We Tested A Segway Max G3 Plus As A Vacation Scooter: Scoot For Fun, Not For Transport

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Road trips are fun — getting out there and seeing the country from the windshield of your car is a great way to see the sights an airplane normally flies past without a second thought. Plus, they can me a more economical way to travel even if it is slower than a plane or a train. After all, you can haul all your belongings with you; that is, of course, assuming that a big scooter isn't taking up a big portion of your hatch. That's the situation my family and I found ourselves in when I decided that the Segway Max G3 Plus scooter would be traveling with us.

I figured it'd be a great way to get around town if I was exploring by myself, or if we just needed to shoot out for a quick trip somewhere. I was right and I was wrong.

I was wrong because it took up a ton of room in the car and wasn't terribly convenient to keep in our hotel room. It wasn't much easier than just going to the car and going out to get whatever I needed. But I was right, because all told it was a lot more fun. Indeed, even zipping around my neighborhood before and since vacation has been simply delightful with this scooter. I've been using a review sample of the Segway Ninebot G3 Plus scooter for three weeks and this is how it went.

Our vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC was a great way to unplug and get away. Fun is always at a premium when you're on vacation, and I thought it would be fun to zip around the neighborhood by the resort and explore, pick up breakfast, and the like. I rode the scooter every morning to get coffee at a nearby Dunkin'. I also used it to grab some geocaches just off the resort property. Finally, I took it with us when my family went to visit the boardwalk and go shopping. I used it to explore the city further out than the boardwalk, and I came across so really unique places. Mostly it allowed me to leave the car in the parking lot, and go wherever I wanted, without having to worry about traffic or parking.

The scooter has three speeds — Eco, Drive, and Sport mode — which I have set to their defaults of 10, 16, and 20 mph respectively. Sport mode can be opened up to 28mph if you don't care about range. The high speed absolutely murders the battery quickly, so 20 mph is fast enough for me. You brake with hand brakes or regenerative braking, or both. The controls are intuitive and very similar to the Segway Myon bike I reviewed a few weeks ago — turn signals, app, airlock and all.

When you need to stow it, the handlebar folds down and latches to the footboard, but the handlebars stick out to either side which is why the scooter took up so much room in the hatch of our 2024 Toyota Rav4.

As a nearly 50-year-old man, I was very nervous stepping onto the scooter for the first time, but the learning curve is not steep at all. In just a few weeks, I'm taking corners at a full 20mph without slowing down, so it's quick to master. I have the scooter set to energy efficient acceleration, which eases the scooter up to full speed — though with a little more gusto than I'd probably prefer.

Similarly, the regenerative braking — which I admittedly have set to it's maximum level — is pretty aggressive to stop when you release the throttle. Speaking of which, the addition of cruise control on this scooter is simply delightful, I really dig it.

The scooter is best served on pavement. You can ride it off road, through grass and dirt, but the speed and handling decrease significantly when you do. This scooter is meant to live on the road, which is where it does its best work.

When I first wrote about the Segway Myon, I noted that it has the most tech I've ever seen packed into a sub-$2,000 bike, and much of that same technology makes its way to the Max G3 as well. The app in particular has a similar layout but isn't as problematic as the Myon. There's less functionality here — there's no navigation for example which is a big one to leave out. I don't mind that it's not there though, since the dashboard is located straight down from your head on the scooter, and you really need to watch where you're going.

Inside the app, you can set maximum speeds for each mode. I left all the speeds at their default levels, for reasons already explained, but I would like to see an additional speed mode for the 28mph limit. There are times that I'd like to go faster, but I would then need to stop the scooter, open the app, navigate to the speed selector, increase the speed, then put my phone away and off I go. It really is as easy at that, but it's a pain point that could be eliminated with a simple toggle.

While I didn't initially expect to need a storage system that'd attach to the scooter, on this road trip, I also reacquainted myself with a CrapKeeper bag that I received several months ago for a different project. I brought the bag — which has an open top, Velcro straps, two drink holders and multiple little pockets — to use on the road trip, but when I attached it to the handlebars of the scooter, I fell in love with it all over again.

The bag is so well balanced, it can hang below the handlebars and hold drinks, or your phone, or various other odds and ends. I used it every morning to transport my daughter's Dunkin' order, and I've used it several times since getting home to go get a drink from Starbucks and 7-Eleven as well.

When I originally got this bag, my daughter actually stole it from me on a different road trip, and I didn't give it much thought, but this road trip reminded me of how awesome and versatile it is. If you end up picking up this scooter, I highly recommend dropping another $40 on the CrapKeeper as well. It's a lovely addition to the scooter.

The Segway Ninebot Max G3 retails for $1,499.99, but as of this writing, is on sale for $1,149.99. You can find this scooter on Amazon or direct from the Segway store online or at a variety of other retailers. 

Considering how sturdy and well-built the scooter is, I'm okay with that price. At 270 pounds, I'm at the upper limit of what this scooter can hold, so bear that in mind. But it's held up to my bulk just fine thus far, and there is a lot of technology packed into this bike. I'd say if you can grab is at the $1,149 price point, that's ideal. 

But this thing is so much fun to ride. I often find myself absently slaloming down the road because it's so smooth and maneuverable. Getting out there with the wind in your face is a great way to pass the time during the summer, and when I need to park somewhere with a ton of traffic, like a Cubs game, for example, this would be amazing to toss into the hatch, go and find cheap parking, and scoot to the old ballpark.

As for the road trip, the scooter took up a lot of room in the hatch, but I have no regrets. It elevated an already sweet vacation by granting me the ability to scoot around town without having to worry about driving a car or parking and have a ton of fun while doing it.