where one is traveling to/from makes a big difference. for example, if you're staying in lujiazui, you can get to the bund in under 5 minutes, if all goes well, but xujiahui would take at least 20 minutes. while the subway doesn't run at night, there isn't much traffic at night so cabs can be pretty quick.

another thought about the subway: i usually try to avoid transfering between the 2 lines because the walk is long and i've been pick pocketed several times in people's square station (and never anywhere else, ever).