Is New UberX Cheaper Than DC Taxis?!

Let's be real- I try to take buses during rush hour to save myself $5 each way on the metro so I rarely pay for cabs. However on the weekends I prefer the safety and reliability (reliability-see antonyms: red line) of a car. Key word: reliability. Meaning I don't like taking DC cabs. Not only is it 2013 and they are the only entity not accepting cards (sidenote: I know this credit card payment system is coming in waves but if every cab driver is going to bitch and complain as much as the last 2 cab drivers I've had about how much extra it cost them for me to pay with a card then still count me out), even if I call them to pick me up I know the probability of them showing up is about the same as the probability of me not eating jumbo slice after a night of drinking. Uber is super reliable and extremely friendly, and I've tried the new Hailo service as a "founding member", but even with the constant discounts these services are still too pricey for me to use on the reg.

Enter: UberX. According to the website, this option of Hybrid car is cheaper and faster than a DC cab. Here is the breakdown what I have found to be the cheapest options:

So the price differences depend on a lot of variables. To me, the cost of  Uber  outweighs the price of not knowing if I'm ACTUALLY going to get picked up, not having to stress about the tip (every cab driver I've had loves to tell me about their families- OK OK HERE IS AN EXTRA $10 JUST SEND HER TO COLLEGE), and to be able to track where the driver is and how soon he'll be here- and now there is a smaller price gap between that and the other services! So my Type A Controlling Self is sticking with Uber, and is very happy to have it come with a cheaper option.