Playing golf with the MGI Ai Navigator GPS+ electric golf caddie is a next-level experience. In fact, for some people, it might even be better than playing with your own personal human caddie.
Obviously, the Ai Navigator GPS+ carries your clubs for you.
But you already knew that. It’s an electric golf caddie after all. The kind that’s battery-powered and remote-controlled. That alone is a golf luxury you’ve got to experience to fully appreciate.
What makes this product so next-level and different from other electric caddies is that it not only does the heavy lifting, it also gives you your yardages! Just like a human would.
The Ai Navigator GPS+ won’t clean your clubs for you, but it does have some advantages over a human carrying your bag.
I’ve loved the rounds of golf I’ve played with a human caddie. But if there’s one thing that’s always been just a tiny bit awkward it’s when they recommend a specific club for me to hit. The good caddies don’t do this until they learn your game, but not all caddies are created equal.
What happens with me, a shorter hitter, is that the caddie assumes that based on the yardage they’ve given me, that I’m going to want to hit a certain club. But oftentimes, I need to club up. Not a huge deal, but it can be a tiny bit weird and even a little embarrassing to tell them, “Um, actually, I’m gonna need the 6 iron instead of the 8 iron.”
No such worries with the MGI Ai Navigator GPS+. You’re never going to get “I told you so” vibes when that 6 iron shot flies well over the green. The Ai Navigator will just happily roll on down the fairway, content to go wherever you point it, ready to deliver your next yardage.
You also only have to pay for an electric caddie one time. And you don’t have to give it a tip after each round. Instead, you just fold it up and pack it in your trunk, both of which are much easier to do than you might think.
But here’s the question: Do you need all that the Ai Navigator GPS+ can do?
I’m not talking about whether or not you need to play hands-free walking golf (you do). If you’re a walker who’s committed to carrying or pushing (and sweating profusely), you do you.
I’m talking about whether or not you need all of the special things that set the MGI Ai Navigator GPS+ apart from other electric caddies. After all, it is $1,895.
Would a more basic (and less expensive) model give you all the benefits you really want without the bells and whistles you’re not really going to use or appreciate?
That’s the crux of the matter to me.
Is the Ai Navigator GPS+ the right electric caddie for your game? Let’s find out.
Do you need GPS on your electric caddie? Probably not, but it's admittedly a convenient feature! Better than the less expensive Zip in just about every way, but price.
First Impressions of the MGI Ai Navigator GPS+
Honestly, my very first impression of this thing was that it needs a new name. MGI Ai Navigator GPS+ is a bit much. How ‘bout just “Ai Navigator”?
Beyond that, the first impressions were all positive. Very positive, in fact.
For starters, I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered a piece of golf equipment that costs nearly $2,000 that assembles so easily. Normally, as the price increases, so too does the setup complexity.
Not with this remote-controlled golf caddie. You slide on the back and front wheels, you unfold the cart, you place the 24v lithium battery in the center of the chassis, and that’s it.
I thought unfolding and folding the less-expensive MGI Zip Navigator AT was simple. With that cart, there are just two levers you need to pull to make it all happen.
Well, with the Ai Navigator, it’s just one button. You press the button, and it becomes obvious how to push the cart down for folding or how to pull it up for unfolding. It’s incredibly easy — and fast.
Once you’ve got the cart unfolded, you’ll see a built-in display on the cart’s handle. This iPhone-looking screen is the main differentiating feature of the Ai Navigator.
The screen will prompt you through the setup, starting with instructions to connect to a password-protected WiFi network. You’ll only need WiFi for registration, initial setup and any firmware updates. When you’re on the course, you won’t need any kind of internet connection.
I’ll get into all of the functionality that the screen unlocks in just a bit.
The Ai Navigator also comes with a drink bottle holder, umbrella holder, phone holder and a remote control clip. Installing each of these accessories is snap-on simple.
One thing that jumped out to me was the look and feel of the Ai Navigator’s remote control. Compared to the remote on the MGI Zip Navigator, this Ai-model remote is much sleeker. I like it a lot better.
I also like how the stop button on this remote is in the center of the directional arrows, which I think makes finding the brakes a little more intuitive. On the Zip Navigator remote, that button is below the arrows, and I’ve suffered an embarrassing experience with being too slow to hit the brakes.
Of course, you’ve got to charge both the battery and the remote control before your first use. That’s likewise intuitive, but the instructions cover any questions that might arise.
MGI upgraded the design of their Ai Navigator cart so that the battery now fits right in the center of the main chassis. With the Zip Navigator, it hangs on the back of the cart, which puts a lot of weight in the rear and makes it easier to tip backwards.
I’ll talk more about this battery position redesign below. I certainly like it. I’m just not sure it’s as big of a selling point as MGI makes it out to be.
MGI Ai Navigator GPS+ vs. MGI Zip Navigator AT
The Ai Navigator is MGI’s flagship, highest-end electric caddie. Most of that justification for the highest price is because of the built-in GPS functionality, which I’ll cover. But there are also some design advantages.
When comparing the Ai Navigator with the Zip Navigator AT (or All Terrain), a handful of things stand out:
- The remote control on the Ai Navigator isn’t just smaller and better designed, it also clips to the side of the handle rather than underneath it like with the Zip Navigator AT. While I like the stealth, out-of-the-way remote storage option on the Zip, I think the design on the Ai makes for easier access when you’re out on the course.
- The Ai Navigator is slightly narrower and shorter than the Zip Navigator. Because of the redesigned battery placement, they can build the cart just a bit smaller. The difference is most pronounced when the two carts are folded with the rear wheels inverted (24.40” x 18.11” x 15.35” for the Ai vs. 28” x 19” x 17” for the Zip). That’s definitely a positive.
- Because of the extra built-in technology, the Ai Navigator is two pounds heavier than the Zip Navigator AT (39 pounds vs. 37 pounds). Removing the battery before lifting reduces the lifted weight in each cart by about 6 pounds.
- The new battery placement in the middle of the chassis improves the Ai Navigator’s stability. But, was there anything wrong with the Zip Navigator AT’s stability? Read on.
- The Ai Navigator’s fifth wheel only includes one setting, which is a good thing. With the Zip Navigator AT, you have to not just unfold the fifth wheel, which is critical for on-course stabilization, you also have to take an extra step to extend it. Not only that, but MGI doesn’t do a great job of making that obvious in the instructions. Without extending the fifth wheel, you’re in danger of tipping your cart, which I found out the hard way.
- The rear wheels on the Ai Navigator feature a bit more bling. The spokes on the Ai are chrome-colored and stand out a bit more compared to the black-on-black design on the Zip Navigator AT. Not sure that matters much, but it is noticeable.
Overall, the Ai Navigator is a better-designed cart than the Zip Navigator AT. The differences are subtle, but in every case, the advantage goes to the Ai Navigator.
The Zip Navigator AT retails for $1,595. The Ai Navigator GPS+ is $1,895. So, for $300 more, you’re not just getting built-in GPS yardages, you’re also getting a better overall electric caddie.
But 300 bucks is 300 bucks. Do you need to spend the extra money?
Playing Golf With the Ai Navigator Electric Caddie
In my review of the MGI Zip Navigator AT, I talked a lot about the absolute joy that it is to play golf with an electric caddie. I mean, it is undeniably awesome.
Yes, you do call a bit of attention to yourself. That said, I’ve seen a lot more golfers using a remote-controlled golf cart in just the past year or so. You likely have too.
And yes, you might feel that you’re too young to be rocking what on the surface looks like an old man’s golf cart. But to that I say, get over yourself. Even young people deserve some comfort if they want it and can afford it.
Personally, I think if you like walking, you’re going to love walking with an electric caddie. You get all the benefits without all the extra work of carrying or pushing.
And with the MGI Ai Navigator, those benefits are extensive. The biggest of which is, of course, built-in GPS mapping.
Right on the cart, front and center, just above the t-bar handle, you’ve got a 4-inch, full-color, all-weather, touchscreen display that gives you access to hole maps on more than 40,000 courses around the world.
You can pinch, drag and swipe your way around every hole, getting distances to layup targets, hazards and anywhere else on the hole you might want to investigate. You can get a zoomed-in view of the green and can manually place the pin approximately where you think it is that day for the most precise yardage.
You can also use the screen as a digital scorecard. And, if you want to, you can record shot stats like your number of putts.
The cart can also record the distance and direction between where you hit from and where you hit your next shot, giving you shot distances that it will then record and tabulate for you at the end of each round and cumulatively over all the rounds you play. It can also show things like how many drives hit the fairway, how many missed left and how many missed right.
In other words, it’s like having an advanced golf GPS watch or hand-held GPS device built right into your electric golf push cart.
But that’s the thing. Maybe you already own another GPS device. Nowadays, there are so many options for getting GPS yardages and a lot of these other functions, including:
- Golf watches
- Some golf rangefinders
- Handheld GPS devices
- Some Bluetooth golf speakers
- Shot-tracking systems like Arccos
- Various phone apps
There are even a lot of free ways to get GPS yardages. On that point, I should mention that MGI does not charge any kind of subscription fees for this GPS functionality, which is awesome. Once you buy the cart, you get everything that comes with it for as long as you own it. Pretty sweet.
But do you need it? That again is where I keep landing. There’s a fairly good chance you’re already enjoying playing golf with another one of these GPS solutions.
Now, I will say that I have loved the luxury of just glancing down at my cart to get my yardages. And the interactive touchscreen display is absolutely awesome. Not to mention, the size of the screen is far nicer than what you’d get on any watchface, golf speaker, or even handheld device.
You can also pair your MGI Ai Navigator GPS+ to your phone via Bluetooth. When you do, any incoming phone calls, texts or emails will show up on your remote control golf cart’s screen, similar to with an advanced golf speaker.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the rounds of golf I’ve played with the MGI Ai Navigator GPS+. It’s just that I think a lot of people may love playing with an electric caddie but will be happy to combine that luxury with a GPS tool they already own.
On the other hand, other golfers will recognize the beauty of having everything in one product. There’s a definite advantage to that. Not to mention that the overall build quality and other features on the Ai Navigator make it a really good buy for a lot of people, regardless of the GPS benefits.
Do you need GPS on your electric caddie? Probably not, but it's admittedly a convenient feature! Better than the less expensive Zip in just about every way, but price.
Additional Benefits and Features of the MGI Ai Navigator
I mentioned earlier that the Ai Navigator includes a new battery-placement design. And it works really well. The battery slides into place on the center of the chassis, and there’s an on/off switch on the battery itself, which is how you power up the cart and shut it down. It’s effortless. A very nice design.
But the main benefit of the design, according to MGI, is increased stability. I think that’s true. Moving the 6-pound battery from the back of the cart, where it’s placed on the Zip Navigator, to the middle on the Ai Navigator does make the cart more balanced.
That said, the only time I had any stability issues whatsoever with the Zip Navigator is when I failed to properly engage the stabilizing fifth wheel.
In other words, while this new design is nice, I don’t think there was a big need to improve stability. Both the Zip Navigator AT and Ai Navigator are incredibly stable.
With both carts, I can go up and down the steepest of hills and over the most rough terrain, all at top speeds, without the cart tipping. The Zip Navigator will pop a wheelie faster than the Ai Navigator will because of the heavier back weight on the Zip, but it just rides along on the back two wheels and fifth wheel without any issue at all.
Both carts are also incredible on sidehills, thanks to a built-in gyroscope and independently powered rear wheels. The cart will continue in a straight direction even on a steep side hill, rather than pulling towards the lower side. The design allows one rear wheel to slow or stop while the other speeds up so that it can maintain its direction.
This is an absolutely awesome feature. I visited with a friend who has a 2023 Motocaddy cart, and he said that he has to constantly nudge the remote direction arrows to keep his cart in a straight line. Not with the MGI electric caddies. You push the top arrow to get it rolling, and it keeps on that precise line until you direct it to turn, speed up, slow down or stop.
I really like the fifth wheel design on the Ai Navigator. With the Zip Navigator At, you have to unfold the fifth wheel and then additionally extend it into a second setting in order for it to do its job of stabilizing the cart. With the Ai, there’s just one setting, which is much, much better.
Another nifty feature on this MGI electric caddie is that you can invert the rear wheels to make the cart more compact when you fold it down. With folded dimensions of 24.40” x 18.11” x 15.35”, the Ai Navigator GPS+ actually fits fairly easily into even a crowded trunk.
Speaking of the quick-release rear wheels, they have two axle positions. When you push them all the way into their axles, they are in gear and ready to be powered by the battery. But you can pull each wheel slightly back on its axle to get to a second free-spinning position, making the MGI operational as a regular golf push cart. This would be a lifesaver if you ever ran out of battery power on the course.
As far as which type of golf bag works best on this electric caddie, it’s definitely a cart bag. I’ve had success using a stand bag, but it doesn’t fit quite right. And if you have a very small stand bag, it’s not going to fit securely on the MGI.
Regardless of the size of bag, be careful where you place your towel. I found out that having it clipped to the side of my golf bag in the normal spot allows the lower end of the towel to get caught up in one of the rear wheels on the cart, causing it to pull the golf bag out of position.
Does the MGI Ai Navigator GPS+ Have a “Follow Me” Feature?
When MGI first announced this electric caddie, they priced it a few hundred dollars higher and promised a couple of additional features.
For one, the Ai Navigator was supposed to be able to follow you around the golf course using a transmitter/receiver system, like the Stewart Golf Q-Follow.
The Ai Navigator was also supposed to include a geofencing system that would prevent the cart from driving into hazards identified by the GPS mapping system.
Apparently MGI couldn’t get either system to work reliably enough to bring them to market. I suspect these will be added features in future models. But for now, you’ll have to be satisfied with a remote control GPS electric caddie.
Final Thoughts: Should You Buy This GPS Caddie?
I’ve made myself clear on my thoughts on electric caddies. In my opinion, they’re a hell of a nice luxury.
But they most certainly are a luxury. By no means would I ever suggest that you need a remote control caddie to enjoy the game of golf.
And as an extension of that point, it would be ridiculous to suggest that you need an electric caddie that’s not only remote controlled but that also includes a built-in display that gives you GPS maps of each hole.
But here’s the thing. At $1,895, which I’m by no means suggesting is inexpensive, it is competitively priced. Take the MGI Zip Navigator AT for example. It’s not as good of a cart as the Ai model but it’s only $300 less expensive.
For the right user, I think built-in, subscription-free GPS maps more than makeup for that $300 difference, and that’s before you even consider the other advantages the Ai model has over the Zip Navigator AT.
It really comes down to how you want to get your distances out on the golf course. If you’re still just relying on sprinkler heads and stakes in the ground to get your numbers, you’re probably leaving shots out on the course.
But if you’ve already got a reliable, modern means of getting your yardages, and it’s a system that you like, you may not need a cart that’s as souped-up as the Ai Navigator.
Or maybe you’re the type of golfer who wants the best and who would appreciate having everything you need in one product. There’s a lot to be said for that position. And if that’s you, I think the MGI Ai Navigator GPS+ represents a great deal.
Do you need GPS on your electric caddie? Probably not, but it's admittedly a convenient feature! Better than the less expensive Zip in just about every way, but price.
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A High-Tech Electric Caddie that you Don't Need, But May Want.
The Ai Navigator GPS+ is very well built, performs as advertised, and provides more features than the Zip for only $300. But do most of us need those features? Probably not. That said, it performs great, and represents an excellent addition to the electric caddie universe.
The Good
- Responsive, and easy to use
- GPS aside, it performs better than less expensive Zip model
- GPS works as advertised
The Bad
- As with most of these, it's expensive
- The GPS is cool, but we'd personally prefer to use our own unit
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Presentation
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Performance
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Features and Quality
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Price
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Personal Affinity
