1 - Xray
2 - Mugen
3- AE
4- kyosho.....big bucks!!!! over priced.
5- jammin
6- losi
7- HB
Just my opinion. Cost of ownership is what you need to be looking at versus initial cost. they are all expensive initially with the exception of the jammin and the HB that are less expensive. The quality of the initial investment can and generally will save you money in the long run. Your driving style, capabilities and maintenance habits will determine how often you replace broken or worn parts. Xray and mugen will take more brute punishment than the others imo. the difference is the xray parts are sometimes hard to get and a little on the expensive side, the mugen parts are easy to get and priced middle of the road. BothXray and Mugenare pretty expensive initially but will cost less in the long run if proper maintenance is kept up.
Buying used is a great place to start and is how I was able to get into this great hobby. I have yet to purchase a truggy that was not owned by someone else and have had great luck so far. The side bonus is they usually come with the spare parts you will probably need to carry to the races with you, shortens the learning curve a bit
