Man racing with a fast rc car for an adult

How to Choose the Best RC Cars for Adults

- Laegendary Brand Team

Remote controlled cars are often seen as toys for children. Toy stores do indeed sell cheap RC cars, but many adults are into the hobby as well. Driving RC cars is a way to experience the thrill of racing without the risk, for others, it’s a fun collectable hobby. For those experienced or just getting into RC Cars for adults, it's very important to choose the right car. Here are some things you should consider before buying an RC car.

How to Choose the Best RC Cars for Adults

First of all, it is best to get your RC car from a specialist store or supplier, not a toy store. You won’t find the quality, performance or durability a serious RC enthusiast wants there. 

Second, you should think about what you want to do with your RC car. Off-road capable RC cars are typically more versatile as you can run them almost anywhere. Looking for fast RC cars? If track speed is your jam, a street car is typically faster on asphalt. Things to consider:

    • Where will you be using the car? Will you be wanting to run it off road or on dodgy surfaces? Or do you want to go as fast as possible on smooth asphalt?
    • Do you have a specific thing you want to do with the car? Do you want to drift, race on a track, crawl over rocks, etc? 
    • How much do you want to tinker with your car?
    • What are your aesthetics? Do you want a racecar, a monster truck, what? 

All of these factors are highly personal, but the good news is that you can find an RC car that meets your needs. Many experienced enthusiasts have several cars for different purposes, but for your first car choose one that will do what you are most enthusiastic about. If in doubt, your best choice is a buggy, which can run well on road and off road and is versatile enough for you to explore different options before deciding on a course of action.

Also, consider your budget. It's best to buy a beginner vehicle if you’re starting off, because you might find a higher end one has a little bit too much performance while you’re learning. Keep in mind, these cars can be upgraded later to add more performance as you develop your skills.

Benefits of Hobby Grade RC Cars for Adults

For an adult enthusiast, you should skip the toy grade cars and go straight for hobby grade RC cars.

These cars are more expensive, so why should you get one? There are a lot of reasons, but here are some to consider:

1. Custom RC Upgrades. Hobby grade cars are designed to be tinkered with and upgraded. For example, you might want to upgrade your car's motor as you develop better driving skills and want more speed and/or torque. You can slowly upgrade an entry level hobby grade car into a personalized hotrod you love.

2. Easy to Repair. When a toy grade car is damaged, you typically have to throw it out, whilst with a hobby grade car you can simply replace the broken part. You can even replace the entire body shell if needed.

3. Powerful Motor & Battery. This makes them faster out of the box. They also often have a longer run time before you need to switch out the battery. Some fast rc cars even come with a more powerful brushless motor and/or lighter, powerful LiPo batteries.

4. Nitro RC Cars. Nitro RC Cars are powered by a small internal combustion engine. While it's no longer true that they have better performance than electric cars, they do offer more of the feel (and noise) of a real car, and a longer run time. 

5. Longer Lifetime. They are typically built to last longer and be more durable. They are more likely to survive a collision or wreck. 

6. Easy to Control. Quality RC Cars for adults cars have better electronics making them easier to control and giving them a higher transmission range.

They also tend to be larger in size, typically 1/10 scale, and thus more fun to watch. 

Fast RC Car for Adult

Types of Fast RC Cars for Adults

Going back to choosing the best RC car for an adult, understanding the types of RC cars available is important. Here are some fun types of RC cars you could consider:

1. Street car/racing car. These are designed to run fast on smooth asphalt, such as an unused parking lot. If you are a straight up racing fan, this might be the car for you. The downside is that many can only run on the road.

2. Drift car. This is an on-road car designed specifically for drifting, which can be a lot of fun.

3. Rally car. A car body on an off-road chassis. They might resemble rally cars or rallycross cars.

4. Off-road SUV. Yes, you can get an RC off-road SUV or truck that you can drive on any terrain.

5. Monster truck. If you want those big tires.

6. Stadium truck. A truck body on a racing chassis, similar to what you might see in NASCAR's truck series. Popular for indoor racing.

7. Buggies. These are the most popular because they will run well both on and off road, and are considered the best beginner cars.

There's a lot of variation within these types, of course. Consider what you want to do, and what you think will hold your interest long enough to warrant the cost and effort. If you aren't sure, get a buggy. You can always get a specialist vehicle later.

Which RC is Best For You: RTR vs Kit?

It used to be that if you wanted a hobby grade RC car, you had to get out your toolkit. RC cars for adults were typically sold as kits that had to be assembled. However, times have changed and it is now possible to get a ready-to-run (RTR) car to fit your needs.

So, which should you do? The question of RTR vs kit is highly personal.

Advantages of RTR:

  • Will get you on the road faster.
  • Avoids the stress of having to build your car.
  • Good for people who don't enjoy doing the mechanical work (although be warned; there will always be mechanical work).

Disadvantages of RTR:

  • There are typically fewer custom parts available to upgrade RTR cars.

Be aware that if the label says "ARR," that means it is almost ready-to-run, and requires some small assembly or finishing touches. For example, some ARR cars are sold unpainted so you can apply your own livery.

Advantages of building a kit:

  • You will understand your car much better and later repairs will be easier.
  • You can customize the car right away, such as painting it in your own livery or making immediate adjustments and upgrades.
  • It's fun!

If you are mechanically-minded, consider going straight for a kit because you really will understand your car better and be able to keep it on the road easier. However, some people just want to get on the road, or simply don't have the time to build a kit.

Closing

For those who want to get into RC cars or deciding which is the best rc car for an adult, you need to go for a hobby grade RC car. A toy car can be useful to have so you can learn the controls without damaging your expensive car, but most people will outgrow one very quickly. Want to see more RC cars for adults? Browse Laegendary's large collection of RC cars today!