Have you ever wondered why a golf cart is so expensive? If so you are in the right place as this article will discuss everything that makes golf carts the price that they are.
According to GoRollick.com, the average golf cart costs between $8,000 and $9,000 with some prices reaching up to over $20,000! (1) Let us dive in to see what really makes golf carts so expensive.
So, Why are Golf Carts so Expensive? The short answer is because of all the new technology they are adding onto golf carts in today’s era. Most golf carts include nice cushioned seats, as well as headlights and even USB ports to charge your phone as you are golfing or just driving around camp.
These fancy features that are becoming popular in standard golf carts greatly increase the price.
Due to extra electrical wiring or a better battery to keep everything running. Stay tuned for more information about how these features can begin to quickly add up.
What Makes A Golf Cart So Expensive?
As mentioned above, a lot of the costs are associated with the features you would like to include on the golf cart.
These features vary from electrical in the form of usb ports and lights to mechanical such as raising the suspension, getting off road tires, or adding extra seats to the back.
Let’s look into the prices of each of these assets on cartpartsusa.com:
- Seat-belts: $180
- Stereo: $240
- Rear Seat Conversion Kit: $551
- Lift Kit: $485
- Off Road Wheels: $220 for one, $880 for four
- Many More Items for Much More $$
As you can see these amenities can rack up a huge bill very quickly.
This is certainly something to consider when researching golf carts that you would like to purchase. Although there are steps you can take to decrease your total cost.
Difference Between New and Used Golf Carts
There are pros and cons to buying either a new or used golf cart, but one significant difference rises above the rest.
This of course is the cost, new golf carts average to be around $9,400 and used golf carts cost around $5,700 (gorollick.com).
This comes to be a whopping difference of $3,700! The pros of buying a new golf cart include a warranty, perfect condition, and better deals from manufacturers.
On the other hand, the pros of buying a used golf cart is that it is way cheaper and may contain upgrades from previous owners.
The cons include hidden problems owners may not mention, and additional maintenance costs.
In the end it is up to you to decide whether the pros and price of a new golf cart outweigh the cons of a used golf cart.
How Can You Save Money When Buying A Golf Cart?
As mentioned above the first step to buying a cheaper golf cart is to buy a used cart. Most golf courses change out their fleet of golf carts every few years which immediately floods the market with extra used options.
Another way to save some money is through purchasing a gas cart instead of an electric cart. Yes you will have to pay for gas every so often, however you also pay for electricity in the form of your electric bill.
What’s The Average Price Difference?
The average price difference between a gas and electric cart is $650, which takes a while to spend that money on gas (gorollick.com).
Although you will also need to consider oil changes and part replacements that will differ from an electric cart which still may need the battery replaced throughout its lifetime.
In addition to a gas or electric cart, the amount of seats in the golf cart also increases or decreases the cost. In general, the less seats you have the cheaper the golf cart will be.
However, you can order golf carts that have either two, four, or six seats depending on how you intend to use the golf cart.
Adding two additional seats from either two to four, or four to six, increases the price range about $1,000 to $2,000 so those seats could cost you (gorollick.com).
If you recall, adding the extra seats yourself would only cost $550 for two extra seats, so you can certainly save money simply by adding the seats on yourself.
At the end of the day, just like the endless amount of upgrades you can make to a golf cart, you can also save money in a variety of ways.
Best Place to Buy a Golf Cart
Similar to the diversity of golf carts, the places you can buy a golf cart is also extremely diverse.
The best place to begin is the company websites. These companies include but are not limited to: EZGO, Yamaha, Club Car, and more.
They all have their own independent website designed to put you in touch with a representative from the company to begin your search for your ideal golf cart.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum you can find golf carts for sale on websites like ebay, amazon, or even the facebook marketplace.
There you are most likely to find used golf carts and they may be harder to ship based on the location, however do not forget that used golf carts are typically much cheaper!
CraigsList is always a great place to shop for used goods and if you’re mechanically inclined, you could probably find a sweet deal.
Why Are Golf Carts So Expensive?
In summary, golf carts are so expensive because they are miniature versions of cars and have many different amenities.
The major difference between a new and used golf cart is the cost and quality of the cart especially under the hood.
Although golf carts are expensive you can easily shave that price by limiting the amenities and purchasing a gas cart instead of electric.
Finally, it is safest to buy a golf cart directly from the main manufacturers however you may save a few thousand dollars by purchasing your cart through a third party dealer such as eBay.