[Tunesmith]

Originally Posted by hav7979

If you buy outside florida make sure you are getting a PTV and not a golf cart. They are geared very differently. PTV are designed for 20 mph. Golf carts are geared for 12 mph.

Thanks for the excellent recommendation! I had overlooked that very important difference. Neither of us golf, so we would be using the MMPs for all our travel and 12mph would be frustrating (as well as embarrassing) on the MMPs. At this point, we don't plan on even having a car in TV, so we would use the cart for all transportation (except to rent a car for any occasional trips outside of TV).

[Curtisbwp]

Well, my golf cart, a gas yamaha cost between $7,000 & $10,000. The villages golf cart is expensive. Outside the villages you can get a better prine. I went outside tv and paid $7,000. When i want service they come to my jouse. Oh ya i got a 2 year refurbished cart.

Originally Posted by Tunesmith

We may be buying a home in The Villages soon. As part of that, I'm researching the prices and dealerships of Golf Carts.
I know of many websites that will provide the dealer invoice prices of cars & trucks, but for the life of me I have not been able to find a single website (or forum) that gives dealer invoice prices on any of the golf cart manufacturers! On most of the dealer websites, all that they show is the MSRP, and sometimes they don't even show that........they just say "Contact us for pricing".
Do any of you have this sort of info, or know where to get it? It certainly would be useful to know what the lowest price is that the dealer would accept for a golf cart.
Or am I just being silly?
P.S. I'm seriously considering an E-Z-GO Freedom Elite 4.2.

We shopped around and found the model you’re considering suited us best. All prices for these carts are being sold for well above the manufacturers suggested retail prices EZGO quotes online, however, both in and outside The Villages. This brand and model in particular are in very high demand, so don’t expect any negotiating. Buying outside TV saves you a few thousand (there’s one authorized dealer in Ocala) but getting service can be problematic. The local TV dealer will not give you an appointment for service if you didn’t buy your cart from them and they may also tell you that the cart you bought is inferior or a “fleet” model when it isn’t as well as “mistakenly” claim there are no other authorized dealers within 150 miles of TV. This local monopoly has so much volume, however, that EZGO continues to supply them with carts despite these unfriendly practices. If you need local service for a cart you bought elsewhere you will be told you’ll just have to bring your cart in and wait to see if it can be “worked in” sometime during their packed appointment schedule. So this could mean hours or even days of waiting. They seem to feel they have no incentive to encourage you. That said, even their “VIP” members often have to wait weeks or months to get a real appointment.

EZGO RXV Freedom Elite 4.2 lithium carts require very minimal maintenance, can be plugged in to charge at any time with no harm to the batteries, but unlike the micro cart brands have plenty of room for two large adults (if you choose the standard but very comfortable bench seat — bucket seats can be cramped and restrict leg room & access to the pedals if you have long legs,) go about 70 miles on a full charge, never need tuneups, oil or gas stops, don’t emit noxious fumes or noise, have wonderful torque for getting up hills, and come with an 8 year battery warranty. The only problem we and other area owners have had with the 2021 Elite 4.2 so far has been a whining sound when running in forward gear mode. That has been irritating but our original dealer has not been able to find what’s causing it and our phone calls, emails and letter to the manufacturer have been unhelpful and unresponsive.

I hope something here has been of help to you.
Good luck!

[stebooo]

Never saw one. These carts are like lawn mowers they just keep working . Rebuilds are good to and you save

[HORNET]

Did you ever look up restaurant menu’s on line? Notice that won’t give prices. If so people will go there and Demand that price. Called good business.

[Road Apple]

We looked everywhere, finally went with Wholesale Golf Carts. Ask for Ron or Chase (owner). We bought two carts. It’s been ~ two years and we could not be more pleased. Ours are both Yamaha gas. We’ll buy our next one there, too. 😀

[RICH1]

Omg ..., are you serious

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by Tunesmith

We may be buying a home in The Villages soon. As part of that, I'm researching the prices and dealerships of Golf Carts.
I know of many websites that will provide the dealer invoice prices of cars & trucks, but for the life of me I have not been able to find a single website (or forum) that gives dealer invoice prices on any of the golf cart manufacturers! On most of the dealer websites, all that they show is the MSRP, and sometimes they don't even show that........they just say "Contact us for pricing".
Do any of you have this sort of info, or know where to get it? It certainly would be useful to know what the lowest price is that the dealer would accept for a golf cart.
Or am I just being silly?
P.S. I'm seriously considering an E-Z-GO Freedom Elite 4.2.

I ordered an E-ZGo Freedom Elite 4.2 from Villages Golf Cart on January 27. It’s supposed to arrive in a few weeks. My salesman was Jeff Schweizer, and he did a great job. I highly recommend him. I thought I knew just what I wanted, and I had designed the cart on the E-ZGo web page and knew what it would cost. I knew it was custom and would take time. (What I didn’t know was that E-ZGo had sold out of their entire stock of planned 2021 carts and was deciding whether to retool for the 2022 model right away. They did. So I’ll be getting a 2022.)

Even though I’d done more research than many people, I discovered that there are a LOT of options to think about, discuss, look at. For example, there are many fancier and more comfortable seats than what E-ZGo offers. I’d already chosen the seats I wanted (see below—but not these colors!), but it turned out that there were many fabrics to choose from, each with pros and cons. The special Villages Luxury Package includes a number of things that were extras or not available on the web site. For example, rain screens (with, again, several hundred color choices), sound systems, storage systems, LED light packages, and so much more. Where E-ZGo offered two sound systems, both too gaudy for my taste (I don’t want flashing lights!), Jeff sold me on a less obtrusive sound system that is better designed. He explained and demonstrated several mirror options. Self-cancelling turn signals are expensive, but a very handy option. Some things are included and some aren’t. Seat belts were a must for me. The 4.2 Lithium-ion battery pack was a must, though an expensive one. (I had planned originally to buy an E-ZGo Express S4 Elite, which is several inches higher off the ground, but Jeff explained that there are several tunnels here low enough to scalp the roof off that cart. A dealer out-of-town might not have known that.)

In short, I thought I could just walk in, place the order, and leave. What I ended up with was not really more expensive than I planned (the various fabrics may cost pretty much the same), but it was certainly the result of many conscious decisions I didn’t know I’d be called upon to make. I’m pretty decisive—I don’t usually dither around—but this process still took two or three hours of one-on-one assistance. Once the cart arrives at The Villages Golf Carts, things like the rain screens and the roof and the sound system and all will still need to be installed. So I would say that going to The Villages Golf Carts at Lake Sumter Landing was a good choice.

One thing about what dealers sell for what price: I suspect that The Villages Golf Cars has to pay much higher lot rent in its excellent locations than would a a dealer along a highway fifteen miles from here. If the extra cost for rent works out to about $2,000 per cart sold, then that has to be passed on to customers. This happens all over the world. This is why food in airports is so expensive—the restaurant has to pay most of that extra to the airport. Also, as someone else did, I contacted several other recommended sellers and found that they didn’t sell E-ZGo but just Yamaha or primarily some off brands.

[HORNET]

Buy a home in The Villages, but cutting cost on a cart, WOW

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by HORNET

Buy a home in The Villages, but cutting cost on a cart, WOW

We just settled on our home in February.

We will only be using it as a vacation home for the next few years until I formally retire.

I can't see buying a new cart now and having it sit most of the year, so I'm looking for a good deal on a used cart that I'll use until we move down full time.

Buy used, sell it for close to what we paid, drive it practically for free...

[kkingston57]

I researched pricing on the Lithium Battery EZ GO 4.0 model and it was hard to find dealers who sold this model. Villages Golf Carts sold them and 1 year ago for a Villages ready cart they wanted +/- 16k. Advantage golf carts in Orlando might help you but do have a delivery charge. I have a gas powered 2021 Yamaha and it is SMELLY.

[CDerington]

First thing you have to change your mindset, there are not golf cart dealership they are just stores that you go in and shop. If you want to finance they will refer you to someone. Buying a golf cart is nothing like buying a car. If you want to get more information you can contact Susan @ 313-492-4439. She sold cars for over 25 years and moved to TV at the end of Dec. 2020. She been working at The Village Discount Golf Cart for 90 days. I found her to be 100% on the up and up and help me to understand how buying a golf cart is nothing like buying a car.

[Tunesmith]

Originally Posted by CDerington

First thing you have to change your mindset, there are not golf cart dealership they are just stores that you go in and shop. If you want to finance they will refer you to someone. Buying a golf cart is nothing like buying a car. If you want to get more information you can contact Susan @ 313-492-4439. She sold cars for over 25 years and moved to TV at the end of Dec. 2020. She been working at The Village Discount Golf Cart for 90 days. I found her to be 100% on the up and up and help me to understand how buying a golf cart is nothing like buying a car.

Thanks for your comment. If I understand you correctly, you are saying that buying a golf cart from a dealer is the same as buying an orange at the local grocery store? Each person who buys that same orange at that same store will pay the same price, and there is no need (or ability) to negotiate for price?
That's certainly a different way to look at it! If that's true, then you can just look at the cart & features, look at the price, and choose to either buy it there or go elsewhere to see if you can get a better price for the same cart/features. Kinda like when Saturn dealers came up with the "One Price - No Dicker" concept?

I guess that would make the purchasing process much easier:
1. Go into dealership.
2. Identify the model of cart you want.
3. Identify the features you want.
4. Get a price from the salesperson.
5. Either accept the price or go somewhere else (and repeat these steps).

I've got to admit, you've got me thinking...

Let's see what other folks think. Do you agree (or disagree) with this concept!

[Dennys37Packard]

Carts and Clubs made us a great deal I thought. Cart has been flawless for over 3500 miles I just over a year. I agree you’ll use it more than you think, go for the best seats that work for you. Welcome to paradise

[Tunesmith]

Originally Posted by CDerington

First thing you have to change your mindset, there are not golf cart dealership they are just stores that you go in and shop. If you want to finance they will refer you to someone. Buying a golf cart is nothing like buying a car. If you want to get more information you can contact Susan @ 313-492-4439. She sold cars for over 25 years and moved to TV at the end of Dec. 2020. She been working at The Village Discount Golf Cart for 90 days. I found her to be 100% on the up and up and help me to understand how buying a golf cart is nothing like buying a car.

Thanks for your comments.
Hmmmm, I had to think about it for a few minutes. That’s certainly a different way to look at it.
If I understand you correctly, buying a golf cart is no different than going to your local grocery store, buying an orange off the shelf, taking it to the checkout and paying the advertised price. The same price for every person for that same orange, in the same store on the same day. No matter which self-checkout you use, or which cashier checks you out. No need to negotiate with the produce clerk, or the store manager, or anyone else. The price is the price, and that’s that. Buy it or don’t buy it – only 2 choices.

If true, that certainly would simplify the process of buying a cart:
1. Go to the cart store.
2. Pick out a brand/model of cart.
3. Pick out any accessories you want (or pick a cart that already has all those accessories installed).
4. Find out what the price is.
5. Either accept the price and pay for the cart, or go to a different cart store and repeat these steps.
6. If 20 people walked into the same cart store, on the same day, and all bought the exact same cart with exactly the same accessories, from different salespersons, every one of them would pay the exact same price.

That is simple. It reminds me of when Saturn cars came out and the dealer offered the “One Price – No Haggle” sticker strategy.
I’m curious to know if that has been the type of experience that others in TV have had.
Thanks again for your comment………I have to say that it really made me re-think this whole purchase process!