Drive Medical Spitfire Scout 4-Wheel Power Luxury Travel Scooter with Extended 15 Mile Range Battery, Red/Blue

I weigh close to 300 lbs, which is the max capacity of this scooter. It hauls me around with minimal effort. It can climb a low incline, but with some difficulty, so don't go down a hill with it if you don't think it will make it back up. Inclines use a lot of battery power. The scooter does come apart and will fit in the trunk of a sedan or in the rear of an SUV. Of note: Some components of this item would be too heavy for a small or infirm person to lift out of the trunk. And I do find that attaching the rear wheels/motor to the front chassis can be tricky, as it has the capacity to become stuck in the wrong position and is nearly impossible to extricate without damage if that happens (believe me, I know), so be wary from the get-go. Apart from these caveats, the scooter is a miracle for anyone with a disability who who has a long walk to a mailbox or who wants to do their own shopping. I can put a number of small grocery items in the basket and some square, boxed items on the floor of the scooter and rest my feet on the front fenders. I have ridden it for most of a day and have yet to deplete the battery charge. For under $1000, this item is a good deal, even if it should last only a couple of years - but I think it will last longer. It gave me my life back - what's that worth to you?

We love purchasing on Amazon, because the reviews let us know what will meet our needs and work for us. Here is another case in point. We have looked at locally available mobility scooters, and there are many places to purchase scooters here where we live in South Florida. However, this Drive Medical scooter is half the price of the other major brand, and Drive Medical makes high quality, well-made scooters. The Amazon reviews convinced us to go ahead and buy it. My husband wanted a scooter so he could ride down to the shopping mall, which is about half a mile from our home, and the public library is about a mile away. There are sidewalks the whole way. At the highest speed, he is content. The steering is supposed to be less tight on a 4-wheel scooter versus a 3-wheel, but we wouldn't need more. The seat is very comfortable, and my husband is heavier. The weight limit is 300 lbs. The basket is larger than other scooters that we looked at. The leg room is ample, even though it looks small, it's really great. We kept the red accents, but it comes with a package of blue accents if you prefer that color. We left the garage door open, and the delivery truck put the scooter into the center of the garage. Assembly was easy. The directions and Owner's Manual are very well written and easy to understand. You can download the manual to save it electronically (click on the link "Warranty" above the description on Amazon, and you will get the latest Owner's Manual version.) So I went to Drive Medical online and tried to register the scooter for the warranty. The problem was that there are several numbers on the stickers on the scooter, and I couldn't tell which number was the actual serial number. Clue: the serial number is 12 digits long, it starts with a number, and the second digit is a letter. So, I called Customer Service. The people were very polite and answered right away. They said that I didn't need to worry; that Amazon automatically registered the Drive Medical scooter for us at the time of purchase. I asked them to explain the warranty, and they did. The scooter came partially charged, so my husband was able to take a short drive right away. OK, so then we charged it overnight, and my husband took it for a ride. It's supposed to go at least 9 miles, but it ran out of battery charge at .4 mile (I measured the distance with the car). We tried charging it for another 24 hours, and the same thing happened - it ran out of battery charge at under 1/2 mile. So I called Customer Service, explained what was happening, what the display lights looked like, etc., and they said they would take care of it. Two days later we received a new charging cord. I called Customer Service, and said, I thought we were supposed to be getting a new battery, and they said, just try it. We charged the scooter overnight with the new charger, and it works fine. I highly recommend this mobility scooter. It is easy to take apart and put in the back of our car, I can do it by myself, and I’m 65. It is silent when running. It is very comfortable. Really great. You can't beat this price. The Customer Service is wonderful and responsive.

We got the item in five days from Amazon Prime and it was delivered at the day they said (2:30 PM Friday). So far so good, Amazon did their part. Unpacking a heavy box was easy with little mess Styrofoam pieces with magnetic properties. The unit looks great was packed well went together without a problem. Connected the charging cord to the battery on the machine: got a red charging indication on the charger. All steps are as the company says. Got a green light on the charger indicating a full charge only five hours into the 8-12 hours told about in the owners manual. Turned on the key and no charge was indicated on the control panel. I then connected the battery to another outlet detached from the scooter, and allowed it to charge over night. The total charge time was by now 17 hours, 12 of those with a green light on the charger. I put the battery back in the scooter and still no electrical indication of any kind on the control panel i.e. horn or battery indicator. I took the battery off the machine and tested it with a electrical multitester, the battery is completely dead. I called technical support "Technical Support/Peace of Mind (866) 621 4933 8:30 am - 5:00 pm (EST). I waited on hold for thirty minutes as the recorded message said someone would be right with me. Finally in desperation I called Customer Service (866) 694-5085 8:30 am - 8:00 pm and got "no messages may be taken for this mail box.. Good by. and a hang up. As I say the machine looks well made, assembled easily, there web site needs updating as it should show they don't work weekends. My opinion because that is what this forum is about is: The product looks well made, the customer support is poor. We got this machine for my wife, and an upcoming trip to Disneyland and other SoCal POIs. I hope the company will ship anew charged battery on Monday as the timing is critical for the trip. If we are successful by getting to use the scooter In Disneyland I will posta "how long the batteries last" comment to this post.Update 11/20/15 After talking to tech support and customer care (both of which were very polite and helpful and concerned) I received a new battery in three days (shipped from NY to NV) excellent customer support. I am changing my "stars from 3 to 5. As I feel if the machine quit working in Disneyland they would probably get me "road service". Their website just needs to be updated to say they only work weekdays.If you are looking to purchase this unit, Here are some comments I could not find in the description. There is a "receiver" under the seat facing to the rear 4" long with a screw knob tightener that will accept a 1"x1" accessory post i.e. basket, or trailer. I gambled and got a basket a basket that fits.