Who makes the best Golf Cart?

In the 25+ years I’ve been around and in the golf cart business, this question comes up often, and is very hard to answer. I usually use the Ford versus Chevrolet scenario and that in a lot of cases, it’s a personal preference. Even though most golf carts are the same but, then again, different. When I say different, what do I mean? First of all, there are 3 major brands who make golf carts. E-Z-GO, Club Car and Yamaha are the top brands. There are more manufacturers but these are the top brands and what you will most likely have to choose from when shopping for a cart. In this issue, we’ll just cover a few basic things about each brand and follow up with more details in the next few articles to come.

E-Z-GO

 E-Z-GO seems to be the most common, easy to find carts. Most all have a uni-body, meaning it does not have a full frame. The body comes from the rear of the cart to the front wheel and the front leaf springs and shocks hold everything in place. So, with the cart being made like this, there’s no need for a front bumper. They have a solid straight axle.  Some say that E-Z-GO is ahead of the game as far as body style goes. They make several different models that all started with metal bodies that now are all plastic.  

E-Z-GO TXT model

Club Car
 Club Car is unique in that it uses an all-aluminum frame on its carts, front to rear and has independent front suspension.  It also uses leaf springs. This is especially nice for those that live next to a coast line and where rust is an issue. I’ve seen some other beach carts broken in half from being rusted. Always check under a cart for these types of issues when buying. They all have plastic bodies and different models.

Club Car DS model

Yamaha
   Yamaha also has a full frame front to rear, but uses coil-over springs and has independent front suspension. They use what they call “G” series on most of their models which started with a G1 in the late 70’s. Most of their bodies are now plastic also.

Yamaha G16 model

This only covers just a few things about each of these brands, and the good news is that its 1000’s of parts and accessories to fix any of them up the way you want it. We will follow up with more details on which golf cart suits your needs.