Your First RC Car: A Beginner’s Buying Guide
Hundreds of cars, one right answer for you. Three questions get you there: Where will you drive it? How big should it be? What is the budget? Answer those and this page shows you the car.
RTR means ready to run: built, painted, radio included. Some RTRs include the battery and charger, many do not, and we say which below.
Brushed motors are the calm, affordable first step. Brushless motors are twice as fast and best once you can already drive.
Scale is size: 1/24 fits on a desk, 1/10 is the standard backyard size, 1/8 and up need a field.
Under $130 — Small, Complete, Indoors or Out
Everything in the box, including the battery and charger. These run on a kitchen floor, a driveway, or a backyard rock pile, and they survive being driven by a beginner. The cheapest way to find out if you love this hobby.
$150 to $250 — The Classic First Car
Full-size 1/10 scale, brushed power, tough enough for jumps and crashes, and cheap to fix. This is the car most people in the hobby started with. The Vorteks, Fury, and Grom below include the battery and charger. The Granite needs a 2S battery and charger, see the next section.
$250 to $450 — A First Car You Won't Outgrow
Brushless power from day one, without the extremes. Traxxas BL-2S trucks are quick but controllable and come with the battery and charger. The Quake is the Arrma equivalent. If slow and technical sounds better than fast, the SCX10 III crawler is the first crawler most people buy.
For Kids Under 10
Slow enough to steer, tough enough to survive, small enough for small hands. All four include the battery and charger. Plan on an adult doing the charging, and expect the first few runs to end in a wall. That is normal, and these cars are built for it.
What Else You Need on Day One
If the car does not include a battery and charger, a completer pack is the one-box answer: Traxxas for Traxxas cars, Spektrum for Arrma and Losi. Add a LiPo safety bag for charging and a basic hex tool set for the first wheel change. That is the whole list.
Questions We Hear Every Day
Does it come with a battery? Sometimes. Look for "with battery and charger" in the name. If it is not there, it does not.
Is brushless too fast for a first car? Full-power brushless, yes. A BL-2S or 2S brushless car is fine if the driver is a teen or adult. For kids, start brushed.
How long does a battery last? About 15 to 25 minutes of driving, then 45 to 60 minutes to charge. A second battery is the best first upgrade.
What breaks first? Suspension arms and the front bumper. Both cost under $15 on every car above, and we stock them.
Can I see them before I decide? Yes. We keep several out of the box on display at the store, so you can see the real size, feel the weight, and compare them side by side before you choose. Ask us anything while you look.
Ready to Choose a Type?
Each guide below explains one family of vehicles in plain words, with our current picks in every size.