Since it's gone down the gas vs electric path, I gotta jump in...

Sorry Doc, but not even close. My gas cart is I'm pretty certain fairly typical of TV, and it gets 40 mpg regardless of how I drive it. I head to the gas station every 3-4 weeks (is that "all the time"?) when my odometer reaches 125 miles. I still have about a quarter tank left and it typically takes 2.8-3.1 gallons to fill it up.

And adhering closely to my maintenance schedule, I've changed the oil once in the past three years.

"...plugging my cart in every time I finish using it"...now THAT sounds more like "all the time".

Our 2014 Yamaha EFI gas cart (fuel injected) gets 50-52 MPG. The tank holds 5.2 gallons but a typical fill up is about 4 gallons. We are typically refueling about every 3 weeks based on putting about 3500 miles per year on the cart. We have a gas station quite convenient to our home so fill ups don't require going out of our way. I do my own oil changes and it take about 10 minutes and one quart of oil. The oil changes are pretty trivial. I would guess that you spend as much time watering the batteries as I spend changing oil in a year. The maintenance requirements are different between gas and electric but I doubt one is more troublesome than the other.

The subject matter is about depreciation which in my mind is a very relevant topic. There is a very viable second market here and so I am surprised as to why there isn't a more reliable pricing mechanism.
Forget dealers if your selling a car. And i don't believe that dealers spend a lot to refurbish a cart, at least not relative to what they sell them for It appears a better alternative is in private sells by owners with the option of a general inspection by a cart repair shop before purchasing the cart

Now for the sake of constructive dialogue somebody please critique my comments so that we are all better informed as to our future purchases

A three year old gas Yamaha from a private owner will be in the neighborhood of 6,000 to 7,000

I did the same thing. Tried figuring it from the new cost and when it came so close to new cart with a Beautiful Warranty the decision was easy. The moment you sign they give you a loaner, they offered to pay for the gas while we had the loaner and it took 5 weeks for our cart to be built. Top drawer operation, worth a few dollars more. Even got roadside and towing for a year included. The Villages Golf Carts. A Winner. Good Luck.

Is there some basis for considering mileage?


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Fredman thank you this is a good start for this important topic.

So are we talking about a 2013 or a 2014 since the 2017 are out.
As dubsonne asked is there a consideration for low mileage and what about all the extras that an owner adds

what is a 2015 Yamaha with less than 1500 miles worth that has upgraded seats, seat belts and an air blower added?

Someone told me that electric carts on the second market were worthless because people sought gas carts. Is that necessarily true? I don't think so but look for other opinions or people's experiences

These are relevant questions and important to residents because we are at a disadvantage with dealers who seem to quote values out of the air

Perhaps there is a resident on this forum that has the background to build a book indicating realistic actual cash value (book value) for carts....provided one doesn't exist already

My guess on a 2015 gas with custom seats would sell in the range of 8500

Reconditioned.
 

THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT GAS VS. ELECTRIC, BUT RATHER ABOUT THE CHOICE OF GETTING A "RECONDITIONED" CART.

I bought a long wheel based 4 passenger cart that was factory designed for four passengers facing forward. The salesman said that since it was so much bigger and heavier than the standard two passenger cart that I should only expect around 25 mpg rather than the more commonplace 35 to 40 mpg.

I like to "joy ride" in the cart and use it a lot when I'm in TV. After a week or so of extensive travel I get concerned about the gas level and head to the gas station, and then am usually surprised to find that I've used only about 1 1/2 gallons. Oil change once a year.

The salesman also said that driving wide open all the time doesn't hurt the engine because it isn't really wide open due to the governor used to limit the speed. Accordingly, it can be expected to be dependable for decades.

I bought a "reconditioned" cart from The Villages Golf Cars at Spanish Springs. Reconditioning included a new windshield, new seats, new running gears in the transmission, inspection of the engine, removing the body from the frame, rustproofing the frame, repainting the body, and new side curtains. It came with a three year warranty. It has been trouble free for over three years.

The closer you get to season, the more costly a used cart will be. It is advisable to get a GAS cart, and a Yamaha is a good make. I know that you should expect to pay between 2,800 to 3,500 for a decent cart and expect it to be about 10+ years old at that price. I would stay away from anything electric because The Villages is too big to expect to use it for an entire day without a charge... batteries are incredibly expensive ($600) and need replacing 3-4.5 years. Check Craigslist often for new listings, look for Estate Sales where everything goes... Wouldn't recommend going to The Villages Golf Carts for a used cart, they are way overpriced. Good Luck, hope that helps...

Folks, if I may use that quaint expression if you review all of the comments on this thread you will realize that none of us have a clue. We seem to be better horse traders when buying a car or house because there are guidelines, book values, etc as a way to measure. Why isn't that the same for golf carts? If the transaction is between two residents then the value of that cart is what they agree upon. Again the seller and buyer have had an opportunity to check out book values cars being sold on lots, internet reviews, etc. However it seems murkier when negotiating with a dealer; albeit there are some clues? Anyone?