The Power Wheels toys are all largely the same in dimensions and capabilities, differing largely on simple aesthetics. Whether it's a Mustang or a Jeep or an Escalade or whatever, they all largely do the same thing in the same manner so really this review could apply to just about all Power Wheels toys.
In a nutshell, this one arrives in BRIGHT Barbie Pink (naturally) and features two forward speeds, one reverse speed, a horn, a radio, and a battery life indicator. Two bucket seats will easily accomodate two toddler-sized children without cramping or elbow fighting. My two year old daughter is BARELY able to reach the pedal; although I know it's not sanctioned by Fisher-Price, I velcro'ed a 2" thick wooden block to the top of the pedal which allows my daughter to reach it more easily.
Assembly isn't terribly difficult but does require a bit of direction-following. As so many things are, "some assembly is required." Armed with a Philips-head screwdriver, a comfortable workspace and a little help from your fellow parent it shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes to fully assemble the vehicle. IMPORTANT TIP FOR PARENTS: Even if you're planning to assemble the car after you present it to your child, remove the battery and charger from the box and charge it up overnight so that, when the car is fully assembled, your child can immediately drive it.
The car has two forward speeds and one reverse, selected by a console-mounted shift lever. Out of the box the "high" forward speed is locked out. Mommy or daddy needs to do a little 'under the hood' tinkering to remove the lock-out, a process which takes less than a minute to complete. This is done as a safety measure, particularly for younger children who may get scared over the faster speed or simply are still learning how to control the car. In "low" speed the car moves at a casual walking pace, while in "high" speed it's more like a brisk walking pace. Reverse is in "low" speed but, of course, backwards.
I found that, even at "low" speed, the car has a tendency to burn rubber (plastic) when only my daughter is in it. On simple asphalt the rear tires easily spin three or four times before gaining traction. On grass it gains traction a lot sooner but there's still at least one wheel spin. With a second child in the car this traction issue goes away; since my daughter is a year under Fisher-Price's recommended minimum age I'm sure this issue will resolve itself once my daughter grows and gains weight.
It's important to note that, like all Power Wheels, the motor is either fully-on or fully-off. It's not like a real car where you can feather the throttle for variable speed. Either the car is in full motion (traction and gravity notwithstanding), or it's not.
Steering is limited with a very wide turning radius about 18 feet, which is almost as wide as a two-car driveway. It is therefore fairly certain that your child will, at some point, run into a situation where he/she will need to either learn to drive in reverse or get out of the car and push it until it faces the right direction.
The body is reasonably stable so far as these toys go. The hood opens to reveal the battery; the doors and trunk lid do NOT open. My daughter had a little bit of difficulty climbing into and out of the car; a three year old will likely not have such difficulty. I expected the doors to remain closed to provide some safety to the child but I was surprised to find that the trunk didn't provide even a little bit of storage space for, say, a box of chalk or a small snack.
The hard plastic seats are a surprisingly attractive tan color with chrome Mustang accents. Also surprising was the discovery that the seats can be moved fore/aft relatively easily by removing and relocating a couple of screws. Seatbelts are on both seats, consisting of pink Velcro strips that accomodate virtually all child sizes. The windshield is opaque but that doesn't matter since your child will be looking over the top of it rather than through it.
A dashboard-mounted battery gauge shows battery life via four LEDs, activated by pushing a button next to the gauge. Simple and effective for what it does.
The 'radio' has two buttons positioned where knobs would be on a real car stereo, and is powered by three AA batteries (not included, naturally). The left button inexplicably beeps the car's horn. (Has anyone discovered a car horn that beeps when you push the left knob of your stereo?) The right button cycles through about a half dozen instrumental song clips, each about 30 seconds and each more annoying (to adult ears) than the last. In this day and age when you can buy a half-gig MP3 player for under $20 I would have liked the ability to upload my daughter's favorite songs to the radio.
One thing which I've noticed about all Power Wheels toys: None of them have a simple on/off switch. My concern so far unwarranted, but still a concern nonetheless is that my daughter will be climbing into the car and accidentally tap the accelerator pedal before she's securely in her seat, and thus cause her to fall backwards (or forwards) and injure herself. It continues to surprise me that Fisher-Price doesn't include a simple cut-off switch on the dashboard to control power.
Power Wheels vehicles have long had a good reputation and rank very high on the "I WANT" meter for kids toys. (I remember DESPERATELY wanting one when I was a kid, 35 years ago...) Even though my daughter is still too small to fully command her Power Wheels (the sudden acceleration startles her, and she doesn't understand how to steer) you can see the joy in her face even when she's just sitting in the car at a stand-still.
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This is a great toy but do not pay the crazy price from the vender on amazon! Buy at wal-mart or toysrus for half the price around $250.00-$300.00. This vender is nuts to overprice a toy by that much! CRAZYBest Deals for Fisher-Price® Power Wheels Barbie Ford Mustang
It is a great toy, I understand a small price difference but almost 4 times the price? I don't understand how Amazon tolerates these crazy rip-off vendors. Buy at WalmartHonest reviews on Fisher-Price® Power Wheels Barbie Ford Mustang
Cute Cute Cute!! I only wish they made it in my size! My daughter got this for her birthday in September. We've had no problems with it. However, her brothers have to ride their bikes to keep up with her when it is in the faster mode or I have to jog. The slower mode is too slow on the gravel road.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Fisher-Price® Power Wheels Barbie Ford Mustang
When we took our granddaughter through toy stores over the last year we could always count on her going straight to the Barbie convertible and spending about ten minutes sitting in the floor display. We just bought one for her 4th birthday. We debated getting a gender neutral (non-pink, non-Barbie) version so a younger brother could share it in a couple more years ....just not the same ....gotta be a pink convertible. I agree with most of what has been said in earlier reviews. Overall very happy with it. The wheel slipping is a serious issue; I'm trying to think of an easy way to increase the traction. And the "tunes" on the radio are awful with a capital "aw"! I like the idea someone suggested of an MP3 player. The cup holder is a simple but cute and useful idea she got her first Starbucks card last Christmas. A couple tips about installation. The wheel bushings are actually large black plastic parts, not the small metallic parts they appear to be in the instructions... not terribly confusing I know. But the instructions use black/white photos rather than diagrams so some steps are difficult to see clearly. The written parts of the instructions are quite good. Also, BEFORE installing the dashboard, skip ahead to "installing the radio batteries (3 x AA). After the dashboard is installed, it's VERY difficult to get under the dashboard and reach the retaining screws. I debated not replacing those screws; I just hope those batteries don't need to be changed often. Maybe I'll put some velcro tape on the radio's back the next time I have to remove it. We're giving the car to our granddaughter tomorrow the anticipation is so much fun.Update 3 1/2 years later. The car is still going strong and on its second battery. They went through all 3 seat positions (short, medium, tall child) and have now reset it to short for the younger brother who has inherited it. I'm glad we didn't apply any of the Barbie decals during assembly. Even so, younger brother wants to paint it any color but pink. Gender stereotypes are alive and well. His parents are looking for some decals to neuter the pinkness. We really got our money's worth with this product.
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