One of the TV phases that my oldest son went through would be an obsession with Scooby-Doo. We even had to buy a subscription to Boomerang TV service so he could watch every variation of the show (I didn’t even know some of these different variations existed; and some like Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! probably shouldn’t exist).
One of the toys that came out of this Scooby-Doo obsession was the Playmobil Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine set. And I must say, I have been incredibly impressed with this toy! Better yet, my son has been very impressed with this toy as well!
Here is our review of the Playmobil Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, and we think you are going to really like it once you buy it!
Table of Contents
Quick Playmobil Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine Toy Review
There is a lot to like about this Playmobil Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine Toy. For starters, once it is put together, it looks just like the Mystery Machine and it has vibrant colors and graphics. It also drives nicely and can be pushed a long with no problem at all.
The Mystery Machine is recommended for children ages 5+, and it comes with 72-pieces. Not all the pieces have to be put together, but it is going to require some assembly. I will tell you that these Playmobil toys are the easiest toys to put together when compared to all the other toys I’ve had to assembly over the years. The pieces easily snap right into place, and the instructions are crystal clear.
This set comes with three characters, Fred, Daphne, and Velma. They do have some accessories that you will put on them that count towards that 72-piece count. For example, there are two pieces that you snap together to create Velma’s skirt. The character pieces are poseable.
The van itself has a roof that can be removed to show off the back of the van. The back has two seats and a two-seat bench so the rest of the gang can fit back there. It also has this really cool light-up control panel that has buttons that can be pushed and a slot for you to insert clue pieces. The light will light up those clue pieces and it looks tight.
Besides the top of the roof coming off on the Mystery Machine, it also has a swinging side door that can be opened, and the back doors swing open as well. There is no shortage of entrances into the Mystery Machine!
The front windshield of the Mystery Machine can also be removed allowing you to place Fred or anyone else into the driver’s seat – or passenger seat. The details are awesome on this toy – there is even a cupholder up front where you can place a toy cup accessory and the steering wheel even moves.
These pieces of the van will be very easy for your child to remove and reattach with adult help. The only exception would be if the side door pops off, that one might require some adult assistance.
Besides the figures and the van, this toy comes with all sorts of accessories ranging from a spyglass, flashlight, map, to toy cups that can be placed in the cupholders. There should be plenty in this toy for your child to enjoy!
The figures are a little cartoonish when compared to what they look like on TV, and it does take a little bit of effort to get them into the driver’s seat of the Mystery Machine – plus the skirt often pops off of Velma – but these really are minor things compared to all of the great features this toy has going for it.
There is a reason we ranked this as the best Mystery Machine Toy you could purchase on our list of the Best Scooby-Doo Toys!
The other thing that makes this toy great, is my son not only goes on mystery solving adventures with it, but he also has incorporated into some of the other games he plays. For example, since the back of the Mystery Machine is so spacious – it has become the van that takes all the villains to jail as well!
Between the great design, great accessories, and the ability for this toy to have multiple uses – we have no problem recommending adding this one to your toy collection!
Danger Scale
We always have a little fun taking a look at the potentially dangerous situations your kids can get into while playing with a toy. And in this case, everything is pretty safe.
There are some really small accessory pieces that could be a choking hazard for infants, and parents can cause some minor damage to their feet if they step on some of these toys – but overall, very safe. You could also experience a little danger if your child drives the vehicle into your feet causing you to trip – or if your child tries to ride the mystery machine like a roller skate – but those are some outlandish scenarios.
We are going to give this Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine Toy a 3 out of 10 on the danger scale.
Annoyance Scale
How annoying is this toy to parents? There are some small pieces that can get lost and stepped on, your kids might need a little help snapping some of the pieces back together once they fall off, it does make any noise which is good – but it does light up a little in the back, and some assembly and batteries are required.
These factors aren’t deal breakers by any means, and I’ve certainly bought toys much more annoying than this – so we are going to give it a 4 on the annoyance scale, but I could easily be persuaded into giving a 3.
Final Grade & Other Links of Interest
Because of how much my child likes Scooby-Doo, and because of how much he has enjoyed playing with this Playmobil Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine Toy Set, we are going to give it a Gold Star Rating and highly recommend this toy for our readers! It also doesn’t hurt that he has also incorporated this toy into a lot of his other games!
If you want to see some of the other great toys we have bought because of TV shows, check out some of these reviews:
- The Best Scooby-Doo Toys
- The Best Bluey Toys
- The Best T.O.T.S. Toys
- The Best Muppet Babies Toys
- The Best Lion Guard Toys
- The Best PJ Masks Figure Sets
This list really makes me think we might watch to many cartoons. Anyways, we hope you enjoyed this review!