Review: 60487 Yellow Taxi
Posted by CapnRex101,
Taxis are surprisingly rare in LEGO City, often only available as part of a bigger set whenever they are released. 60487 Yellow Taxi therefore makes a pleasant change and the model looks great, especially taking its affordable price into consideration.
This strikes me as an interesting prospect for £12.99, $14.99 or €14.99 and for such a simple model in some regards, the designer has managed to include a few unexpected features.
Summary
60487 Yellow Taxi, 122 pieces.
£12.99 / $14.99 / €14.99 | 10.6p / 12.3c / 12.3c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
60487 Yellow Taxi offers considerable play value, plus lots of printed parts
- Appealing colours and shaping
- Plenty of small features
- All decorated parts are printed
- Strange proportions at the back
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
A driver and a passenger are included and the former is dressed quite stereotypically for a taxi driver, wearing a flat cap and a Hawaiian shirt under a dark brown jacket. This torso appears in several sets, but it looks superb. The passenger's torso also includes a plant-based pattern and this is a new element, which is always nice.
This minifigure certainly seems ready for a holiday, especially given the alternative expression with sunglasses on. I like the textured hair component as well, plus the reddish brown suitcase and the laptop.
The Completed Model
Fundamentally, the taxi is standard fare for modern LEGO City cars. The body is six studs wide and the windscreen is four studs across, which matches the cars in 60408 Car Transporter and last year's 60448 Sports Car, among various others. Additionally, yellow is a common colour for taxis around the world and I think it works here.
This is a 5+ model, like the aforementioned 60448 Sports Car, but any resulting compromises are not obvious. The trans-clear and trans-orange headlights are perfect and I love the curved wedge slopes on top, ensuring the bonnet is smooth. The studs further back seem out of place by comparison.
In addition, the bonnet actually opens to reveal two printed batteries inside. A very similar 1x2 tile has appeared several times before, but this piece is new, replacing the Octan brand with a generic lightning bolt. While I am not sure why a new battery design was considered necessary, the functional bonnet is welcome.
No stickers are included, so the decorated 2x6 tiles on the sides and the 2x4 double slope on the roof are printed, which is always nice. The skyline designs and the roof-mounted sign look great, though the latter is unusual for featuring the name Bricksburg, which is the city from The LEGO Movie. After all, the city in LEGO City is usually identified as LEGO City.
A new bracket has been developed for 2026, similar to the existing 1x2 plate with upward 2x2 bracket and 1x2 plate with downward 2x2 bracket. This one places the 1x2 plate in the middle and a couple are integrated on each side. New brackets always have the potential to be useful.
The roof is easily removable to place two figures inside. There is a steering wheel in front of the driver's seat and a fence piece separating the passenger area, with a digital map attached. This is another printed piece, showing the planned route on a 2x2 inverted tile.
Space is limited in a car of this size, so accommodating two minifigures is not necessarily easy. Its proportions therefore look a bit odd to me, as though the roof extends too far back. I wonder whether removing the grate between the minifigures could improve the situation, but it would be a shame to lose that detail and the map.
Furthermore, I think the back of the taxi looks too bulky, somehow. The shaping is not bad and I like the trans-red lights, but the tiny rear windscreen is awkward. However, I think this was a fair compromise to include an opening boot, which has room for the suitcase and laptop accessories inside.
Overall
Although small and relatively simple, 60487 Yellow Taxi is an essential addition to LEGO City! This kind of vehicle is brilliant for the price of £12.99, $14.99 or €14.99 and its designer, Chris Stamp, has managed to include everything you could hope for, such as a storage space in the back and room for two minifigures inside, plus the unexpected opening bonnet.
All the decorated pieces being printed is a bonus as well, so this is undoubtedly a set worth considering, even though it is overshadowed by some bigger LEGO City sets in the January range.
131 likes
41 comments on this article
Seems quite sleek and sporty for a taxi, Bricksburg must have quite high standards for its transport
One of the many 'must buy' of the city line.
Great set because of the printed parts, the only question is do I need more than one!
"...the taxi is standard fare..."
C'mon, you thought you could slip that one past us?
Great Review! We get stickers in a 1000,- Euro set and this one is printed all around... yeeee.
Ok this is a good little set. A small step up from the usual city cars and I like that.
A big improvement on 40468 which looked like a cut-and-shut with 70s Legoland!
They still haven't made a satisfying taxi that can accomodate 4 minifigs... I wish they'd put some time on that, especially since the techniques exist, as can be seen in some models like Retro Car.
I'm guessing Bricksburg cut its ties with Octan after the fiasco caused by Lord Business in the first Lego Movie.
I can see why the good people of Bricksburg might be disenfranchised with mad-haired, suffocatingly conservative, self-aggrandizing, oil-obsessed presidents who seem to divide their time planning secret wars and cheating at golf. Who would want that?
I like the taxi, even if it’s a little long due to the second seat. Looking at its front it seems share the manufacturer with the new 60486 EV Supercar.
In this timeline, Bricksburg probably enacted legislation to ditch and ban the Octan brand from the oil and clean energy industries due to the company president's misrule, er, misconduct.
"You talkin' to me? Ain't nobody else here. You must be talkin' to me."
It's so strange that it's taken until 2026 to have a basic yellow taxi as a standard retail set in Town or City, but it was worth the wait. This is a great set for the concept and price point, even if it is a little overpriced.
Taxis aren’t common in Lego City or Bricksburg because most residents have their own helicopters.
Thank you so much for the review. I love this set. I have to get it. I'm hoping to replace the top of the sign that depicts Gotham City instead.
Bricksberg seems to be being advertised as a holiday destination with the plane swooshing in the rooftop ad.
I would prefer doors for passengers, even if they have to have stickers.
i very much think a design for a taxi should be one to prioritize having as much seating space for figures as possible. theyre really pushing the 'have lots of seats in 6 wide vehicles' thing this year, this shouldve been their attempt at maximizing that in the smallest package
Have we just given up on car doors?!
I prefer 40532 Vintage Taxi
I presume the taxi is taking the passenger from Bricksberg to Lego City or vice versa.
If only is 8-wide, it would be great
5/5
I bought this because of those BIG PRINTS. Highly recommend this set. (Check part list).
Looks like the designer thought they were making a Speed Champions set and then had to squise it down.
Best modern taxi design yet.
Last time I shouted out "TAXI" in the street, the taxi driver shouted back "PEDESTRIAN!"
What’s a taxi? Is this like an Uber or something?
I missed 40532 but this taxi feels like a good fit for the Boutique Hotel even if it's not a Modular GWP or 8 studs wide - and the passengers outfit also feels like a good fit. Nice job City with its recent vehicles range. I have recently paired the donut truck with the diner, with the teal and pink accents.
Awesome. The only thing that would make it even better imho would be opening doors.
Big Yellow Taxi?
@Crux said:
"I'm guessing Bricksburg cut its ties with Octan after the fiasco caused by Lord Business in the first Lego Movie.
I can see why the good people of Bricksburg might be disenfranchised with mad-haired, suffocatingly conservative, self-aggrandizing, oil-obsessed presidents who seem to divide their time planning secret wars and cheating at golf. Who would want that?"
Comment of the year on Brickset!
Hahaha
@Spacefarer said:
"Big Yellow Taxi?"
They paved Paradisa, and put up a parking lot.
It’s cute. I like it fine and will likely get it. I’m just dying for City to also provide a slightly higher proportion of fun non-vehicle kits so my lil minifig buddies have anywhere to go on their taxi rides! A cinema, a bowling alley, anything. Even 3-in-1 didn’t have anything in the most recent wave.
@lemish34 said:
" @Crux said:
"I'm guessing Bricksburg cut its ties with Octan after the fiasco caused by Lord Business in the first Lego Movie.
I can see why the good people of Bricksburg might be disenfranchised with mad-haired, suffocatingly conservative, self-aggrandizing, oil-obsessed presidents who seem to divide their time planning secret wars and cheating at golf. Who would want that?"
Comment of the year on Brickset!
Hahaha"
Does it not seem a trifle early for that? Four days into the year here, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Putting an inverted tile (which is a fairly new piece) into a fence (which is one of the oldest SNOT techniques around) is a nice blend of the old and the new.
@Phoenixio said:"They still haven't made a satisfying taxi that can accomodate 4 minifigs... I wish they'd put some time on that, especially since the techniques exist, as can be seen in some models like Retro Car."
There isn't a set called "Retro Car." Which set are you talking about?
@Elberik said:"Looks like the designer thought they were making a Speed Champions set and then had to squise it down."
Funny you should say that, because the designer used to be the Speed Champs design lead.
@lemish34 said:
" @Crux said:
"I'm guessing Bricksburg cut its ties with Octan after the fiasco caused by Lord Business in the first Lego Movie.
I can see why the good people of Bricksburg might be disenfranchised with mad-haired, suffocatingly conservative, self-aggrandizing, oil-obsessed presidents who seem to divide their time planning secret wars and cheating at golf. Who would want that?"
Comment of the year on Brickset!
Hahaha"
No, that would be the one immediately after yours:
@Prairiebricker said:" @Spacefarer said:"Big Yellow Taxi?"
They paved Paradisa, and put up a parking lot."
@Prairiebricker said:
" @Spacefarer said:
"Big Yellow Taxi?"
They paved Paradisa, and put up a parking lot."
Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til its gone?
@Lego_Lord_Mayorca said:
" @Prairiebricker said:
" @Spacefarer said:
"Big Yellow Taxi?"
They paved Paradisa, and put up a parking lot."
Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til its gone?"
Well, I'm gonna build my spaceship
Build it myself in blue and trans yellow and light bluish gray
@TheOtherMike said:
"
@Phoenixio said:"They still haven't made a satisfying taxi that can accomodate 4 minifigs... I wish they'd put some time on that, especially since the techniques exist, as can be seen in some models like Retro Car."
There isn't a set called "Retro Car." Which set are you talking about?"
I meant Vintage Car, 40448 . The technique they used could be adapted for a 4 person vehicle. Same for the Flying Moon Car, 40789.
@Lego_Lord_Mayorca said:
" @Prairiebricker said:
" @Spacefarer said:
"Big Yellow Taxi?"
They paved Paradisa, and put up a parking lot."
Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til its gone?"
They paved Paradisa, and put up a parking lot.
"Chris Stamp, has managed to include everything you could hope for, such as a storage space in the back and room for two minifigures inside, plus the unexpected opening bonnet."
Opening doors. Bare minimum for a decent Pan…er, car.
@TheOtherMike:
Maybe Vintage Car, the GWP with surfboards on the sides, and side-by-side seating in a 6-wide design?
Looks cool
but they didn't pave paradise and put up a parking lot
Very excited for this!! The price is great and yeah taxis for LEGO City don't normally appear as set by itself, so this is really cool. I also appreciate a new torso print in a smaller set. The prints are wonderful and I do like the nod to the LEGO Movie!