Drive2 speed and reliability

[cgtech]

Having owned several carts, but only Yamaha for the gassers, there is no other brand of cart to get for gas but a Yamaha. Forget the others. I have worked at the dealer for over 10 years, Yamaha certified, and we offer several brands. We Only offer Yamaha for gassers, we don't even order the others in gas versions. (Yes, the Yamaha gasser is that much better). Looks like your pricing is a bit high, might as well get a new one. The Yamaha gas PTV model comes with higher speed gears from the factory, which is good for speed, but maybe not so good once you lift it and install bigger tires (which will hurt torque on the hills).

[mikoz]

I bought a new '18 Quietech.
I also feel the same way about gas... the idea of topping off batteries and switching them out every few years feels so wrong to me. With gas, you just change the oil and the spark plug and lube 2 extra fitting ~1/year, fill up the tank infrequently and go. The maintenance is so much less and you're not shocked every few years with a huge cost.

I drove EZGO, Clubcar and Yamaha... all new just to make sure it was a level playing field. The EZGO felt so cheap to me, and was the only one to not use EFI. It was enjoyable watching how the sales guy was trying to tell me how EFI was too complex and had no benefits over a carb engine. The EZGO ride was not good either, it felt like it swayed a lot with every directional change/bump... like a car with worn out springs/shocks. I ruled it out quickly.

The Clubcar wasn't bad overall. Everyone talks about the alum frame. But the simple fact is that steel is far more durable. I bought a can of Fluid Film just to put my mind at ease... I live in a hot dry climate though, rust isn't a big problem here. The biggest objection was from my wife about the noise... the Yamaha is a lot quieter. Also, for some reason, the clubcar dealers want to charge outrageous upgrade fees for everything, whereas with the yamaha dealers most of what I wanted was in the base package and adding stuff was pretty much the same price as what I could get it off of the internet for. This may be unique to my area though.
The clubar ride was close to the yamaha... the only real difference is when you go over bumps, the IRS of the yamaha helps a lot. I drove up a curb and it was a lot easier and smoother in the Yamaha.

I also felt the same way about Yamaha small gas -crafts.. they're well built, very reliable and should last forever with regular maintenance.

[abgiles]

Price is all dependent on where you live. I had an electric EZGO TXT Express S4, and like you, we drive about 5-7 miles per day around the neighborhood. We have a large group that gathers routinely, and the night rides require lights. The first time we used the headlights with only having 1/2 charge on the batteries, we had to be towed home. That night we decided to sell it and get a gas one.

We have neighbors that own a golf cart store (XL Carts in Yulee, FL), and although we really wanted to support them, we couldn't afford the 11,500 price tag on a modified cart. The base model started at $7500 (totally stock PTV Drive 2). Yes, that's more than some places, but the best we could find in a 300 mile radius over a month of searching.

I'm a do-it-yourself kind of guy, and searched and found a 2017 Drive 2 with just 17 hours on it. We paid $5900 for it, which I considered a steal.

Since purchasing, I've put another $2200 in it, which included a 6" Jakes Lift, custom wheels and tires, custom seat covers, rear seat kit, dash cover with doors for the storage compartments, front push bar, fender flares, heavy duty rear springs, front rubber mat, a tow hitch, and a few UGA stickers.

We have a number of neighbors with Drive2 carts, and they all love them. Most have purchased and had a custom cart built by XL Carts, as they're great people. We just couldn't justify an additional $4K to help a local business.

All of the parts I purchased online, through various retailers. Look and search for the best price, as most offer free shipping. Prices vary quite a bit online, as I found the lift online anywhere from $740 to $540, with free shipping. You don't have to only order from one place.

Yes, gas carts require some maintenance, but the Yamaha Quietech is the best out there. First oil change I believe is at 200 hours. It's super easy to do.

[Jupitercart]

I just purchased a new 2018 Drive2 - Adventurer Sport 2+2 with all the options (Premium LED lights, turn signals, USB charge ports....etc.) for $7,385 plus $250 for upgraded wheel package. I think the MSRP was around $10,300.

I really like the cart very much. However I find the cart not tracking straight over bumps and dips, but I am wondering if this has something to do with the upgraded wheel package which I chose the the off road tires - Arisun 20x10.00-10 Xtrail. I am considering changing the tires to road tires.

[TimKarp]

I have a 2018 Drive2 - Adventurer Sport 2+2 and really like it so far. I got all the bells and whistles and with a 36" sound bar installed I paid $9,600 OTD. Ya sounds like a lot but I looked at others with same options and were about the same price. The sounds bar was $600 plus $400 to install but it not in the pic attached. What I wonder is how did you get 22+ MPH out of the 2018 Drive2 - Adventurer Sport 2+2 with a Zip tie. This 18\19 MPH is just to slow.

[strubby]

Just wanted to bump this up instead of starting a new thread. Are you guys really getting to high 20's+ with the EFI carts? Is there a notable performance difference between the EFI (pre QT) and Quietech carts? I know the suspension differences, and have seen many confirmed reports of G29 carb performance, but virtually nothing on the EFI models.

Those who have done some mods on your EFI cart, such as larger tires and Plowman's kit, please confirm results. Have realized I need to add a gas cart to the stable to get the around town range I'm looking for. Thanks!

[cgtech]

PTV model DR2a has different gears than fleet models. Mid 20's mph on stock wheels, with governor adjust (= zip tie).

[strubby]

Thanks CG. Do you know the difference in gear ratio between pre-QT EFI carts and the PTV? Still trying to justify cost over a regular EFI cart. I know Fleet's gearing would be better for 22" tires and occasional 3-4 adults, but would the PTV do fine with Plowman's or similar kit? Will be adding that to whatever I buy. Sounds like roughly 4mph difference between the two.

[cgtech]

These numbers are "close guesses" from what I remember Yamaha telling me. PTV = 9.8:1, Fleet = 12.5:1. I would avoid the PTV gears with big tires + 4-pass kit.

[Godfather]

My 2018 Drive 2 EFI Quietech is stock except the tires/wheels. It is running at 21-22 mph (GPS) with aftermarket tires/wheels. I think they are 20.5 X 10, but not exactly sure...it's in winter storage so I cannot check right now.