Power Wheels Dora Lil’ Quad Review

Made by: Fisher Price
List Price: $102.99
Top Speed: 2 mph
Age Range: 1-3 years

Dora Lil’ Quad – Overview

The Power Wheels Dora Lil’ Quad is one of the most popular battery ride toys for girls on the US market today. It is one of a number of different “themed” Quads and any child that loves to watch Dora the Explorer on TV will just love this model. As you would expect of a Dora-themed toy, it is bright purple and pink in color and comes with some easily recognisable Dora decals to distinguish it from the standard model.

All of my 3 kids love Dora the Explorer and, unlike some other female kids TV characters, she is a very positive role model for little girls. I actively encourage my 2 year old daughter to watch shows like Dora instead of Barbie and I like the fact that she picks up some Spanish words and learns other things whilst being entertained in the process! She would have loved this Quad but, since she is almost 3 years of age, she wouldn’t get much use out of it not. However, I would definitely buy this toy if I ever have another daughter.

The Dora Lil’ Quad is designed for kids aged between 1 and 3 years of age. It comes with a rechargeable 6V battery that gives it a rather sedate top speed of 2 mph. This is plenty fast enough for a toddler but won’t cause you lose any sleep at night. Despite its slow top speed, you should still always ensure that your child is supervised whilst using the Dora Lil’ Quad.

A toddler would find it very difficult to manage a twist-throttle and so the Dora Lil’ Quad comes with a simple push button throttle instead. They just have to push the button to start and then release it to stop – it doesn’t get any more simple than that!

To make the ride a little more comfortable, there are built-in footrests.

If your children are anything like mine, they will want to take a few teddies / dolls for a ride and there is a nice little cargo rack on the back of the Lil’ Quad to carry these little extra passengers.

I have read some people complaining a little about the restricted steering and it’s perfectly correct to say that the steering wheel doesn’t turn very sharply. However, this is actually a useful safety feature that prevents your child from falling off the side due to oversteering on corners.

Due to the large turning circle and lack of a reverse gear, the Dora Lil’ Quad will work best if you can find a long straight stretch or a large area for your child to manoeuvre around in to avoid having to constantly turn them around or back them up out of corners.

I have watched quite a few videos of children using these Power Wheels Quads for the first time and their common reaction is almost always one of delight as they press this magic button that causes the vehicle to shoot forwards without anyone pushing or pedalling! Their initial reactions are well worth the money and your child will very quickly get the hang of driving the Quad around the garden or neighbourhood.

The lack of a reverse gear makes it a bit more tedious for parents as they have to sometimes give a helping hand when the Quad is driven into a corner or in front of a wall. But, you can realistically expect this sort of functionality in a $69 toy and I’m not sure that a 1 year old would be able to manage separate forwards and backwards throttle buttons very easily.

The Dora Lil’ Quad in Action

You can get a pretty good idea of the speed and manoeuvrability of the Dora Lil’ Quad in this video:

The Dora Lil’ Quad- Key Features

Sporty ATV styling mixed with all the fun of Dora decals
Built-in footrests
Easy push-button throttle
Power Lock brake system for a safe but exciting ride.
Cargo rack on the back
Rechargeable 6V battery & charger supplied
Rides low, so it’s easy for them to get on and off by themselves
Product dimensions: 25 x 13 x 15 inches;
Product weight: 15.2 lbs
Child weight limit: 40 lbs / 28 kgs
Backed by Power Wheels 1 year limited bumper-to-bumper warranty

Assembling & Maintaining the Dora Lil’ Quad

You should be able to assemble the Dora Lil’ Quad in about 20 minutes – it’s pretty easy.

The battery is NOT pre-charged and so you will need to charge it yourself for about 18 hours before the first use. After that, the normal charging time is 14 hours. If you are buying the Quad as a birthday or Christmas present, I suggest that you charge the battery before the “big day” if you want to avoid toddler meltdown as they realise that they are going to have to wait another 18 hours to use their lovely new toy! I have found that deferred-gratification is not something that toddlers are very good at.

Once charged, the battery ought to last a couple of hours before it needs to be recharged again. This is more than enough time for your child to have a good long play with it and you will have plenty of time to charge the battery overnight each day.

My Verdict on the Dora Lil’ Quad

My 2 year old daughter would absolutely love the Dora Lil’ Quad. Sadly, she is a little too old for it now and I will have to look at some of the similar products designed for slightly older children. It is about the same price as the standard model.

It would make the prefect Christmas or Birthday gift for any girl (or boy) aged between 1 and 3 years of age.

Where to Buy the Power Wheels Dora Lil’ Quad

Check Latest Price of the Dora Lil’ Quad.

I love to hear what other people have to say about the products that I review. If you have anything to share on the subject of the Power Wheels Dora Lil’ Quad or simply want to mention your favourite battery powered ride toys for toddlers, just leave a comment in the box below or send an email to kristian@electricridetoys.com