The three most popular golf cart brands in the United States are undoubtedly EZ GO, Valor and Yamaha. Most people consider one or another golf cart from these companies when purchasing one.
But which company offers the best golf cart? To find out, we came up with three base version golf carts from these three companies to compare between them and assist you in buying the best one. We chose the EZ GO Valor, Club Car Onward 2 and Yamaha Drive 2 as they were the base versions and their pricing was quite close.
The main differences between the EZ GO Vs Club Car Vs Yamaha are their horsepower, batteries, weight, frame material and the pricing range. The EZ GO Valor and the Yamaha Drive 2 are priced at close range but the Club Car Onward 2 is priced slightly higher than the other two carts.
EZ GO Valor vs Club Car Onward 2 vs Yamaha Drive 2 : Quick Comparison
We are summarizing the main features, similarities and differences between the EZ GO Valor and Club Car Onward 2 and Yamaha Drive 2 in the table below so that you can see them yourself.
| Factor | EZ GO Valor | Club Car Onward 2 | Yamaha Drive 2 |
| Length x Width x Height | 91 x 47 x 70.3 inches | 92 x 48 3/4 x 71 inches | 93.6 x 47.3 in x 70.2 inches |
| Ground Clearance | 4.5 inches | 4 1/2 inches | 5.5 inches |
| Power Source | 48 Volt DC | 250 Amp DC Motor Controller | 48-volt AC Motor |
| Horsepower | 4.4 HP | 3.3 HP | 6.7 HP |
| Batteries | Four, 12 Volt Deep Cycle | Six, 8-volt | Six, 8-Volt Trojan® |
| Seating Capacity | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Weight | 565 lb | 975 lb | 751 lb |
| Vehicle Load Capacity | 800 lb | Unknown | Unknown |
| Speed | 19 mph ± 0.5 mph | 19 mph | 19.0 mph |
| Frame | Welded Steel with Powder-Coat Protection | AlumiCor™ — Ladder-style aluminum box beam | HybriCore™ Chassis |
| Price | $8,499 | $11,893 | $8,300 |
Quick Comparison
Now, we’ll be discussing broadly about the main features, similarities and differences between the EZ GO Valor and Club Car Onward 2 and Yamaha Drive 2.
Length x Width x Height
The body dimensions of the EZ GO Valor is 91 x 47 x 70.3 inches and the Club Car Onward 2 has a body dimension of 92 x 48 3/4 x 71 inches.
The body dimensions of the Yamaha Drive 2 are 93.6 x 47.3 in x 70.2 inches. As we can see, there is not much difference in body dimensions of these three golf carts.
Ground Clearance
The ground clearance of the EZ GO Valor and the Club Car Onward 2 is 4.5 inches while the Yamaha Drive 2 offers a ground clearance of 5.5 inches.
So, the Yamaha Drive 2 should be able to offer you a slightly elevated experience.
Power Source
The EZ GO Valor is powered by a 48-Volt DC motor as a power source while the Club Car Onward 2 is powered by a 250 Amp DC Motor Controller. The Yamaha Drive 2’s power source is a 48-volt AC Motor.
There is not much difference in the power sources of these three golf carts. They are almost the same and their performance should not differ much because of the power sources.
Horsepower
The horsepower of the EZ GO Valor is 4.4 hp while the Club Car Onward 2 comes with 3.3 hp.
But the Yamaha Drive 2 comes with a massive 6.7 hp. It means that the Yamaha Drive 2 is more powerful than the EZ GO Valor and the Club Car Onward 2.
The Yamaha Drive 2 is clearly winning in terms of horsepowers.
Batteries
The EZ GO Valor comes with Four, 12 Volt Deep Cycle batteries. 12 Volt Deep Cycle batteries are known to last on an average 5 years. They are different from regular batteries. Because they are more consistent with power supply and efficiency. So, it is easy to understand that your cart will not accelerate faster like other golf carts, but it will run for more time.
The Club Car Onward comes with Six, 8-volt batteries. These batteries last for 7 to 8 years on golf carts. They are a bit costlier when compared to the 12 volt batteries.
The Yamaha Drive 2 comes with Six, 8-Volt Trojan® batteries. According to customer reviews, these are the best deep cycle batteries currently in the market. They will provide you a tension-free ride easily for 8 – 9 years on average. Heads-up!! Yamaha has some problems
The EZ GO Valor is clearly lagging behind when it comes to batteries. The Club Car Onward 2 and the Yamaha Drive 2 have the advantage here, but the Yamaha Drive 2 is clearly winning as it is offering more horsepower with the same amount of batteries. Note: ezgo has some battery problems
Seating Capacity
All three golf carts have a seating capacity for 2 persons. So, they are all the same in this segment.
Weight
The weight of the EZ GO Valor is 565 lb. It is the lightest vehicle in this article, Best for personal use. Generally, people who are purchasing golf carts for personal use, prefer the ones that are less heavy. So that they can move the vehicle here and there easily.
The Club Car Onward 2 weighs 975 lb. This one is the heaviest vehicle in this article. We guess the 8 volt batteries are contributing to its weight as they weigh more when compared to the 12 volt ones. The excess weight can sometimes become a burden.
The Yamaha Drive 2 weighs 751 lb. The weight of this golf cart is not very much, but not very as well. Yes, this one is weighing more than the EZ GO Valor, but not so much to become a burden for you.
The EZ GO Valor’s weight is less than the other two as it offers two less batteries. We can declare the Yamaha Drive 2 as the winner of this segment as it offers more horsepower with the same amount of batteries while weighing less than the Club Car Onward 2.
Vehicle Load Capacity
The EZ GO Valor’s load capacity is 800 lbs.
Although we could not find the specific load capacity of the Club Car Onward 2 and the Yamaha Drive 2. We can assume that the Yamaha Drive 2 offers a higher load capacity because of its increased horsepower.
Speed
All three vehicles offer the same speed of 19 miles per hour. As the speed is the same, we can not declare any winner from this segment.
Frame
The body frame of the EZ GO Valor is made from Welded Steel with Powder-Coat Protection.
The body frame of the Club Car Onward 2 is made from AlumiCor™ — Ladder-style aluminum box beams. The Onward is exceptionally resilient to the weather and won’t corrode or degrade over time as it is one of the few personal mobility vehicles made from an airplane-quality aluminum frame.
The body frame of the Yamaha Drive 2 is made from HybriCore™ Chassis. The robotically welded automobile ladder-style frame structure of the HybriCoreTM Chassis is covered with an electrostatically applied polyester/urethane powdered topcoat, an electrodeposition epoxy-based coating, and a multi-step filled phosphate treatment.
All three frames are made from powerful elements that will surely last for a long time and won’t rust even in extreme weather.
Price
The EZ GO Valor is officially priced at $8,499.
The Club Car Onward 2 is priced at $11,893 while the Yamaha Drive 2 is priced at $8,300.
The Club Car Onward 2 automatically moved out of the competition as its price is very high when compared to the other two even though it offers almost the same features.
The Yamaha Drive 2 has an advantage when it comes to price as it is priced at 150 USD less than that of the EZ GO Valor’s price.
Which Golf Cart Is Best For You?
If we look closely, we can see that the Yamaha Drive 2 is better in almost every aspect :
- It has a bigger size.
- More ground clearance.
- More horsepower.
- Medium weight.
- Lowest price.
We can not recommend the Club Car Onward 2 as it will cost way more than the other two. The EZ GO Valor is better at just one thing, which is weight. But we have to remember that it has two less batteries than Yamaha Drive 2.
So, if you are considering the three vehicles mentioned above and having problems to make up your mind for one. Go for the Yamaha Drive 2. It will cost you less but offer you superior performance.
Conclusion
The Yamaha Drive 2 contains the specifications that should be offered by a 8300 USD golf cart. It offers great performance and is also made to withstand a long time. Go for it and it will surely not disappoint you.
