For a beginner I don't think it really matters that much. I would suggest the Hyper TQ Black or the Cen Matrix R2 for your first buggy if you plan on going immediately into racing. Just don't waste you money on carbon fiber, Kingz Headz stuff, CNC aluminum parts, etc. on the cheaper buggy. The only thing I would upgrade on a cheaper buggy would be the servos, radio and engine. That way once you get good and stepping up to a better buggy makes sense, all you have to do is buy the kit you want and transfer over the good servos, radio and engine. Then you can put the old servos, radio and engine (if it still runs) back into the cheap buggy and put it on ebay and get a few dollars back (probably less than 1/2 of what you paid for it new).