In the golf cart word, there are two major manufacturers that get a lot of business: EZGO and Club Car.
Though Yamaha also produces great carts for more higher-end buyers, these two manufacturers typically compete for a pretty similar market.
As a result, it is worth examining the differences between these two cart styles to find out which is right for your needs.
We’ll examine a typical cart for each manufacturer, give specs on each, and examine the advantages and disadvantages of each manufacturer.
Is Club Car Better Than EZGO?
EZGO is one of the primary golf cart manufacturers in the world.
Currently owned by Textron, they have a reputation for inexpensive, but reliable, carts.
They are often utilized on many golf carts but are also one of the most popular off-course private-owner purchase options.
Let’s take a look at what this manufacturer has to offer to give you a better idea of what to expect from them.
Then, we’ll examine Club Car later on to see what kind of advantages that they offer you as a buyer.
Typical Specs
Examining the specifications of every EZGO cart on the market would take too much space or require a lengthy chart that may not answer all of your questions.
As a result, we took a typical EZGO cart – the Freedom RXV – and some of its most common specifications.
This cart is one of the most popular options provided by this manufacturer, which is a big reason we focused on it here.
Overall Size and Weight
This EZGO cart is designed to have two-person seating – though other models may offer four-person seating, depending on their design – that has a 800-pound capacity.
These are both the gas and electric models, mind you, so keep that in mind when purchasing one.
And the body is around 94.5 inches long, 47 inches wide, 68.5 inches high, and with a wheelbase of 65.7 inches.
Power Capabilities
The power of this EZGO cart varies based on a few factors.
First of all, the electric model has a 48-volt battery power that uses four 12-volt batteries.
It produces around 4.4 horsepower or so, and uses a motor shaft direct drive drain and a limited-slip differential.
By comparison, the gasoline engine uses a 12-volt battery with a continuously variable automatic drive train.
It produces around 13.5 horsepower, though both models typically max out at about 19.5 miles per hour when on the road.
Frame Style
Like a vast majority of golf carts on the market today, this option uses a four-wheel design for extra balance, power, and stability.
The frame is built out of welded steel and is coated with an epoxy to produce extra protection.
Both models also have a sun canopy – the roof – that adds a little to the height.
If you remove it, your height will drop by at least 20-30 inches or so.
The body consists of a thermoplastic olefin body that has been injection molded for maximum strength and stability.
Features to Consider
The EZGO Freedom RXV comes with a myriad of features, some of which are optional, that help it to stand out.
For example, it includes a streamlined dash that includes multiple cup holders and a slot where you can insert a radio.
However, there is also a USB port that you can connect to phones, speakers, lights, and other items.
You can also get headlights, taillights, and brake lights to make your cart safer.
And add another seat in the back to take more people on the cart with you.
The Advantages of EZGO
When examining EZGO as a manufacturer, it is important to know what kind of reputation they possess.
Typically, EZGO is considered to be a very high-quality producer of carts for a myriad of different reasons.
First of all, their carts are often among the least expensive options on the market.
That doesn’t mean that they are “cheap” but simply that they keep costs down and make their carts more affordable to a broader range of potential buyers on the market.
And this inexpensive cost pairs with one of the most durable steel frames on the market.
We particularly love EZGO for this reason and think they make a good inexpensive option for those who cannot afford more high-end models.
We particularly find that EZGO works well as an off-road cart because its steel frame is quite strong and secure and capable of handling a surprising array of different elements that may end up falling on the frame and the rest of the body.
That said, we often find that EZGO buyers purchase them for one big reason – their customization capabilities.
Often, you’ll find aftermarket carts that have many more features, such as high-quality speakers, a radio, and an upgraded engine.
EZGO has embraced this customization craze by making their carts fairly easy to mod.
That makes them a great option for those who are trying to produce a cart that meets their unique needs, such as those modding them for road use.
Another great thing about EZGO is that there is a strong used market for them, which can make it fairly easy to find them at an inexpensive price.
And this broad used market also makes it simpler to find a repair expert to suit their needs.
EZGO mechanics are typically more broadly available than Club Car options.
And the simple design of these carts also makes it easier to do repairs because the cart itself is more streamlined and capable of handling a large range of different repairs with relative ease.
Potential Downsides
While it is true that EZGO produces very high-quality carts, there are a few problems that may impact you from time to time.
First of all, their steel frame may not be up to some construction standards for some people.
This isn’t to say that the frame is weak or likely to fail – far from it!
The durable reputation mentioned above remains with EZGO to this day and their carts are well respected for their ability to stay strong and secure in the face of a lot of wear and tear.
That said, though, steel does have a major downside – it is very susceptible to wear and tear issues.
That’s because steel can erode in more humid climates and is particularly in danger from salt damage.
You typically see this type of issue in cold-weather areas when the cart is exposed to salt used to melt ice.
Salt also reacts with steel to potentially wear away its coating and make it more prone to damage via rust and other types of weathering problems that may develop over time.
Another issue that you may notice has to do with the customization capabilities of this cart.
When buying a used cart, you may end up with one that has been highly tweaked over the years.
Though this may result in some advantages to you, it may also cause your cart to run poorly.
Make sure to talk to the dealer about any customization that you may have noticed and how they may affected the cart’s operation.
Doing so can help save you from a purchase you may end up regretting.
And that brings us to another important point – vanilla EZGO carts may be a little too plain for some people.
Though their customization options are incredibly vast, some people may not have the skills or the money to add these updates.
Unfortunately, this could mean that they end up with a rather plain model or one that doesn’t have the bells and whistles of other models.
This doesn’t mean that EZGO carts are boring, per se, but simply that they don’t focus so much on that aspect of their design.
The Benefits and Downsides of Club Car
Club Car is one of the oldest and most respected golf cart manufacturers, employing thousands of people and providing a myriad of different cart options.
In many ways, they are considered the best cart manufacturer on the market – at least by some people.
As a result, it is important for you to understand how they differ from EZGO and whether or not you want to spend more money to buy a Club Car.
Typical Club Car Specs
Like with EZGO, we are going to examine one of the more popular Club Car options on the market today.
Rather than examine all of their carts – of which there is many – we will take a cart that is pretty similar to the RXV mode we examined in the previous section – the DS Player.
This cart is one of the more popular options produced by Club Car and is a good example of their expertise.
And like with the previous section, we will break down its specs into a pretty specific range to fully examine how they differ from the EZGO.
You may find that these carts are similar in some ways but different in others.
The one that you prefer is probably going to be based more on your personal taste and your pocketbook, though, as both are quite high-quality carts that are worth a purchase.
Overall Size and Weight
The DS Player is a fairly compact cart when compared to the RXV.
It has an overall length of about 91.5 inches, a height of about 69 inches, and a width of 47.5 inches.
These ranges are typical for both the gas and electric modes, and both also have a clearance of about 4.5 inches or so.
The weight of the electric is about 498 pounds, with the gasoline weighing about 619 pounds.
This extra weight is due to the engine, as it is more extensive and powerful in a gasoline model cart.
Power Capabilities
A typical DS Payer is capable of a varying range of horsepower levels.
The electric model provides just 3.2 horsepower off of a combination of 6- and 8-volt batteries.
It possesses an on-board computer that helps to keep it better charged and avoids complications with operation.
By comparison, the gasoline model has one 12-volt battery and a 286 cc single-cylinder engine.
It uses a pressure-lubricated and air-cooled engine that is capable of 9.5 horsepower and a high eve of power and push.
Frame Style
The DS Player utilizes a chassis made out of an all-aluminum metal.
It uses an I-beam style to make the cart stronger and more capable of withstanding various types of wear and tear problems.
Aluminum is a good choice, here, because it resists wear and tear more easily than some other types of metals.
The frame colors are somewhat limited here, though, as most will be available in white, beige, or green.
The canopy is available in just white or beige, though, so make sure you choose carefully here.
Potential Features
Examining a typical DS Player mode – from 2005 – showcases a myriad of different features that help this cart stand out on the market.
For example, it includes a golf bag protector, headlights and taillights, a windshield – not common on a model, though – mirrors for safer driving, and chargers for the battery.
This range of features is pretty typical for most Club Car carts, too, making it pretty easy for you to find a model that meets your needs and which is good enough to drive you where you want to go.
The Advantages of Club Car
Club Car has an amazing reputation among its buyers and is often considered synonymous with a few different words – quality, durability, and beauty.
That’s because Club Car focuses on creating carts for a more high-end market.
Though there are many courses around the world that use these carts, they are often a more common option for private buyers.
That’s because they have strong engines, capable designs, and a level of build that is not available on other carts.
So, while we believe that EZGO has a very high level on construction quality on their carts, we can honesty say that Club Car carts are a bit stronger.
That may seem surprising, as many of their carts focus on aluminum and not steel.
And while aluminum is a very strong metal, it doesn’t have the same kind of density that steel possesses.
However, it has other advantages that make it a great choice, particularly for golf carts that are used in very heavy situations.
For example, aluminum doesn’t suffer from rust the way that steel does, which makes it a great choice for those who plan on a lot of outdoor carting.
Beyond that, aluminum is also much lighter than steel as well.
This extra lightness makes it pretty easy for a cart to get up and down difficult areas without any difficulty.
And the lightness also means that even carts with lower horsepower may produce more speed than carts with more powerful engines and a steel frame design.
Beyond these advantages, Club Car carts also utilize many types of enhanced design options, such as power steering, high-quality torque balancing, higher top speeds, and balancing hardware that keeps the cart from tipping over as easily.
And you’re also likely to see many carts with items that help to manage turf care, keeping the grass from getting too torn up and providing cart owners with a better level of control over their cart and its potential destruction wherever you drive.
Potential Downsides
Although Club Car is renowned for their high-quality carts, that reputation may be one of the few downsides that you’ll experience with them.
Just think about how much a typical golf cart costs you.
Now, add a few hundred or even thousands of dollars to the purchasing price.
You’re now pricing a Club Car cart.
That extra price does come with amenities – they aren’t simply inflating their price, as you’ll get many of the advantages that we highlighted above when getting a cart of this type.
However, when you buy a Club Cart with that much technology, you are going to have to pay for it.
Even worse, that technological advantage – which is something Club Car focuses on heavily – can be a downside.
For example, all of those extra bells and whistles make it easier for a Club Car to malfunction.
Extra computers, balancing hardware, and more all add extra elements that could fail and leave in you a very challenging financial position.
And that extra technology is also likely to drain your battery more quickly than other types of models.
While the drain may be only slight, you may find yourself having to charge a Club Car more often.
And while these models do utilize more batteries to help offset this drain, you’ll have to end up paying for them as well.
And if they fail, you’ll end up with a cart that struggles to run and which may end up feeling more like an albatross around your neck.
That said, though, these types of failures aren’t all that likely because the Club Car model is built on strong materials that rarely fail.
And you can also offset the cost of this cart by buying used, though you can end up with a pretty variant level of quality when you do.
And we also find that Club Car is not as open to modification as EZGO – while their basic models are more advanced than the models offered by EZGO, they are harder to change.
Making a Choice
We love both EZGO and Club Car carts and don’t think that you can say one is “better” than the other.
When you buy one of these carts, you are going to end up with a great model, no matter what manufacturer you choose.
For example, we suggest EZGO for those who are looking for a more budget-minded cart.
That doesn’t mean they are cheap or poorly made – they are simply less expensive than Club Car.
And if you want to change up your cart and modify it, you have to get an EZGO cart.
By contrast, you should get a Club Car model if you want a higher-end choice that utilizes more technological advances.
If you have the money to buy one – and don’t mind the risk of more potential complications due to the technology – we strongly suggest that you just go for Club Car.
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