STREET-LEGAL CART SHOWDOWN · SLCS · TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA · How we make money — dealers pay for introductions; no brand pays for rank.

Backyard Escapism 4 Forward Facing Street Legal LSV vs. Evolution Electric Vehicles D5 Maverick 4+2 Plus

By The Smith Family, reviewed by Brad · Independent, no paid placement · Last verified Oct 3, 2026

No factory LSV here. Neither cart is a factory-certified LSV — street-legal status is a dealer package or the seller's own claim. Verify with your county before you rely on it. The full side-by-side of verified specs is below — every figure carries a source and a verification date.

Key takeaways

  • Tale of the tape, no ruled winner: neither the Backyard Escapism 4 Forward Facing Street Legal LSV nor the Evolution Electric Vehicles D5 Maverick 4+2 Plus is a factory-certified LSV, so neither can hold a "best street-legal cart" verdict.
  • Florida out-the-door (6% state sales tax + ~1% county surtax on the first $5,000, FLHSMV title + initial registration): the Backyard Escapism 4 Forward Facing Street Legal LSV lands about $13,601 and the Evolution Electric Vehicles D5 Maverick 4+2 Plus about $14,131, base build before kits and dealer-quoted delivery.
  • Neither the Backyard Escapism 4 Forward Facing Street Legal LSV nor the Evolution Electric Vehicles D5 Maverick 4+2 Plus is a factory-certified LSV — both are street-legal only by dealer package or self-attestation; verify with your county.

Head to head · Tampa Bay Edition

Backyard Escapism 4 Forward Facing Street Legal LSV vs. Evolution Electric Vehicles D5 Maverick 4+2 Plus

COMPARISON · BACKYARD-ESCAPISM-4-FORWARD-VS-EVOLUTION-D5-MAVERICK-4-2-PLUS
LAST VERIFIED 10/03/2026
Backyard Escapism4 Forward Facing Street Legal LSVEvolution Electric VehiclesD5 Maverick 4+2 Plus
MSRP range$12,499$12,999
Top speed25 mph✓†119 mph†2
Range (low)40 mi†1—
Range (high)80 mi†1—
Battery typelithium†1lithium†3
Battery capacity105 Ah†1—
System voltage48 V†148 V†3
Seats4†16✓†2
Length129 in†1152.5 in†3
Width48 in†155.8 in†3
Height83 in†184.6 in†3
Curb weight1,250 lb†11,296 lb†2
Motor power5 kW†16.3 kW✓†3
BrakesFour wheel hydraulic disc brakes†1EM Brake†3
SuspensionFront Macpherson independent and rear plate spring + vibration absorber†1Front: double wishbone independent suspension; Rear: leaf spring suspension†2
Display size10.1 in✓†19 in†3
Warranty2 yr†12 yr†4
Battery warranty (total term)8 yr†1—
LSV certified (street-legal capable)No†1No†2
Ground clearance6.7 in†16.9 in✓†2
Turning radius—17.2 ft†2
Range, normalized◆ computed~40 mi—

◆ Range, normalized is our figure, not the maker's: each pack's energy at a standard 0.125 kWh/mile, the same on every cart — an apples-to-apples check on the “up to” range claims above, which are usually measured at 19 mph on the largest optional pack.

†1 SOURCE: backyardescapism.com · VERIFIED 07/14/2026†2 SOURCE: evolutionelectricvehicle.com · VERIFIED 10/03/2026†3 SOURCE: evolutionelectricvehicle.com · VERIFIED 10/03/2026†4 SOURCE: evolutionelectricvehicle.com · VERIFIED 10/03/2026

◆ The verdict

No factory LSV here.

Neither cart is a factory-certified LSV — street-legal status is a dealer package or the seller's own claim. Verify with your county before you rely on it.

◆ Price the fight — Florida out-the-door

Florida out-the-door estimates (6% state sales tax + ~1% county surtax on the first $5,000, FLHSMV title + initial registration): the Backyard Escapism 4 Forward Facing Street Legal LSV lands at about $13,601 and the Evolution Electric Vehicles D5 Maverick 4+2 Plus at about $14,131, base build, before kits and dealer-quoted delivery.

Backyard Escapism 4 Forward Facing Street Legal LSVbase build · FL out-the-door

Backyard Escapism 4 Forward Facing Street Legal LSVMSRP (verified)$12,499.00
FL sales tax (est.)6% state + 1.0% county surtax on the first $5,000$799.94
Title + initial registration (est.)FLHSMV: $77.25 new title + $225 one-time initial registration$302.25
DeliveryQuoted by the dealer — we never guess this number—
Out-the-door estimate$13,601

est. $218.03/mo — 20% down, 7.5% APR, 60 mo. Confirm real rates with the lender.

Evolution Electric Vehicles D5 Maverick 4+2 Plusbase build · FL out-the-door

Evolution Electric Vehicles D5 Maverick 4+2 PlusMSRP (verified)$12,999.00
FL sales tax (est.)6% state + 1.0% county surtax on the first $5,000$829.94
Title + initial registration (est.)FLHSMV: $77.25 new title + $225 one-time initial registration$302.25
DeliveryQuoted by the dealer — we never guess this number—
Out-the-door estimate$14,131

est. $226.53/mo — 20% down, 7.5% APR, 60 mo. Confirm real rates with the lender.

METHODOLOGY — what's verified, what's estimated
Cart MSRP and kit prices are sourced and dated (see each model page's receipts). Tax = 6% FL state + 1% county surtax on the first $5,000 (Fla. Stat. §212.05 / §212.054 — surtax varies by county). Fees = $77.25 FLHSMV new title + $225 one-time initial registration. Plate/annual registration vary by weight and county and are small. Delivery is quoted by the dealer — we never guess it. Your firm number comes from the named dealers in the quote step.
Compared & SourcedVERIFIED 10/2026

Green ✓ marks the better verified figure where the two differ. Verdict scored on the verified specs above — factory-LSV status gates the win.

Rather skip the configurator? Get a dealer quote on either cart:

Frequently asked

Is the Backyard Escapism 4 Forward Facing Street Legal LSV or the Evolution Electric Vehicles D5 Maverick 4+2 Plus better?
No factory LSV here. Neither cart is a factory-certified LSV — street-legal status is a dealer package or the seller's own claim. Verify with your county before you rely on it.
What do the 4 Forward Facing Street Legal LSV and D5 Maverick 4+2 Plus cost out the door in Florida?
Florida out-the-door estimates (6% state sales tax + ~1% county surtax on the first $5,000, FLHSMV title + initial registration): the Backyard Escapism 4 Forward Facing Street Legal LSV lands at about $13,601 and the Evolution Electric Vehicles D5 Maverick 4+2 Plus at about $14,131, base build, before kits and dealer-quoted delivery. MSRPs are verified and sourced; taxes and fees are labeled estimates with the method disclosed. Configure both carts with kits at golfcartshowdown.com/build/compare.