Golf carts are very versatile vehicles that can be put to many uses both on the golf course and off. For those who like to play golf very often, owning their own golf cart can save them lots of money over the course of several years as opposed to renting a cart each time that they play. And for others, golf carts can be a more sensible means of transportation for short trips around a retirement community or a large parking lot where a larger vehicle would simply be impractical.

So what are some considerations that you should have in mind before buying your own golf cart? Well certainly, one of the first questions you should ask yourself is whether you can be comfortable with either a new or a used golf cart. You can expect to pay more for a new golf cart, but on the other hand you will have a full factory warranty and will be able to know how it is cared for and maintained from the very first day on.

If a used golf cart will do the job for you, you may be able to save quite a bit of money overall. You can either choose to buy from a local golf cart dealer in order to get some type of repair warranty on your purchase, or if you're familiar with golf cart mechanics, you can save even more money by buying from a local individual party instead.

The cost of buying a new golf cart can run anywhere in the range of $5,000 - $10,000 or so. It all depends on what features and accessories you decide to install on the golf cart. And of course, the more add-ons that you install, the higher the price of the golf cart will be. If you're extremely frugal and eliminate all but the bare essentials, you may even be able to buy a new golf cart for under $5,000 or so.

As far as used golf carts are concerned, price ranges can fluctuate widely depending on the model, accessories, and condition or shape that the golf cart is in. Many used golf carts can be bought for just a few thousand dollars that are still in very good condition. But if the used golf cart is more than just a year or two old, it may be a smart move on your part to have a reliable, trusted golf cart mechanic inspect the cart before you actually make your final decision.

Maintaining your golf cart is not a difficult task in general. Most brands of golf carts are fairly reliable vehicles. If you choose a gas golf cart, then you can expect to have to do some ongoing maintenance including changing the spark plugs and air filters, and making regular oil and oil filter changes as well. Performing these maintenance tasks on schedule will go a long way toward making sure that your golf cart lasts as long as possible.

An electric cart is somewhat easier to maintain in general, usually requiring you to have to check the water level in the batteries regularly to make sure that it is sufficient. However, every few years or so, the batteries will have to be replaced altogether at a cost of around $500 or so.

Actually, maintenance costs for both gas and electric golf carts tend to work out to pretty much the same in general over time. And if a regular maintenance schedule for new golf carts is adhered to, you may expect to enjoy up to 10 years of faithful service from your golf cart, or even more.

The tips and suggestions provided in this article should help you both buy and maintain a new or used golf cart that fits your needs.