Push carts have become as much a part of golf as riding carts in many regions. As technology has grown, adding automation to them seemed like a natural progression. The MGI Zip Navigator is a feature rich cart designed to let you walk free around the course, while your cart does the heavy lifting.
The MGI Zip Navigator features a fully directional hand held remote control that gives you the option of speed control in different terrains. Need some more power going up a hill, no problem, but MGI has combined that with automatic downhill ease, which handled the ups and downs of the course with ease.
The electric cart features a gyroscope for automatic tracking on straight courses for ease of use. In our testing, it worked tremendously well in staying online no matter what type of hole we were encountering.
Powered by a 380Wh battery finishing a round was never a doubt, even on days featuring long walks and slow waits. Playing in a bit of wetness, the wheels handled it well and overall offered a great bit of flexibility during the round vs the traditional push cart. One area where we think the MGI Zip Navigator falls behind is a lack of follow feature. Where the cart automatically follows you around the course based on clip on device, which is available in some recent options we have tested.
Folding up the cart is a breeze and will fit just about anywhere. 28″x18.5×16.5 was a nice breakdown size that allowed two of them side by side in the rear of a small SUV with ease.
The MGI Zip Navigator comes in with a slew of available accessories and from what we have been told by a few others, they work tremendously well. We were not able to test most of them outside of the drink bottle holder, which holds most beverages in a snap and never had an issue with something popping out. Drink stayed stable and I guess the best thing you could ever say about this accessory is that we never really thought about it.
Coming in at a price of $1,500, it won’t be for everybody, but does fall in line with most in the space. For more information check out their website at us.mgigolf.com.
Still really contemplating one of these but it would also mean I would have to walk all rounds to justify the purchase
Unfortunately I’m too fat and broken down to walk 18. Maybe next year
Go ahead and make that purchase and I’ll test it out for you. ?
Could a cart be the thing that changes all of that?
I don’t ever see myself moving to a remote trolley like this, but especially at that price point – I could purchase 2 standard electric trolleys for the price of that particular one
Guess i….walked….right into that?
Ehh?
Ehh?
I’ll see myself out.
Going to be hard for me to say with very steep slopes, but at the course next to us, there are a couple of holes that are pretty steep and it handled it well. As mentioned in the article it has speed control on downhill which worked well. Kind of like cruise control on a car going on the downside of a bridge.
@Tenputt could probably answer this based on his experience going up and down steep slopes with this cart
Downhill isn’t a problem, uphill is where I see most people have issues, but I guess it also depends on how heavy the bag is on the trolley and how the weight is distributed – for trolleys that don’t hold the bag upright enough, it can be quite easy to get the centre of gravity behind the rear wheels making them a bit more prone to tipping, and then add in the drinks holder that is often attached near the handle with a full bottle and it can be a disaster waiting to happen
I have had mine for almost two years. I walk as much as possible. I look at it as being a benefit to spending 4 hours on a golf course. However, my back was struggling mightily two years ago and I wanted to find a solution. I looked into electric carts. After a bunch of research,, this one rose to the top, for a variety of reasons. It is mid-priced when it comes to this type of product. Having used it for more than a hundred rounds, I would buy it again in a heartbeat. It has made a huge difference on my back. It has not given me a moment’s trouble. It functions well. It folds up nicely in a car.
I honestly think the follow feature is overrated, but that is based upon using this cart and trying to conceive how much of a difference it would make, particularly when you have to spend $700 or so more to get it. The remote works fantastic and I actually would rather have the cart in front of me than worry about whether it is continuing to follow me from behind. I would keep looking back, I am afraid. There are forum members who have follow carts and they could speak to the value of this feature.
The cart has no issue whatsoever going downhill. Going up a very steep slope, which I have all the time on my mountain courses, the wheelie wheel that sticks out behind helps a great deal. However, I still will keep my hand on the back of the handle on the steepest of slopes (particularly if not on a cart path), just as a safeguard.
I am happy to answer any questions, since I really have a lot of experience with this product.
I know for the cart I have they recommend using a cart/staff bag for that very reason (get more weight towards the bottom of the bag).
Looks like a good cart. Out of my budget though.
Definitely handled that with no issue with the remote. It has plenty of power and my bag was PACKED.
One question how heavy is it to lift into the car? It looks pretty light. That might be only potential drawback for some older players.
It folds up very easily and is not bad at all to lift into a car. I think most people could do it, if they are physically able to handle walking 18 holes.
Its pretty heavy at around 30 pounds without battery and 35 with, but definitely not bad and not crazier heavier than other push carts
Thanks and nice write up per usual. Does look like fun to use.
It seems that my front wheels swivel independent of the cart, so I assume AT. I will check this evening and correct this post if I am wrong.
just wishful thinking of course…. but the actual features are quite good according to a friend who has looked at one
Good question. I don’t know many shops that have them in stock. I know World Wide Golf (Roger Dunn, Edwin Watts, etc) sells them online only.
Pro’s
– extremely good battery life (I get 3-4 rounds on a charge)
– remote range is awesome
– very powerful
Con’s
– lack of storage
– my Sun Mountain 2.0 is too light and doesn’t stay settled
– accessories are of mediocre quality/utility
It’s not the smallest or lightest. And when going up a steep slope, you want to be holding it, because it can tip over. I wanted the "follow" feature, but couldn’t find a good cart that had it without spending a good deal more. I wish it were a little more compact when folded and had some storage. I’ll eventually need to spring for a golf bag that works better with it, as my 3 pound carry bag isn’t the best match
Overall, I think your assessment is very accurate. Nicely written. I would maintain, however, that it is not very difficult to fold up and place in the back of a car.
Sure – not that hard. The problem is getting 2 bags and this cart and the manual push cart my wife uses into 1 car. If we ever got a 2nd one, we’d need to remove the wheels to get our gear to the course.
A buddy of mine purchased one of these at the beginning of the year. As long as you are on grass or cartpath the unit is quite stable (obviously you can always tip it if you really try, but that’s true for any cart) Having the motors and battery at the same plane as the axles creates a very low centre of gravity. We played a course together that had a lot of waste bunkers and he took it through and it handled the soft sand better than I expected. It never really tipped over, but it did get stuck a couple of times.
Unfortunately my current remote cart after five years decided to have some electrical issues this summer and I had to resort back to my original Clicgear I haven’t been able to figure out what the problem is with my remote cart so unless I win the lottery I’m gonna be back pushing for the next little while.
The MGI Navigator was my first choice for my next cart but as mentioned it’s not cheap but is very good quality.
I have the AT with the swivel front wheels and my buddy has the fixed front wheel version. Do not see much real difference on the course but the AT turns easier with the swivel wheels. MGI (manufacturer of the Bag Boy Navigator as well) keeps getting better with each iteration. I walk 150 plus rounds per year.
My front wheels definitely swivel independently of the cart, so I have the AT version, although I didn’t realize there were two versions when I purchased it.
Wow, a two Navigator family.
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I purchased mine from Costco for $1399. It has a remote control feature, along with several other attachments. One of the main reasons I purchased one, is to be able to walk and get exercise. Being in my 60’s, I can handle the walking, but my back will not allow me to carry my clubs.I love mine!
Not at all, It folds up very compact.
It really does fold up more compactly than one would imagine.