Posted: 10/24/22
RC Cars for Sale
How to choose the best radio control car or truck for you.
You’ve decided to buy a hobby-quality radio control car. With so many exciting RC cars and trucks for sale, however, you immediately face the challenge of narrowing down all your choices to just one. How do you do it?
One place to start is by thinking about which full-scale vehicles and motorsports you enjoy. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to find remote control cars for sale that reproduce your favorites as working RC scale models. Top RC car brands such as Losi® and as Axial® go to great lengths to recreate popular full-scale vehicles in near-perfect detail, with input from and official licensing agreements with the original manufacturers.
Another choice to consider early on is whether you want a ready-to-run (RTR) model or a kit. Today, most RC cars for sale are factory-assembled RTRs. You may need to buy batteries and a charger separately, but otherwise, you can start running your RC car or truck within an hour of taking it out of the box.
Fewer kit version RC cars and trucks are available than RTRs, but kits do have their own advantages. Building your RC car from a kit gives you the knowledge and the skills to fix almost anything that breaks — and let’s be honest, eventually something will break. You’ll also be able to choose your own motor, speed control, radio gear, and other components, and to give the model’s body a custom paint scheme.
Here are a few more questions to ask yourself before deciding which of the many RC cars for sale is the one you should buy today.
Where will you run your new RC car or truck?
Most of the radio control cars and trucks for sale at hobby shops and from online hobby retailers are designed to run best on a specific type of terrain. Deciding where you will most often run your RC model will help you narrow down your choices.
For example, if you expect to drive your RC car or truck over lots of grassy or rough, rocky surfaces, you should put an off-road vehicle with large tires and high ground clearance at the top of your list. It might be a rock crawler, a monster truck, or perhaps a short course truck. These generally aren’t the fastest RC cars for sale, but they are the best at tackling tough terrain. Grass is especially difficult for RC vehicles to drive through.
On the other hand, pretty much any remote control car or truck can be driven over on-road surfaces like concrete, asphalt, and hard-packed dirt. Bear in mind that running a rock crawler made for rugged mountain trails on nothing but perfectly flat pavement would defeat the purpose of its special design. You’ll be better off with an on-road vehicle than an off-road buggy or truck if you’ll be spending most of your time driving in parking lots and similar areas.
Will you bash or race your new RC car or truck?
Most of the RC cars for sale never see a true race track. Their owners run them in the backyard, do donuts in a parking lot, and take them down the trails at a nearby park. This is called “bashing,” a term for just about any sort of RC car and truck action that isn’t competitive racing. Despite the name, a basher vehicle isn’t one that’s intended for a demolition derby. It’s just engineered more for overall durability than for quickly getting up to high speeds.
The goals of a radio control racing car or truck are to go very fast, be nimble in the corners, and handle well on a track. Therefore the RC racing cars for sale tend to be very lightweight and built of materials that are more rigid than durable. Speed and handling are priorities, strength and toughness are not.
The plans you have for your RC vehicle may also influence what motor and drive type you want. Most ready-to-run RC cars for sale will include either a brushed or a brushless motor. Those with a brushed motor will be less expensive, but if you want speed and power, go brushless if you can. Or you can start with a brushed motor and upgrade to a brushless motor later if you wish.
RC cars and trucks are also available with two-wheel drive (2WD) or four-wheel drive (4WD). Just as in full-scale, 2WD costs less and involves fewer parts so is easier to maintain. On the other hand, 4WD is easier to drive over a wider range of surfaces. Because the chassis and overall design of the two drive types are very different, upgrading from 2WD to 4WD is almost impossible. For an exciting new exception to that rule, however, read on.
Recommended beginner RC cars for sale.
The ARRMA® 4X2 BOOST 1/10 scale 2WD GRANITE monster truck, SENTON short course truck, and VORTEKS stadium truck are definitely among the best beginner RC bashers for sale. If you’re shopping for your very first hobby-quality RC vehicle, they’re worth a close look.
The value that ready-to-run ARRMA BOOST bash vehicles offer to first-time RC hobbyists is outstanding. For less than $250, each comes fully assembled, finished, and equipped with a brushed power system, high-quality radio and electronics, battery, and charger. They can be purchased without the battery and charger for under $200. ARRMA BOOST RC vehicles provide confidence-building durability, an easy-to-maintain modular design, and thrilling performance right out of the box. Though not intended for competitive racing, they can still reach speeds of 30+ MPH!
What makes ARRMA BOOST vehicles especially great RC cars for beginners is that they can be upgraded very easily and economically as your skills grow. Even low-time hobbyists will be able to add 4-wheel drive, brushless power, and more to increase the fun. In fact, with the optional ARRMA 4X4 Traction BOOST Upgrade Kit, any BOOST vehicle converts to the superior handling of 4WD in just ten minutes and three easy steps.
Whichever of the RC cars for sale you ultimately choose to buy, you can look forward to joining with many other radio control modelers in one of the most exciting and rewarding hobbies available. Have fun and happy shopping!
