LEGO Creator Land Rover Classic Defender (40650) Review

The 1st of June brought with it a plethora of cool LEGO sets, some big and some small. These smaller sets sometimes get forgotten but there one one in particular we just have to have, the LEGO Creator Land Rover Classic Defender (40650)!

Coming in a £13.49/$14. 99 and consisting of just 150 pieces the part to price ratio isn’t great, but this little set looks great and is Minifigure scale. Follow us as we talk you through how the build went and what we think below.

The Box & Contents:

The box is small, similar to that of cheaper £8.99 ranged sets, however the artwork is still great and in keeping with the LEGO Creator line.

In the background are, what I presume to be, computer generated Mountains & Trees, they have a familiar retro-game style to that is budget games. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it may have made sense to use more realistic scenery, then again it’s the set that needs to be shown off so I understand that.

On the back you’ll find a picture of the Minifigure stood outside next to the vehicle, along with a diagram of have to remove the roof. There is also an image of the larger LEGO Land Rover Classic Defender 90 (10317) set, which I may now have to get to compliment this smaller one.

Inside the box you get the usual goodies, bags filled with LEGO, an instruction manual, single sticker sheet and a loose dark grey plate.

The Build:

Being a small build the set just flies by, before you know it you’re done!

That doesn’t mean it’s a bad build, far from it. It’s put together in reasonably the same way as most LEGO vehicles, starting with a long plate for the base, build up the sides, add wheel arches, windows and finally the roof.

The front grille is made separately and then attached, using SNOT (studs not on top) techniques to get the required effect and finish. Here we also use the only printed parts in the whole set. Two identical prints are used along with 1×1 round transparent tiles to add headlight detailing. The prints are crisp and done well, the solid block of colour does add to the overall aesthetic of the vehicle, plus I would hate to apply stickers to a jumper tile.

On the very same front grille we also add the only sticker in the set, the Defender grille detailing. The sticker is cool as it has the official Land Rover and Defender logos, making the vehicle look even better!

Placing the sticker is easy as it goes straight onto a 2×3 tile. I just use my hands/fingers to place it, but if you’re a little worried about getting it perfect please consider using a Brick Separator, which usually come in larger sets.

The bonnet is also done well, using a simple but effect design of layering tiles and plates to create the basic but iconic shape of a Land Rover.

There aren’t any doors but when has there ever been doors in these smaller vehicle sets? This is ok though, as the Minifigure can be slot inside by removing the roof section. Although it is a very tight squeeze, I find removing the windscreen allows easier access.

On the roof itself you’ll find a rack and not much else. In the larger LEGO Land Rover Classic Defender 90 (10317) set there are a plethora of accessories in and hanging from the roof rack. Making your own travel accessories is the way to go here, perhaps I’ll add a few myself one-day.

Overall this little Land Rover is great, the fact that it’s Minifigure scale makes it so much better. Other vehicles in the LEGO Creator range have been either slightly smaller or bigger in scale and just don’t like right. Thanks tp LEGO for making something us Minifigure lovers wanted, a scaled vehicle!

The Minifigure:

The Minifigure is a nice addition too, this one in particular has a rather fetching Pineapple print top. The rest of the Minifigure is a little lacklustre with plain beige legs yellow arms & hands and a generic head and hair piece.

Sadly this isn’t an exclusive Minifigure as it also comes in a City set, LEGO Car Wash Set (60362), which was released on the same day.

The character is good but I feel is lacking that Land Rover feel, the lifestyle that usually goes with owning such a vehicle. In my personal opinion adding a backpack, perhaps a matching Pineapple print one, would have given this character more life?

Do you have this set? What do you think of it? Would you add anything? Please let us know via the comments section below. 

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