Toot Toot Drivers Super Circuit RC Raceway Review
DISCLOSURE – THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS…
Reviewed by Emily B
I had the opportunity to review the Vtech Toot Toot Drivers Super Circuit RC Raceway. I have a 3 year old so with a target age range of 1-5 years this toy was perfect. Vtech have an excellent reputation for educational toys for children and are a market leader with a diverse catalogue.
My daughter was so excited when we unboxed it and instantly exclaimed “I love this!” Before we’d even begun assembling the track. The Vtech name is synonymous with bright colours, music and lights which hold the attention of young children.
The track comes with pictorial instructions for assembly and is straightforward. We actually found it easier to look at the image on the box to show us where the pieces go, and it took hardly any time at all. My tip – apply the stickers before you assemble! Not only did I have to dodge the racing cars (she couldn’t wait), but the angles were also awkward. You receive two sheets of A4 of labels which you have to apply yourself. Having recently received a toy requiring fiddly label attachment, I wasn’t too enthused at this toy also requiring it. Beware, if you misplace a sticker it can’t be taken off again without tearing from the adhesive backing.
The main pieces of track slotted together fine and then there are repositionable accessories such as a grand stand and press box. We found that these don’t fit together as well, and a couple of elements such as the flags on the press box are constantly falling off. These could be glued as they don’t really need to be moved, but it’s slightly disappointing nonetheless. It’s quite large when assembled (approx. 1.3m long) so you do need a decent amount of floor space and it makes a satisfying race. Alignment is quite difficult on carpet and in the central crossroad the cars would occasionally get stuck, so it might fare better on a hard floor.
Batteries are not included with the toy and it requires 2 x AAA and 4 x AA so consider this in the cost and also for opening otherwise there’ll be some disappointed faces.
The track is built in a figure of eight with switches, or gates, that the cars activate to change the track. As the cars pass Smart Points they initiate specific sounds, songs and lights. There are various phrases such as “watch out!” And “You can’t catch me”. The cars can then be put onto a winner’s podium and recognise in which position they were placed.
The toy includes two cars for racing – one is remote controlled and the other is motorised and self drives. The cars are connected so that the motorised car races when the RC car starts which is a really cool feature. The only issue we had was that if they set off close together they can bunch up and get stuck on certain sections. The cars also have an auto switch off feature which is really handy for small children who will easily forget to turn them off, and also to extend the life of the batteries for an eco-friendly bonus.
The product information suggests that the track can be changed but we haven’t worked out how it can be reconfigured aside from moving the movable pieces such as the billboard and tunnel. The large track pieces don’t appear to obviously fit anywhere else, and the product images don’t show alternative set-ups. I found the circuit to be repetitive but my three year old wasn’t fazed and that’s what matters.
We were a little bewildered by the finishing line switch. It seems to require activation by hand but this contradicts the idea of a race as when you choose to open the gate which controls who will win! I think it would be an improvement if that could be automated or randomised.
Product information also suggests that you can purchase further Smart Point Vehicles to add to the race. This is something we would definitely be interested in but it isn’t clear which ones – it might be more obvious to a Toot Toot fan familiar with the product range.
My daughter has really enjoyed playing with the track, even when it isn’t switched on, and I can confidently say it’s been a huge hit! It would make a fantastic Christmas gift for any small child and offer lots of entertainment on Christmas Day. I think that if you’re buying for a one year old it might make sense to buy a second motorised car as the RC element is a little older.
Buy your Toot Toot Drivers Super Circuit Raceway at Vtech.co.uk.
https://www.vtech.co.uk/product/detail/21169/Toot_Toot_Drivers_Super_Circuit_RC_Raceway
RRP: £59.99
Rating: 4/5