Exploring the Great Outdoors with All-Terrain Mobility Scooters

 

We are going to a different road this month. We are going to get muddy, dirty, and aggressive with a couple of strong boys in the mobility industry. Historically, we have always dealt with scooters, recliner/lift chairs, new and innovative products – things that make your life easier and safer. After all, that is why we are here. We want to help seniors, and the mobility challenged to stay in their home as much and as long as is safely possible.

This month we want to provide insight into the outdoor mobility scooter market; in particular, the “atv” market. Don’t confuse these scooters with true ATV’S; they don’t have the horsepower, torque, or mileage of a gas-powered ATV. But these scooters are as close as one comes in the electric realm. We see and talk to a lot of people that may have some age on them, but they are as young at heart as they have ever been. They want an electric mobility scooter that can safely and confidently take trails, hike inclines, go through light-moderate foliage and get good mileage from a single charge. Their dream is to be inclusive to the great outdoors, having the ability to drive through fields, reach hilltops with magnificent views, traverse around the pond fishing, even the ability to drive to their deer stand.

For this group of individuals, we are going to be doing a compare and contrast this month. We are pitting the Pride Mobility Baja Wrangler 2 BA401 against the Golden Technologies GA541Avenger. Both are great scooters and carry a lot of similarities. There are also some significant differences. One is the price tag, which is the primary reason we are writing this piece. The price difference is around $1,700. The Golden Avenger is $3,701. The Pride Baja Wrangler is $5,399. We love both so we can present this information in an unbiased fashion. Both are considered all terrain, both are comfortable and safe, both the Wrangler II and the Avenger have good mileage per charge.

   

Comfort
The Baja Wrangler II and the Golden Avenger are both comfortable enough, in the seat and in riding comfort. The Wrangler 2 has a black vinyl, limited recline memory foam seat and the driver can slide the seat forward and back. That is a nice feature that the Golden Avenger does not have. The Wrangler has five different seat options whereas the Avenger has two. The Pride Mobility Baja Wrangler can be ordered with a 16”x16” high back seat, 16”Wx18”D, 18”Wx18”D, 20”Wx18”D, 22”Wx20”D, 22”Wx22”D, or for shorter individuals a pillow top high back that is 19”Wx16”D. The Golden Avenger comes in 20”W x 17”D or a 22”W x 20”D. Both of these behemoths have adjustable padded armrests and comfortable captain’s seats.

As far as suspension systems affecting your ride and comfort, the Golden Avenger currently has no suspension system. The Pride Wrangler does have a front and rear CTS suspension system and an additional steering dampening system. You might find this makes the ride more comfortable and manageable in tough terrain. There is a lot more to discuss that might affect the level of comfort, but these are the primary variables. Depending on your level of mobility, it might be important to also know the height of the deck from the ground. The Avenger GA541’s deck is 6.5”, the Wrangler 2 BA401’s deck is 8.5”. That could be significant depending on your step height range.

Design
Comparing the designs of these two horses, it is retro vs. Maserati. Not a bad thing. In fact, it is really pretty neat. If you like that 50’s look, with smooth curves and wheels that stand out, a chrome front bumper guard, and a tiller that is pretty radical with simple instrumentation – the Avenger could be for you.

If you want that “bring it on” look of the expert outdoorsman, then the Pride Wrangler 2 is your weapon. Here is the biggest difference in the two that we want you to understand – while the Avenger can be your choice for an outdoor machine, you can also take it to stores, Disneyworld, large tourist attractions and other locales. Not so with the Wrangler 2 – it is exclusively for the outdoors. You are not going to be driving it to church or out shopping, and it will not be allowed at tourist attractions. It is exclusively an outdoor machine.

The Avenger gets the nod for weight capacity at 500 lbs maximum. The Wrangler 2 has a maximum weight capacity of 450 pounds. The Avenger gets up to 18 miles per charge from its NF22 batteries (12V, 55Ah); the Baja Wrangler 2 up to 20.2 miles with the standard 75Ah batteries, even more if you upgrade to the 100Ah. The beauty of the Wrangler 2 is you do have a choice, not so with the Avenger. The BA401 Wrangler 2 also has a little bit of an advantage with clearance from the ground at 5.5”, the GA541 Avenger has 4” clearance. The Golden Avenger’s tires are 13” pneumatic and Pride’s Wrangler 2 14.5”. The Avenger does have a tighter turning radius at 67” vs. Wrangler 2’s 94.75”. Difference in length between the two is about 4” but the width favors the Golden Avenger GA541 which is 8” leaner than the Pride Wrangler 2 BA401. It is easy to see by this point why the Avenger is adaptable to many indoor functions and the Wrangler 2 is not.

The Avenger has standard street tires; the Wrangler has action grip multi-terrain tires. Oddly enough, the units weigh about the same but that also tells us something. In all likelihood, Golden’s Avenger has a stronger frame. With lighter batteries, lighter tires, a smaller frame, a lighter seat, and a smaller body, there is only one explanation as to how these two units weigh the same – the Avenger has a heavier, more robust frame. In fact, since its debut in 2004, the one big upgrade that has been made to the Avenger is the introduction of a larger transaxle.

Both units have a full lighting system (though the Wrangler 2 does have much stronger lights), turn signals, emergency signals, battery level, and a horn. The Pride Mobility Wrangler 2 does provide a trip odometer, outdoor temperature gauge, total miles driven, and a rear backup sensor with LED light system. Both units come with easily accessible tie-down points. Finally, there is a storage pod that can be added to the back of the Wrangler 2. The Avenger includes a large basket in the front of the unit.

Power
There is more to the story, however. The Golden GA541 Avenger has a single 800w, 4 pole motor with a PGS 140 Amp controller. The Pride Mobility BA401 has two 1250w, 4 pole motors with a 120A S-drive controller. The difference is stronger motors on the Pride Mobility Wrangler 2; but the ability to quickly deliver power to the motor is going to favor the Golden Avenger. Note that distances traveled will vary depending on terrain, weight of user, age of batteries, etc. Both units use an off board, 8Ah charger and both units require a full 8 hours to charge. Both units can use AGM or Gel batteries. The AGM batteries are fine for both but if you do plan on a lot of outdoor use, we recommend the more expensive Gel; definitely with the Wrangler 2.

   

In Conclusion
Both of these units get an A rating from Affordable Medical Equipment. The Avenger is $1,700 less and would probably require less maintenance over the long term than the Wrangler 2. The Wrangler does have two stronger motors compared to the single motor on the Avenger. The Avenger is a popular unit because it can go to almost any public area you like.

Affordable Medical Equipment and Mobility Solutions is a full service Durable Medical Equipment provider in Columbia, S.C. We have been in business for 18 years and take immense pride in the equipment we sell and the service we provide. We ship nationwide. We hope you have found the information and videos here useful. Feel free to contact us at 803-926-1493.

Finally, please do not attempt the maneuvers you have seen in these videos at home. These units are big and heavy and the last thing we want is for you to have an accident.