Friday, December 7, 2007
Big Bobby car review

M A bobby car
This ride-on toy is really nicely designed, sturdy, with clean lines. The realistic key and ignition is a nice touch and there are three different sounds that are changed with the key: engine starting, running motor, and repetitive honking - which sounds a lot like a car alarm. The last one is the most annoying, only because it is repetitive. The sounds are very realistic and at a reasonable volume. I like the running motor one - it's very cool, like you're driving on a smooth highway. There is a little red push horn, which squeaks, so I guess you could say that is the least realistic sound on the car. Otheriwse, there is no twangy music or flashing lights with this toy - it really preserves the stereotypical German driving machine qualities into a cute toy.

It costs $69.99 plus tax (which includes shipping) at Costco.com. Since this is a large item, the free shipping alone makes it a great deal. I did a little bit of comparison shopping and the next best price was around $90, not including shipping. Also, if it doesn't work out for you for whatever reason, Costco has an awesome return policy, and you can take it to the warehouse. We got it for A's birthday (ride-ons are a popular present for the one- or two-year-old crowd), and both boys (even though M is three) love riding it around the house.

It required almost no assembly (just attachment of the steering wheel). It requires little button cell batteries for the sound component (LR44, which I buy from batterybob.com, my source for all small, hard-to-find batteries), and they are included so you don't have to worry for a little while. You'll really be able to tell just by picking it up, how much more durable it is than some of the other plastic ride-on toys out there. Where we used to live, there were community ride-on cars and they always had big cracks or broken wheels, or deformed plastic on them. Of course, that was probably from overuse, but they were also not very durable. And when I comparison-shopped, many were more expensive than this car. Even J (who is a car critic) was very impressed with the overall quality of this toy. It has smooth, tight steering and is a popular children's toy in Europe, with good reason. We are very happy with this car and would definitely buy this again. It'd make a fantastic gift for any one- or two-year old.

big bobby car

Useful Links
Costco Big Bobby car product page