When I first looked at this set, I thought it looked pretty plain. As a result , I was surprised at the number of pieces used for the set until I found out that a bulk of the model was concealed under the solar panels.

Pros:

-Model is realistic and detailed
-Details like steering, radar, camera, robotic arm, pneumatic pumps, and solar panels
-There are 4 separate gear systems that work the steering, radar, camera, and robotic arm
-Camera is attached to a pump and can retract
-Solar panels on the side can fold up to reveal the body. If you fold one panel, the other will fold as well because they're connected
-Rugged tires look cool
-Complexity of model makes it look impressive

Cons:

-Steering is very difficult on a rough surface
-Radar falls off sometimes
-You have to fold up the solar panels manually
-Steering lever gets in the way of radar

Overall impressive set, with some very minor flaws.

If you are thinking about having a Nasa collection this thing is a must have! It looks nice, intelligent building, wide range of functions and the price is also good.

I am blessed to have this in my collection !

I know, I know, I've been doing a lot of reviews lately.
I bought this set for CAD $29.99 at Wal-mart! What a steal! The first time I ever saw it, it was about $106.00, and it's still that much at TRU. The solar panels came on a punch out card,since they're so thin. The set has a lot of neat features, like a moving head and radar dish, which can be moved by gears, along with wicked huge wheels, the biggest ones I've ever seen. I was going to ask for this for Christmas, but since it was so cheap, my mom bought it now! For an 800+ piece set, this is a good deal for it's original price, the UCS Tie Interceptor cost more and only had about 700+ pcs.

When LEGO makes a product that is based on a real thing, I am always interested in its authenticity. For the most part, they did a good job with the Mars Exploration Rover (MER). I am sure it is difficult to create a LEGO model on a product still under development as was likely the case here. So perhaps some of the specifications were changed after it was too late for LEGO to accommodate. One glaring problem to note is the solar panels. In the LEGO version they are blue but in the real MER they are a shiny black in colour. This becomes all the more obvious because the solar panels are visually such a large part of the rover model.

On the 7471 MER the tall white mast housing the cameras folds down using a spring system. I think the hinged mast on the smaller MER (found in 7469), is probably more accurate (and looks better).

One of the best engineering achievements on the real rover is the rocker bogie suspension system, first developed for the Sojourner rover http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/mission/spacecraft_rover_wheels.html). Again, LEGO does a better job of imitating this on the smaller rover in 7469.

In reality, the undercarriage of the rover is a closed system but I guess LEGO left it open on 7471 to show the workings of the wheels and other devices. The rest of the 7471 rover is fairly accurate.

LEGO has done a good job of getting kids (and adults!)interested in space exploration with the discovery line. There are some tie-ins to these products(screen saver, wall paper) now at the LEGO web site. Overall this is a great product and I am glad LEGO developed it.

Look for the real version of this rover to land in January, 2004 on Mars.