Hey all,

firstly if if this is the wrong spot to post I apologise I couldn't find a beginners spot.

Im currently looking into purchasing a RC car which will most probably be something that I can use off road as well. Later I'll look into a road only one but now a bit of everything is good. I've currently found a couple of types and styles but I'm after some opinions on what to look for and what expectations.
Id like to have something with a little bit of speed (not for competition just hobby), value for money and reliable.
Currently looked at https://traxxas.com/products/models/...lly?t=overview this one which I like the look of as I'm not after a buggy. Also https://traxxas.com/products/models/.../slash-vxl-tsm and https://traxxas.com/products/models/...ustler-vxl-tsm this one. I quite like the look of the rally car style or the trucks. What I'd also like to know is as I've seen many different car bodies are they available for these styles and are they reliable to muck around on sand, road, dirt etc? I'm always scared as I don't want to stuff it up by getting wet etc. any recommendations please help. If I need to give more info on what I'm after or anything else happy to answer. I'm the beginner so I'm relying on your support
also I wanna have some good ones for fun with my kids when they grow up.

thanks again

Welcome to the forum Beginners101,

If you are in the US, Traxxas are hugely popular and have parts available at your local hobby store (LHS in the rest of RCU). Have you found a store near you, or are you willing to do on-line type ordering that could take days or weeks?
You have identified 1/10 scale SC and Rally cars, and unfortunately I have no recent experience with these vehicles. I find 1/10 scale needs smoother surfaces than is usually available around the average house lot. Grass slows them up, so will sand ...... a large field of flat or undulating packed clay/gravel is ideal. I don't have anything like that so 1/8 scale is better for me.
Of the two you have listed, the SC truck is the better of the two for clearance, and being 2WD should give you plenty of driving challenge. Electrics are probably your best option also, unless you have a buddy or three doing the nitro thing.

All bets are off if you are over-seas. Supply and popularity in the US means nothing. (Do I detect Australian vernacular?)
Happy Driving

Are you the person who only buys from the local hobby shop because think that their credit card is going to get hacked online. The desperate member who wants parts now and cant wait over the mail a few days possibly weeks.

In this hobby, its more than simply the RC car, and thats where all the fun ends, parts support availability.

Me, if it wasnt for online stores, I would have been out of the hobby a long time ago. LhS prices are outrageous, regardless as to why so high prices.

HPI has very good models, and one that has made its presence is Axial.

Many of them release a kit and within a year its gone. So I would stick w the main line of production be it HPI, Traxxas, Axial, Duratrax.

The comment about a RC for many years, unless you plan to keep as a shelf queen, this hobby the RC is gonna get beat up. There is a learning curve to the hobby, start simple, MOST of the time the first RC is for learning, and then you sell and buy a good one. Its either you develop a habit, ritual, dedication to invest time and money or you will be, this is not for me, and it ends on CL.

My first RC was a Tamiya Monster Bettle then it was a RC10.

Hello and thank you and quickly starting off yes located in Australia. So don't hold that against me.
I don't mind the online or local store based purchases as I'd rather buy a reliable product as the main prerequisite. I have quite an interesting combination of surfaces at home so I'd rather something that can handle the terrain. You make reference to 2wd being more challenging? How so in comparison to 4wd?
im happy for electric vehicles. I've had one previously when I was younger that was only chargeable by a car battery and didn't last long. I don't have any friends into this but hoping this could ignite something and they might purchase one too.
I've more been just searching online and as long as you guys are don't steer me clear of any particular I'll look into Traxxas and HPI which seem more readily available in Aus.
im getting quite excited at the prosperity of getting on and the truck does appeal.
Thank you for your help.

Duratrax is all but dead. They killed off the Evader after, what, 20 years? The only DTX car still available is the 835 buggy. I think Hobbico is going to make Duratrax a pit equipment only brand.

HPI? That's another old brand that is showing signs of dysfunction and lack of direction and/or inspiration. I'm really confused by them.

You can't go wrong with Traxxas, since they're everywhere. Parts are easy to get at the LHS or online. Even better is the even better RPM parts you can get for just about any Traxxas model. Replace broken parts with RPM parts, and you're golden. Some may debate Traxxas for style (the Rally body was pretty much panned as "fugly") or engineering choices (some like the telescoping UV-joint axles, some don't) but they do perform about as well as anything, especially if yer just getting started.

I really dig rally racing! My first RC (Duratrax Evader) eventually got a 2005 Subaru WRX STI body from Tamiya. I was really interested in getting some kind of rally car, and I remember looking at the video reviews of the Traxxas Rally and the Losi (what'd they call it? Rally10X? It was one of the first cars to get the Spektrum AVC treatment) and was really interested in them. But the $400 price tag kinda put me off. I'm a cheap bas****. What I remember about them is that they performed very well off road, or on, with one caveat: getting air time, the low front bumper and front body tended to catch the ground on not-so-flat landings, and would flip the car. Trimming the front end and raising the front bumper helped a lot. If you like the rally platform, you might like the off-road/on-road capability of that type of platform. 4wd is awesome.

The Slash you listed is 2wd. It's a popular platform, but not one of the best. Getting the LCG (Low Center Gravity) chassis makes it a lot better. And of course, there are tons of RPM and Proline parts for it to make it better and tougher. 2wd will teach you to be a better driver, as driving a 2wd vehicle off road is challenging. You learn to counter-steer. The elite racers are 2wd. 2wd cars do not like grass. Too much drag which translates to too much strain on the motor and heating becomes an issue.

The Rustler, pretty much the same. Stadium Trucks were the dominant race platform until Short Course hit, then it was all about Short Course, which the Slash started. The Rustler is a little smaller than the Slash, so a good fit if you have a small work bench. Short Course trucks are considerably bigger. The Rally is about the same size as the Slash, just more lexan body!

All three of those vehicles will drive differently. So what a "good choice" is depends on your primary driving spot. If you have the scratch, you might also consider the Slash 4x4. 4wd is more capable off road, and there are all kinds of different bodies made that fit. (Look at Parma)

As for value, you're heading up the right road looking at bone fide hobby-grade stuff. Traxxas can be a little pricier than other brands' offerings in the same categories (look at Arrma) but Traxxas spends HUGE amounts of money on marketing, and they don't charge hobby stores to stock their products like other makers do (which makes it easier on the LHS) which is why every LHS carries Traxxas if they carry anything. For someone getting into the hobby, if they're interested in a Traxxas product, I don't try to steer them away. Get what you LIKE! Providing it's within' your budget, of course.

Mazpr not really sure where the comments of buying from local store due to credit card hacking is coming from but no I'm not worried as there are securities in place that can prevent fraudulent use of a card not 'hacking'.
From what I've found though local stores aren't exuberant in comparison but I'll be going through somewhere that is reliable and has best pricing.

Good. Australia is a bad place for RC because it is hard to find vendors there. As far as your truck goes, you cannot go wrong with a 2WD Traxxas Slash brushed to start out. Brushless is too much power for a beginner, even on training mode. The brushed Slash can also be upgraded to brushless later if that ever strikes your fancy.

I agree with Collector, a Slash would be a good place to start.

Hi mate ,
it's not all doom and gloom in Oz when it comes to RC .
Cost is probably the worst thing .
You showed 3 very good cars . Well made , waterproof electronics and durable .
That said , when you crash hard , things do break , and parts wear out over time .
Product support is vital to enjoying any hobby . Every major city has stores that support Traxxas vehicles . It's always nice if it is close by but that's not always the case . And there is always online shopping if you know what you want .
I like the Slash ( I don't own one ) , a bit more clearance than the Rally for general bashing around .
Too fast ??? These cars all have a training mode . 50% power . With NiMH battery , and supervision , your kids will do fine in an open area . An extra battery or 2 never hurts . Down the track you will probably want to invest in a good charger and some Lipo batteries .
Be careful ... RC is addictive !!!

I have seen it, nothing related to what you have said, friends, buddies.... who will only buy local, or will only buy from Amazon but not from Ebay.

Many take it for granted that just because the local store has the word hobby all brands will be sold.

I had a Rustler, the diffs are its weak link, for regular bashing is not bad. I, once I saw and drove 4wd I never touched a 2wd rc, but thats just me.

I hear ya there. It's partly because the Evader has been discontinued and I don't want to be too hard on it, but mainly I drive my two other cars that are 4wd because they just make for better racing between me and my buddy. 2wd requires much more finesse to drive fast, which is certainly exciting, until you make a mistake. By the time you get rolling again, the other guy is half a lap ahead of you . With 4wd you can get up to speed and back in the race more quickly. Our racing excitement and door to door fender bangin' is much better since going 4wd.

forgot to mention the Associated Pro Rally. Can't go wrong with Associated either.

Thanks for the responses guys. Currently looking at Slash or comparable model from other manufacturers. I'm getting excited to start heading out looking at different stores just to compare to online then make the decision.
I still really like the idea of road car as well but to start all rounder would be more appropriate.