Ive owned a few of both buggies
It would be hard for me to chose which I like better
While the redcat is 4wd, the ground clearance on the bandit can be set up higher
The bandit is for sure tougher, but there are some no-cost mods and some cheap upgrades that can make the redcat nearly as tough.
You will get better runtime on the traxxas, unless you upgrade to a 2s lipo on the redcat. With brushless, lipo battery is best.
Out of the box, the redcat will be faster, with a 2s lipo, much faster
All that said, another option is to get the traxxas, enjoy it for a while and then get a cheap(er) hobbywing brushless system (under $100) to upgrade the traxxas. You can get back $25 or so selling the original speed control. Might even be able to find a decent used brushless system for $50 or so.
I like the redcat tornado as it is a lot of performance for the money. But traxxas is on top for good reason, good RTR package, good tough chassis and tons of aftermarket support.
One thing you may choose to consider is that traxxas will have a higher re-sell value should you want to sell it and upgrade to a different model later on.