Things to consider:

Here are a few things that you should think about when buying an RC car for someone else.

• Where will they drive it?
• If they live on a farm for example, they might want to drive it in the paddock or in long grass so you should look at getting an RC truck with large wheels
• Have they had an RC car before?
• If so, they might want something better, or different to what that have currently
• If not, it might be best to get them a beginner level RC car
• Make sure you have everything
• Many cars need a battery (or fuel), charger and AA batteries for the remote controller. To check, scroll down to the bottom of the product page and see the ""Required Items (Not Included)"" section.
• Packaging:
• Most RC cars will come in either a blank cardboard box or in black plastic (no branding)
• Most Axial cars will come packaged in the original Axial box (which has Axial's logo on the side)
• Most Rovan vehicles come in a blank box with the words ""RC CAR"" on the side

Tip: Unless they've specifically asked or expressed interest in on-road RC cars, off-road vehicles are a safer bet as they are more versatile as they can drive on the road and off-road.

RC cars put up with a lot of jumps, roll-overs, crashes and sometimes even abuse without a problem. However, regardless of how strong the RC car is, it's a matter if when it will break, not if it will break. That's why parts support is essential - we stock parts for all the cars we sell so you can purchase your RC car with confidence that we'll have your back when you crash into a tree!

The answer to this question is very subjective as it's difficult to measure the 'durability' of an RC car.

Typically, 4WD cars are more expensive but deliver better handling. However, 2WD vehicles generally are more durable, easier to maintain (as they have less moving parts) and have a longer run time.

Go electric unless you want a 1/5 scale car (in which case, petrol is a viable option). Nitro cars have too many cons that out way their pros unless you're a true nitro enthusiast.

Read our Electric, Nitro or Petrol - Which RC Car Should I Buy? blog post for more information.

Beginner setup #1:

• HSP Mongoose BL - hands down the best value for money setup available
• We recommend purchasing the throttle limiters for beginners
• There are three other models in this range:
• Crusher BL
• Storm BL
• Viper BL

Beginner setup #2:

• Traxxas Rustler - arguably the most popular RC car in the world
• There are three other models in this range:
• Slash
• Stampede
• Bandit

We recommend also getting the AC power supply for this model as otherwise you're limited to charging from a 12v cigarette lighter port (commonly found in automotive cars).

Note: There's no need to get a throttle limiter as Traxxas models have a training mode which limits the power to 50%.

More options:

Don't like either of the options above? No worries, there's heaps more to choose from. For more recommendations and information read our best RC cars for a beginner blog post.

Electric: Most electric RC cars are waterproof* - just double check in the description of the RC car you're looking at.

Fuel powered: As all fuel powered engines need air to operate there's no truly 'waterproof' fuel powered RC cars, however, there's some that have waterproof electronics which essentially makes the car 'splash proof' - never submerge a fuel powered RC car.

*Note: if you drive in water (especially salt water) make sure you clean it thoroughly. Driving in wet conditions will increase the wear and tear on components such as bearings, tyres (they can fill up with water and overload your electrics and damage the foam inserts) and various metal parts. Even if your car's electronics is waterproof, it's best to stay away from water.