Affordable Yet Ok RC Car For a 9 Year Old Boy?

[chopper]

Last sort of RC car I bought was at Radio Shack in the early 2000s.

9 Year old I know would like to get something that will durable and fun. Some kind of off-road style unit that can be bounced off curbs and the like without shattering, and has good battery life.

Any suggestions?

[M A V I C]

You've got a choice between hobby grade and toy grade. I bought my 6-year-old a toy grade one that had good reviews on Amazon. It lasted a few months (three or so charges of the batteries) before a little piece inside the controller broke off and now it won't turn anymore. MFG's service email bounces. Amazon can't even tell me what the warranty details are because the MFG won't respond to them. It was just a poorly designed piece that renders the whole thing useless because you can't buy parts for it.

Hobby grade is more expensive, but you can buy parts. I've heard some of the Traxxas trucks are pretty well built and not super expensive.

[onthedownlow]

Get (or at least seriously look) at some Traxxas models - specifically the Rustler or the Stampede. These can take a serious beating - although so can some of their other models. Yes, replaceable parts (cheap).

If you do go that route, invest in another battery, an EZ-Peak charger (for ease and fast charges), and a wheelie bar.

Amazon will have the best prices on all of these.

[jdc]

Not sure how cheap you are trying to go -- but Make sure it can turn both left and right. It seems as all the $40 ones only turn one way, forcing you to do the backup/turn dance. Got my daughter a truck with both, there was only one model that did it at Target when I shopped a while back.

Although not a car, my 8 year old had a lot of fun with the mattel flying car, flys OK. Need a soccer field or bigger.

http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Wheels-Street-..._2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443155089&sr=8-2&keywords=mattel+flying+car

[3d]

jdc wrote:
Not sure how cheap you are trying to go -- but Make sure it can turn both left and right. It seems as all the $40 ones only turn one way, forcing you to do the backup/turn dance. Got my daughter a truck with both, there was only one model that did it at Target when I shopped a while back.

This drives me nuts. My daughter has a strawberry shortcake RC car that does this. I want to smash it into little bits but she really really REALLY likes this one car.

[mrlynn]

If the boy is into Legos, there are some fairly elaborate kits that enable kids to build RC cars in a variety of styles. Requires a high degree of Legos experience, I reckon.

/Mr Lynn