HPI vs Clone (Rovan/King Motor) - What is The Best RC Baja to Buy?

What RC Baja Should I Buy? - HPI vs Clone (Rovan/King Motor)

This would have to be one of the most commonly asked questions by anyone looking to purchase their first 1/5 scale RC Baja buggy.

To help us answer this question I will compare the HPI to the two clone companies (Rovan Sports and King Motor). I will compare them on reliability, price and performance. I will share my personal thoughts and score them out of 10 to give you some insight and understanding of what to expect if you buy an HPI or a Clone RC Baja. You can see how well Rovan has cloned the HPI Baja 5B in the picture below, it's no wonder most people don't know how to tell the original apart from a clone.

Overview

First off, there are a couple of misconceptions I’d like to address before continuing.

Over the years of working in the hobby industry, I’ve come across blog articles and forums stating that HPI and clone Baja’s all come from the same factory. Of course, this is incorrect. I’ve actually been to Rovan’s factory in Yongkang, Zhejiang, China, it was such a good experience. They are such nice people and they were so enthusiastic about the great hobby. During my tour through the entire factory, there was not a single HPI or King Motor part/Baja insight.

Comments like “just change the engine and everything else is the same” or “the only difference is the servos” are unfortunately incorrect. There isn’t a single component you can replace on a cloned Baja that would make it the same overall quality as the HPI Baja. What I’m trying to say is that the quality difference is noticeable through the entire car, not just a single component.

Absolutely everything from the aluminium, plastics, bearings, and screws to the electronics systems and even the factory quality control process are all significantly different and in general, worse for the clone brands (Rovan and King Motor).

I believe each of these brands has their own spot in the marketplace and overall the clone companies have had a positive effect on the hobby industry as they’ve made the fun of 1/5 scale RC cars very affordable.

Reliability

HPI Bajas – 9/10

HPI uses a re-branded Chung Yang engine called “Fuelie” but regardless of its name, it is very well built and it always starts within 4-6 pulls. In my experience, it’s very rare to have an issue without a lot of use or a massive crash.

Clone Bajas – 6/10

Clones are a little tricky to put a rating to, I’ve found that clone Bajas can be a little “hit or miss”. In my experience, I have had the same amount of issues with the assembly of a clone Baja compared with the quality of the parts themselves. For example, I’ve experienced loose wheel nuts, poorly adjusted throttle linkages, and screws missing straight out of the box. All of these are minor problems that are easily fixed but could cause major issues if they weren’t noticed and fixed before use. It is for this reason, I would always recommend a full once-over tightening all screws and checking adjustments on the car before use. On the contrary, I have never experienced a major failure such as full engine detonation or electronics catching fire as some rumours have stated on online forums.

It’s clear that HPI is the most reliable RC Baja when compared to clones including King Motor and Rovan. Click the link if you want to see more about the quality differences between HPI, Rovan and King Motor RC Bajas.

Price

The difficulty of comparing HPI to clone brands is that whilst HPI currently has 7 variations of the Baja, there are more than 20 variations from the clone companies with differences ranging from larger engines to upgraded exhaust pipes and various aluminium parts to create a selling point over HPI’s Baja. Similarly, HPI has done the same thing by introducing the D-Box 2 which is a stability management system that helps the car to be more responsive and helps it not spin out while cornering. King Motor and Rovan are yet to “clone” this feature.

Clones on average are 52% cheaper than HPI’s equivalent Baja.

Being able to buy a clone Baja for less than half the price of HPI’s equivalent spec Baja is a massive selling point and is the biggest reason why clone Bajas are so popular today. Please keep in mind HPI’s Baja comes with the D-Box 2, but regardless it’s still a big price difference.

Performance

HPI Bajas – 8.5/10

HPI’s Baja performs really well on the track, plenty of power (especially with a tuned pipe), steering is sharp and responsive, the suspension system is nice and smooth, brakes come on smoothly and can comfortably lock up the rear wheels.

Clone Bajas – 7/10

I’m quite surprised on how well clone Bajas perform given their price point, they have very similar power, but do lack in the handling department. Clone Bajas normally have quite large tolerances on most of their parts, but it’s a lot more noticeable in its steering and suspension parts as they need to be quite precise.

In the scheme of things, both HPI and clone Bajas will perform quite similarly on the track but the HPI Baja will be ahead of the clones when it comes to a race.

What RC Baja Should I Buy?

In my experience clones have become more popular than the HPI Baja itself, even after explaining the quality differences. It ultimately comes down to what you’re after and how much you’re willing to spend. If the price is your biggest factor and you’re not too fussed to work/maintain your Baja than I’d take a look at your options in Rovan or King Motor. The quality/value between Rovan and King Motor is practically the same. Even if you do have a major issue with a clone Baja, you can still afford to replace the entire engine and still have money in your pocket over buying an HPI Baja. If you’re looking to buy a clone and not sure what clone to get take a look at the differences between Rovan and King Motor RC Bajas.

On the other hand, if you want a quality, reliable Baja that is backed by great service and support, you won’t regret buying any one of HPI’s Baja models. I would also recommend an HPI Baja if you’re buying for a friend that has little or no mechanical experience of how cars work (or more accurately, how RC cars work). At the end of the day, if you want the best, buy an HPI Baja.

Hopefully, you’ve found this information helpful in finding the right radio-controlled car for you. We wish you all the best with the hobby.