Golf Cart Reviews and Buying Guide:

We've all seen golf carts on a golf course, but how many of us see them traveling along our local roadways. If you live in or near a golfing community you probably see golf carts on side roads and sometimes on the main streets. Certain communities have made them street legal in their localized area to cut down on pollution and noise control. When you travel to golfing communities in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and several other places in the south you will find more golf carts on the road than cars. Golf carts were originally designed to take 2 golfers and their golf clubs around a golf course to increase the speed of play. Some golf carts are gas powered, but the majority that are sold today electric golf carts. The top manufacturer of golf carts in the United States is Club Car (Ingersoll Rand). The golf carts sold for consumer use can reach speeds of 25 miles per hour (MPH) and they can be totally customized to your personal style.

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The main brands of golf carts are Club Car, EZ Go, and Yamaha. The newest golf carts are starting to resemble a car more than a cart. Golf cart accessories like custom body panels, wheels, stereo systems, paint jobs, and lift kits make for an luxury vehicle. You can also buy larger engines to get more speed and high performance exhaust and air filters. Some come with windshields that fold down if you want. Amazingly enough there is even a Hummer golf cart ($25,000) for sale as well as a model from Lamborghini. The electric powered golf carts run off of a battery and will hold a charge like any other electric car. Gas powered golf carts are limited in scope in neighborhoods, but still used at some golf courses. If you want a faster golf cart, look for a gas powered engine. Looking for ideas on how to customize your golf cart, check out Buggiesgonewild.com. They offer ideas and information on large tires, lift kits, off-road designs and much more. As for choosing between gas and electric golf cars, there are a few things to keep in mind. Gas golf carts are better suited for hilly terrain and they are generally more powerful than electric golf cars. A gas golf cart will be more durable and last longer, but they do pollute. Electric golf carts may seem like a cheaper solution to gas, but you need to replace the batteries every 4 year or so and it can get costly. For most use on golf courses and around your neighborhood an electric golf cart will do the trick. Repairs are minimal on the electric golf carts except for periodic brake and tire replacement and the batteries. We did some research at our local golf courses to see which brands of carts or cars they use on their courses. Also, we found some reviews for golf carts by private owners to determine the the top brands and how they perform. Our finding are below with prices, opinions, and websites where you can find more details.

Best Golf Cart:

Certainly the most recognized name in golf carts is Club Car. They were started in 1978 and have since expanded their product line to include golf carts specifically for courses, utility and transport vehicles, private owner golf carts, rough terrain carts, and customized solutions. The Club Car Precedent is the ultimate golf cart for private owners with the option for gas or electric and an overall well built machine. The Precedent was made to last and features like the non-corrosive, bonded seat that will not slip, rot, or wrinkle is an example of what the customer can expect in terms of quality. The 360 degree bumper will help preserve the frame and keep your golf cart looking new. The car runs on a 4-battery, 48-volt system that is efficient and the handling and steering allow for tight turns and excellent maneuverability. The cup holders give you added convenience for drinks and the bagwell area is the industrys largest. The electric version has 3.1 HP and goes 8 to 19 MPH with 2 acceleration settings. The gas golf cart from Club Car has an impressive 9 HP and hold 6.7 gallons in the fuel tank. You can get more details at Clubcar.com or at Clubcarprecedent.com. Many dealers will offer bulk pricing when you order 10 or more golf carts. As for private owners looking to purchase just 1 Club Car, consider the used market since you can knock at least 20%-30% off the retail price and get a used golf cart in great condition. The 4-passenger Club Car Precedent (electric) will run you about $5200 for a 2006 model. The 2-seater model should be a touch cheaper.

Electric Golf Cart:

Many of the golf courses in our area use the EZ Go golf cars and their line of personal golf carts are just fine for driving on your course or around the block. They offer the Freedom SE and Freedom LE. We prefer the E-Z-GO Freedom LE Electric Golf Cart with it's 36 volt motor, Durashield TPE body, seating for 2, and a speed rating of 12-15 MPH. Standard features include center storage baskets, dual halogen headlights, brake light and turn signals, wood grain dash, and a fold down windshield. You can also get optional equipment like a rear view mirror, an all-weather enclosure, insulated ice chest, gold hub caps, or soft swipe spike cleaners on the foot pedals. There is a PDF file with all the specs online HERE. The EZ Go is easy to drive and the steering is responsive to tight turning radiuses. The Freedom is one of the best top rated electric golf carts on the market. Go to Ezgo.com to find out more about their complete line of golf carts and cars. One word of caution, we read online that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission had put a product recall out on certain models of E-Z-Go golf cars that were built from 2002-2005. If you are going to purchase a used EZ Go cart from those years, make sure it has been properly serviced and repaired if there was a recall on that particular model.

Gas Golf Cart:

When it comes to gas powered vehicles, Yamaha has an excellent reputation. The Yamaha Drive Gas Golf Cart ($4999) gets 18% more mileage than the Club Car Precedent and 38% more than the E-Z-Go. The single cylinder Yamaha built engine delivers about 11 HP with a maximum forward speed of 15 MPH. The turning radius is 9.2 feet and the fuel tank capacity is 6.6 gallons. The 2-person seat is comfortable and the ride is smooth. There is a standard 3 year limited warranty. Many of the parts and features of the Yamaha golf cart are sealed properly so there is no corrosion from pressure washing or excessive exposure to water. Full details with all the Yamaha Golf cart models are available online at Yamahagolfcar.com.

Custom Golf Cart:

I guess if you have the money and live in an area where it's legal to drive a golf cart on the streets, consider a custom golf cart to spice up your life. Luxurycarts.com is a great starting point to see a collection of customized golf carts for sale. I must say that these golf carts are more than your average golf course vehicle. They have an H2 Hummer Cart, a Cadillac Escalade Cart, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, and many more to choose from. An example on price is the Cadillac 4 Passenger Electric Escalade that sells for $18250. Customcarts.com is another site with a nice inventory of customized golf cars.

Do you have a quality site or product that belongs in this guide? We are always happy to evaluate or review new products and websites. Feel free to contact us at the email address below and let us know about you. If you have a demo product you'd like us to look at, please contact us before sending anything. Thank you.

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