Our experiences:
My son received this toy as a gift last Christmas (from his Fireman Uncle and 911-Operator Aunt), however since my boy was only 6 months old at the time we didn't even take it out of the box for a little while (the age range on the toy says 12 - 36 months). After a while we couldn't resist though, and it has been one of my son's favorites ever since.

My son is a button-fanatic, so this toy is right up his alley. This was also his first and favorite "walking" toy -- he can hold onto the handle at the back and go RUNNING around the house. He also loves to ride -- especially before he could walk we would put him on the seat and push him around. He would turn the steering wheel and "shift" the gears. Pushing and pulling that gear-shift handle is one of his all-time favorite things, and the revving noise the engine makes when he does it makes it that much cuter. He's still a bit young (11 months) and doesn't really play with the interior play set yet (more information on that below), but he does play with the pieces and throw them around. He loves throwing toys inside the play set area and closing the "seat".

The one warning I have about this toy is to be careful if you (the parent) try to push your child while he/she sits on the seat. As I said, we started using this toy a bit too soon, and my son's legs don't quite touch the ground when he sits on the seat. The black handle at the back is at "kid" level, not grown-up level (of course), so if you are tall you'll have to hunch over to push him, and if you try standing straight you run the risk of pulling the handle right out -- which could cause your child to tumble backward and fall. Fortunately our boy didn't fall, but we did accidentally pull the handle out once, so now we get down on our hands and knees to push against the engine body itself, not the handle.

I see this toy easily growing with my son. He is still too short to propel himself forward while sitting on the toy, but I'm looking forward to his being able to roll around on his own. There is just so much to see and do on this toy, it manages to keep my little guy occupied for long periods of time, and he can't even do everything yet!

Product Description:
First, this toy is a ride-on Fire Engine. There are cute graphics on the engine, such as a policeman and fireman waving from the front windows (and a rear-view of them out the back window), a "keep back 100 feet" message on the back bumper, etc. A large black handle at the back of the seat has the dual purpose of being a back-support for the seat, as well as the handle for when the engine is used as a walker. Lights at the front of the fire engine flash whenever sounds are played. Between the seat and the steering wheel are a number of buttons, a key to turn, and a gear-shift handle. The key makes a engine-starting noise when turned, and the gear-shift makes a revving noise when the handle is pushed forward or backward. There is also a horn button, which makes the appropriate honking sound. There are 3 friendly face buttons to push. The Policeman face says "Don't talk to strangers". The Operator-woman face says "Call 911 for help". The Fireman face says "Look both ways before crossing the street". There are also 4 vehicle buttons to push that each make the appropriate sound for that vehicle. There is a Helicopter, Police car, Ambulance, and a Fire Engine.

The seat can be flipped open, revealing an Emergency Command Center play set inside. There are 4 play-figures inside (a fireman, a policeman, a fire hydrant, and a fire extinguisher), each figure is on a different shaped base (square, triangle, circle, star) which corresponds with an indention on the play set floor. If you put the proper shape in its place, a button in the base causes a recorded message to play ("Let's put the fire out", "I spray the water", "This is 911 control, how can I help you?", and "In case of an accident, call 911"). There are also 2 vehicles, a helicopter and a police car, that can be used with the fireman and policeman figures. A plastic console at the back of the play set adds to the command-center feel. Images of a firehose and helicopter landing-pad are on the under-side opened seat - extending the play-area even further.

Quick-hits:
Pros:
+) Many modes of play (walker, ride-on, interior play-set)
+) The engine body is wide and very stable as a walker and ride-on toy.
+) A plastic bar that comes down under the back "bumper" helps to keep the toy from tipping backward, particularly if your tot is using it as a walker.
+) Helpful and educational phrases are played when figure buttons are pushed ("Don't talk to strangers", etc)
+) Doesn't appear to be a battery hog -- we've played with it a lot in the past 4 months and it's still going strong
+) Lots of activites on the outside (buttons to push, steering wheel to turn, gear to push and pull, key to turn), plus an entire play-set on the inside (revealed when the seat is opened)
+) Lots of fun!

Cons:
-) As mentioned above, be careful if you want to push your child -- the black handle will come out if you pull on it hard enough.
-) When my son was learning to walk, he could make the engine tilt back if he fell backward. It would not fall "on" him due to a bar at the back, but the engine isn't heavy enough to prevent his tumble.
-) If "noisy" toys bother you, avoid this one.
-) No volume control, however I don't find the sounds to be too loud (although all the sirens can indeed grate on your nerves)

Final Thoughts:
I'm so grateful to my son's aunt and uncle for getting this toy when they did. My son has had tons of fun with it, and he isn't even 12 months old yet. I see him getting more and more enjoyment out of it the older he gets.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): ?? - gift
Type of Toy: Car, Truck or Raceway
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months