The MGI AI 500 GPS All Terrain Electric Trolley arrives in an incredibly crowded electric trolley market, but looks to be a more than serious contender. It aims to provide golfers with a premium experience that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the established giants of the electric trolley market. Having spent several rounds out on the golf course with the latest offering from MGI, it’s clear we’ve got another trolley brand ready to compete with the likes of Motocaddy, Stewart Golf and PowaKaddy
Though I’ve used an MGI trolley before when I reviewed its remote-controlled Zip Navigator, first impressions with a relatively unknown brand in the UK are crucial, and the Ai 500 screamed quality right out of the box. It feels every bit as solid and well-engineered as its direct competitors from Motocaddy’s S5 GPS and PowaKaddy’s CT12 GPS. The chassis is sturdy, the folding mechanism feels precise, and the all-terrain wheels look and perform the part, instilling confidence that this trolley can handle any course condition you throw at it.
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The exact shape of the green and surrounding hazards are displayed by the bright GPS. (Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Where the MGI AI 500 truly shines, and what was the standout feature for me, is its integrated GPS screen. The first thing of note is the portrait orientation of the 4-inch touch screen, which provides a much more natural and expansive view of the hole layout and distances compared to the more common landscape screens found elsewhere. We’ve seen PowaKaddy move all of its in-built GPS systems into a portrait orientation this year, too, and it does make the landscape GPS screens on some Motocaddy trolleys all of a sudden feel rather dated.
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The graphics are incredibly bright and crisp, making it effortlessly readable even in direct sunlight, which is a huge bonus on those glaring summer days. Furthermore, the touchscreen responsiveness is lightning-fast; commands are registered instantly, making navigation and interaction with the GPS features a seamless and frustration-free experience.
The GPS is a solid performer. The graphics aren’t massively detailed, but they don’t need to be as the GPS does a great job of showing a clear layout of the whole hole ahead with yardages to the front, middle and back of the green as well as to the fronts of hazards. One neat feature I haven’t seen on any other built-in GPS devices is a hole flyover, which automatically greets you as you move onto the next tee box.
(Image credit: Future)
The folding system is rapid, with the press of one button allowing the trolley to fold up or down with ease. It’s fairly compact when folded up too, with the front wheel folding under the chassis and the ability to invert rear wheels, saving an extra bit of space when stowing it away. For some reason, the Ai 500 has an integrated anti-tip rear wheel, more often seen on the best remote electric trolleys. It’s the first time I’ve used one on a standard electric trolley, and it’s a useful addition that stops you from having to support the trolley from tipping when going up a particularly steep incline.
(Image credit: Future)
However, no product is without its minor imperfections, and my one criticism of the MGI Ai 500 lies with the control dial on the handle. While functional, it’s embedded a little too low into the handle itself, making it slightly less accessible and intuitive to operate on the fly. It also lacks the satisfying tactile feedback that you find on the control dials of some competitor trolleys, which often provide a more reassuring click or resistance. It’s a small point, but in a product that otherwise feels so polished, it stands out.
In conclusion, the MGI AI 500 GPS All Terrain is a highly impressive piece of kit. Though comes in at a very similar price point to its more established rivals, it more than matches them for quality, and those looking for a reliable trolley with one of the best GPS touchscreens on the market will be well served by MGI’s latest offering.
