NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Would you pay $15,000 for a car? OK. Now add a "t" to that, as in cart. As in golf cart.

Yes, if you really want to, you can pay $15,000 or more to go 18 miles an hour in little-wheeled luxury. These pricey golf carts are increasingly popular. In fact, in some gated communities catering to older Americans, they are becoming the preferred way to get about.

Actually, industry folks insist on the term "golf cars," without the "t."

"You push or pull a cart, you drive a car," said Ron Skenes, a spokesman for E-Z-GO Textron, a major golf car -- oops, almost hit that "t" key -- manufacturer.

In case you've never shopped for a golf car, they typically sell for $5,000 or $6,000. A basic model, like the E-Z Go Freedom SE, has 2 seats, space for golf bags in the back, and a 36-volt electric motor that takes it up to about 15 miles an hour.

So what do you get north of $15,000? For starters, it might look less like a riding mower and more like a Lincoln, or perhaps a Hummer. Maybe even an old Chevy.

Then there are the extras -- electric coolers and DVD players are popular. You can get one with a lift kit installed for that Monster Golf Cart look. You can even get a vehicle that is legal to drive on low-speed local roads, provided it's registered with state highway authorities.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rules require at least seatbelts, turn signals, headlights and other safety equipment for vehicles with a top speed between 20 and 25 miles per hour that are to be driven on public roads. Vehicles like this are commonly called Neighborhood Electric Vehicles, or NEVs.

For anything with a top speed of less than 20 miles per hour, it's up to local communities to decide what vehicles can ply their roadways.

Golf cars and NEVs are becoming popular as day-to-day transport in retirement communities all over the Sun Belt, according to Deborah Murphy, a spokeswoman for Del Webb, a builder of such developments.

Most Del Webb communities include golf courses, she said, so golf cars have always been a common sight on neighborhood roads. The trend is especially strong in Texas.

"Sixty to seventy percent of residents have golf carts by the time they've been there four years," Murphy said. Yet only about 25 percent of residents are "avid" golfers who play more than a few times a year.

Most really high-priced golf cars are tricked-out versions of cars that are already fairly nice.

Scott Stevens, president of Western Golf Car, said some customers start with one of his company's Elegante models, which can be easily "Neved." ("Nev," in industry jargon, is a verb meaning "to turn into a neighborhood electric vehicle." That's usually done by increasing the top speed and adding some equipment.)

From there, they start piling on the options: stereo radios, cooling fans and TV sets.

The company's Lido NEV is not meant ever to set wheels on a golf course. It's intended for use on low-speed local roads and resembles a small automobile more than a golf car. It sells for about $14,000, said Stevens.

Mark Hruby operates LuxuryCarts.com, a Honolulu-based reseller of luxury golf cars. Among his offerings are ones that look -- more or less -- like little Lincoln Navigators.

"They ask me what they can get, how much more they can spend," he said of his customers, who sometimes pay as much as $20,000.

The golf cars he sells have engines that produce as much as 18 horsepower. "For the guy who wants the biggest and the baddest," he said.

Street Rod Productions of Montezuma, Iowa, makes convertible custom golf cars that look little hot rods. They are equipped with detachable golf bag carriers, but according to the company, they are rarely used for golfing. A typical model, with a drink cooler under the hood, has a list price of $16,500 but dealers might mark up the price depending on demand.

Leewood Inc. of Florida imports Tonino Lamborghini golf cars and NEVs. Made in Italy, they feature a logo that mirrors Lamborghini's prancing bull. The Tonino Lamborghini NEVs feature McPherson independent front suspension and 4-wheel hydraulic braking system with front discs brakes.

(Tonino Lamborghini is related to the famous Italian sports car maker, according to Michael Jung, Leewood's president. However, since Audi bought the sports car maker, the companies themselves are no longer related.)

Don DelPlace, editor of Golf Car Advisor, test drove one of the Lamborghini NEVs and said he was impressed with the performance.

"Step on the gas and that thing's up to 25 miles per hour before you can bat an eye," he said.