If you are a beginner to RC cars and you want a strong off-road car then it can be tough to decide. There are so many types of vehicles, power sources, scale sizes, and more. It can be overwhelming. I felt the same, so today I have decided to break this down for you.
What is the best off-road Car for a beginner? The Gotock RC Car Monster Truck 1/12 Scale (Click to see the price on Amazon) is my best choice for a few reasons. Firstly, It is great for off-road usage and beginners. But also has an amazing speed of up to 30 MPH, great transmission distance (200 feet), and suspension.
Now you know my best choice off-road vehicle for beginners, let me explain what you should be looking for when you are selecting a car and the reasons why I chose this car, as well as comparing the other 2 options.
What should beginners be looking for in an RC car
When you are looking for an RC car, especially for a younger child or a beginner, it’s better to have simplicity as the first objective.
With that being said, a hobby-grade RC car, for example, or a Nitro-powered vehicle is not ideal. The reason I say this is because there’s a lot of maintenance and complexity running that type of vehicle.
Ideally, for simplicity, you are better to start with an electric car, because it is far easier to maintain. You simply charge up the vehicle when you need to drive or replace the batteries and away you go.
For that reason, the vehicles that I will be recommending today are electric cars which are ideal for beginners.
What is an off-road RC car?
The focus of this article is off-road RC cars. But, what is an off-road car? In particular, it’s a vehicle that can cover several terrains as well as the conventional level ground, such as pavement.
It should be able to go across grass, gravel, dirt, in fact, several different surfaces. They are ideal for people that want to mix it up a bit and have options when it comes to driving their RC cars.
Several different types of vehicles fit into this off-road vehicle category. Now I will summarise a few of them for you:
The 1/10 Scale 2 Wheel Drive (2WD) Buggy
These vehicles are pretty much always electric. They are good all-around vehicles. They are usually raced within their driving class. The beauty of this vehicle is that it can be used off-road as well as on level ground.
However, be prepared to replace a few tires here and there, because they are known for this.
1/10 scale 2 Wheel Drive (2WD) Stadium truck
These vehicles are like a bigger version of the two-wheel drive buggy that we spoke about earlier. they are a lot bulkier and more robust. Therefore they are ideal for off-road usage.
The only criticism I would have is the majority of them are nitro powered, which is not ideal for a beginner. However, there are some electric ones available, If you are interested in going that route.
1:8 scale RC buggy
The 1/8th Scale buggy has good speed and is capable of doing some great jumping. Be prepared to watch these cars glide through the air, almost like they are flying. They are pretty much exclusively nitro-powered and more of a hobby-grade vehicle.
Although they are excellent for off-road usage, they are not necessarily easy for a beginner to pick up.
Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) Monster Truck
These trucks are quite impressive big vehicles. They are excellent for off-road usage. They come in several different sizes. They come as electric crawlers of rock as well as nitro dual engines.
My only criticism is, they are generally quite expensive.
Mini RC Cars
Mini vehicles are as you can imagine, really small-scale RC vehicles. You can get them from as small as a 1/18 scale or even a 1/24 scale.
They can still cost as much as a normal-size RC vehicle, however, they are good because they can be used for indoor and outdoor racing. They are still quite a popular choice.
What are the advantages of using an off-road vehicle?
Let us now explore the advantages of these off-road cars. Firstly, you have the benefit of being able to use it on level ground, such as payment, as well as off-road, on all terrains.
This means that you can have the best of both worlds. The only thing I would say is they are great all-rounders but they are not specialized in one particular area.
Best off-road RC vehicle
In this section, I will go through a list of the best Off-road RC Cars for beginners, based on the criteria discussed earlier.
01. GoStock RC Car Monster Truck 1/12 Scale
The GoStock RC Car Monster Truck 1/12 Scale (Click to see the price on Amazon) This vehicle is a great choice for beginners and has some impressive speed. It can go up to 30 miles per hour, which is quite decent for this vehicle. It also has great handling and steering even with the good speed that it maintains.
It also has a really good grip on its tires and can climb up several different and difficult terrains. It also has a good remote control distance of up to 200 feet, without losing signal, which is a benefit.
The only criticism I would say is the battery life it will take a few hours to recharge this. And for that charging, you can expect anywhere from 35 to 40 minutes worth of usage.
Pros:
- Fast Speed: Over 30 MPH
- Great Transmitter Range (200 feet)
- Great suspension for climbing rough terrains (Independent based suspension)
Cons:
- Battery Life – Takes a few hours to recharge for 35-40 mins usage.
03. Double E 1:12 Monster Truck
The Double E 1:12 Monster Truck (Click to see reviews on Amazon) is really big and bulky. It does look the part. It can get a full charge within 2 hours. And for this, you can expect up to 40 minutes of usage, which is pretty good.
The good thing about this is you can also charge it using a USB connection, which makes life a lot easier. It is also good on really difficult terrain such as large rocks. It can climb over things with ease and is a good rough-and-tumble vehicle for any beginner or child.
The only negative criticism I have is the speed it is not the fastest. However, the vehicles that I have mentioned in this article are more focused on beginner-friendly, off-road cars, so for that reason, it ticks the boxes.
Pros:
- Good for all terrains (Off-Road).
- 2 hours recharge of batteries.
- Recharge using a USB connection.
Cons:
- Not that fast
03. Redcat Racing Blackout XTE 1/10 Scale Monster Truck
The Redcat Racing Blackout XTE 1/10 Scale Monster Truck (Click to see reviews on Amazon) comes with an RC550 Electric brushed engine, which is a good engine that is capable of doing up to 35 miles per hour.
You can take this vehicle through water without any problems. The only thing I would say is, if you do decide to take it through water, it is a good idea to dry it off properly after you finish using it. If not you may notice that some of the screws will start to rust.
The only small negative I would say is, due to the speed and intensity of the vehicle, it tends to get quite hot. So you have to keep an eye on it and make sure that it doesn’t get overheated.
Related questions:
What does HPI stand for? HPI stands for “Hobby products international”. It is a brand of RC cars (Click here to see if ECX is a good brand), which is commonly known in the industry. It was founded in 1986 with a princely sum of $200 startup costs. Since then it has become a well-known brand in the industry.
What kind of gas do RC cars use? RC cars can use normal gas (called unleaded in the UK) or they can also be nitro-powered. Nitro-powered RC cars use a combination of methanol, nitromethane, and oil.
This nitro fuel can be purchased in hobby shops. Depending on where you buy it from, you will notice slightly different percentages of this mix. For example, in some cases, you may get a 40, 40, or 20 percent split. However, 20% of nitromethane is the average.
