I bought a pre-owned IKEA Bekant table top for S$15. Great deal, right? Except it’s 160 x 80 cm, and there was no way I was carrying that thing on the MRT. So I did what any reasonable person would do and rented a car. The ride of choice: a GetGo Honda Shuttle Hybrid, SL plate and all. Final bill? More than three times what I paid for the table. Damn!
This is a quick GetGo review of that one trip. The car, the boot, the drive, and whether I’d book the same model again.
The Cost: S$15 Table, S$54.83 Car
I had the car for five hours on a Thursday, from 12pm to 5pm, at S$6 an hour. That was an initial four-hour booking plus a one-hour extension, and the S$54.83 total covers both. Here’s how it broke down:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Booking (4 hrs x S$6, after 12% weekday promo and S$8 referral credit, plus CDW and platform fee) | S$15.52 |
| Extension (1 hr x S$6, after 12% promo, plus CDW) | S$5.58 |
| Mileage (73 km x S$0.44, plus CDW) | S$33.73 |
| Total paid (incl. GST) | S$54.83 |
The time charge was cheap. About S$21 for five hours is genuinely good value. The mileage is where it got me. At S$0.44/km, my 73 km came to S$32.12 before CDW, which is more than all five hours of time charges combined. And that’s with S$11.60 in discounts already applied, S$8 of which was referral credit from readers who signed up with my code. If you’re new to GetGo, using referral code WNWUNLJX gets you S$8 off your first drive too.
So on paper, this S$15 table cost me closer to S$70. I spent more on moving it than on buying it.
In fairness, I probably overbooked for what should have been a really quick job. Those five hours and 73 km weren’t just about the table. I also picked up my brother, had lunch with him, talked business, then sent him home, and he doesn’t live anywhere near me. So this wasn’t strictly a rent-to-deliver trip. A straight there-and-back for the table would have cost a lot less, in both hours and mileage.
Still, will I be able to get anything decent at this price point? Let’s see.
First Impressions: Dirty, Inside and Out
The car was dirty. Outside and inside. In my (admittedly limited) experience, this isn’t unusual for GetGo’s older fleet. You’re not getting a freshly detailed car at this price, and I didn’t expect one.
The dashboard was just as dusty, and the radio is a basic aftermarket Pioneer unit. No touchscreen here.
There were also a number of dents on the rear, which I dutifully reported in the app before driving off. If you’re new to car sharing, please do this. Take photos of everything. You do not want to be the person paying for someone else’s dent.
The Boot Problem Nobody Told Me About
Then I got in and noticed something much bigger than a dent. The entire rear interior plastic panel had separated from the boot.
I didn’t want any chance of this being pinned on me, so I went straight to GetGo’s customer service chat with photos of:
- the separated rear panel,
- where the car was parked (I was still in the carpark), and
- the odometer, to show I hadn’t driven off.
Is that overkill? Maybe. But I’d rather over-document than argue later.
CS gave me two options: change to another car, or keep the booking. I chose to stay, since the whole point of this rental was the boot space and I didn’t want to gamble on whatever came next. They also offered a S$5 promo code for the inconvenience. Credit where it’s due: the response was reasonable and quick enough.
The Seats: Less Dirty Than They Look
My first reaction to the interior was “damn, this is filthy.” Then I looked closer.
A lot of it was really down to the seat fabric design. The pattern Honda went with makes the seats look grubbier than they actually are. Bad, bad design. The car was still dirty overall, just less dirty than I initially thought. A small win, I guess?
New to the Honda Shuttle Hybrid? Where to Find Things
Hopping into an unfamiliar car in a car-sharing carpark, with the clock ticking, is no fun. Here’s where things are in the Honda Shuttle Hybrid, so you’re not fumbling around before you set off:
- Parking brake: a foot pedal at the far left of the driver’s footwell. Press it to engage, and press it again to release. There’s no handbrake lever.
- 12V socket: low down on the side panel by the driver’s door, near the floor, behind a flip cap.
- Fuel lid release: a lever on the floor beside the driver’s seat, by the door. It’s the top one with the fuel pump icon. There’s a second lever right below it, so check the icon before you pull. Find it before you pull into the petrol station.
Will a 160×80 IKEA Bekant Fit in a GetGo Honda Shuttle?
Yes, but only just.
With the rear seats folded down, the Bekant table top went in without any dismantling. It was a snug fit. Really tight. If your table top is any bigger, I’d measure first or plan to take it apart.
This is the strongest argument for the Shuttle. It’s a wagon, and for bulky flat items, that long boot does the job.
It’s also a reminder that you don’t always need a van to move furniture. An MPV or a wagon can do the job too, but you need to do your due diligence first. Measure the item, check how long the boot is with the rear seats folded, and make sure it’ll actually get through the tailgate opening. Ten minutes of checking beats finding out in the carpark with the clock ticking.
Driving Experience: Not Great
Let me be fair here. The Honda Shuttle Hybrid isn’t a race car, and I wasn’t expecting one. Top speed is irrelevant anyway; you can’t exactly race with Singapore’s speed limits. Acceleration was nothing to write home about, and I’m fine with that.
What I did expect was a smooth transmission. Instead, there was this rotating vibration I could feel under the car. I’m not too sure what it was, and I won’t be guessing at the mechanics here. But it was noticeable enough that I kept thinking about it the whole drive, which isn’t what you want from a short furniture run.
GetGo Honda Shuttle vs Tribecar Toyota Sienta
I’ve previously rented a Toyota Sienta Hybrid from Tribecar, and honestly, the comparison isn’t close. The Sienta was a much, much better driving experience. And when I think about the overall cost, it probably makes more sense money-wise too.
The GetGo Honda Shuttle wins on one thing: that long, flat boot for awkward items like a 160 cm table top. Outside of that, I’d take the Sienta.
Verdict: Would I Rent the GetGo Honda Shuttle Again?
If I need to move something long and flat, maybe. The hourly rate is cheap, it’s convenient, and the boot handled my Bekant without any drama.
But S$54.83 all in, with mileage making up more than half of it, isn’t the bargain the hourly rate suggests. Add the dirty interior, the loose boot panel, and that vibration under the car, and it wasn’t a pleasant rental. Unless I have a specific must-use case for the Shuttle, my next booking is going to Tribecar.
Quick take for anyone reading this GetGo review:
- Good for: short-distance runs moving long or flat items
- Watch out for: the S$0.44/km mileage charge, which can easily cost more than the rental itself. Also the condition of older fleet cars, so photograph everything before you drive off.
- Better alternative for a nicer drive: Tribecar’s Toyota Sienta Hybrid
If you’re still keen to try GetGo, sign up with referral code WNWUNLJX for S$8 off your first drive. My GetGo referral code post explains how it works, and my complete GetGo guide covers booking, insurance and refuelling before your first trip.
Disclosure: I earn a referral credit when you sign up using code WNWUNLJX and complete your first drive. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, and it helps me test and review more GetGo cars, including ones like this Shuttle.
