Must-have options
 

Just bought a villa in Woodbury. Will be a part-time Villager for a few years until moving down full-time. Planning to be down there for a month or so in mid August. Will be looking for a late model gas cart or possibly even a new. I would like to keep the price as low as possible. For a new cart, are there any must-have options that I should add? Are the standard seats comfortable enough? Anything else I should look into? Thanks in advance.

If you don't want brand new, but the closest thing to new, then go to this place on 466 just east of Morse. It's in brownish color shopping center next to Birdie Golf. They will arrange purchase of a new cart from an out of town dealer and then can customize at a must better price than most of the others. They also have many late models carts already customized and for sale. Best thing is, just go and see what they can do and have.

Village Discount Golf Car

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...-car-image-jpg

Thanks John.
Will they also service a vehicle purchased from them?
I take it the Villages Golf Cars are over-priced?
This is new territory for me. Just learning now. My wife and I did stop at the Villages Golf Cars to rent one (you can't beat $25 a day with a full tank of gas). Walked around the showroom drooling over the new cars. I've always liked getting a new automobile. I think getting a new or late model used golf cart will be even better.

Golf cart must haves;

Names on the front. (Bubba and Me)
Urinal to carry sand to fill in divots on golf course.
Emblem of College you root for.
Little blankie for both days it gets cold.
Ice chest for NON OPENED CONTAINERS.
Sticker that says you are a member of TalkofTheVillages.
Golf clubs securely locked. Tees in the drink holders.
Sweet dog in passenger seat. (I see that is taken care of)

Thanks Graciegirl. You've said it all!

Check out those golf carts that have the fold up rear seat. Will come in handy when you have visitors.

Seat belts if not already on cart!

Definately SEAT BELTS. These can be installed later/

New cart
 

Your first option to consider is gas or electric.Search TOTV for this topic.It will take you 2 days to read all the posts!Let's not make this a gas vs electric post.
Must have options.
Seat beats
Cooler
Sand bottle
Outlets to plug in cell phone, golf gps etc
Upgraded seats
LED lights to enhance turn signals
Dash board

Pick the golf cart brand you want and all your options.Then shop around.
I purchased new from The Villages Golf Cars.The bottom line price was a little higher but service is handy.I had two minor problems with my cart.Each time I drove to the store at Sumter, they fixed the problem and I was back on the road in 20 minutes.

For my two cents worth
 

We have A 2015 Yamaha gas.
1. We did not get it but I agree that you would want the better led turn signals. You really can't see the standard ones and they do not self cancel.
2. As to seats. No one can answer that for you. Try your butt in them. We have the standard seats and they are fine for us.
3. As to seat belts. You will see all kinds of debates on the subject. Wife insisted we buy them-we never use them.
It is a golf cart. There is nothing on the sides or the front to protect you.
4. As to the fold up seats. We do not have them but our friend does. He has a 2017 which does have a better ride than the 2015 that we have. I WOULD NOT PUT ANYONE YOU LIKE IN THE BACK SEAT.
5. As to the 2017, as stated above, it does ride smoother than our 2015. It is also quieter.
6. I would also consider brighter headlights than the original. The original ones are marginal at best.
7. I would consider a glass windshield. Standard is plexiglass. The plexiglass scratches if you clean it and you cannot or should not install wipers on it.
8. Perhaps, a good choice would be to buy a well used one for 2-3,000 with the plan to resell it when you move full time.

Thanks for all the info. I'll be thinking this over until we get down there in August. We do like the rear seat for guests but not at $2,500 which is the price they charge on a new cart, especially since it will only be used occasionally. We saw a nice rebuilt yamaha gas. I think the year was either 2013 or 2015. Pice was $8,470. I would imagine you would offer a bit less than sticker price?

If you're intent on having rear facing seats in the back, but don't want to spend $2500, try Star Carts. I believe they are made in China, they are electric, fold up when not in use and you can put your golf bags on. The dealer in Lady Lake I believe went out of business, but I think there is a new one in the small shopping center on 301 that has Lucky Cycles (always has motorcycles out front) and Chefs of Napoli Restaurant. I've also seen a couple of used ones in TOTV classifieds.

Star EV Golf Cars – Golf Cars and Electric Vehicles

http://www.villagediscountgolfcar.co...eatGreen_1.jpg

50% of the golf carts in TV are gas Yamahas. The rest are made up of gas and electric by EZ Go, Club Car, Par Car, Star and a few others. Yamahas is tops because for one, The Villages Golf Cars has a store at every square as well as at Colony. They are reliable and with normal maintenance should be the last cart you buy. If you want a used gas Yamaha, then go to the place I mentioned in post #2, Villages Discount Golf Carts. Do a search on this website and you'll see they do a good job. Here's a golf cart they sell that I took off their website.

Village Discount Golf Car

http://www.villagediscountgolfcar.co...4426_450_2.jpg

We have a 2017 gas that we bought new from Village Discount Golf Car. It came with LED headlights, tail-lights, turn-signals and side-lights, the rear-view and side-view mirrors, the sand bottle (haven't used it yet as I haven't started golfing yet), the cooler (handy for the farmer's market in Brownwood), custom wheels (pretty but purely cosmetic) and padding around the rear roof supports (hope we never need those!). We are strong believers in seat belts and got those. It came with a GPS instead of a speedometer/odometer but that seems too easy to steal (it's not built in) so we don't use it and are considering getting a speedometer/odometer installed from a guy that advertises in the Village Sun. We did not bother with custom paint or any sort of customized look as that doesn't appeal to us (though I've seen some VERY cool custom carts rolling around town!). We kind of wanted the fold-down rear seats but were told by several folks that A) they are uncomfortable and nobody likes to ride in them, B) beefing up the suspension to handle the weight of 4 seats and 4 adults makes for a MUCH rougher ride, C) you're likely to rarely use them so you're buying them for the exception rather than the norm and D) they are expensive and it's cheaper to just rent a 4-seater (even one where everybody faces forward) the few times you need it. As far as the custom seats, I was dead set against them. NO seats are worth that kind of money, I was convinced. Then we sat in them and immediately asked, "What colors do they come in?" For us, there was a world of difference. Also, ours allow the driver's seat to slide forward or back, making it far more useful for my wife, who is several inches shorter than me.

Good luck with whatever you decide upon!

Thanks Jerry. Good info.

In another thread I read that someone bought a new cart online (Alabama) and had delivered for $300 and saved three thousand dollars. Any thoughts from anyone re online buying?

If part-time, I would go with a gas cart unless you like to spend $$$ to buy batteries. You will never regret buying upgraded seats. Seat belts not a bad idea either. Discount golf carts on 466 are good honest people to deal with. Good luck and welcome to the best retirement community in Florida.

Thanks justjim.We're really looking forward to getting back there later this summer. And buying and getting around by golf cart is part of that excitement.

Get seat belts for your golf cart! It's a minimal cost and could save your life.

Nice seats are a must!!! Plus seatbelts.

I haven't read all the posts for this yet so maybe this will be redundant, but the one upgrade we would strongly suggest is the upgraded seats. We have a Yamaha, and our upgraded seats are not only much more comfortable, but also feel much safer, as the side armrests are more substantial and bigger. We use the cart a LOT! and I know if we had not upgraded, it would be a much more uncomfortable ride. They are expensive, but worth every penny. Also, and I'm sure others will mention this, seatbelts are a must for safety. Most serious injuries in cart accidents are caused by people being thrown from the cart. Good luck to you and welcome!

I know what you mean! We ordered ours last November, even knowing that we weren't retiring and moving here until late February. I literally had dreams of driving around here in my golf cart. Now that we're here, my dreams have come true. After being here going on four months now, I still find myself grinning like an idiot while driving the cart around. My buddy says he bought a sports car as a pathetic attempt to reclaim his youth. Well, I'm driving around in what amounts to a fancy go-****, so I must be attempting to reclaim my childhood!

in 2008 I bought a new red Corvette. I got rid of it a couple years ago as the roads suck up here and I only drove it probably once a week. Plus why do I need a sports car capable of going almost 200 miles an hour. Traded it in for a Jeep Wrangler which I enjoy more. However, I felt like I was shopping for a sports cars again when I was in the showroom at Sumter looking at golf carts. Can't wait to buy one. 20 miles an hour will be fine with me.

They do fulfill inner needs.

At Laurel Manor last Saturday I saw a golfcart parked facing out with a big yellow M on it against a blue background. ARCH RIVAL MICHIGAN.

I carefully placed my red golfcart with Ohio State insignia on front, RIGHT next to it facing out Side by side. Pretty as a picture. I giggled as I walked away.

Go Bucks.

Returned to find no note and no scratches. I love The Villages.

My must have options:
1) HAD to be electric. No ifs ands or buts about that!!!

2) One piece windshield (we don't play golf)

3) Self canceling directionals. This upgraded steering wheel also includes high beams. That is worth every penny to be able to see far in the distance at night. feel very safe driving at night because of the high beams. I always knock down the high beams when another cart is coming in the opposite direction. The high beams on my cart work just like high beam on a car.

4) Upgraded bucket seats (I'm short and hubby is tall). I'm able to reach the pedals and also do not have to reach to comfortably hold the steering wheel. The seats we have have a wonderful lumbar support and very comfortable arm rests.

5) As others have said, seat belts are a must to be safe

When buying used, be sure to buy either from a reputable dealer or have it checked out by a good mechanic. I wouldn't worry too much about a service contract. Use someone like Willie Wilcoxon to give annual service and other repairs. Willie comes to your house and usually can fix the problem right then and there. Rarely has to take it to his shop.

Another company to try for a used cart is the one in Ocala (sorry, can't remember the name, but I have faith someone here will give it to you). Good reputation, good carts, better prices that TV Golf Carts.

If you’re only coming part time and maybe staying for a few weeks to a month why don’t you just consider renting that way you don’t have to worry about upkeep somebody driving it and keeping it up while you’re not there.

Speaking of options, does anyone have an overhead metal storage unit that locks and is secure (i.e., not flimsy or easily defeated)? I'd like to carry my binoculars for bird watching and don't want to get ripped off.

When I bought my Yamaha gas 2016, the salesman "demonstrated" how to open the glove box-type doors with no key. I don't think it's wise to disclose how he did it, but I decided they weren't worth it.

So... can one rent a cart with seat belts? Self-canceling turn signals? Adjusted to 19+ mph instead of 15, where everyone is passing you and making you nervous?

Please, please get seat belts--and use them. I don't have a cart (yet), but I won't even ride in one that doesn't have them. Also, make sure the seat belts are attached to the frame of the cart.

Ajbrown on TOTV might be able to help you build a container to put in your cart to keep that adorable beagle secure.

May I clarify? :)

You said, "Also, make sure the seat belts are attached to the FRAME (emphasis added) of the cart." AND NOT ATTACHED TO THE SEATS OR SEAT ASSEMBLY.

Thank you for the clarification, Henryk. I was not sure where the unsafe ones were installed--just knew they should be attached to the frame.

Carts
 

[QUOTE=John_W;1410133]If you don't want brand new, but the closest thing to new, then go to this place on 466 just east of Morse. It's in brownish color shopping center next to Birdie Golf. They will arrange purchase of a new cart from an out of town dealer and then can customize at a must better price than most of the others. They also have many late models carts already customized and for sale. Best thing is, just go and see what they can do and have.

I will second that, the shop on 466 east of Morse was very good for two of our friends. Check it out.
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