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I took Uber while I was in Rio. It was perfectly safe. Uber Black is much different in Brazil than it is in the United States. You aren't getting into an Escalade, but typically a Toyota or Honda. Also, you could only pay via credit card. Maybe this is limited to Sao Paulo, but most Brazilians I spoke to were happy that Uber was in Brazil.

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> You aren't getting into an Escalade, but typically a Toyota or Honda.

Keep in mind that popular cars in the US can be luxury cars in Brazil. My Brazilian friends' first reaction when I tell them I have a Honda Civic here is "damn, freaking awesome, you're loaded!"... and then I tell them that's a pretty basic car in America :)

This is probably in part because import duties in Brazil are insane, so an imported car is much, much more expensive than it would be in the US.

The Fast and Furious franchise ;)

a lot of rich people in brazil drive cheap/lower end cars because carjacking and literal highway robberies are a huge problem.

Same here, Uber Black everywhere in Rio. Never had any problems, quite opposite actually - going with the little one, folding buggy, drivers were always helping etc. - very pleasant experience. Also very cheap. There are too many yellow cabs in Rio anyway, they're just making traffic driving empty up and down.

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