Golf Cart Dealer Invoice
 

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.

Dealer invoices are totally worthless. They don't tell you how much the dealer actually paid for the car (or cart). If a car dealer hands me an invoice, I hand it back to them without even looking at it.

From my experience the price you see is the price you pay. The closer the dealer the higher the price. Certain dealers can sell new while others cannot. Yamaha Gas is the most popular. Gas if you plan to travel, electric if not going far.

Golf Cart Dealer Invoice
 

Sorry, I don't think I made myself clear. By 'invoice' I didn't mean the sticker that they put on the cart (or car), I meant the actual dealer cost (that they don't post)!

You & 6 are talking the same thing.
Dealer Invoice is not their actual cost.

I know. But, the dealer invoice is a sales gimmick. You will never be able to determine what the dealer actually paid because of the complex sales and incentive arrangements between the dealer and the manufacturer. They are top secret.

Even if you knew the dealer’s cost, that is not much help because so many things are added to the cart to make it “Village ready.”

Typically dealer-added items include a windshield, side curtains, upgraded seats, turn signals, speedometer, gas gauge, fancy LED lights, hat shelf, dashboard, and more. Don’t forget custom paint.

You can make your cart as fancy or as plain as you want, or can afford.


We left Mukwonago for the Villages in 2012. Best decision ever.

based on my experience you will pay much more in TV. Figure on paying close to twice what the dealer paid after they do the "village" add ons.
I bought my cart in Gadsden, AL and towed it here on my trailer. I bought a Yamaha Drive 2 PTV and did the "village" upgrades myself; including very nice El Tigre seats. I ended up paying about $4K less than the same cart in TV dealerships.

EzGo Elite
 

We have 2 and love them. 50+ miles on a charge. :bigbow::a040:

There is so much customization the dealer adds (even paint) - that the invoice doesn’t add value to the buyer. Plus, delivery times are around 3 to 4 months, there’s not much negotiation on price (which is why I assume you want invoice)

Your first step is to know what is needed to drive it in The villages IE the correct tires etc then go shopping online because they are all profit mongers here. Consider used as you get a good discount also as is always somebody dying everyday and a golf cart in the garage

First, welcome to The Villages. You will be glad to leave that cold behind. :coolsmiley:
If you get the E-Z-GO be sure to get Lithium batteries. You will be using your golf cart more than you think you will. :ho:

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.

I bought my new 2021 at Ckubs and Carts in Ocala. The Villages Golf Carts was over 2k more and Carts and Clubs Carts are so much better they do the little things that TV Carts doesn't..Awesome Service when I needed service they
came to my house the next day..

Clubs and Carts has been recommended to me by a few people...

Consider an Atomic electric golf cart, they are heated and air conditioned

It doesn’t matter what the dealer paid , he is not going to sell it for chump change. Decide what you want in a cart and negotiate your best deal for both of you. If you think you can “steal” a new cart it’s not going to happen prices are all over the board shop what you want to several dealers and buy the best price.

fair deal, short drive
 

Take the short drive to Country Power Equipment in Webster. It's a pleasant drive through the countryside. The store is directly across from the "Webster Markets", a large flea market. Check the market's schedule and you can spend a little time checking out the "treasures" for sale.

Country Power is a franchised Yamaha dealer. See the salesperson, Carol. She will give you a fair deal that will be less than The Villages dealer, without any hassle.

Country will deliver the cart to your driveway. When it needs service, Country will pick it up and return it to your driveway. The cost of the service, including delivery will be no more, and likely less, than The Villages dealership.

Country has a truck in The Villages most every day.

Why buy a new cart? There are many used carts for sale by individuals in The Villages. Some are hardly used. In many instances, the owner needs to get rid of it because they got a newer one and don't have room in the garage. Or, the owner is ill and has no need for it, or has deceased and his heirs do not want it. A little patience in the hunt and you can get some really good deals.

We just went through the same situation for the same cart. We found, as so many others have, that there are some barriers to your plan. Dealers will never tell you their profit margin, so don’t wast your time asking for their misleading “invoice price”. The demand for EZGO Freedom Elite 4.2 exceeds production capacity during the pandemic, and the wait for delivery may getting ever longer. We ordered in early October and received ours in late February. Prices in The Villages bubble will be thousands of dollars more for the same exact cart purchased outside the bubble. While you can get warranty work done by The Villagers Golf Cars, EZGO requires them to as a dealer, they made it unpleasant for us to bring in a cart not purchased from them.
There is a bias in the bubble to go with gas, but the argument that electrics lack the range no longer applies to carts like the Elite 4.2. We have driven ours all day, on trips that cover more miles than my bottom enjoyed and have yet to have the charge meter drop to 50%. The Elite 4.2 has required zero maintenance, although we have had it looked at as it is noisier that other electric carts we have driven. It appears to be a normal variation in the EZGO Elites. Bottom line, the only way to get a lower price on an EZGO Elite 4.2 is drive away from the bubble and wait for delivery.

Star Sirius
 

Look up Star Sirius, new state of the art model, independent front suspension magnificent ride and rated 50-60 miles on a charge

If you’re locating in the Village I would buy my golf card from The Villages. Probably the reason that they don’t give prices just because I’m sure the golf carts themselves are probably the regular price but there’s so many upgrades they can add. Everyone has their own opinion about golf carts. THE VILLAGES has grown so big I would purchase a gas golf cart. I would also purchase a Yamaha because they’re extremely dependable.

Agree! Love our EZ GO Elite. We went from Monarch Grove to Lake Sumter and back and still had over half a charge!

We are in the same position and visited The Villages Golf Car's new location in Magnolia last week asking "exactly how much does it cost to buy a cart?". We were handed a price list for the various models (battery, gas, lithium ion) and all of the possible options (2 seat, 4 seat, available extras). I'm sure if you call them, they will email you that price list as a starting point, I'm not sure if those prices are negotiable as we didn't go that far in the conversation. They did tell us that if you wanted lithium, the 2021s are completely sold out and you need to wait for a 2022 which should be available in August. They are also selling off the "reconditioned" gas carts from the lifestyle program as they convert those over to lithium models as they move the lifestyle program stays from the villas near Brownwood to the villas in St Catherine. Hope that helps.

Sticker or Invoice do not help. The market determines the price. If the demand is high the price is high. If the demand is low the price is low. Also the dealers add on many items for The Villages. These prices will not be listed in the Invoice.

It is like any other business they need to make a profit. MSRP Manufacturers suggested
retail price. That means nothing. It is a number that allows the retailer to say we are $$$$ less than the suggested retail. Dealer cost? On a car you will see ads that say stuff like a hundred dollars over cost. Wow that is a great deal-or is it. On a car there is something called a call back. The dealer typically gets 7% off the invoice. You buy a 20,000 dealer invoice car and pay 20,100 and think the dealer made only $100. He actually made 20,000-7% real cost=18.600 plus $100stated to you profit. Real profit $1500.

Price vs value. We bought our Yamaha from one of the cheaper guys. He has gone out of business. Does not really matter to me but it was supplied with a Club Car floor mat
rather than the more expensive Yamaha one. The exhaust pipe was not properly hung.
it fell off, in doing so it damaged the muffler. Proper way, I don't know but our Sunbrella
cover is secured to the windshield with glue. The glue keeps letting go. Our windshield
it has always rattled. It has a vertical crack down it. Either a cheaper part or not properly installed.

Contact us for pricing. That is another part of business practice. You call and it is a opportunity to sell you. You research on the internet this guy is 20,000, this guy is 18,000 and you call the guy listing for 18,000. The guy for 20,000 may never get the chance to explain why he is more.

Golf Cart
 

If you want to get an honest and fair deal please go see Susan Pizzuti at Villages Discount Golf on 466. Her # 313-492-4439
She is very honest and no bull **** type of person. It would be worth your time to talk to her.

I know this person is making a joke, but its true...sort of.
We spent yesterday cart hunting for a used cart... started out inside the villages, then headed north to Ocala area....first let me tell you... what an education we got....these cart shops take in all kinds of carts and make them into all sorts of things....fancy paint jobs to look like real autos, add a back seat, add new curtains, lights,usb ports....its amazing! And all parts are interchangeable for at least the 3 major brands. So imagine a cart comes in -your basic off white thing from a major golf course(replacing inventory) its a 2019.....now this thing becomes exactly what you want. This IS how the business works, I was floored...of course you can also buy the vehicle just as it was when it came into them- polished up.
Anyway...we went to MASTERS, very nice guy Ned, has lots of used- good prices.
Headed north again to the Yamaha dealer just south of ocala...very nice- but sells strictly new and looked to have some inventory....bc we wanted used he directed us back south to WHOLESALE Golf Carts. Again same process, they had alot of vehicles both electric and gas. But let me tell you....fair, nice people! Gave us double what the villages offered us on a trade, thru in extras, going to spiff it up for us and deliver today.
Oh....did I mention...any service they come and get it, free labor and wholesale on parts,plus a warranty as if it were new.
I dont buy a cart everyday- but we absolutely felt like we got a great deal.
Tic toc....it comes in a few hours!

Dealer Invoice on Golf Carts
 

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. Here's a bit of background regarding my 'golf cart search':
We visited TV in November 2020, stayed for a month. We rented a 2019 gas Yamaha Drive2 EFI QuieTech. I found that I was somewhat bothered by the gas fumes, noise, and responsiveness of that cart. That's why I became interested in the electric cart, and when I found that the Lithium batteries extended the range and eliminated the maintenance of a lead-acid set of batteries, I decided to go with an electric cart with Lithium batteries. I accepted the fact that Lithium has a much higher original cost. I wanted a major brand cart, and the forums I've seen have identified the Club Car, Yamaha, and E-Z-GO carts as being the top 3 (affordable) brands. Many people have recommended Carts & Clubs (Ocala) and Country Village Power (Webster), but it seems they are dealers for Yamaha carts only, although you could possibly find a used cart of other brands (usually a trade-in). So the only E-Z-GO dealer near The Villages is The Villages Golf Cars (I think).
I'm a handy guy, so I would be perfectly willing to buy a used electric cart and convert it to Lithium and accessorize it myself (as one of you suggested). But living in Wisconsin makes it difficult to search the used-cart market down in Florida. Is there a TV club for people who build and customize their own carts?
We are coming down to TV in late May for a 1-week 'Lifestyle Preview', but the visit is to focus on house hunting rather than cart hunting. However, I do plan on heading over to one of 'The Villages Golf Cars' locations (probably the new Brownwood store) to look over their stock, features and prices. If anyone could recommend a salesperson that they've had good experiences with, I'd appreciate it!
So, to summarize, I'm strongly leaning towards an E-Z-GO electric cart (Freedom RXV Elite 4.2) which has Lithium batteries. But I can be swayed if you can make the case for a different brand or model.
Sorry for the long post...

The reality is that the demand for golf carts exceed the supply. Just purchased a new Yamaha. 10 weeks for delivery. Dealer cost is irrelevant. If you want a new cart you pay the ask price.

Golf Cart Dealer Invoice
 

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).

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.

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!

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

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.

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. 😀

Omg ..., are you serious

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.

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...