RE: which is better?
My opinion I would go for a Savage. I use to run a T-MAXX at my LHS track. No matter what engine, hop ups, etc. I put into the truck, my buddy who runs a Savage with a Picco .26 always seems to smoke me. And all he did was swap out the stock engine only!! You would have to spend hundreds or in the thousands to get to a SuperMaxx big block level to actually beat or keep up with a Savage (depending what level racer you are and who you are racing). I use to read the forums in the MAXXTRAXX site and they have Supermaxx level T-MAXX guys telling newbies to get a Savage over a T-MAXX!!! By the time you spend the cash to upgrade a T-MAXX to a bigblock level racer, you could have spent that money on a brand new RTR Savage and still have your small block T-MAXX as a back up truck!!! 2 trucks for the price of one!!!
I also think a stock Savage is way more durable than the stock T-MAXX.
Oh yeah....Now to keep my buddy awake and on his toes, I sold my Maxx and got a "REAL" racing monster truck and its called an......... "LST"!!!!