LEGO City 60312 Police Car Review: A $10 Quick Build

Up for review today is LEGO City 60312 Police Car, a small, quick build. The car is stylized in a muscle-car manner with an exposed supercharger (I think that's what it is), wide fenders, chunky tires, and a set of cool rims. It's an inexpensive impulse-buy set that's aimed at kids aged 5 and up, but it makes for a fun five-minute build for anyone.

What you get in the box

In the box you have two bags, a base plate, and instructions. I understand the switch to paper bags, and agree it's a good idea, but I will admit they do annoy me. I had a piece lost in one of them during the build, haha.

• Set number: 60312
• Theme: LEGO City
• Pieces: 94
• Price: $9.99 (£8.99)
• Age: 5+
• Minifigures: 1 (police officer with flashlight and cap)
• Released: January 1, 2022
• Dimensions: ~4 cm high, 11 cm long, 5 cm wide

We get one minifigure with this build — a police officer, unique to this set, who comes with a toy flashlight and a police cap.

Speed build

I thought it would be fun to build this one as quickly as possible. Though, I am definitely NOT a speed builder. I was able to finish this one in 5 minutes 12 seconds.

When all is said and done, you end up with a car and a minifigure. The car itself is pretty robust — there's room behind the wheel for the officer, and it holds together well enough to survive plenty of play.

Build out your LEGO City police force

The standalone City police car is a set LEGO refreshes every few years — the 60312 replaced the older 60239 Police Patrol Car from 2019, and it's carried the "cheap, quick, giftable" torch ever since. If you want to complete your LEGO City police force, there are also these sets in the current lineup, which are all fairly cheap:

• LEGO City Police Car and Muscle Car Chase
• LEGO City Police Prisoner Transport Van
• LEGO City Police Motorcycle Chase

Then for the younger ones:

• LEGO City Rides – Police Truck

Then, if you're looking to spend a little more money:

• LEGO City Mobile Police Dog Training
• LEGO City Police Station
• LEGO City Police Prison Island — Review coming, eventually...

Or even this expensive train!

• LEGO City Police Train Heist

How it compares to other brands

In comparison to other brands of brick sets, we have reviewed the Lumibricks Police Patrol Car, which is much larger and more complex, but ~3.5x the price.

Is the LEGO 60312 Police Car worth it?

For $9.99, it's hard to go wrong. It's a sturdy little car with a slick muscle-car look, a solid minifigure, and instructions simple enough for a five-year-old — which makes it a perfect party favor, stocking stuffer, or last-minute birthday gift. The only real "con" is that it's over almost as soon as it starts, but at this price that's exactly the point.