REVIEW: 4436 Patrol Car (2012)

[AFOLEGODT]

Hi All,

I decided to get into the review business. I generally like to read reviews that help to decide what is worth buying. Therefore I'll try to give the maximum amount of information I would expect from a review.

It seems I am the first to review the 2012 set 4436 Patrol Car on Eurobricks, I was lucky to obtain it so early.

So let's get started with the box:

Box contents:

Sticker sheet:

Parts:

New parts:

New colors:

Let the build start:

Minifig close-up:

Building the barrier:

Building the car:

Spare parts:

Finished set (without stickers yet) and remaining pages of instructrions:

Parts list close-up:

Finished model from different angles (no stickers yet for those who prefer not to apply them):

Stickers applied:

I was curious: will it fit?

Unfortunately not, the problem is width:

And length also:

A simple scene: Criminal seems to have escaped, barrier is down, Obese Officer won't follow without the car. Criminal does not care about the warning sign:

But criminal has to make a tough decision soon: an overweight officer is still a better company than an overweight teddy bear:

They both fit easily into the car - at last! Car base has always been enough for two minifigs for a long time, only the optimal roof part was missing:

Verdict

Here comes the difficult part, there are so many aspects... I'll try with the usual categories:

Design: 10/10 I think both the car and the barrier look realistic, car has great proportions. They are quite robust too. A balanced city set.

Build: 6/10 Nothing interesting, no sign of any clever build ideas, easy for kids, does not get boring for adults either as it is ready so quickly.

Playability: 8/10 It has not been possible to arrest a criminal and seat to the back of a normal car until now, this is a great improvement. On the other hand this is about all, I don't know what the barrier should add to the play experience aside from what I pictured on the scene.

Minifigs: 6/10. 10/10 for the new ranger outfit, and 2/10 for the criminal in the often criticised prisoner outfit. We want real criminals in usual LEGO-like stereotypical outfits (they actually have a gangster rapper among the collectible minifigs already), not losers who prepare for imprisonment right at the start when doing crime...

Parts: 10/10 A couple of new parts and new colors in a relatively cheap set.

By the way I won't take price into account as it varies so much.

Overall: 8/10

High-resolution images will be available at 4436 Patrol Car 2012 High Resolution

You can help me decide what 2012 set is review next (when I have time):

• 4206 Recycling Truck
  
• 4437 Police Pursuit
  
• 4441 Police Dog Van
  
• I should better stay away from reviewing, never post again
  

Thanks for reading!

Edited December 31, 2011 by Rick
Indexed

[TheLegoDr]

Thanks for the review. It will definitely help people get a feel for the set and what to expect.

I like the new police hat for sure.

I like that you can put two people in the vehicle also.

Keep up the good reviews.

[Final Exit]

Thanks for the review, it's another superb looking set, Lego have really got the designs right this last couple of years, it's on my next order :D

[LEGO City]

Excellent review! The only cool thing about the set (to me) is the Police Park Ranger minifig :( Without the Police stickers, the 1x4 blue transparent tile on the roof, and the side flashlight, this could be a civilians car!

[JackJonespaw]

Good review. Lego really needs to make some more robber heads. They keep catching the same four men.

[rriggs]

I originally posted these comments elsewhere in the forums but I think they go better here!

I got 4436 the Police Cara couple of day's ago and I am very impressed with it. It's one of the neatest and most cohesive designs of cop car there's been in City for a while now. Here's why I think this:

• The proportions are good (not too flat and squashed looking)
  
• The details are nice (door mirrors, flashlight, bumper bar)
  
• I really like the new colour scheme
  
• New roof piece (6x4 rather than the usual 4x4 with curves at both ends)
  
• The car fits two minifigures
  
• The detail on the new ranger figure is really good. A bit American maybe but a great new minifig nonetheless
  

The gate/cattle grid is a bit superfluous and I'm bored of the same old villain in every police set now. I would have preferred just the cop and the car and a quid or two off the price.

Thanks for the review and the multiple photos.

Cheers

Rog

Edited December 31, 2011 by rriggs

[ACWWgal2011]

How much did the set cost?

[rriggs]

How much did the set cost?

I paid £7.99

Cheers

Rog

[lightningtiger]

Thanks ' AFOLEGODT ' for this review, actually I wouldn't find it boring just quick that's all.....but those new parts will be handy.

My only beef is with the police man, he only has the top half of his radio on his belt on his back....look closely.

Apart from that and oh, yeah no doors....it's good set to add to anyone's city collection.

You asked what to review next, either 4206 or 4437.

Brick On Review On !

[L@go]

I bought this set a couple of weeks ago, and while I generally like the design and also appreciate the fact that two minifigures can fit inside the car, what I don't like is that the ranger hat is so big that the officer needs to lean way back into the lap of his prisoner to fit underneath the new car roof. It looks weird, and personally I'm not sure that I think the advantage of having room for two weighs up for that design 'flaw'.

[Brickviller]

Yesterday I looked at a store display of all the forest sets, and for a moment I thought this car was one of the best of the entire wave. However the fact that I already have like 15 older police cars made me decide not to buy it, but your review made me think about it again