John W. is back. Yayyyyy.

I like this post from Dave.

"Cause and effect. A golf cart is not a need but a desire. Simple options, don't buy one."


If you don't spend money you still have it.

It is important to understand that when people are selling things, they are looking to make money and they will sell it at the highest price they can. Wouldn't you?

As a retired teacher, this piqued my curiosity so I looked up the origin and definition of the phrase "to coin a term." While it did, indeed, originally come from the industry of making money and referred to inventing an original phrase, it is now more commonly used to refer to repeating a popular and/or overused (cliche) phrase. It only takes a couple minutes of research to discover that you are both correct. But IMHO, GG's agreement with and quoting GE didn't deserve an admonition. It surely did nothing to contribute to the thread!

One option is to buy used. Although that is getting more and more expensive, of late. Most likely due to the lack of availability of new carts...

I found a really nice cart this summer, with upgraded seats, for a reasonable price. The seller included all service records (which were up to date) and I'm good to go.

I'll drive it when I'm in TV land part time for now and eventually I'll sell it and maybe lose a few bucks... Then, I'll find a newer used cart that meets my needs...

I learned, years ago, when buying and selling guitars, "Buy used and play for free"...

That's true...if they want it they will get it.
However if two carts are sitting side by side, one with no anti-theft device and the other with a visible anti-theft device which one do you think they will take?

Villages Golf Cars' willingness to service cars not purchased from them may fluctuate depending on how busy their technicians are (or perhaps depending on other varying factors). Last year I was checking out cars at the Lake Sumter location and personally witnessed (saw and overheard) a mature-looking gentleman who drove in his non-villages car for service being told that they would not service his golf car because he had not purchased it from them (the car owner was surprised and pretty upset BTW). The incident gave me pause and caused me to consider whether it would be worth the extra $$ to purchase from them to ensure reliable local service.

I prefer electric golf carts for their quiet, reliability, and the gifts to clean air that they bring to the table! Someone will say that they are unreliable - but electrical motors always require less downtime and maintenance than their infernal combustion engine counterparts. Think about it this way - electrical motors have a continuous circular motion. Gas engines have several pistons FLAILING about up and down - the pistons start then stop and reverse over and over causing maximum friction. One motor is SMOOTH and quiet the other is LOUD, VIBRATES, BELCHES SMOKE, and is hard to maintain.
And several very intelligent posters have mentioned "supply and demand" as determinates of price. True....... .....not counting any area cartel-like MONOPOLIES or price gouging and excess profits - which may or may not be going on in TV Land. On the DEMAND side for electrical golr carts.......if DEMAND increased - prices EVENTUALLY would be driven downward - and supply would INCREASE.
In a perfect capital market system TV Land would have greater choice for both gas and electric vehicles - and let the BETTER product win! And remember when you buy a GAS car or golf cart you INDIRECTLY reward the MIDDLE EAST - WHILE hurting your grandchild lungs by way of the less clean air that they will breathe.

I would think that if the cart was under warranty, any "authorized dealer" would be required to service it. Out of warranty, and you would have to find an independent service agent to do the work. There seems to be plenty of these around TV.

The cart we bought last fall has gone up a grand!

We bought a brand new cart, fully loaded at LSL and could not be happier. We love our nice, quiet gas Yamaha cart and we can drive from Mallory to Fenney area with gas to spare. Whatever makes you happy in life is what you should do. Enjoy it while you can. Amen.

A year ago the prices were about $1,500 less expensive.

We have one called MMP.

gifts to clean air

Do you know where residential electric comes from? Everything made from, produced from, and mined from fossil fuels majority of electric produced from fossil fuels. You may feel better but it’s stilll dirty.:welcome:

Wait til he finds out how they mine the lithium for the batteries.

Other options
 

I bought my 2017 Yamaha from Cunningham in KT, came with the wheels and tires, windshield, turn signal indicators for 8k, then had the enclosure, dashboard, liquid lights, and extras added for 2k at Villages Discount, the equivalent to what TV was charging 13.5k at the time. That was late 2016, saved 3.5k at the time, included shipping to TV.

Who do you think makes the lithium batteries for electric carts?

I"m there bro!

Same carts up north are half the price.

It is hard to rationalize bad behavior that leads to bad and really terrible outcomes for ones' future generations. Talk about mining and lithium batteries all you want, but tide generation, solar farms, and wind farms are the FUTURE and the internal combustion engine will be a historic relic like horse-drawn carriages and the steam engine. Get with the program and the future - buy electric vehicles and golf cars!

Too bad none of those things will power a golf cart...

Too bad none is that will happen for another 100 years. We will all be dust. Naturally nothing lasts for ever.

Has anyone researched how they dispose of the windmill turbine blades? Burying them in landfills is great for the environment.
Wind Turbine Blades Can’t Be Recycled, So They’re Piling Up in Landfills - Bloomberg

This is one reason I don't have a golf cart.
My Highlander is paid for.
Without a golf cart more room in the garage.
By use my SUV, I prevent the above problem.

And hey, here's the best part, it's air conditioned..........:thumbup:

I've always felt that the terms "overpriced" and "overcharging" were absurd.

If something is overpriced, no one would buy it. If a business is not selling enough of an item at a certain price to maintain their business and make a profit, they will lower the price. If they can't make a profit at the lower price, they will stop selling the item or go out of business.

The purpose of a business is to make as much money as possible. Business owners are always looking for that number that will maximize their profits while selling enough of their product.

Overpriced and overcharging are emotional terms. Business is not emotional.

:bigbow::bigbow:

Life span of a wind turbine blade has a life span of 20-25 years. Germany is already recycling the blades. 90% of wind turbine are recyclable its the fiber gas housing and blades are the 10%. Wish most consumer products cars, washer/dryers, tv’s, fiberglass boats lasted 20 yearsCurrently there are two companies shreading turbine blades in Texas and Iowa adding product to asphalt for road construction along with shreaded tires.

Do you play golf?

Correct but in the real world it has only gone up IF you sell it and do not replace it. If it appreciated $1,000 and you sold it you would have 1K in your pocket. If you still need a cart, expect to pay the NEW current market price for the cart, which I suspect would be >1K. Happens in housing all the time.

Yes, I play at golf, meaning I'm more of a duffer then a golfer.
I play golf at a course were the cart comes with the green fees

Golf Cart Prices
 

Well said.
Any product is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay for that product.

To put it another way:
The purpose of a business to STEAL as much as possible for a product that already over priced.

Then you only play off campus? Greenfees in the TV do include a cart, it is $12 to rent a cart for 18 holes. If you're a duffer playing only execs, they don't have carts available unless you park at a nearby championship course and rent a cart there and drive it to the exec.

:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:
Really must use a dictionary.
take (another person's property) without permission or legal right and without intending to return it.

Businesses taking without permission??
Businesses taking without legal right??

I think you are confused.

Hopefully supply will catch up with demand but the developers are keeping demand growing so if you want to spend less on a new golf cart you may have to explore the options of buying elsewhere and having it brought here. It's a free country and you have choices.

I second that! REALLY missed the input from John.

Have you stopped using any form of plastic? Have you seen photos of the floating islands of plastic in the oceans that are showing up in our fish food supply?

My point is that the post seems to imply windmill turbines are a major recycling problem, my point is it is trivial compared to our use of plastic, and no one is suggesting we stop that.

BTW, the floating island of plastic trash in the pacific is 1.6 million sq km. About twice the size of Texas, and it's very deep. And there are "islands" in all the other oceans. I would rather deal with figuring out how to convert wind turbine blades into road tops, and stop using disposable plastic.

it's all about convenience. You want convenience? Open the wallet. I have a friend who just bought in TV. He runs a "junkyard" (his term, not mine), and is no stranger to hard work. He didn't drive up to The Villages Golf Cart and buy a brand new golf cart for 15K. He scoured the internet, found a scrapper, knew how to renovate it, and now has a beautiful cart, at a total cost of around 3K, and several hours of work.
You want to do that? Go ahead. You want to save a few K? Don't buy in the bubble. Want to save a few more K? Expand your search zone. The internet will allow you to do this. It's not convenient, and there is some risk.
If you don't want to do the work or accept that risk, walk in to The Villages Golf Carts showroom, open the wallet, and relax.
You can't have it all on one plate.

Even though I found a really nice pre-owned cart back in July (when used carts we being snapped up within hours of being posted), I still check this site, along with "NextDoor", FaceBook Marketplace and Craig's List regularly...

There are very few used carts going up for sale of late.

Where there used to be more than a dozen to choose from, now, there are only a few...

Supply is waaay low and demand keeps growing...

three years ago I was a 3 month renter looking for a rental cart. What I found out was that I could rent a cart but I couldn't get liability insurance for it. I wasn't comfortable with that so I bought a new cart (from the outfit in Webster)...many people, including me, found a certain humor in the idea that I bought a cart before I bought a home but it made sense to me at the time. I now have a home, which we bought last winter, and I'm happy I have that cart. I'm glad I'm not looking right now for one.
Sometimes things work out, even if they don't make much sense at the time. Life is funny that way.