Throughout much of May 2020 and the first week of June, the LEGO® Store gave out the Beach Buggy (30369) set with purchases over $40. However, I have seen this polybag for sale already at some online retailers. Therefore, if you missed out on the freebie, you could still get this little kit. I imagine it will show up at more retailers as time progresses. We will look at it today as if it were a purchase and not a giveaway.
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BEACH BUGGY (30369) SUMMARY
- NAME: Beach Buggy
- SET #: 30369
- THEME: City
- COST: Gift with purchase ($4.99 CAD value)
- BRICK COUNT: 45
- MINIFIGURES: 1
- RELEASE DATE: May 18, 2020
BEACH BUGGY (30369) QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 90% (Below average cost-per-brick.)
- BUILD: 70% (There is nothing special about the build, but nothing bad either.)
- MINIFIGURES: 87% (Satisfactory Minifig, excellent brick-to-fig ratio.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 60% (I do not see much use for this set.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 77%
BEACH BUGGY (30369) REVIEW
VALUE: 90%
As a freebie, you cannot go wrong with this set. Especially since the offer at the LEGO® Store overlapped for one week with the Hot Rod gift. Playing your cards right got you two free sets. However, the set is also available for sale in some markets. It retails for $4.99 in Canada. At that price, the cost-per-brick is $0.11. Comparatively, my average is $0.14/brick. Therefore, you get a good value-per-brick. I rate that at 90%. I built this set a little differently as I was testing out new photography equipment at the same time. As a result, I did not clock the build-time for this set as usual.
BUILD: 70%
The Beach Buggy is a simple build. Additionally, there is nothing particularly interesting about it. You will not get any new build techniques. My initial reaction to this set as a freebie in May was to pass on it. I ended up getting it because I wanted the Hot Rod, and my purchase qualified for both gifts. As far as polybags go, there are nicer ones. The Jungle ATV from 2017 is an example of a better executed but similar idea. With that said, I do not dislike this set. I am neither here nor there about it. As a satisfactory set, I rate the build with a satisfactory score of 70%.
MINIFIGURES: 87%
The Beach Buggy comes with one Minifigure. He has all the standard parts, as well as front and back (limited) torso printing. However, the character does not have a double-sided face or any leg printing. The only accessory included in the kit is a plain blue surfboard. Consequently, he earns 11/15 (73%) for design.
One Minifigure in a 45-piece kits is an easy brick-to-fig ratio to calculate. Additionally, it is an excellent ratio. I rate it at 100%. Averaging the ratio and design scores gives an overall Minifigure rating of 87%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 60%
I do not see myself keeping this set built. New Minifigures are always welcome, and I liked getting a new surfboard. However, most of the pieces in this kit are not even parts that I need. This buggy is getting the disassembly and sorting treatment. For that reason, I rate the entertainment score at a mere 3/5 (60%). I do not see this set being long-term fun for kids either.
OVERALL SCORE: 77%
As mentioned earlier on, my initial intent was to pass on this set. I ended up getting it as a bonus with another freebie I wanted. In that respect, this is a fine set. However, I would not buy this kit. There is nothing special about the Beach Buggy. Additionally, many nicer polybags exist and will undoubtedly exist in the future. The Beach Buggy was not my favorite. What are your thoughts? Feel free to comment below or send a message through social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
Want to know what others think?
Brick Insights is an awesome site that aggregates LEGO® set review scores from around the web. Based on their statistics, you can see what other reviewers think of the Beach Buggy (30369) below.
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