well...IMO i whould NEVER go with traxxas to start out as a begginer. now duratrax is a great begginer brand and has some of the cheapest prices around. the only reason duratrax is cheap is because nobody advertises thier brand in races so they dont cost as much,not becuase the are a cheap brand. i'd beggin with the duratrax nitro evader ST if you want a stadium truck. i'd say the raze buggy and the warhead evo MT are a little advanced but you could still try. i currently own the nitro evader st (neST) and it had been a great truck for the 6 or 7 months i've owned it(i'm a newb to). i've probably put about $100 into it in broken parts but thats a normal part of this hobby. the next rc i plan to get is the warhead evo MT in about 2 months. oh yes,and duratrax has a 1 year warrenty on all or most of thier rc car parts and a 2 year warrenty on all or most of thier rcs engins.