Worst City Sets?

[Quandale Dingle]

What are the worst Lego City sets?

[Lemerbrix]

Hmm, in recent memory, I’d say:

#1: 60295: stunt show arena: lot of the stuntz sets have gimmicks that don’t really work, and this is a good example, the only part of the set I liked were the monster trucks, especially the “cyber beast” one, both are really entertaining, and fun to mess around with

#2: 60328: beach lifeguard station: ok, like, where am I supposed to put this in my city display? I got it so I could complete my ice cream truck crooks (if you watch Lego city adventures you’ll understand) but besides that this set doesn’t have much, the turtle is nice though, I would have liked to see a seagull in a cheap set for once

3: 60360: spinning stunt challenge: unlike the last 2, I don’t own this set, but from what I can tell, the gimmick barely works, the minifigs are decent, but have such generic hairpieces (though I do like getting olly’s hair from Lego friends in a non-minidoll set) and, to add insult to injury, another recent stuntz set, which has more pieces, is cheaper, comes with more play, has the “Karen hair” in dark orange, previously exclusive to the table football set, AND has an exclusive Dino stunt bike

but, that’s just me

[jus1973]

I think the stunt show sets are a bit of an odd side-line.  And, whilst we don’t have a current docks and coastguard, anything beach related is a bit odd too.  I also think some of the current emergency services sets lack appeal when compared to previous generations.

[Quandale Dingle]

I think the school sucks because the price is bad, the school is small and does not have a roof, and the bus is too small and does not have opening doors. 

[The Island Chronicles]

Pretty much all the pull cord helicopter sets of 2020. Those did so horrible that they were one and done. The helicopters didn't even fly. They fell straight to the ground after pulling the cord. 

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

The 60320 fire station is the emblem of a childish and disproportionate style.
I find the set ridiculously small for something that should be much larger.
A classic theme completely annihilated!

Edited April 16, 2023 by LEGO Train 12 Volts

[Quandale Dingle]

I own that set, jokes on you.

[TeriXeri]

On 4/15/2023 at 11:53 PM, The Brick Boss said:

Pretty much all the pull cord helicopter sets of 2020. Those did so horrible that they were one and done. The helicopters didn't even fly. They fell straight to the ground after pulling the cord. 

Yeah those are definately up on the list of failed City sets, especially recent ones. 

Sky Police had parachutes but they actually worked, and Stuntz bikes also work fine.

I have mixed feelings about Stuntz and particularly a whole bunch of overpriced sets, but at least the theme is still easily accesible, with bikes being sold seperate and at least in Europe, some nice €20 entry point sets (priced much worse in US). 

 

Pull Cord helicopters that don't work are just on a whole different level from that. 

Perhaps the "Worst" sets are the sets that get straight up canceled, like the 60278 Crook's Hideout Raid did, mainly the fact it was canceled this late, after showing up in instructions of another set already. (the vehicles still got repurposed for 60317: Police Chase at the Bank, but after 2021 , seems City criminals stopped using bombs altogether)

Edited April 17, 2023 by TeriXeri

[The Island Chronicles]

@TeriXeri I love the working bikes for Stuntz. I wish the motor was avalible outside the Stuntz subtheme. Like make a police or fire bike with a motor.

[Quandale Dingle]

On 4/17/2023 at 3:06 PM, TeriXeri said:

Yeah those are definately up on the list of failed City sets, especially recent ones. 

Sky Police had parachutes but they actually worked, and Stuntz bikes also work fine.

I have mixed feelings about Stuntz and particularly a whole bunch of overpriced sets, but at least the theme is still easily accesible, with bikes being sold seperate and at least in Europe, some nice €20 entry point sets (priced much worse in US). 

 

Pull Cord helicopters that don't work are just on a whole different level from that. 

Perhaps the "Worst" sets are the sets that get straight up canceled, like the 60278 Crook's Hideout Raid did, mainly the fact it was canceled this late, after showing up in instructions of another set already. (the vehicles still got repurposed for 60317: Police Chase at the Bank, but after 2021 , seems City criminals stopped using bombs altogether)

If 60278 had been made, I would buy it!

[Quandale Dingle]

12 hours ago, Quandale Dingle said:

If 60278 had been made, I would buy it!

The pull cord helicopters suck too. They don’t even fly from what I have heard.

[CDKiii]

On 4/16/2023 at 8:30 AM, LEGO Train 12 Volts said:

The 60320 fire station is the emblem of a childish and disproportionate style.
I find the set ridiculously small for something that should be much larger.
A classic theme completely annihilated!

In the other hand, it is one the the cheapest fire station that lego has released, even with the global rise of the price all lego sets. So i prefer that , more little set than a big fire station with 4 parking lanes, 4 trucks  2 motorbikes et one helicopter at 200€.

For children who are the primary target of city theme,  it is better .

 

[TeriXeri]

20 minutes ago, CDKiii said:

In the other hand, it is one the the cheapest fire station that lego has released, even with the global rise of the price all lego sets. So i prefer that , more little set than a big fire station with 4 parking lanes, 4 trucks  2 motorbikes et one helicopter at 200€.

For children who are the primary target of city theme,  it is better .

 

Agreed, the 2019 and 2022 Fire stations certainly were not bad, smaller yes, but also cheaper.

I mean, this was $50 back then ( around $85 now ) 

Nowadays the current equivalent would be 2023 60375: Fire Station and Fire Engine ( ok it doesn't have a bike or heli but also still cheaper at €35, and a 4+ heli is sold seperately) , but there are options at least these days, because the 2022 fire station is still there , unlike the year 2000, there was just the Town Junior, 2003 Jack Stone, and wasn't until 2005 when City released a normal fire station again.

 

I think splitting the building and bigger fire trucks was a good move, for 2019 and 2022, as it means the Fire stations are much cheaper then those Downtown fire sets now.

 

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by TeriXeri

[Lemerbrix]

On 4/17/2023 at 2:06 PM, TeriXeri said:

Perhaps the "Worst" sets are the sets that get straight up canceled, like the 60278 Crook's Hideout Raid did, mainly the fact it was canceled this late, after showing up in instructions of another set already. (the vehicles still got repurposed for 60317: Police Chase at the Bank, but after 2021 , seems City criminals stopped using bombs altogether)

The truck was repurposed for the police Chase at the Bank, the helicopter wasn't, a shame too, as that was a very good looking helicopter

Above: Police Chase at the Bank, below: Crook's Hideout Raid

I actually want to moc the Crook's Hideout Raid helicopter, with a vibrant yellow recolor 

[TeriXeri]

4 hours ago, Lemerbrix said:

The truck was repurposed for the police Chase at the Bank, the helicopter wasn't, a shame too, as that was a very good looking helicopter

Thanks, I should've looked at pics more, I knew about the dual rotors being different but yeah that canceled helicopter was a lot bigger , especially the tail area, with a central tail rotor.

Closest real world model seems to be something like the S-97 raider. with somewhat different landing gear / tail fins.

(S-97 and the larger SB-1 are designed for the military in origin) , so some changes seem to happen from time to time with unlicensed City sets which resemble  helicopters/jet aircraft, like the Sky Police jet/helicopter, Airshow jet transporter etc.

Edited April 20, 2023 by TeriXeri

[Quandale Dingle]

I think that 60370 sucks because the police station is too tiny. This video says all about modern lego city vs. old lego city.

 

 

[CDKiii]

1 hour ago, Quandale Dingle said:

I think that 60370 sucks because the police station is too tiny. This video says all about modern lego city vs. old lego city.

 

 

As i said, fire and police station sets had their price increasing for almost a decade. As adults we'd like big sets with great accuracy, but thes 2023 city sets are mainly for kids, especially the 60370 and 60375 which are 4+.

What would a child  do with a 500+ pieces set. Especially when they lost after one week the little accessories and had broken ten time a truck with 3 books of instructions.

In the other hand you have the fire brigade 60321 and the hospital 60330 as big sets for 99,99€ each for bigger children.

Lego is right when they try to hook young kids, especially with police and firefighters. 

I'm the perfect exemple. Tafol when i was young, all my legos in a box in the attic, then kids came, we buy them some sets and the lego madness come back. LEGO wins !!!

[bright22]

Since 2020, all city series are bad except these sets

60253 - Ice-cream Truck

60271 - Main Square (it's not a good set, it's only just OK!) 

30569 - Lego Stand

30588 - Kids playground

The rest of the sets are overprice, and the City is definitely going to wrong direction

Always Police station, fire station, Hospital 

Another issues Lego is thinking More pieces = more details = better look .. it's completely wrong direction - look at the fire bridage this year - it's completely joke - out of scale.... how can these brigade are moving around in the city/town

It's devasted to see Lego City is in the wrong direction but still some people are "selling" they are good ...........

When I started to play Lego 40 years+, those sets are looking much better than what we are seeing nowadays...

I am not a person NOT willing to buy new concept, or new type of bricks - I love the idea for Dot series, Friends series mixing in my town/city

Friends series is completely KO City series now... 

How on earth is Friends series is getting better, and improving in this 5-10 years, City series is going backwards and getting from bad to worst?  

(Plus, I definitely don't want to talk about the new road system since 2021....)

[Lemerbrix]

Let's be honest here folks, Lego City peaked in 2017, with the lego city undercover remaster

Since then, it's been evolving, just backwards

[Killian]

If you want good town sets, you buy Lego Friends not Lego City. That's just how it is now.

[The Island Chronicles]

On 4/17/2023 at 3:06 PM, TeriXeri said:

Perhaps the "Worst" sets are the sets that get straight up canceled, like the 60278 Crook's Hideout Raid did, mainly the fact it was canceled this late, after showing up in instructions of another set already. (the vehicles still got repurposed for 60317: Police Chase at the Bank, but after 2021 , seems City criminals stopped using bombs altogether)

Oh come Lego! Couldn't it had just been a special set that you could only get through mail order or something? You had to cancel it entirely. 

On 4/16/2023 at 2:30 AM, LEGO Train 12 Volts said:

The 60320 fire station is the emblem of a childish and disproportionate style.
I find the set ridiculously small for something that should be much larger.
A classic theme completely annihilated!

I have that fire station! I think that fire station was actually nice. Easy to customize too! 

Edited April 21, 2023 by The Brick Boss

[TeriXeri]

50 minutes ago, The Brick Boss said:

I have that fire station! I think that fire station was actually nice. Easy to customize too! 

Yeah the fact they put the garage on technic pins and symmetrical design, means AFOL who want Bigger can easily expand it with 2+ sets. (or perhaps modify a Police Station Modular or something more like Fire Brigade was)

The 2019 fire station was nice for the Dockside small set from the same year as well.

The 2023 Fire Boat certainly is one of the best small Fire boats LEGO has done (won't compare it to the big ships from 2010 and 2016) , but for a smaller fire boat it's certainly better looking compared to 2021, 2019 , 2015 and 2013. (also comes with a Black hull, so can be used for Police Boat, or just generic boat easily as well)

 

Edited April 21, 2023 by TeriXeri

[Quandale Dingle]

On 4/21/2023 at 4:47 PM, The Brick Boss said:

Oh come Lego! Couldn't it had just been a special set that you could only get through mail order or something? You had to cancel it entirely. 

I have that fire station! I think that fire station was actually nice. Easy to customize too! 

Exactly! I got it a few weeks ago and now I’m turning the fire truck into a Coca-Cola truck, and I will use the fire station parts for my custom Shell gas station, McDonald’s, and Pizza Hut MOCs.

[The Island Chronicles]

2 hours ago, Quandale Dingle said:

Exactly! I got it a few weeks ago and now I’m turning the fire truck into a Coca-Cola truck, and I will use the fire station parts for my custom Shell gas station, McDonald’s, and Pizza Hut MOCs.

My town doesn't like very tall buildings. So I took the top floor off of mine and just made it a two story building. 

[Quandale Dingle]

On 4/21/2023 at 6:07 AM, bright22 said:

Since 2020, all city series are bad except these sets

60253 - Ice-cream Truck

60271 - Main Square (it's not a good set, it's only just OK!) 

30569 - Lego Stand

30588 - Kids playground

The rest of the sets are overprice, and the City is definitely going to wrong direction

Always Police station, fire station, Hospital 

Another issues Lego is thinking More pieces = more details = better look .. it's completely wrong direction - look at the fire bridage this year - it's completely joke - out of scale.... how can these brigade are moving around in the city/town

It's devasted to see Lego City is in the wrong direction but still some people are "selling" they are good ...........

When I started to play Lego 40 years+, those sets are looking much better than what we are seeing nowadays...

I am not a person NOT willing to buy new concept, or new type of bricks - I love the idea for Dot series, Friends series mixing in my town/city

Friends series is completely KO City series now... 

How on earth is Friends series is getting better, and improving in this 5-10 years, City series is going backwards and getting from bad to worst?  

(Plus, I definitely don't want to talk about the new road system since 2021....)

Not all of them are overpriced or bad, and we only got at least 4 hospitals.