NOOBIE HERE!!! Need help......
 

Ok, so my kid has had RC cars in the past and our neighbor got a Traxxas. He loves it. Santa is bringing him an RC car / truck, but I'm lost. It seems like the entire market is saturated with Traxxas..... any other brands I should consider? I'd like to spend about $300 and want something that can take a beating, but that also offers replacement parts. Please help. I have no idea what to get.... The Traxxas Stampede is cool, but I don't want to just pull the trigger and hope I did the right thing.

Thanks!!!

Since you posted in the monster truck section, I'm assuming that's what your kid wants. 2wd, 4wd, brushed, or brushless? Depending on age and supervision, maybe NiMh batteries are a better option? I'd take a good look at Arrma offerings. That's where I'd start, but, like you said, the big "T" likes to shove it's nose everywhere.