The Official "which first car to get" thread
I have created this thread because every week new people come in this forum and ask the same question.... "What is a good first nitro car?" This thread is dedicated to answer that question. Experienced nitro rc owners are welcome to post what they think is the best car for beginners and why. Beginners, post what you want out of a car (examples: top speed, race legal, upgradeable, race features). Also give a price range that you are aiming for.
I will start off with some of my own opinions.... I believe that most beginners should try purchasing and building a car that is in kit form, such as the HPI RS4 3 18SS or the Nitro TC3. Ready To Runs (RTRs) are great, but kits teach you how your car works and you will know how to fix it faster in the future. Just don't buy any kit. Kits like the HPI R40, Kyosho V-one RRR, and the Mugen MTX4 are recommended for drivers on the intermediate or pro level. Pro level kits are not designed to survive the driving of beginners.
Beginner/ Intermediate Kits (random order)
1. Nitro TC3 kit (not factory team)
2. HPI RS4 3 18SS
Or beginners can choose from here:
RTRs (random order)
1. Nitro TC3
2. HPI RS4 3/ Evo
3. Traxxas Nitro 4-Tec
4. Ofna CD3
I recommend for experienced drivers only:
Pro level Kits (random order)
1. HPI R40
2. Kyosho V-one RRR
3. Nitro TC3 Factory Team
4. Mugen MTX4
5. Ofna CD3 Pro
6. Serpent
It is important to note that a newbie might want to ensure there is local or on-line support/parts for their first car. For example, while a CEN product might be okay, the local shops might have HPI and Traxxas parts.