Two opposing views among two veteran members with street cred! Dang! One hates the weapon mode while the other loves the vehicle......how do I choose?
I have him bedside with MP Arcee and MP Skids. Those are my figures to fiddle with to keep me relaxed. Go fig
Hot Rod is my favorite Autobot so I was really looking forward to this. He's, uh...eh. Robot mode seems to be based on the evergreen design which is really weird since the other Core Class figures are like shrunken down ER toys. Odd proportions, the forearms are so short and the shoulders are huge. Getting the roof of the alt mode to stay tabbed in is very difficult, it likes to keep popping up and you have to push really hard to get it to stay. (oof, I really need to dust my shelves)
I guess I should clarify what I mean by worst Core Class (we have them all except Rattrap): Extreme hollow plastic syndrome, the rather large leg kibble, knees that don't lock into place, the odd bot mode proportions (stubby forearms in particular), the odd port at the front tip of the spoiler that makes it look a lot worse in alt mode (and has no apparent function either), strange looking vehicle mode with a cab that doesn't even look like it was designed to fit (hence the gap), and the cab panels barely staying in place in alt mode. For some bizarre reason, Hasbro took out the locking tabs at the front of the cab panels...makes no sense whatsoever. There's even ports for them and mentioned specifically in the instructions. This would've helped a lot. I'm meh about the removable spoiler. To use as a 'shield' is laughable. Changing it to the opposite panel orientation does improve the rear of bot mode appearance but then takes away the backpack stability. Hot Rod feels a lot of steps backwards compared to the other Core Class figures, and especially next to Iguanus, who feels like a mini-Deluxe figure and is taking steps forward in design.
Whatever negatives it has, I managed to find a lot to like about it. I mean, if I buy anything and complain, it would be about QC. That’s it. Video reviews helped a lot in me deciding to buy this figure despite how most reviewers felt it was mediocre. It’s a fun figure for $10 and it won’t break on you. Rolls like a champ and it actually has a bit of paint. I don’t own other core class figures and I only bought this because I like Hot Rod. He’s worth every penny, comprises and all.