The Best RC Car

Many of us have great childhood memories of steering an RC (or radio control) car around the living room on birthdays or Christmas mornings — and not-so-great memories of breaking it during an ill-advised stunt. If you haven’t played with an RC car since those days, you should know there are models out there that are greatly improved from the cheap toys you may have gotten, as long as you’re willing to pay a little extra.

First of all, keep in mind that we’re talking about radio control cars. A remote control car uses a hand-held transmitter to relay steering and speed commands to a miniature car or truck, but the two might be connected by a wire. A radio controlled car is controlled by radio waves sent from the transmitter to a receiver in the car, and the distance between the two is limited only by the power of the transmitter. In some top-end RC units, that might be as far as 1000 feet or more. In more inexpensive children’s cars, it might be limited to the length of a large room. If you’re taking it outdoors,, bear in mind that the effective distance of the transmitter signal will be affected by objects between you and your car.

Whether you’re buying an RC car, truck or buggy, one of the first statistics you might see is scale. 1/10 scale is one of the most common ones to see, and that means the car is a tenth the size of whatever automobile it’s trying to represent. That size can vary, but it generally ranges from 14 to 16 inches. Other popular scales are 1/12 and 1/16, and you might find mini-RC cars that go as small as 1/64.

While kids might love playing with RC cars, there’s a substantial adult hobby culture surrounding them. Gearheads exchange tips, tweak engines and even build their own cars from scratch to race at big events. Among the high-end models common at these races, you might see gas-powered cars which run on nitro fuel. These can be very fast but also noisy. They’re definitely for hobbyists only, as there’s a lot more to break.

Beginners will want to stick with electric RC cars, which are no slouch in the speed department and a lot easier to start racing with. You’ll find several hobby-grade vehicles sporting electric motors, and the most powerful (read: expensive) can top 100 mph. For trucks and buggies, the high end is much lower — somewhere around 50 mph. Battery life and charging time can vary, but in general look for mAh (milliamp hours) as a good indicator of battery capacity.

• RC cars come in a wide price range, from simple toys to high-tech racing vehicles that can be modified just like their full-size counterparts. In any case, they’ll need three major components: a transmitter (powered by a battery), a receiver (installed into the car) and the car itself. If you’re planning to start racing out of the box, make sure that an RC car is equipped with all three. Cars labeled as “ready to run” will generally have all you need to start.
• 2WD or 4WD? Even non-truck drivers will recognize those options as 2-wheel or 4-wheel drive, and the same transmission choice applies to RC cars. In full-size trucks, 4WD might be the premium type, but that’s not necessarily the case here. RC cars with 4WD are more stable, and the controls are definitely responsive — possibly too much so for beginners. 2WD models tend to be cheaper and a bit slower, but more durable. The easier control will also mean less accidents.
• Holding races with other hobbyists might be the most fun you can get out of your RC car. This might take some preparation depending on the car type, but things have gotten much easier lately for mini-racing enthusiasts. In the early days of RC racing, two cars operating on the same radio frequency might have to have different crystals installed in the receiver and transmitter. This would allow them to operate on different channels in the same frequency, ensuring their signals wouldn’t interfere with each other. While there are still some RC cars that use that workaround, an increasing majority now operate at 2.4 GHz, a wide frequency that allows cars to receive signals on their own narrow band — no crystals needed. Not only does this allow other 2.4 GHz cars to race, but you can also play without worrying about interference from other RC units in the immediate area.
• Battery life is a big concern, especially if you’re planning to take your RC buggy to the beach or somewhere far from a charging station. Most RC batteries are rechargeable, but they can take awhile. Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries are the standard, and they’re heavy but easy to use. Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries are a step up from that, delivering more power and lasting longer — at a price, of course.
• Everybody wants to know how fast their RC car will go. Max speed should be clearly advertised, but keep in mind that number can vary widely depending on your driving conditions (especially when it comes to off-road vehicles).
• Conversations about engine specs can get into the weeds quickly when it comes to hobby-grade cars, but in general, you’ll see designations for “brushed” and “brushless” motors. Brushless motors are more efficient and durable. Brushed motors use a series of tiny metal brushes to convert power to motion, and they’re best for beginners. While they don’t deliver quite as much speed as brushless motors, they can still be plenty effective and are cheaper.