marytara's Full Review: Little Tikes Deluxe Cozy Coupe Convertible Car
My son is a bonified Wiggles junkie. He loves everything Wiggles, and I admit it - so do I. Well, shortly before his 3rd birthday Little Tikes came out with a kid sized version of The Wiggles Big Red Car. Similarly styled to their Cozy Coupe Convertible with a few extras (like Wiggles Decals, etc). Honestly, if it wasn't retailing for 40-50 dollars and my son nearing 3 years of age, I probably would have purchased it. However, I resisted due to the fact that I knew that within a year or so he would be too large for it and that was just too costly. Luckily, my son has yet to see a Wiggles car up close in a toystore or another child's yard so what he did not know would not hurt him (or me, for that matter).
It is a well known fact among my family and friends that I am the bargain finding queen, especially this time of year with garage sales. I happened to randomly drive by a local yard sale close to their closing time and they were willing to sell me not one, but two, Little Tikes cars for $10 total. While I really only wanted one car, I figured the other could go to my parents driveway, or I could sell it in a garage sale of my own - at a profit even. One of the cars is the older style Cozy Coupe style, and the other was this Deluxe Cozy Coupe Convertible Car, which I will proceed to review. The retail price of this car is around $60, so at $5 I got more than a bargain.
All about it!
The Deluxe Cozy Coupe Convertible Car from Little Tikes is a little red sports car with a convertible roof (in sunny yellow). Its recommended for kids ages one and up, with a target range of a 2-3 year old. The car is made so that it can be used for younger children with an insertable floorboard and parents steering it (with a steering rod on the back of it) at first. When a child understands "foot power", aka a fred flinstone-mobile - then the floorboard can be removed and the steering rod left in place for parental assistance. Finally the steering rod can be removed to let the child drive it all on their own. Our car currently has the floorboard removed so my son can drive it - but we've left the steering rod on the back since he often needs a little push here and there to get "back on track". Probably in the next month or so I'll take the plunge and remove the steering rod but since he's not the best driver, for now it remains. The handle is adjustable to 4 different heights but not incredibly easily. Luckily, its on the one that I need it to be (for my under 5'2" stature), and I believe this is the lower setting. Steering with the handle can be an issue as its not attached to the axle of the vehicle - but it gets the job done.
Fun features of this car include several electronic sounds (music, honking and engine sounds) which are activated from three buttons on the dashboard - made to look like they are coming from the cars radio. In order to power the sounds you need to put in 2AA batteries (I swear there are days I should own stock in Duracell). There are also a few non-battery powered sounds like the horn on the car with toots, the gear shifter and the key go clickety-clack. Yes, there is a gear shifter - its purely for pretend, but a sports car must be a manual shift. Like other Little Tikes ride-ons this one has a pretend gas tank/cap for "fill-ups".
The convertible canopy is made of a yellow nylon material with wire piping in it. We keep ours in the down position most of the time. Functionally it is supposed to work as a sunshade. However, Little Tikes must have styled this for very short children. I'm guessing that many 2 year olds and all 3 year olds will be simply too tall to sit under the canopy comfortably. So, ours stays down.
One thing this car lacks that is available on many other Little Tikes cars is doors. Kids are expected to hop the sides to get in and out. My three year old is just the right size to do this, and he is fairly tall (39"). I can imagine smaller children running into some difficulty here.
I can say that I'm fairly thankful that I purchased this at a yard sale, not only for the fact that I got a great deal - but for the fact that I didn't have to face assembly. If you purchase this car brand new you will have to assemble it - which I know from assembling other ride ons, includes mounting the plastic wheels, applying decals and more.
Like pretty much all of the Little Tikes items I've purchased, this one is extremely durable. Made almost completely of molded plastic - this stuff lasts. Left outside in the sun and rain this car really has had minimal plastic fading and no cracks to speak of whatsoever.
Overall, my son is more than thrilled with his Deluxe Cozy Coupe Convertible Car which looks just like the Wiggles Big Red Car and is perfect for pretend play and outdoor fun. The plastic wheels work best on smooth pavement, and can have a bit of trouble with bumpy sidewalks - but that is too be expected. He's completely enamored with the car and wants to ride in it anytime we're out in the backyard. Probably one of my best garage sale finds, ever. Check for one of these at your local sales this summer. Its worth it and more. Honestly, I even recommend this car at the full price for it knowing how much of a hit its been.
This review is part of the Garage Sale write off hosted by Pippadaisy. Garage sales rock!
www.littletikes.com
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 5 Type of Toy: Car, Truck or Raceway
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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