This chauffeur app is an ultra-luxe Uber alternative

Ever step into an Uber and wish it were a bit, well…nicer? A smarter app, luxury cars, a driver in a suit holding an umbrella, perhaps even an attentive concierge service? That’s where Wheely comes in, an up-market chauffeur service that works much like Uber, complete with phone app and star ratings, but which strives to offer a full VIP experience.

Wheely was the official chauffeur partner of this year’s Goodwood Revival, a weekend of historic motor racing that takes a step back in time to the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Since I was already attending Revival, Wheely suggested I try out its chauffeur service.

The booking process is similar to Uber, in that you enter your destination and pick from a handful of tier options.

These include SUV, which guarantees your driver arrives in a long-wheelbase Range Rover; First, which uses the latest generation of Mercedes S-Class; XL, which provides seating for six passengers in a Mercedes V-Class or electric EQV; and Concierge, where a driver can be used to run errands around town, fetch belongings, and even do your shopping.

Credit provided by Wheely entitled me to a return journey using the Business Class tier. This uses a handful of executive saloon cars, including the Mercedes E-Class, EQE or EQS, and the BMW 5-Series.

I booked both the outbound and return journeys a week or so in advance. Since the first journey was early on a Saturday morning, a quick message confirming the booking the night before would have been welcome. I shouldn’t have worried though, as the app sprang into life right on cue the next morning, stating my driver’s name and showing his location on a map.

Soon after, I received a call from Wheely’s concierge service, apologising that my driver would be a handful of minutes late. They went on to explain how they’d searched for an alternative, but none were available to fit my schedule, so the original driver would remain on course. This might seem like overkill for what was eventually no more than a five-minute delay, but it demonstrates the standards Wheely holds itself to.

The app smartly makes use of Dynamic Island and lock screen notifications of recent iPhones, where the arrival time appears throughout the driver’s journey.

Driving a 2025 BMW 5 Series, my suited chauffeur arrived and, despite the rain, stood outside to greet me. He offered the use of an umbrella and saw my partner and I to the car, taking care of the doors and letting us know the approximate arrival time. Perfectly clean, the car contained Wheely-branded tissues and sanitising towels, along with phone charging cable, and the option of playing our music through the stereo.

The chauffeur drove perfectly, despite the horrid conditions and narrow country roads, and dropped us off at Wheely’s branded arrivals area. Extra points were earned for his polite but firm insistence that he was allowed to drop us right at the circuit entrance, despite traffic marshals being unsure.

Only afterwards, while holding my door open, did he admit that this was his first-ever Wheely job – and so, of course, I gave him a five-star review.

Although it was his first job, my driver will have graduated from Wheely’s academy, where chauffeurs are taught how to respect customer privacy, dress correctly, clean and maintain their vehicles, and use correct etiquette, such as how to greet customers and when it’s acceptable to break silence.

I’d pre-booked a return journey at the same time as my outbound trip. The second driver messaged me within the Wheely app to say he’d be arriving early, and whether I’d like, to stick to my original time or not. Since it was raining and we’d had a long day, I opted for a slightly earlier pickup. This was acted on seamlessly, although Wheely’s designated pickup point, in one of Goodwood’s car parking fields, was hard to locate after sunset. A quick ride in a volunteer’s vintage Land Rover saw to this, and we were soon met by our Wheely chauffeur. If Wheely continues to support Goodwood Revival for 2026, I’d suggest it secures an alternative evening pickup point.

An electric Mercedes EQE then whisked us home in perfect comfort. It was just as clean as the morning car, and came stocked with the same set of phone charging cables and branded tissues. These are small details, but welcome after a long day.

Wheely offers a service that is clearly elevated beyond that of Uber and other taxi or ride-share companies. It opens a door to the rarified world of chauffeur transportation, then delivers a fantastic service by pairing a nicely designed smartphone app with an attentive concierge service and top-notch drivers with luxury cars.

But, as you might expect, all this comes at a price. Wheely kindly provided me with free credit to try out the app for this review, but during my test I was able to see how much it would have cost – which was a little over £600 for the return trip. Admittedly, I booked a two-hour journey, each way, from Kent to West Sussex on a Saturday, but that’s still quite the bill, especially when that was for Wheely’s entry-level product, called Business. Go for the First service and you’ll be looking at a four-figure day out for a similar journey.

The flip side of this is how Wheely passes on plenty of profit to its drivers. The company claims its typical payouts, including incentives, average £1,800 a week for Business drivers and £2,500 a week for First. So if you’ve got access to the right car, and pass through Wheely’s training programme, there’s serious money to be made.

So, while it doesn’t have the low prices and instant availability of Uber and Lyft, Wheely’s offering is an interesting one. It brings easy – albeit expensive – access to the finer side of private transport, and for the occasional special day out, when you fancy a treat, it absolutely delivers.

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