Thoughts from the Curb

Jun 6, 2008 - E-Z-GO TXT Golf Cart: Lots of Gadgets, Dynamically Crap

I learned to drive on a golf cart. Brilliant idea by the way, working your kid up slowly through the moving vehicle ranks. But since high school, I can count the number of times I've played golf on one hand. When Edmunds was scrambling to find a few bodies to fill an invitation to play at the L.A. Auto Open at Trump National Golf Club, I couldn't resist the opportunity to hit the links.

As Sadlier's photos show, it's one gorgeous golf course. The E-Z-GO TXT golf cart we drove around it is essentially the same model I learned on, although I have no idea if its 2.5-hp motor with 36-volt electric system has been upgraded since then or any other component -- steering, suspension, etc. What clearly has changed is the options list. Nobody blinked an eye that these things had GPS systems with a huge screen mounted in the center-top of the "windshield." It didn't prevent us from getting lost on the serpentine links of Trump National, but rather, it uses satellites to tell you how far away you are from the green. Seriously, though, no touchscreen or voice commands? Our cart also had a cooler and a club/ball washing unit on board. Swanky stuff. I pondered where the outrigger board was for our caddie Victor.

However, like the 2009 Acura TSX, our E-Z-GO test cart was packed with gizmos but was dynamically crap. Perhaps the battery wasn't fully charged, but our cart struggled mightily to get up hills and this is with two tall lanky dudes aboard -- not a pair of corn-fed hefty duffers. Sadlier and I had to skateboard a few times. I estimate a 0-60 ft time in 5 seconds. More distressingly, the rear-wheel mechanical self-adjusting drum brakes were absolute garbage. Going down a hill was frightening -- we usually had to lock up the brakes with the single-point engagement parking brake. I just don't remember golf carts performing this badly before.

Around corners, body roll was alarming. The front and rear leaf spring suspension is decidedly old school, but the ride was certainly compliant enough. We were driving on grass though, maybe that had something to do with it. Any way, the TXT's rack-and-pinion steering is pretty good and actually more advanced than the first generation Mercedes SLK's recirculating ball deal -- or so I figure.

So the E-Z-GO TXT left me cold. The gadgets were nice, but I was expecting more from The Donald.

-James Riswick

8:21 am | Categories: not-really-a-car reviews Permalink | Alert Administrator

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