buying golf carts

[craiglittler]

Whats the best option in the villages, a gas or electric golf cart, and why?

[spring_chicken]

You might want to do a search on this topic, as it's been debated here for years. You will find many like one or the other for differing reasons. The debate usually ends up with a lot of heated insults that are totally unnecessary. Especially those who want to make very sweeping generalizations about the cart they didn't choose. Sadly, they make such outlandish statements that they make themselves look quite foolish.
It's all personal preference, and if I were you, I'd decide for myself after trying both. One is better for some situations, the other is better for other situations. Neither is ultimately "best". It is truly personal preference.

[Tom C]

Post #2 is spot on...

..however, I dont always buy used golf cart, but when I do, it will be gas. I know how to work on them and I know what to expect from them. I can not say the same for replacing batteries, or their lifecycle... its just me...

[rjm1cc]

How far do you want to go?
Do you mind noise?

[graciegirl]

I choose gas. You only see electric carts off the side of the path.

[Tom C]

Maybe a more apt question would be to ask the dealer(s)? In the villages what % of each they sell. (I assume you are buying one in the villages)

I would be interested in what you find out.....

[tophcfa]

Lots of opinions, but mine would be to get a Yamaha quiet-tech gas cart with good aftermarket seats and never look back. Very quite for a gas cart, can easily go over two hundred miles on a tank of gas, has very nice independent rear suspension to absorb bumps, and you never have to worry about charging batteries. I have a couple friends with those carts and am very jealous, I just can't financially justify swapping one of our two older gas carts that run great for a new quiet-tech. But if someday one of our carts begins to give us trouble, it will give me the excuse I am waiting for to get a quiet-tech.

[saratogaman]

I choose gas. You only see electric carts off the side of the path.
Do you actually check to see if carts off the side of the path are gas or electric? How do you determine the power source? What's the ratio based on your research? Just curious.

[Fredman]

Here we go again

[Topspinmo]

Do you actually check to see if carts off the side of the path are gas or electric? How do you determine the power source? What's the ratio based on your research? Just curious.

No tailpipe

[Garywt]

I am going with gas. I have owned electric in a different venue and if the batteries die while on the road you need a tow. If you run out of gas you just need a gas can.

That said, today’s electric might be better than what I had but not sure if you can get 100 miles out of a charge.

[CWGUY]

How far do you want to go?
Do you mind noise?

:blahblahblah::blahblahblah::blahblahblah: Have you ever driven a "quiet-tech"?

[Nucky]

The Quickest way to see if the Cart that is broken down is gas or electric is to look for the place for the plug to hook up to charger or the lack of a fuel gauge and if you See A Banana in the Tailpipe than you know its gas. BeverlyHills Cop I Banana in the tailpipe - YouTube BeverlyHills Cop I Banana in the tailpipe - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_1OVYsLqMU)

The Tailpipe thing would have been a surefire method a few years ago but now the Quietech's have no TailPipe and Therefore no place for the Banana and therefore not easy to tell quickly if its gas or electric other than they probably never leave you stranded, probably never ever never. One other way is the person in the Cart is swearing something about never again with these (Bad Words Inserted) expensive batteries.

[JimJohnson]

I find electric to be very quiet and smother drive system, not to mention the smell of gas fumes that fill your garage. The maximum distance I ever go is less than 50 miles, so again electric is best for me. Now if you drive your cart 75 or more miles on a single trip, gas may be better for you. Imagine 20 MPH FOR 60 miles, that is 3 hours driving at high speed. An extra long golf cart ride for me is 5 or 6 miles to the course, 18 holes, 5 miles to a restaurant and 10 miles back home. That is less than 30 miles and close to an 8 hour day. Trust me, I want my old butt out of my cart. I have 5 year old Trojan batteries in my cart and can still go more than 50 miles on a charge. As far as break down, I keep a tow rope in my cart and have towed one cart off the course and back to the guys house. It was a Yamaha GAS cart. Life is a great adventure because no matter how you prepare, you will still be surprised on occasion.

[Rollie]

First off, I'd like to say that I own 2 electric carts. While one is charging I can drive the other. Works great for me. To properly charge the batteries they should be fully charged, witch can take 6 hours. Not doing this can shorten battery life. So for most golf cart owner, I'd say gas would be the better option.

[coffeebean]

:blahblahblah::blahblahblah::blahblahblah: Have you ever driven a "quiet-tech"?

Quiet tech gas carts are still louder than electric. The only noise from an electric cart is road noise from the tires.

[Challenger]

Quiet tech gas carts are still louder than electric. The only noise from an electric cart is road noise from the tires.

and the noise of the tow trucks that come to pick them up along the paths.

[Tom52]

Question for electric cart owners....with fully charged but old batteries do you lose top end speed? Our rental house includes an electric cart with old batteries. When traveling on level surface I estimate we probably can not go faster than 15-17 mph. Going up up a slight incline the speed drops dramatically to probably 10-12 mph. Is this typical with fully charged but old batteries? Very embarrassing when you can't keep up with traffic and have to pull over to let others around.

[charmed59]

We have one electric and one gas quiet tech yesteryear.

The electric is much, much quieter than the gas with quiet tech. The quiet tech is quieter than an older gas cart without that technology. I find riding over 10 minutes in the older gas models to be unpleasant due to the noise.

Because of the noise, and maybe the seat comfort, if I’m taking a long trip I prefer the electric cart. They charge overnight and then are good to get from our house to any golf course, drive 18, head to a square and then home without an issue. If they still made yesteryear carts in electric we would have two electric carts, but for the cold weather I really appreciate the half doors that keep my legs and feet warm.

[IndianaJones]

Whats the best option in the villages, a gas or electric golf cart, and why?

People have pretty much covered it here - it's a personal preference. Drive both, make a decision - just understand it's like buying a car, don't pay list! I'm a gas-cart person as I drive a lot of miles, and am the same as others on here, I don't like to risk running out of battery charge. I'm curious about the Yamaha quiet-tech - I've driven 3 of them (with friends) and while my 2016 Yamaha gas cart seems to have next-to-nothing in terms of torque, the quiet-tech seems to have absolutely NO torque - maybe a price to pay for the additional muffler back flow? Just asking.

[Bay Kid]

+50 mpg Yamaha gas cart. Fun travels!

[VillageIdiots]

Noise aside, it comes down to travel range and cost. I've owned 2 gas carts and 2 electric carts. The first cart I ever bought was gas and I chose that because it was used by both adults and kids to ride around our neighborhood. I knew the kids would probably ride it until it died. With a gas cart, it's just a matter of pouring more fuel in the cart. With an electric cart, if it dies away from home or somewhere to plug it in, your only option is a tow. Gas carts are very reliable but relatively easy to work on if there is a problem. The batteries in electric carts have diminishing returns on travel range as the batteries age, so you may be able to comfortably reach certain points and return when the batteries are new and then find you can no longer go that far and return a year or two later. Eventually the batteries must be replaced and they are very expensive. In the electric carts I had, a set of batteries cost between $700 and $800 and each set would last 4 to 5 years. When I moved here, the only choice for me was gas based on my experience with the previous carts I owned. I'd own an electric cart here if it were a second cart that I didn't use as often or to go as far as I would feel comfortable riding a gas cart. I have an EFI gas cart now and it's nowhere near as loud as the first gas cart I owned. Sure, I can hear it, but it's quiet enough that I can still carry on a conversation or hear what's going on around me, so it's really not a negative factor for me when weighed against the cons of electric carts. You have to put gas in every now and then, but electric carts should also have the batteries checked often for water levels and distilled water added when they are low. If you aren't diligent about taking care of the batteries in an electric cart, the faster they degrade and the sooner they will have to be replaced. Another factor with electric carts, that is not often discussed, is the lights and other accessories on the cart have to draw power from the same batteries. As the batteries aged in my electric carts, the extra draw of the accessories became such a problem that I ended up installing a separate 12v battery just to run the lights and accessories. That meant another battery to maintain, keep charged, and eventually replace. With the newer gas carts that are fuel injected, I don't notice the faint gas smell you always seem to get with the older style carts.

[tophcfa]

Noise aside, it comes down to travel range and cost. I've owned 2 gas carts and 2 electric carts. The first cart I ever bought was gas and I chose that because it was used by both adults and kids to ride around our neighborhood. I knew the kids would probably ride it until it died. With a gas cart, it's just a matter of pouring more fuel in the cart. With an electric cart, if it dies away from home or somewhere to plug it in, your only option is a tow. Gas carts are very reliable but relatively easy to work on if there is a problem. The batteries in electric carts have diminishing returns on travel range as the batteries age, so you may be able to comfortably reach certain points and return when the batteries are new and then find you can no longer go that far and return a year or two later. Eventually the batteries must be replaced and they are very expensive. In the electric carts I had, a set of batteries cost between $700 and $800 and each set would last 4 to 5 years. When I moved here, the only choice for me was gas based on my experience with the previous carts I owned. I'd own an electric cart here if it were a second cart that I didn't use as often or to go as far as I would feel comfortable riding a gas cart. I have an EFI gas cart now and it's nowhere near as loud as the first gas cart I owned. Sure, I can hear it, but it's quiet enough that I can still carry on a conversation or hear what's going on around me, so it's really not a negative factor for me when weighed against the cons of electric carts. You have to put gas in every now and then, but electric carts should also have the batteries checked often for water levels and distilled water added when they are low. If you aren't diligent about taking care of the batteries in an electric cart, the faster they degrade and the sooner they will have to be replaced. Another factor with electric carts, that is not often discussed, is the lights and other accessories on the cart have to draw power from the same batteries. As the batteries aged in my electric carts, the extra draw of the accessories became such a problem that I ended up installing a separate 12v battery just to run the lights and accessories. That meant another battery to maintain, keep charged, and eventually replace. With the newer gas carts that are fuel injected, I don't notice the faint gas smell you always seem to get with the older style carts.

Very good and informative post!

[photo1902]

I choose gas. You only see electric carts off the side of the path.

And we're off with the hyperbole. Hopefully the OP will ignore sweeping generalizations and exagerations.

[Packer Fan]

The Quickest way to see if the Cart that is broken down is gas or electric is to look for the place for the plug to hook up to charger or the lack of a fuel gauge and if you See A Banana in the Tailpipe than you know its gas. BeverlyHills Cop I Banana in the tailpipe - YouTube BeverlyHills Cop I Banana in the tailpipe - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_1OVYsLqMU)

The Tailpipe thing would have been a surefire method a few years ago but now the Quietech's have no TailPipe and Therefore no place for the Banana and therefore not easy to tell quickly if its gas or electric other than they probably never leave you stranded, probably never ever never. One other way is the person in the Cart is swearing something about never again with these (Bad Words Inserted) expensive batteries.

EZ-Go carts don't have a tailpipe either - I have a 2008 and it does not have one.

[Laker14]

Is there a big difference in initial cost between gas and electric?

How much does it cost to replace old batteries with new?

thanks..

[billmcnall]

I've had both but now have two gas carts. The price of batteries every three years or so plus the diminishing mileage as the batteries start to go is a real hassle. Gas in the long run is cheaper and less frustrating.

[villagerjack]

I have driven the same electric EZ Go for 20 years, never had a tow because my battery ran down. I still get over 30+ miles on my 3 year old batteries and I can steadily do 20+ MPH. We bought the cart in 1998 while we were at another over 55 community. We were part time there sometimes spending less than a month a year for many years. When we bought in The Villages we brought the cart down here with the original batteries....10 years old. Had to change them pretty quickly with the increased driving we do here and the installer was amazed at how long they lasted.

My guess is that if, like cars, we only had gas carts and electrics came out, a lot more electrics would be bought.

[craiglittler]

I didn't mean to start a controversy(:-) I have an electric cart in a golf community I live in here in CA (we're considering moving to the Villages) and it's fine because we don't travel long distances but after visiting The Villages I have a feeling we'll be traveling a lot further there. Also, the batteries only last 4 to 5 yrs. and are around $1000 to replace and a pain to constantly charge. Does anyone know what the maintenance issues are for the average gas engine cart? Also, are they really loud, compared to the quiet-tech?

[charmed59]

I find gas carts really loud. I find quiet-tech reasonably loud in that I can drive them for 20 minutes and not get a headache. For longer drives I prefer the quiet of electric.

[MorTech]

Gas carts suck in every way except for distance per charge and charge times. I highly recommend them :)

[VillageIdiots]

I didn't mean to start a controversy(:-) I have an electric cart in a golf community I live in here in CA (we're considering moving to the Villages) and it's fine because we don't travel long distances but after visiting The Villages I have a feeling we'll be traveling a lot further there. Also, the batteries only last 4 to 5 yrs. and are around $1000 to replace and a pain to constantly charge. Does anyone know what the maintenance issues are for the average gas engine cart? Also, are they really loud, compared to the quiet-tech?

The quiet carts claim to be <1 decibel louder than electric. They are definitely refreshingly quiet but still make sounds. All gas carts are not created equal, even in the same make (i.e. Yamaha). My first gas cart was a club car and was significantly louder than my 2014 EFI Yamaha. But, my Yamaha is significantly quieter than the 2011 Yamaha (non-EFI) gas that my parents own too. "Really loud" is a relative term based on personal tolerance. For me, none of them are "too loud", but I did find myself pleased that I don't get a fuel smell when riding my EFI cart and get off the cart feeling like I have that smell stuck to me, like I have in the past with older, non-FI carts. When I took my cart in for service, they gave me a brand new quiet tech loaner. It was nice but I did not find it different enough to feel like I wanted to sell or trade my cart to get one right away.

This thread shouldn't be about what is right or wrong, rather it should be about what is right for you. Electric is obviously fine for some people and there is nothing wrong with that. They are probably slightly cheaper to get into initially and they are the quietest option. Over time, they will cost more due to the cost of batteries. One poster mentioned batteries lasting 10 years and that's an anomaly and not a basis for a realistic expectation. As with virtually anything that takes batteries, the more you use them, the more they degrade over time. But, if they start out with a range of 50 miles and you only ever do 20 miles between charges, maybe it's not an issue when that 50 mile range goes to 40, then 30, etc. They are not maintenance free either. Electric carts still have moving parts and should be serviced from time to time. Water levels in batteries should be checked and topped off when needed - probably about as often as you'd be lifting the seat to add more gas in a gas cart.

Instead of focusing on which one is the outright winner, just consider the facts and your intended use of the cart and determine which one is best for you.

I think most villagers have their carts serviced once a year. There is a reasonable fee for that. Some have someone come right to their home to do it, and some do it themselves.

[Laker14]

I am in the process of buying. I chose the gas (Yamaha Quiet-Tech). My friends have electric, and the smoothness and quietness is awesome. For me, the Quiet-Tech is quiet enough, and I am not very good about things like remembering to check and replenish water in batteries. I am pretty good about not running out of gas.

If/when Mrs. Laker decides she wants a cart, it will likely be electric. She's very good about remembering to remind me to do things like check and replenish the water in her cart.