After comparing a half dozen of these motorized ride-on toys, we discovered they are VERY similar, the main differences being the style (truck, car, tractor, etc). For example, I have complaints about the quality of this Fisher Price Jeep, but in fact it's higher quality than some of the other units we compared (even more expensive ones). So a lot of these comments apply equally to all Fisher Price motorized toys (and even some other brands as well):
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* PRICE ... Watch the prices! When i ordered it, the price was $199 with free Prime shipping, which is exceptional (smaller units start around $250 in stores). Now the price is $306, and may go up even more at Christmas time. The average price point is $250-$300. This is just a warning to watch the price!!
* SHIPPING ... Comes in HUGE heavy box. The box was undamaged, but the left motor broke off in transit, and cracked the frame. I decided to repair it myself instead of waiting for replacement parts (or trying to cram it back in the box), & noticed a design flaw - the rear electric motors (rear wheel drive, each wheel has its own motor) are not attached well at all, I believe there's a good chance they will eventually break off. My suggestion, while assembling it, drill a few extra screws into the frame for extra support.
* ASSEMBLY ... You have to assemble *everything* - absolutely nothing comes pre-assembled. For example, see the rear roll-bar in the photo? That alone is 16 pieces to be screwed together, not including the decals. Allow 90 minutes, but my repair took another 90 minutes, making assembly time a little over 3 hours total for me (from box to complete unit).
For assembly, all you need is Phillips screwdriver (or preferably, cordless screwdriver or cordless drill). The kit comes with a pair of small wrenches (to attach the wheels).
* SIZE ... This will NOT fit through a normal doorway, it's wider than most of the ones I've seen in stores. That makes storage a HUGE pain.
* AGES ... I know the box says 3-6 years, but I say more like 2-5 years. Granted my kids are taller than average, but my 4-year old is already bumping her knees against the dashboard - I'm sure she will have outgrown it by age 6. My 2 1/2 year old does fine with it.
* WHEELS ... Are hard plastic, they slip easily. No worse than any other model, but it basically doesn't work at all in our yard, too many slopes. The ideal surface for this is flat astroturf, but it works well on a flat parking lot. It slips on our wood deck (no traction). It also slips on even slightly damp grass, on uneven grass or tall grass, and uphill.
There are several solutions. You can buy "traction bands" (basically big fat rubber bands), or, spray the tires with rubber grip, available at any hardware store for $6-12 per can. It will peel off over time, just re-apply. Or do an Amazon search for product numbers B0006SU3QW or B007I6IFX8.
* CAPACITY ... This is a 2-seater, fits 2 children fine. Be aware of the dangers of having 2 kids in a vehicle that's easy to jump out of (yes, my 2-year-old jumps out of it while it's still moving, and both kids have had their toes run over several times now! Fortunately no major damage)
The box says weight capacity is 130 pounds, but this thing WILL hold up to 200 pounds (don't ask me how I know this LOL...at night after bedtime, daddy sometimes takes it out for a little joy ride!!).
* BATTERY ... This is basically a small 12 volt car battery (half-size). Remove the battery (under the hood) & bring it inside to charge. It needs to charge it at least once a month or it will die. It's a proprietary battery, you can find generics on eBay or Amazon, or else buy a replacement (or spare) from fisher price.
Battery lasts at least 4 hours (when new). The battery life will shorten over time, best case scenario it will last you a couple years. The instructions say it takes 18 hours to charge, but there is no light indicator, so the only way to know if's full is to check with a battery tester or multimeter. Do not overcharge the battery (i.e., don't leave it plugged in for days at a time) - this AC adapter/charger is not a trickle charger and could fry your battery to overcharge.
* SPEED / GEARS ... There are actually 4 gears, controlled by a shifter in the middle: Low (2.5 mph), High (5 mph), Reverse and allegedly there's a Park (which i can't find, no matter how much I fiddle with the gear shifter). So realistically there's only 3 gears, though it ~really~ needs a brake or a park (while kids are loading/unloading, etc). It comes with a screw in the shifter to lock out high gear - remove the screw when your kids are ready for more speed.
Actually I think the "slow" speed at 2.5mph is still a little fast for small children. Keep in mind, the gas pedal is not an accelerator - it's just an on/off switch. There is no speeding up or slowing down (just go & stop), so you get some whiplash. And there is NO brake pedal.
* TURNING RADIUS ... isn't great, probably 6-8 feet. You really need a lot of flat space to use this. And this is heavy & bulky to take to the park or something like that. You could throw it in a pickup truck fairly easily, but it's too bulky to transport easily in a minivan, crossover, or sedan. If you don't have a big flat yard, or a school/park right next door, think twice.
* TRUNK ... there's really no room in the trunk, despite how the photos look. It's about 3" deep. It looks like there's room for toys, or almost a 3rd child. I believe the motor could probably handle a small 3rd child, but sadly there's no room. Though I've thought about adding a hitch and rigging a trailer to it (DIY).
* STORAGE ... Only option really is garage or shed (with no stairs). The sun will fade it, there are lots of little pockets for water to get trapped, which will rust & breed mosquitos.
* WEIGHT ... It's heavy, about 55 pounds. You have to lift it, it's very difficult for an adult to "drive" it. We have stairs to our front porch, which makes this really difficult to move & store. And it's longer & taller than necessary (the front bumper & the roll bars add several inches to the dimensions), and there's no handles, no good place to lift it. If you try lifting it by the roll bars, they will break.
* STYLING ... is excellent, love the looks of it, lots of little Jeep details. Neighborhood kids love it too.
* OTHER AMENITIES ... None really. No horn, radio, lights or anything like that. All these things are decals. It has a fake key/ignition switch that doesn't do anything.
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So while my kids & I have a blast with it, I still have mixed feelings because we so rarely use it. And they don't really ask for it either. It's a pain to pull out, a pain to store it, and a pain to keep charged up. I have an oversized lot (huge yard, fairly flat), yet it's not even enough, and it's frustrating for everyone as the Jeep gets stuck on a stick or a clump of grass. We have a blast taking it to the neighborhood playground, but loading it up is a chore (I have to take the rear seat out of the minivan in order to transport it). I have a feeling for many people, this is like the exercise machines that get used once or twice then get forgotten.
Well, that's a BUNCH of objective information that will hopefully help you in your shopping - Good Luck!
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