Friends

Space Research Rover

A curvy, studless little space rover that quietly outclasses its price tag.

Brick Rated Score

4.3/5

Set 42602 · 2024

Pieces514

Minifigs2

Year2024

Set number42602

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The verdict

This is one of those sets that made me rethink what the Friends line is capable of.

The rover is a smooth, near-studless piece of neo-space design, and it sits happily on a shelf next to sets that cost twice as much. It is buildable in under an hour and full of clever little tricks, so if you love spacecraft and rovers more than you care about the mini-doll branding, it deserves a proper look. My only real hesitation is the price, which asks a bit much for 514 pieces.

Best for: Neo-space fans who care more about the vehicle than the theme on the box

The full review

What it is

The first thing that got me with the Space Research Rover was the shape of it. This is a Friends set, but you would forgive anyone for mistaking it for a premium neo-space model, because the body is all soft curves and clean studless surfaces with almost nothing poking out where it shouldn't. The four big bulbous wheels are the eye-catcher, smooth rather than rubbery or tracked, and they give the whole thing a chunky retro-future look. Reviewers I trust have called it one of the best modern LEGO space designs to come out of Billund, and after seeing it finished I understand why. There is a small hovercraft for trips outside the rover, a patch of alien landscape, and the two mini-dolls to crew it all.

The catch

I will be straight with you about the money, though, because it matters here. At $49.99 (£44.99, €49.99) for 514 pieces, this is not the strongest value in the 2024 space lineup, and a few reviewers said the same. You are paying partly for those large specialty wheels and the design work rather than raw part count, which is fair enough, but it does mean the box feels a touch light for the price. The build itself is quick, roughly 45 minutes, and while it hides some genuinely smart techniques under that smooth shell, experienced builders may finish wishing it had gone on a little longer. And then there is the side logo, which is a sticker. On a model this clean, a printed piece would have been the finishing touch, and its absence is the kind of small thing that sticks with you once you notice it.

Who it's for

So who should bring this one home? If you love rovers, spacecraft, and that soft neo-space aesthetic, this belongs on your list no matter which theme banner it flies under. It photographs beautifully, it displays beautifully, and it is one of those sets that pulls in fans well beyond the usual Friends audience. If you build mainly for the challenge and the hours of engineering, or if value per piece is your deciding factor, you might feel a little short-changed and want to catch it on a discount instead. But as a piece of design to look at every day, it punches well above its weight.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this one is a smooth, relaxed session rather than a marathon. It comes together across the main rover, the mini speeder, and a small slice of landscape, and even though it looks simple, there are some properly clever moments where the curved shell gets locked into place. The near-studless finish means a lot of the work is in shaping and cladding, so you get that satisfying feeling of a messy interior disappearing under a clean skin. Nothing here will stump you, but nothing feels like filler either.

For parts hunters there is real treasure. The standout is the big Wheel Wagon Viking with 12 holes, a mold first seen in the 2006 Vikings theme, and you get four of them recolored here. Apollo the space dog uses the pug mold in white for the very first time, which is a lovely little first. There are also four ferns molded in satin trans-dark-blue, and a pair of medium azure alien creatures built around a 2x2 dome with a three-eyed alien print. It is a genuinely interesting parts pack for the money, especially if recolors and specialty wheels are your thing.

Fun facts

01The four large rover wheels use a mold that LEGO first introduced back in 2006 for the Vikings theme, now recolored for space duty.
02Apollo, the little space dog, is the first time LEGO's pug mold has ever appeared in white.
03The rover has a pivot point in its middle, so the front and rear sections twist against each other to let it steer.
04The set includes mini-dolls Olivia and William, and the whole thing was released on 1 April 2024 for $49.99.