free roam driving game

Test Drive Unlimited

Need for Speed: Most Wanted (don't know if you want your 5 year old learn how to piss off cops in games though)

Welcome. I suggest Midnight Club 2. Tracks have no barriers and there's even a complete free roam mode. Street racing is probably not the sort of thing you want to expose your kid to, but once you see the single player and the horrid characterisation of the drivers then few people would be motivated to become one of them.

Oh wait there was Midtown Madness 2 by the same developer. I don't remember if there were cops but it's rated for 7+ so it's pretty tame.

Both these games are a bit arcadey for steering wheels however.

GTA4 is a good one but I dont think you would like your 5 year old to learn some "new words" ;)

I play 1nsane with my 4 year old all the time...she loves it and it's a damn good game to boot. Has very good force feedback, all sorts of vehicles and crazy open tracks, all sorts of different race types (rally, checkpoint, king of the hill), and great camera views (cockpit, hood, ect).

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/1nsane

$10 on good old games for a digital copy :)

I really recommend the game...it's nice for what you are looking to do. You can just mess around on the maps driving, rock climbing, hill jumping...all sorts of stuff. My and the 4 year old really like playing it together.

The graphics do look a little dated, but it does have wide screen support (I play 1680X1050) and it's really smooth.

fuel?

There was a racing game with VW Beetles that was pretty much just that... It was like Beetle Adventure Racing or something...

wait no... it was Midtown Madness... BAR is for the N64 :P

Need For Speed and Burnout games games come to mind. I think NFS:Most Wanted and Burnout: Paradise are the most recent.

Just Cause 2 is coming out

Need For Speed and Burnout games games come to mind. I think NFS:Most Wanted and Burnout: Paradise are the most recent.

felixiration

Agree with Burnout Paradise, sounds just like what your wanting.

What your looking for is exactly Test Drive Unlimited. While there are plenty of races to do, after being led through a brief tutorial which includes a race, you are free to drive around the (very large) map at your own will.

Burnout Paradise is exactly what you're looking for

Burnout Paradise.

Midnight club 3... if you have a ps2

Guys noticed the first post to this is in 2008.