Long time reader and first time poster. Figured I’d come here to get some advice. Looking to buy a golf cart and just wanted to know what to look for before pulling the trigger. Looked at 2018 club cart electric at a local dealer. Got everything we want on it and asking price is 5k. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
OT- Buying a Golf Cart
- Thread starter NattyDawg
- Start date
I used to dabble in the golf cart business so I can lend a little insight. A two year old cart at a dealer is most likely an off lease cart because golf courses generally lease carts for two years and then those carts are sold to wholesalers which is what I did. Off lease carts are generally in good shape because they are used sporadically but they arent taken care off like a personal cart. At two years your batteries are half gone, five is about the max you will get out of well taken care of batteries before they start to dramatically decline. You need to figure $800-$1000 for batteries in a few years . When I was in the business, retail on an off lease cart was 50-60 % of MSRP on a new cart depending on condition. I haven't priced carts in years but last time I looked MSRP was $8000-$8500 on a new Precident so I would think that price is a little high. You didn't say whether this was for golf or being used as a neighborhood cart, if its the latter you would be money ahead to go ahead and get a cart with a title that is already street legal. It is cheaper to buy a street legal cart than to buy a golf cart and add the stuff to make it street legal.
I'm surprised it took nearly half a day for this to be posted in a golf cart thread:
View attachment 15422
View attachment 15422
I sold carts for about 9 years and learned a little.
-Club Car definitely the way to go. EZ Go not bad but Club Car is the "Cadillac" in my opinion.
-My preference would be gas though, not battery. Those little gas engines run w/ few if any problems and can go forever on 5 gallons of gas instead of having to worry about batteries going dead on the 27th or 36th hole in summer. If something does go wrong with the engine, its a really easy fix. Parts are cheap and readily available locally and easily reachable like car parts used to be years ago.
-You didn't mention where you are. A cart coming off a lease up North has WAY fewer hours on it than a cart in FL, TX, CA, etc will have. Find out where it has been used. Ask if the dealer had a maintenance contract w/ the club. If so, they regularly go out and do the maintenance on them during a lease. If not, it was maintained irregularly IF at all and probably by a minimum wage high school kid. A lot of clubs barely do anything to them because they know they will last through the lease w/ minimal if any care. The dealer though will take better care of them if they have the maintenance contract and know they will have to sell some if not all of them on lease termination.
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-Club Car definitely the way to go. EZ Go not bad but Club Car is the "Cadillac" in my opinion.
-My preference would be gas though, not battery. Those little gas engines run w/ few if any problems and can go forever on 5 gallons of gas instead of having to worry about batteries going dead on the 27th or 36th hole in summer. If something does go wrong with the engine, its a really easy fix. Parts are cheap and readily available locally and easily reachable like car parts used to be years ago.
-You didn't mention where you are. A cart coming off a lease up North has WAY fewer hours on it than a cart in FL, TX, CA, etc will have. Find out where it has been used. Ask if the dealer had a maintenance contract w/ the club. If so, they regularly go out and do the maintenance on them during a lease. If not, it was maintained irregularly IF at all and probably by a minimum wage high school kid. A lot of clubs barely do anything to them because they know they will last through the lease w/ minimal if any care. The dealer though will take better care of them if they have the maintenance contract and know they will have to sell some if not all of them on lease termination.
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I am extremely biased
but I’d go with a Club Car over any other brand if an electric car. You looking at a Tempo or Precedent 2 or 4 passenger? What brand batteries are in the car, black JCI or dark red Trojans?
but I’d go with a Club Car over any other brand if an electric car. You looking at a Tempo or Precedent 2 or 4 passenger? What brand batteries are in the car, black JCI or dark red Trojans?
I prefer electric but sure can not argue with your experience. Electric is extremely quiet and will run a very long time on one good set of batteries as long as you take of them. Also, very reliable
I have a gas and an electric cart, I really prefer the electric. Electric really has zero maintenance beyond the batteries. Don’t concern yourself with the year model of the cart, if it’s in good shape you are really only concerned with the age of the batteries. Trojan is the best, energizers are good but stay away from the Sams Club Duracell’s. You aren’t getting a bargain. Spend the money on quality batteries and you won’t be disappointed. I bought and sold Club Cars when I was in the business but I currently own a Cushman and an EZGo, they are all good carts. If I were buying today I would most likely buy a Star street legal cart.
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