[Hacker1]

I am looking to upgrade our 2010 Star with a new cart with Lithium FePO4 battery. I've looked at several. The standout so far in terms of looks, handling, and having the features we want appears to be the Icon. Have only driven it on the dealer's paved lot so far, but the handling, torque, braking, ride, etc. are head & shoulders above anything else I've experienced. Another dealer who sells Icon and several other brands, told me that, compared to others such as Star and Atlas, the Icon cannot be expected to hold up well over years of use. So I'm looking for other opinions, particularly from Icon owners, or anyone with technical knowledge about this cart.

Icons come with an Ecco LiFEPO4, 105ah battery. I would want a larger battery. The dealer says they can get one with 160ah, which would likely be adequate for us. To get to 210ah, the local dealer suggests connecting 2 105 ah's together, however this has already been recommended against elsewhere on this forum.

[PoolBrews]

You are correct - a 105ah is not even close to enough. Depending on where you live a 160ah might work, but if you can get a 205ah or 210ah battery, don't hesitate.

I highly recommend at least visiting Botero Carts of Ocala and seeing and driving an Evolution D5 Ranger. It's a better looking cart, has a far smoother ride, and more features for less money. In the southern end of The Villages, Hidden Creek Golf Carts sells the Evolution as well. Botero has been a fantastic dealer for me, but I've heard good things about Hidden Creek.

Although the Evolution D5 Ranger is a forward facing 4 seater, it's only slightly longer than a standard Yamaha - no where near the length of the Yamaha 4 seater.

I've got nearly 4,000 miles on mine and love it.

[mrf6969]

All these new cart manufacturers and models entering the market I would be careful. Will they be here to help you in the future? They do not have the track record of carts that have been around for decades. ICON has been around just 7 years. Might be better to consider the USA made EZGO and put the battery pack in that you desire. EZGO has been around since 1954.

[PoolBrews]

Originally Posted by mrf6969

All these new cart manufacturers and models entering the market I would be careful. Will they be here to help you in the future? They do not have the track record of carts that have been around for decades. ICON has been around just 7 years. Might be better to consider the USA made EZGO and put the battery pack in that you desire. EZGO has been around since 1954.

Evolution has been in business since 2007 - nearly 20 years - and has grown tremendously every year. They sell globally. Botero Carts has been in business nearly 10 years in 7 states and only sells Evolution. Obviously they have no issue making money selling and servicing these carts, or they wouldn't continue to open new stores in new states.

EZ-GO's similar model to the D5 (Liberty) didn't ride and handle nearly as well as my D5, and was $11K more with close to the same features (I say close because my D5 has several things that EZ-GO doesn't even offer, like an adjustable steering wheel).

I'm not against the EZ-GO, I just have a lot of things I can use that $11K for.