I own an RC10 from '89 and an RC10B4 from '03. While I agree that both are great vehicles and make excellent race cars I believe that a brushless 2wd buggy might be more than a child could manage; considering they have limited RC experience.
I also own a Vaterra Kemora rally car which is based on the Losi mini 8ight platform and probably drives very similar to the mini truggy. Between these 2 options I might like the Losi better for a first car. Durability isn't an issue because it breaks parts no more or less than any other major brand vehicle with similar weight. The 4WD makes the handling more forgiving for a new driver. These things are pretty quick. I clocked mine with the Dynamite brushless sytem powered with 2S LiPo at about 34mph on the street. That's pretty quick for a relatively small car. More voltage or gearing could increase that too.
I've been a fan of your alternate choice, namely the SC trucks in general. I had an SC10RS and currently have the SC104x4 and am building a Durango DESC210R. My proposition for these is that their larger size helps tame them when compared to a 2WD buggy. Not to say that they have lazy handling but, drive each back to back and there is an obvious difference. 1/10 scale SC trucks share the same wheelbase and track width with 1/8 4wd buggies. The tires are the same diameter too and have longer suspension so they handle jumps and bumps better than the smaller buggies. You'll spend a good $300 or more on a brushless SC truck, however.
Get batteries and chargers from either HobbyPartz or HobbyKing. Many of us from this forum buy our batteries from these retailers because the quality is on par with most popular-brands and the value is second to none.