pitbullo

Hi there! First time poster!

I am thinking of getting back in to RC cars, after a 25 year pause... I started with a Tamiya Grasshopper as a kid, and went from there. Now, it is time to get back into the ring.
So, I want something to drive with my kids, a girl now 6 years old, and a boy, 8 years old. My first thought was to get a Arrma Stampede Mega V3, I can get one here in Norway for just under 350USD. Then, after a whole lot of thinking, my thought went to the BLX version. I could run the BLX on 2S batteries, and in training mode for the kids (and myself until I am ready for more speed). Would this be the better option? Price here would be for the BLX is just over 480USD, batteries and charger not included. It is expensive here, but I do think that it is worth the difference.
I was looking at the Traxxas Stampede VXL, but that is 580 USD, without batteries and charger. A bit too much now at the beginning.
Should I go for the Mega V3 or the BLX? Any other brand/car I should consider?
It is important that the car is usable for my kids as well.

Happy New Year all!
-Erik

Edit, fixed title

D3MON

interesting how much price difference is over there. the Mega trucks here are $230, and the BLX is $320.
we got one for the wife to run around, we started her off with the Mega and eventually upgraded to BLX spec components.
going over the actual price, if buying new parts, would have been around 75-80$ to upgrade the slipper assembly, spur gear, and motor mount, brushless combo would have added about 130$ on top of that.
while i am glad we initially started with the Mega as it gave more experience to upgrade and work on it, i would recommend at a price point to go for the BLX and be done with it.
the slipper on the mega does not handle brushless for long, and you will want to get brushless eventually. the brushed motor just doesn't have the run time (around 10-13 minutes, where the brushless with he same battery from 30min to 45 minute run time), and the reduced amount of power/RPM that it has compared to the brushless. also with maintenance, the brushed motors do go out considerably quicker especially under a bunch of use compared to brushless motors which technically shouldnt "wear out" pretty much ever.

D3MON

they are some tough trucks, as far as durability, eventually the servo will go out, but that is true with almost all RTRs, they will work for awhile and well, but anymore RTR servos just dont hold up especially with the abuse the rigs are put up against nowadays. beyond that nothing really "needs" to be upgraded on them. stock a-arms are pretty durable, eventually might get RPM, but after the hits ive seen the stock ones take i am in no rush to do so.

pitbullo

Thank you!
I have been thinking if the Mega was the way to go, but the more I think about it, brushless is the the one. As you say, it is expensive, and I think I get a lot of "upgrades" with the 3S version that I otherwise would pay quite a lot for, if I were to buy and mount them on the Mega. Might as well go big from the beginning.
The more I watch videos on Youtube of the Granite 3S, the more I like it. It is just a Happy, Mad car. If I watch a video, drag race, between the Granite 3S and another RC, and they are far away, and I don't know which car is which. I immediately know the Granite is the one doing a wheely at the start and then drives off the road doing backflips. I can't help but smiling of that. Happy and Mad
Ordering next week I think.

jharding08

Once my kids got to 4-5 years old, I asked my mom to send out my Blackfoot and two other trucks/cars that I had as a kid and were in their attic. They are over 30 years old and I only have one set of electronics, but they still work and I can turn the speed controller down for the kids so they dont obliterate it. Been challenging with broken parts from age, but they run good enough to have some fun