Finding a Battery Operated Riding Car for My 3 Year Old

Hi A.,

My parents have gotten all of their grandkids a battery operated car as a birthday gift for their 2nd, 3rd or 4th birthday. All the kids live in a subdivision, but my parents live in the country with the only solid area being a very long cement driveway. Out of all the battery operated cars (Barbie mustang, Barbie jeep, regular jeep, John Deere tractor w/ trailer) the John Deere was the only one that could operate off of the driveway. All the other ones, their tires would just spin on the grass...they didn't have enough tread. So my suggestion is you get the John Deere...you're son will love it & won't have as much limits on it.

Hope that helps!

Go with your parents on this one. I live on 2 acres with alot of grass and alot of concrete. Our little mustang rides very well on the driveway and not as well in the grass. The tires on the John Deer will work better on the dirt/rock drive. Our next purchase will be a Gator or Jeep with the off-road style tires. Regardless of the model you choose, I would recommend buying the Power Wheels brand for the quality and durability. My friend has owned about 6 different brands and styles and the Power Wheels have always outlasted the others. She has 3 boys and they have literally driven the wheels off the Gator!
HTH

You are smart to research.
We had a jeep car for our daughter and it worked great on the driveway, but not on the grass or soft dirt. The wheels were actually plastic, so they did not have any traction...
We purchased this at a garage sale and worked great. We purchased an extra battery, so that when one went low, we already had another that could be put right in... The battery does not last that long.. So be prepared to teach your child about "recharging the car".

I suggest you look for a vehicle that has rubber tires and can go forward and reverse And that has easy steering. Make sure it is not too low to the ground or it will drag the rocks. Some of them really do not turn so kids can go forward and backwards, but not really turn. You end up picking it up on the front or back to lift to to turn.

The other electric vehicle we had was a scooter. It was 3 wheels and was low to the ground. Again plastic wheels, so it did great on the driveway, but not on the grass or dirt.

Take a ton of photos...

Hi A.,

I have 3 boys and we also live out in the country with the long dirt road and pastures! :) When my son was 2 we bought him the power wheels four wheeler and now my youngest son is still enjoying it and it is almost 4 years old! My in-laws also have the jeeps and they keep up with the rough terrain as well. I go walking a lot and my 2 year old follows me on him jeep and four-wheeler down the dirt road and down the paved road. He even runs through tall shrubs too! I would be a little cautious with the car only because it is lower to the ground! Our friends have also brought their kids' gator over and it keeps up with the others.

Hi- our daughter had the Lightning Mcqueen car when she was 3. We live in a subdivision with lots of sidewalk. Her best friend had the Gator as they live out of town where there is no sidewalk. I think the Gator might better suit your needs. Our LM car, while sturdy for sure, had kind of smooth wheels and might not do well on the gravel. It also sat low to the ground and might get banged up. Both cars were awesome. But I remember always thinking that Gator was so cool and sturdy!

Go to Wal Mart and buy the John Deere Gator,it is tough,it will go over the terrain better,2 kids can ride in it, also the kids have fun hauling stuff in the bed of it. Our grand daughter has run the wheels off of the one we bought for her about 3 yrs ago. She has just basically out grown hers but she like to drive it around even tho she is 8 yrs. old now.

Sorry so late responding to you. I purchased one when my son was 2. A salesman at toys r us suggested that I not get one that you have to get inside of but rather one that they can get on top of like a 4 wheeler. Reason being is that they can ride it longer. He also suggested to look at the weight limit as well. I ended up buying him the red polaris 4 wheeler at walmart. That has been a couple of years ago but they still have it. It's about $300. The price made me a little nervous but my son has played with it so much and definately been worth every penny. My son is now 5 years old and he is still riding it. It's been fantastic. Hope this helps

We have the lightening mcqueen car and it is terrific. We have the rocky driveway and my grandson can drive in the driveway as well as the grass and he has had it for about a year now. We also have a 2 year old granddaughter and we got her an age appropriate car and it has solved some of the fighting. My grandkids other grandparents got the tractor and they always fighting over who will drive because there is only one vehicle.

The gator is the way to go!!!

I too live in the country and on a dirt road. We bought my son a John Deere tractor for his 2 year b-day and he loves it! There was not much traction at first, the wheels are plastic, and I was disappointed in that. The more he used it and broke in the wheels, the better. Now he can drive it in the barn, the grass, the dirt road and it doesn't get stuck.