Yamaha vs Club Car

Just curious... does anyone have any experience with Yamaha vs Club Car?

I'm considering buying a cart and don't really know any reason to chose one over the other. I prefer electric simply because all of the other carts at our club are electric and I don't want to be the guy with a louder gas cart.

We own an EZGo electric cart and have had excellent service from it. It's a 2004 and the newer EZGo carts have had some issues. Our course has EZGo's. Another course in the area has Yamahas. It all boils down to where you can get the best service, should you need it. We have a personal friend who is an EZGo dealer and knowing his service is there made the decision for us as to which brand to purchase.

If you Google 'Golf Car Discussion Boards', there are a number of those out there. Peruse some of those forums and you can get a feeling as to what brands have satisfied owners.

Sorry I couldn't be more help re the two manufacturers you inquired about.

We have a Club Car that is an older model but we liked the look and had a new body put on it. Never any problems, new batteries every few years, very little maintenance. We just use it for riding around the neighborhood. We live at the beach and chose Club Car because it has an aluminum frame that will not rust. Very happy with Club Car no regrets. No experience owning a Yamaha, just on the golf course. I would pick electric any model over gas, much smoother ride and like you mentioned less noise. Good Luck, you will be pleasantly surprised by how many options are available.

I agree with the post above that talks about service. Whichever one is closer to you, or you think will have better service, I will go with that. I don't personally own a cart, but I work in finance for an entity that owns/operates a golf course. We use EZGO because the dealer is closer and offers on site service, but I don't think there is much difference between the big manufacturers.

The mechanic at my course prefers the Yamaha because they're easier to work on and engineered better. I personally like the look and the way the Yamaha drives better

Each of the "big 3" Yamaha, Club Car, and E-Z-GO has their advantages. I have owned a Yamaha and now have an E-Z-GO.

Yamaha probably has the best ride with fully independent suspension. It sits a little taller than Club Car, about the same as E-Z-GO. The dash/cup holders are centered which I like. As I did some of my own maintenance I note that it requires metric tools.

I've ridden in many a Club Car. They have a stable feel and a shortest turning radius. Their aluminum frame, while resistant to salt has some tendencies to break at weld joints and battery acid spills can devour the frame if not washed away. There were some computer issues in some of the '09-'11 models but largely resolved.

E-Z-GO offers two choices -- a standard DC cart (Yamaha & CC are standard DC carts), and an AC system in the RXV. If your course is very hilly the RXV is a great performer in that the AC induction motor has no drop off in torque going up hills.

Each has its own bag well design but usually accommodates most bags. Some are narrower so if you and playing partner both have staff bags check the space before purchasing.

All do a nice job. Service is fairly important but most shops will work on all of them even if they sell just one brand. Parts are widely available for all, although Yamaha parts tend to be a bit more expensive. There are many upgrades and toys for each model.

The heart of an electric cart is its batteries. Know how old they are (if buying used) as these are expensive. Trojan and US Battery are probably the best with Trojan widely considered the best. Well maintained batteries should easily last years or better.

Bottom line -- do you like Ford, Chevy, or Honda? Gets down to preference and price.

Let me just add that some early RXV's had some brake/solenoid issues. '08-'11 or '12. The RXV uses a magnetic brake system that automatically slows and stops the cart when the accelerator is not engaged. The brake system would sometimes lock up and had to be disengaged manually (handle under the seat) This was corrected in '12 or '13 and is not an issue on later models. Every brand has their "issues" and technology pushed the designers into greater sophistication. By and large, each of the big 3 are reliable if well maintained and not abused.

Thanks for the input. I wound up going with a '15 Yamaha (electric). It should be delivered Tuesday!