:

California Car Services‎, 1005 Church Ave., 718-282-4444‎
Park Slope: $7
Williamsburg: $18
JFK: $33
Wait time: 3 min
Credit Cards: Yes, $10 minimum
Pets: Yes

Rachel’s Car Services Inc, 548 East 2nd St., 718-972-2223‎
Park Slope: $9
Williamsburg: $22
JFK:$35
Wait time: 3 min
Credit Cards: No
Pets: Yes, but tell them beforehand. There is a special driver that takes dogs.

Five Star Car Services, 787 Coney Island Ave., 718-940-0044‎
Park Slope: $8
Williamsburg: $25
JFK: $35
Wait time: 5 min
Credit Cards: Yes, $3 extra
Pets: Between $3-$4 extra for a dog, depending on size

Coney Island Car & Limo Inc, 565 Coney Island Ave., 718-856-9400‎
Park Slope: $9
Williamsburg: $25
JFK: $35
Wait time: 3 min
Credit Cards: Yes, but $2 extra
Pets: Yes, but between $5-$10 extra, depending on size

Marlboro Car Service, 1510 Newkirk Ave., 718-434-4141
Park Slope: $10
Williamsburg: $24
JFK: $35, but with coupon, which is available at the office, it is $32. Coupon also provides discount to LaGuardia, Newark, and Manhattan locations.
Wait time: 3 min
Credit Cards: No
Pets: Yes, but tell them beforehand

Mex Express Car Service, 1623 Cortelyou Rd., 718-941-5200
Park Slope: $10
Williamsburg: $20
JFK: $35
Wait time: 5 min
Credit Cards: Yes, but not Amex
Pets: Yes, but them tell beforehand. $2 extra charge.

Yellow cab
Park Slope: approx $10
Williamsburg: approx $26
JFK: approx $35 (via Linden Blvd to Conduit Ave)

The cheapest ride according to our survey is California Car Services over on Church Ave. and E. 10^th St. However, Marlboro Car Service on Newkirk Ave. offers up a coupon on trips to the major airports and to some Manhattan locations, making it, at $32, the cheapest by a hair to JFK. But California still wins handily to Park Slope ($7 vs. $10) and Williamsburg ($18 vs. $24!). What are your favorite/most hated car services in Ditmas Park and Kensington?