Which RC car for beginners? What to look for in your first model

Buying a remote-controlled car is quick; finding the right one is harder. Start with the most important question: where will the car be driven? In the garden, on a lawn, on open private ground or at an RC track? Scale, vehicle type and drive then follow almost automatically.

In short: for most beginners, a ready-to-run monster truck or truggy in 1:16 to 1:10 is the best choice, with a battery in the box and good spare-parts supply.

RC car scale: how big should the model be?

The scale describes the size relative to the original: a 1:10 model is one tenth the size of the real car. The smaller the number after the colon, the bigger the model.

Bigger models run more smoothly on rough ground but need more space and stronger batteries, and they cost more. Smaller models are cheaper and easier to store.

The vehicle type

• Monster truck: big wheels, lots of ground clearance, tough. Drives almost anywhere and forgives mistakes, the classic way in.

• Truggy: a mix of buggy and truck, stable, fast and good off-road.

• Short course: a realistic body that covers the wheels and protects them on contact.

• Buggy: low and agile, for off-road tracks and jumps, such as the UDI GLEAM in 1:12.

• Rally and on-road: for tarmac, with drift tyres also for drifting.

• Crawler: slow and technical, more in the guide RC crawlers for beginners.

Drive: brushed or brushless?

Brushed models with a brushed motor are cheaper, slower and easier to control, ideal for your first runs.

Brushless models are much faster, stronger and low-maintenance. Many affordable ready-to-run models now have a brushless drive: the MJX Hyper Go 14211, for example, reaches up to 70 km/h on a 3S battery according to the manufacturer. For beginners that is no obstacle as long as the power can be tamed. On the 14211 you can limit the speed on the transmitter. And every model that takes both 2S and 3S runs noticeably tamer on a 2S pack. What brushless, kV and amps mean is explained in the guide Brushless motor and ESC.

RTR: what’s included and what’s missing?

RTR stands for “ready to run”: the vehicle and its electronics are fully assembled, and the transmitter is included. The contents still differ:

• Some models come complete with battery and USB charging cable, for example the MJX Hyper Go 14211, 14212, 14302, 14303 and 12212.

• Larger models often come without a battery, for example the MJX Hyper Go 10303, 10306 and 7303 or the H8E and H8H crawlers.

• The transmitter usually needs its own batteries, often AA cells.

So check what is in the box on the product page before you buy.

Useful accessories to get started:

• a second battery, so the fun does not end after a quarter of an hour;

• a charger with balancer and storage function, everything about it in the guide Charging and storing LiPo batteries;

• a LiPo safety bag for transport and storage;

• a basic set of tools: hex drivers and nut drivers, plus thread lock.

Spare parts: check before you buy

Even on the toughest model, a suspension arm breaks or a spur gear wears out at some point. So check at the time of purchase that spare parts are available. We stock a large range of spare parts for models from MJX, HoBao, Yikong and UDI R/C. With the spare-parts finder you will find the right parts for your model in a few clicks.

Useful extras

• Gyro: a gyro sensor in the receiver keeps the vehicle on track at high speed, a real help for beginners. Many MJX models have one built in; on the 14211 it is adjustable.

• Water resistance: water-resistant electronics forgive wet grass and puddles. On the MJX Hyper Go 14212, for example, the receiver sits in a waterproof box. You still need to dry the model after the run; how is explained in the guide RC car in winter.

• Lights: LED lights front and rear, for example on the MJX Hyper Go 14302 and 14303 rally models, so you can see the model well at dusk.

Recommendations: the right RC car for beginners by use

All ready-to-run models are listed under cars and crawlers.

Safety from the start

Never drive on public roads, and keep your distance from people, animals and other people’s property. Fast models belong in the hands of drivers who can control them; children are best supervised. And because almost every modern RC car runs on a LiPo battery: charge it only with a suitable charger and never unattended.