Review: 42659 Friendship Road-Trip Travel Car
Posted by MeganL,
Vacation mode continues in Heartlake City. After spending some time on the water in 42664 Travel Boat Adventure, it's time for the Friends to head off for their next adventure.
This leg takes them by car, in 42659 Friendship Road-Trip Travel Car. Where are they headed? I suspect that will be a different review. In the meantime, let's check out the Friends' ride.
Summary
42659 Friendship Road-Trip Travel Car, 220 pieces.
£17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99 | 8.2p / 9.1c / 9.1c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
An affordable set with a lot of play value
- Plenty of accessories
- Two minidolls and a pet
- None
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
inside the box there are four numbered bags, a canoe piece in vibrant coral, an instruction book and a small sticker sheet. Being a $20 set, it makes sense that there aren't many stickers.
Minidolls and animals
Two of the Friends are in this set - Liann and Aliya. Liann is wearing a shirt with a fruit design, perhaps a nod to the fact that she always seems to be snacking on something! Aliya is again wearing the shirt that reminds me of my grandmother's crocheted afghans.
Wherever they're going, it's pet friendly! Aliya's dog Aira is on the roadtrip as well.
The completed model
One of the benefits of a roadtrip is that you can bring all the things you need, and you don't worry about space. Liann and Aliya are taking advantage of this with their road trip. The top of the car is laden with everything the girls need. A cooler with snacks - hopefully for the Friends, but definitely for Aira, a skateboard and a kayak, here in vibrant coral.
A printed piece shows the map that the Friends are following.
Did someone say cooler? If there are snacks, then visitors might show up.
(Note: snacking sloths not included in this set.)
In addition to a skateboard, inline skates are also included. There are plenty of opportunities for Liann and Aliya to get active.
With everything loaded, the car is ready to go!
Even with the generous luggage rack, there still isn't enough space to hold everything the Friends need. A small trailer is used to carry some extra gear, including the inline skates.
The trailer is primarily used to carry two chairs. I love the custom license plate on the trailer (it's also found on the car).
The car is big enough for two minidolls to fit in the front seat, with plenty of room for Aira in the back. The roof lifts off for easy access.
There are some beverages right at hand. The Friends are prepared!
Those visitors came for the cooler, but stayed for the joy-ride.
(Note: joy-riding sloths not included in this set.)
Overall thoughts
For a $20, you get a lot for the money with this set. Two minidolls, a pet, and a vehicle with plenty of accessories. I like that the vehicle easily fits two minidolls (and the pet), and there are so many accessories for the Friends to have on their trip.
It's also an interesting parts pack. A parts inventory can be found here (if you're looking for a vibrant coral kayak, this is the set for you!).
I think this is one of the best sets of the year at this price range.
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21 comments on this article
This set is pretty much perfect. Two minifigs, a good sized realistic car that fits them both, a trailer and a kayak, for twenty bucks. Thanks for the review.
My biggest thing is, why can't LEGO make City sets with the same features & accessories? This set is chock full of items and things to play out all sorts of scenarios, can LEGO city get the same treatment? It'd be nice to have this level of design for boys sets too.
I have that and even nominated it for the recent best-value poll. Fantastic playset and accesories; only thing it needs is better storage for them (one helmet is still missing...)
Don't you just love LEGO object proportions? The skateboard has to go on the roof of the car, and the skates in the trailer! And they'd be able to pack more for their trip if they got folding chairs. :)
Nice set. I would give it to my daughter if she weren't already in her Lego dark ages. And it's true: many Friends sets are more appealing than City sets these days.
That new phone tile is great, I hope we see that elsewhere.
@Denmark_Dragon said:
"My biggest thing is, why can't LEGO make City sets with the same features & accessories? This set is chock full of items and things to play out all sorts of scenarios, can LEGO city get the same treatment? It'd be nice to have this level of design for boys sets too."
I really like 60447 at the same price. It has a decent amount of features and accessories too. Only one minifig and no animals though.
60452 was a good one as well, with 2 minifigs. I'm a big fan of that one.
60461 with two minifigs and two sheep, along with the really nice tractor and trailer seems a steal to me.
@Denmark_Dragon said:
"My biggest thing is, why can't LEGO make City sets with the same features & accessories? This set is chock full of items and things to play out all sorts of scenarios, can LEGO city get the same treatment? It'd be nice to have this level of design for boys sets too."
I mean, 60447 is kind of similar in concept (though lacking the skateboard, kayak, and trailer). Friends does make some things easier though, like sitting two characters side-by side in a 6-wide vehicle (harder to do with minifigures without expanding the width a la Speed Champions).
I think comparing the two gives good insight into the differing priorities of City and Friends. Friends is focused a lot on character play, hence the inclusion of lots of different activities for the two mini-doll characters, whereas City focuses more on rugged vehicle play with only one figure but features like a winch, opening hood, and big off-road tires. I don't think either approach is necessarily wrong but they do have different appeal.
I'm fine with minidolls. They can live side by side with minifigures as far as I'm concerned, but that strange paddle-construction does bring up their annoying lack of wrist-mobility. I'm really wondering if we haven't advanced to the point where these thin arms can't be moulded in a softer, more pliable plastic, so the minidolls can be given rotating claws like their minifigure-cousins.
Autumn can rotate her prosthetic hand. Imagine how baffling that must be to the rest of Heartlake City, they must think she's some sort of wizard.
This is, as far as I can tell, the second time ever that a Friends car hasn't included any kind of destination as a side build. Presumably it didn't feel necessary, given all the extra gear the car is toting. (The first time this happened was of course that iconic 2012 polybag, you know it, you love it, give it up for 30103 "Car.")
What a great set. I don’t think I have ever noticed the in-line skates piece before.
@Denmark_Dragon said:
"My biggest thing is, why can't LEGO make City sets with the same features & accessories? This set is chock full of items and things to play out all sorts of scenarios, can LEGO city get the same treatment? It'd be nice to have this level of design for boys sets too."
I agree, this car has so much going on -- and it looks just a good as any LEGO City car. Instead of the sloths, it would've been nice if @MeganL had included a picture with standard LEGO minifigs for a sense of scale, as I can imagine a lot of people buying this set for their minifig LEGO cities.
@vizzitor said:
" @Denmark_Dragon said:
"My biggest thing is, why can't LEGO make City sets with the same features & accessories? This set is chock full of items and things to play out all sorts of scenarios, can LEGO city get the same treatment? It'd be nice to have this level of design for boys sets too."
I really like 60447 at the same price. It has a decent amount of features and accessories too. Only one minifig and no animals though.
60452 was a good one as well, with 2 minifigs. I'm a big fan of that one.
60461 with two minifigs and two sheep, along with the really nice tractor and trailer seems a steal to me."
Correct, these are GOOD examples, I want to see MORE of this in designs going forward. Sets like 60387 & the recent set from BDP bearing the same name (although expensive at $80) and even all the way back when Town existed with 6490 all are vehicles with plenty of gear. I'm just enamored by the sheer decadence friends receives with sets like 42664, full interiors, things to do, 2 detachable jet skis, it's brilliant. Want to see that lavishing in other themes, as it creates more possibilities for lpay.
This strikes me as the 75099 of Lego Friends - relatively inconspicuous storage compartment, two good figs, lots of play options, all for a fair $20
J'ai pris ce set pour des essieux et faire des véhicules en 6 de large. Et, finalement, je n'y ai pas touché. Je l'aime bien.
@Crux said:
"I'm fine with minidolls. They can live side by side with minifigures as far as I'm concerned, but that strange paddle-construction does bring up their annoying lack of wrist-mobility. I'm really wondering if we haven't advanced to the point where these thin arms can't be moulded in a softer, more pliable plastic, so the minidolls can be given rotating claws like their minifigure-cousins."
Yeah, I wonder if Lego is now wishing they had made the minidoll arms just a bit thicker so they could do minifig-style separate hand pieces that can rotate. The lack of wrist joints is really the only major drawback of the minidoll format.
A softer plastic for the arms to allow them to twist is pretty much a no-go though. That would lead to permanent deformation and the wrists eventually cracking through and the hands falling off.
"Autumn can rotate her prosthetic hand. Imagine how baffling that must be to the rest of Heartlake City, they must think she's some sort of wizard."
That line of thought leads directly to a cyborg dystopia, where since people with prosthetics are more able than the general populance, it creates pressure for otherwise normal people to choose to borg themselves to keep up with the people who never had a choice.
I know that it's Keetorange, not yellow, but I still thought of the Pizza Planet truck when I saw the set.
@gearwheel said:" @Crux said:"...Autumn can rotate her prosthetic hand. Imagine how baffling that must be to the rest of Heartlake City, they must think she's some sort of wizard."
That line of thought leads directly to a cyborg dystopia, where since people with prosthetics are more able than the general populance, it creates pressure for otherwise normal people to choose to borg themselves to keep up with the people who never had a choice."
"We are the Borg. You will be assimilated."
@gearwheel said:
"Yeah, I wonder if Lego is now wishing they had made the minidoll arms just a bit thicker so they could do minifig-style separate hand pieces that can rotate. The lack of wrist joints is really the only major drawback of the minidoll format."
Several of the myriade of proto-dolls that LEGO tested had moveable wrists (and individually moveable legs) - none of them was acceptable to the testgroups! The going theory is that girls in general are quite pragmatic, they are more concerned with reality than functionality. The figures needs to look like humans, and they need a bathroom - imagination supplies the means to ascend invisible stairs (that’s how classic dollhouses works after all) and have the figure interact with the world i.e. drink from a mug, use a hairbrush, grab a handle etc.
On another note:
I’m a bit concerned for the succes of this trip - their phone is nearly decharged!
It's a great set.
The only thing that has always had me puzzled with these kinds of Friends sets is why aren't the parents with them? I mean who's supposed to be driving the car? The Friends are meant to be kids/early teens are they not? Even in the US, where for some strange reason you are allowed to drive at the age of 16 instead of as an adult, the Friends would be too young to drive legally. Or is Heartlake City meant to be in one of those states where people are allowed to drive at the age of 14?
The sloth joke is getting old IMHO. Nice little set though.
@AustinPowers said:
"It's a great set.
The only thing that has always had me puzzled with these kinds of Friends sets is why aren't the parents with them? I mean who's supposed to be driving the car? The Friends are meant to be kids/early teens are they not? Even in the US, where for some strange reason you are allowed to drive at the age of 16 instead of as an adult, the Friends would be too young to drive legally. Or is Heartlake City meant to be in one of those states where people are allowed to drive at the age of 14?"
It ain't that kind of worldbuilding, kid.
Cartoon children are always full of wisdom, ability, responsibility, and independence beyond their years.
There's a cartoon special where Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang fly to France, rent a car, drive across the countryside, and camp in a spooky castle ruin, all entirely without adult help or supervision.