My sons, ages 2 and 5, love playing with each other, yet they have fairly different interests. My 5 year old is obsessed with Transformers while my 2 year old is obsessed with vehicles. Fisher Price's new Car-nivores line manages to appeal to the special interests of both my boys, so the toys are the current hit in our household.

Product Description:

Fisher Price describes these toys as "car on the outside, but inside lives a beast." I like to think of them as vehicular jack-in-the-boxes. Essentially, when in an un-popped state the toy looks like a cute, chunky little vehicle. When you press a button on the back bumper the car springs to life like a jack-in-the-box, revealing a cute but semi-threatening looking animal inside. There are currently 4 cars in the Car-nivores line: a tiger, a T-Rex, a snake, and a shark.

In car form the Tiger vehicle is a cute, old-fashioned hot-rod looking car with a separate engine block and fancy running boards. Of the cars in the Car-nivores series so far, the look of the tiger car is my favorite.

When you press a button on the rear bumper the car pops open to reveal the tiger inside. The rear of the car's body pops up and tilts forward, although unlike the Shark Car-nivore the vehicle isn't heavy enough to warrant two mini-wheels on the front bumper to support the weight. The passenger compartment pops up to become the tiger's head, complete with pop-up ears and the front-side windshields popping down to reveal the tiger's eyes. The tiger's mouth is large and contains some pointy teeth and a pink tongue. The expression is a cross between ferocious and cheerful - with the corners of the mouth curving up into a smile. The jaw can be opened and closed, either with your fingers or using a button toward the back of the tiger's head. The running boards pop up to reveal the tiger's paws.

To turn the tiger back into a car, you simply press down on the top of the car until it catches. That's it! It is easy enough for my just-turned 2 year old to do on his own.

The toy measures 3 inches high, 3½ inches wide and 5½ inches long when in car form. The manufacturer recommends this toy for children ages 3 and up. No batteries are required.

Our Thoughts & Experiences:

Our boys now have 3 of the 4 Car-nivores currently available, and the tiger is their very favorite (followed by the shark). I don't really know why -- I personally think that the tiger is the cutest, but I don't think that the cute-factor is affecting their judgment too much. I won't claim that Car-nivores keep my 5 year old occupied for hours on end, but my youngest loves them and typically carries one around the house with him at all times. Because my eldest enjoys playing with them too, it is a toy that encourages both of my sons to happily play with each other for an extended period of time.

I appreciate the fact that both the pop-up action and the ability to close the figure back down into a car are very easy to do. We owned these toys before my youngest had even turned 2 and he's always been able to pop open and close the toys on his own without problem. He loves them, in fact. When they were new he used to squeal with delight every time the creature popped up.

The Car-nivores are very durable toys, having been dropped more times than I can count by my toddler. They've also withstood repeated trips to his preschool for show-and-tell (where his little buddies are none-too-gentle with them either). I love the cute & chunky design of the car, as well as the fearsome-without-being-scary look of the tiger itself.

Fisher Price also deserves an award for finally making it easy for parents to remove a toy from its packaging (without requiring blow torches, wire cutters, and sledge hammers). In its packaging the toy is secured to the box at its base (so you can try out the pop-up action before you purchase it). There is a perforated section on the bottom of the box with a "pull here" opening, so the bottom of the box is easily removed to reveal little lock-latches inside. Just turn the latches and your Car-nivore is released! No twist-ties! My two boys, who were with me when I purchased their Car-nivores, certainly appreciated how quickly I was able to get their cars opened and they were able to start playing.

Quickie Summary:
Pros:
+) Cute car toy that pops-up into a character toy
+) Tiger's mouth opens and closes, eyes open, paws pop up
+) Easy enough for little ones to operate
+) Very clever design
+) Durable
+) Appeals to both my 5 year old and my 2 year old!
+) Easy to remove from the packaging!!
+) No batteries required
Cons:
-) None really

Final Thoughts:

Everyone in our family loves these little cars with a surprise inside, and the Tiger Car-nirvor is a particular favorite. It is easy enough for my little guy to work while still being interesting enough to keep both my little and big guys entertained for a while. I'm very pleased!



Related Reviews:
Shark Car-nivore

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 8.00