[MX rider]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

If you were in the Power Sports business, you should know the market fairly well. Yamaha makes a nearly bullet-proof product. Much better than Kawasaki or Suzuki, but marginally behind Honda.

Golf carts began as a typically American product. "Gas Buggies" were virtually unknown in the rest of the world. The Japanese manufacturers jumped into the business and as in the automotive world, they're great "copiers". They typically beat the American manufacturers, with quality and dependability and do it at a lower price.

There in lies the secret; "lower price". Yamaha carts are priced lower than ClubCar. In a vacuum, is ClubCar a "better cart"? I guess it depends. Both manufacturer's carts are reasonably bullet-proof. Personally, I think the ClubCar has higher quality appointments and is more comfortable ... that doesn't necessarily make it better.

TV is swarming with Yamaha carts, because that's the manufacturer the Developer decided would make him more money. Smart business decision. Yamaha gave him incentives based on huge, anticipated volume. He was able to sell zillions of golf carts that were at a minimum, 95% as good as a ClubCar and sell them at 85% of ClubCar prices.

I could go back and look at earlier posts, but I think what I said was, ClubCar is the choice for most Private Country Clubs in the USA and Yamaha is the economy choice. EZGo (or Yamaha) being the choice for public golf courses.

The reason ClubCar is typically the choice for higher end private clubs, is that it performs as well as Yamaha, but has higher "prestige value" and ClubCar's support network is better.

All that said, it seems Yamaha is losing its grip on the TV market, as the original poster noted. Sales in TV are moving closer to the national norm and electric carts are gaining market share. Yamaha's only Electric/Lithium product, comes with a 105 Amp battery, which doesn't give sufficient range for most folks traveling around TV.

It seems that the Big 3 are lagging behind the interlopers like Star & Evolution, when it comes to Lithium EV's.

I don't have a clue why, but it's obvious they are. When I came to TV, I started out looking at ClubCar & Yamaha, but neither of them offered Lithium technology. I bought a Star Sirius and hardly ever saw any others around TV. Now I see gobs of them. I don't think the overall quality of Star or Evolution is anywhere close to Yamaha or ClubCar, but they're pretty much the only game in town, if you want Lithium.

My point wasn't about golf courses. It's about Japanese quality vs US in powersports. When it comes to durability I'll take a Yamaha cart all day long.
And btw, as the owner of many Kawasaki products their quality is right there with Honda and Yamaha.

But as far as lithium carts go, I have no idea on those.

[shut the front door]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

It might shocked you to know, one doesn't have to live in The Villages to have experience with golf carts.

Even more shockingly, the "consensus on TOTV" probably doesn't carry all that much weight, in the world at large.

What is fact, is that Electric Carts far out-sell gasoline carts, everywhere in the USA & the world (I would be shocked if they didn't outsell gasoline carts in TV over the last 2 years).

Unfortunately, Yamaha seems to have now focused on producing Lithium Carts for their core customers ... golf courses. They don't offer a Lithium option, larger than 105 Amps.

Ain't that the truth!

[mrf0151]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

No, the reason you see so many Yamahas running around The Villages, was because the Developer made a deal with Yamaha many years ago and it was the only golf cart you could readily buy on campus. They then solidified their hold on the market, by refusing to service Yamahas that were bought off campus.

No, you really don't understand. The TV Cart Stores have sold for a good 12 years also Club Car and EZGO, gas and electric. Potential customers after a good test drive choose by a good 10 to 1 margin the Yamaha Gas for a variety of reasons. That is why you see so many Yamaha gas owners.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by mrf0151

No, you really don't understand. The TV Cart Stores have sold for a good 12 years also Club Car and EZGO, gas and electric. Potential customers after a good test drive choose by a good 10 to 1 margin the Yamaha Gas for a variety of reasons. That is why you see so many Yamaha gas owners.

Agreed. My experience with the Villages Golf Cars includes driving a Yamaha, Club Car, EZGo, and Star.

- After driving both, I felt the Yamaha was much more comfortable than the Club Car
- I bought my Yamaha outside the Villages. Most of the carts on that lot were Yamaha. Yamaha has a market because of name and quality, not because Villages Golf Cars is the only game in town or because they only sell Yamaha.
- Star had a fancier electronics package but the EZGo Lithium felt like a more solidly built cart (and had a good track record, short as it is)
- It's hard to tell how many of the EZGos in the Villages are electric but Star is certainly not the only game in town for lithium.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by KennyP

Nationally Recognized? OK, Ill bite...Who?

Heck I thought it was you

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Harvin

Definitely go with electric, super quite, no exhaust smell, no messing with gas, oil, recharge on a standard wall outlet, I have Star Cart and it's been great

2K battery exchange every few years

[PoolBrews]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

2K battery exchange every few years

Let me preface by saying I owned two Yamaha Drive 2's for 8 years, so I understand how well they run, and also what the long term maintenance on them is.

Your comment on "battery exchange every few years" is wildly incorrect for lithium carts. Battery life is estimated to be in the 10-15 year range. Warranty is for 8 years on the battery. My battery is rated for 3500 cycles. I've got 800 miles on it and only 12 cycles.

By the time you need a new battery, you will probably want a new cart. The money saved from gas and maintenance for those years compared to a gas cart will cover the cost of a new battery if you decide to keep the cart.