Mario vs. Luigi hands-on: which LEGO Mario Kart set should you buy?

There’s a new racer on the grid this month with 72050 Luigi & Mach 8, but which of the two giant LEGO Mario Kart sets comes out on top? If you only have space and budget for one, we’ll help you decide…

72050 Luigi & Mach 8 joins 72037 Mario & Standard Kart in the realm of 18+ LEGO Mario Kart sets, available now for £159.99 in the UK, $179.99 in the US and from €179.99 in Europe. I’ve gone hands-on with Luigi and his kart to see how they compare to one of the very best LEGO sets of 2025 (and one of the best around in general right now).

LEGO Mario Kart Mario vs. Luigi: building experience

If you’ve had the pleasure of putting together 72037 Mario & Standard Kart, you’ll know that it’s one of the most innovative, interesting and all-round ingenious LEGO builds in recent memory (in my opinion, the best since 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell). Luigi therefore has pretty big shoes to fill – and he almost manages it. Almost.

72050 Luigi & Mach 8 is similarly satisfying and rewarding to assemble, not least in the way that the various angles and contours of the kart’s panels are locked in using a mixture of clips and ball joints (it’s difficult to overstate the planning, engineering and understanding of LEGO geometry involved in making that happen).

Like Mario and his kart before them, Luigi and the Mach 8 offer a glimpse into the mind of a designer at the top of their game… but whether it’s the novelty factor of being the first set to market or just the particular techniques lasting longer in the memory, 72037 Mario & Standard Kart still has the edge here. It’s a close-run thing, mind you.

Winner: Mario

LEGO Mario Kart Mario vs. Luigi: pieces

Interested first and foremost in the pieces on offer in these sets? Both have a lot going for them, both in terms of their broad colour palettes and the variety of element types required to achieve their various inventive techniques. Both builds also include a decent smattering of parts in light nougat for Mario and Luigi’s heads, unique moustaches, a custom nose, and every decorated element across each of the brothers’ sets is printed.

So, there’s not necessarily a lot to separate them here either, but for my money 72050 Luigi & Mach 8 just about ekes it – not only for the brighter colours (green, yellow and blue compared to red, white and blue) but also for the greater number of useful sloped pieces, the cool trans-black windshield element, the larger wheels and (the cherry on top) the fact there are nearly 300 more of them in the box.

Winner: Luigi

LEGO Mario Kart Mario vs. Luigi: price and value

72037 Mario & Standard Kart retails for £149.99 / $169.99 / €169.99 and includes 1,972 pieces, while 72050 Luigi & Mach 8 retails for £159.99 / $179.99 / €179.99 and includes 2,234 pieces. That’s only a £10 / $10 / €10 uplift for 262 more pieces, so if price-per-piece is an important metric to you Luigi feels like the clear winner here.

It’s worth noting that 72037 Mario & Standard Kart enjoys regular discounts (it’s available for £111.99 at Amazon right now), so right now it’s technically better value… but if 72050 Luigi & Mach 8 gets similar price cuts in the months ahead, it’s going to be even more worth your while. That’s not to say it’s not worth diving in at full price, though: few LEGO sets justify their RRP, but both of these sets manage it.

Winner: Luigi

LEGO Mario Kart Mario vs. Luigi: the finished model

Choosing between Mario and Luigi is a bit like deciding between a pair of vintage wines, or two cuts of fillet mignon. Whichever choice you make you’re going to end up feeling satisfied – but if you really do only have budget and space for one, I’m giving the nod to 72050 Luigi & Mach 8. Maybe it’s the novelty factor after having Mario on my shelf for a year; maybe it’s that Luigi’s kart is bigger and better-looking than Mario’s; or maybe it’s just that the Mach 8 is more fun to drive in Mario Kart.

72037 Mario & Standard Kart remains the most iconic LEGO Mario Kart set of all time, though, and no matter which characters follow from here (if any), nothing will change that. So if you’re just looking for the most recognisable Mario Kart LEGO display for your Nintendo shelf, go with that one – but if you’re after the best bang for your buck all round, stick with Luigi.

Overall winner: Luigi

72050 Luigi & Mach 8 and 72037 Mario & Standard Kart are both available now at LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores. You’ll also find Mario at third-party retailers for a little less – it’s 25% off at Amazon right now, for example.