Playmobil - 4345 Vet with Car

We bought this car for my daughter, who was almost 4 at the time, alongside the the Playmobil Pet Clinic. I balked a bit at the price, but we had no other vehicle for her Playmobil people, so I decided to chance it; I'm glad I did. All the Playmobil vehicles, I've noticed, are roughly in the same price range.

This little car, which closely resembles our family car in style, has been well-loved by both of our children. It's such a favorite that, with close supervision, we allow our two year old to use it as a plaything as well. There are small pieces that could conceivably be removed, like the wheels and the hubcaps and tires, and the license plate, but my two year old - thankfully - has yet to discover this.

Both girls love to load up their people in this car and ride them about, and I can't say I blame them. It's an appealing versatile vehicle, very well-constructed and with a realistic style. The tires, which as I mentioned can be removed from the wheels, are rubber and are textured and printed to look like real tires. They are also highly functional; the vehicle rolls smoothly with a light push, just as one might expect and hope it would. The interior of the vehicle is detailed and looks realistic as well. It accommodates two passengers and has an open area in back, presumably for animals, but all kinds of creatures and toys and people hitch a ride in it. The set comes with one veterinarian and about a dozen different medical instruments, a doctor's case, and two trays for storing the bandages, instruments, and ointments.

Really, the only drawback of this car is the fact that it does not have doors, but rather the outline of doors that are not usable in the practical sense. In order to insert passengers, the roof must be removed, and it's not the easiest thing to replace the roof correctly - even for my skillful four year old. This turned out to not be much of a problem initially. The roof has been mostly forgotten, and the car is just as attractive without it. However, as the children have played with the car, minus the roof, the stability of the windshield - also easily removable - has been effected. Ultimately, the windshield began to come off the vehicle frequently, and recently when my youngest tried to replace it on her own, she nearly broke off one of the tabs that attaches the windshield, so it had to be put away until they are older. The car does look rather silly now, without its windshield, but it still sees a lot of play, and it is absolutely the most well-loved vehicle in our household. Of course, had we stuck to the age recommendation this may well have not been an issue, and I didn't dock it any stars as we knew we were taking our chances allowing a younger-than-recommended child play with it.

Overall, if you're willing to accept the non-traditional lack of doors, everything else about this car is fantastic, and very appealing to children. For the recommended age group, it would probably be fairly durable, though the pieces that attach the roof and windshield can be broken if they are forced on incorrectly. If I had it to do over, I would still buy it, as it's absolutely been worth every cent.

For those concerned with country of origin this set is made in Germany.

I loved this toy!! It rocks! I have lots of playmobil. I'm crazy for it. ecspiacly the animal stuff!!! Please comment on this review. tHANK YOU

We got this van to go with the Vet Clinic. Its a great car. My daughters love it. The only thing that frustrates them is the vet doesn't sit easily into the car. Mom had to move the steering wheel a certain way and snap her in there. My daughter who is 5 got a little annoyed. Overall great purchase. I had to go out and buy another one since they fought over it!!!