The best RC cars of 2026: top picks for every budget

The short version for 2026. For most people the best RC car to buy is a 1/10 scale 4WD truck that comes with everything in the box, and ours is the Atrek Peak. The best new arrival this year is the ARRMA Mini Kraton 3S. For crawling it's the RGT LC79 Land Commander, for a buggy the Atrek Tracer Pro, for drifting the HSP Flying Fish, and for a kit build the Tamiya Lunch Box.

What are the best RC cars in Australia in 2026?

What separates a genuinely good RC car in Australia from a let-down usually isn't top speed, it's parts availability. We sit a long way from the big overseas warehouses, so a "fast" car you can't get spares for is a paperweight the first time you snap a driveshaft.

So the six below were chosen on things we can check: what each car does, what comes in the box, and whether we carry the parts for it here in Australia. Nobody is claiming a test track. They're also all cars we can sell you, which is why a few famous names are missing.

Best RC truck: Atrek Peak

The Peak is a 1/10 scale monster truck with two brushed motors driving all four wheels, oil-filled shocks, metal gears and aluminium skid plates front and rear. The box holds the battery, a USB charger, the AAs for the remote and a bag of spare parts, and the remote has a 50% throttle switch for learners. It will take a 3S battery later, and there are upgrade parts for it. Atrek is our own brand, so weigh that how you like.

For: a first truck, a family truck, a backyard.

Not for: anyone chasing brushless speed. If you'd rather a truck from another brand with the battery and charger in the box, the Traxxas Stampede XL-5 is 2WD and has the deepest parts range behind it. Both get the full treatment in our guide to the best RC car to start with.

Best new RC car of 2026: ARRMA Mini Kraton 3S

The Mini Kraton reached us in February. It's a 1/16 scale 4WD brushless truck from ARRMA with an all-metal enclosed drivetrain and stability control. It runs in a tamer mode until you fit the PowerKey that comes with it, which unlocks full 3S power. The teal version we've linked comes with a 3S battery and a USB-C charger in the box. You add a USB power supply for the charger.

For: someone who wants serious pace in a truck that fits in a backpack.

Not for: a beginner who will fit the key on day one. Small is not the same as slow. The Traxxas Mini Maxx is the same idea with a half-throttle Training Mode and a battery and charger included.

Best RC crawlers of 2026

Our pick of the 1/10 scale crawlers is also a 2026 arrival. The RGT LC79 Land Commander has a working winch, a two-speed gearbox shifted from the remote, a switch between 4WD and front-wheel drive and a full light set. Battery and charger are extra.

For: trail driving and detail.

Not for: anyone who wants to go fast or jump. Three more rock crawlers worth a look:

• 1/10, Traxxas: the TRX-4 Nissan Pathfinder.

• Small enough for indoors: the 1/18 TRX-4M Defender, which our older round-up called a package you can drive over books and couch cushions.

• On a tighter budget: the 1/12 MN Model MN82 LC79, the crawler our customers order most.

Best RC buggy of 2026: Atrek Tracer Pro

The Tracer Pro is a 1/10 scale 2WD brushless buggy with a Hobbywing speed controller, a 2S LiPo and charger in the box, and a 50% training mode on the remote. It will take a 3S battery later without modification.

For: hard-packed dirt, short grass and car parks, and for learning throttle control in something that changes direction quickly.

Not for: long grass. Buggies sit low, and they bog down where a monster truck keeps going.

Best drift car: HSP Flying Fish

The Flying Fish isn't new. We've stocked it since 2015. It's a 1/10 scale 4WD drift car, which makes the first slides easy, and the battery and charger are in the box.

For: learning to drift on any smooth floor.

Not for: the purist. 4WD is for learning. Full-size drift cars are rear-wheel drive, and the new Traxxas 4-Tec Drift Nissan 240SX, in since May, is built that way. The drift car guide covers the difference.

Best kit build: Tamiya Lunch Box

The Lunch Box is a 1/12 scale monster van you build yourself. Motor and speed controller come in the kit. You add a steering servo, radio, battery, charger and paint. It's here for the build, not the lap times.

For: a weekend at the bench.

Not for: anyone who wants to be driving an hour after the courier leaves. The 2026 kit arrival is the Tamiya TT-02 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, a 4WD on-road car. Others are under RC kits.

Best RC cars for adults in 2026

Buying for yourself? Of the six, the Mini Kraton, the Land Commander and the Lunch Box have the most to offer a grown-up: more speed, more detail or more building. If you'd like a full-size brushless truck with everything in the box, add the Atrek Ambush Pro to the list. Our guide to RC cars for adults sorts all of them by where you'll drive.

How to choose between them

• Start with the ground. Lawn and rough dirt suit a monster truck. Hard-packed dirt and bitumen suit a buggy. Smooth concrete suits a drift car. Rocks, garden beds and lounge rooms suit a crawler.

• Brushed or brushless? Brushed costs less and is plenty to learn on. Brushless is the fast one, and it's what the Mini Kraton and Tracer Pro run.

• Check the box. The table says which picks include a battery and charger. For the rest, budget for both.

Chasing the top-speed number? See the fastest RC car you can buy. Not sure how big 1/10 actually is? The scale guide has the sizes.