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All You Need To Know About The Best RC Car Brands

By Matt Powell •  Updated: 05/10/22 •  12 min read
RC Cars & Trucks

If you are looking for an exciting hobby that will give you hours of excitement and thrilling heart pumping speed, in a small form factor, and right from your own home, then getting into RC vehicles is the way to go. 

You can have all kinds of fun from the comfort of your own yard and not have to take up a whole garage in order to get the speed you need. Here at RC world, we have gathered a list of the best RC car brands on the market and provided you with all the information you need to know.

All of the best brands of RC car allow you to modify and upgrade your vehicle. Whether you want to bash or race, one of these brands will have something you are looking for. Here are the top 10 brands that you want to check out immediately!

#1 – HPI Racing

I am going to start out with HPI racing because I personally own an HPI car. I have the HPI Savage XS, and I absolutely love it. HPI products are enjoyed by hobbyists of all ages, from beginners to enthusiasts, with an eye for something special. (1) 

HPI Has a large line of vehicles and are well known for their durability, top notch quality, and awesome car designs! You can see below all the categories of vehicles they have. Each one has it’s own unique styling and purpose, but I guarantee you that every one of them is fun. If you look at the comment in the list below on the Savage XS, it is every bit true, speaking from personal experience. The Savage is a savage, right out of the box!

These vehicles’ quality and durability allow them to last a long time, no matter what surface you bring them on. HPI has also been around since 1986 so they are a veteran in the RC game and their product speaks for itself.

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#2 – Traxxas

If you have ever heard anything about RC cars, then you have definitely heard the name Traxxas thrown around. Traxxas RC has been around since 1986 and is a massive name in the RC game. They also have the claim on the fastest RC car out of the box in the world. 

Traxxas also has many firsts in the world of RC which means they are innovative and driven to make the best and most diverse RC vehicles in the world.

Traxxas Firsts

Traxxas, The Fastest Name in Radio Control® is the number-one selling name in Ready-To-Race® nitro and electric radio controlled (RC) vehicles. Traxxas is dedicated to innovative thinking and fun designs that make it easy for anyone to get started in radio control. Traxxas products include trucks, cars, speedboats, and quadcopters as well as a full line of accessories for a completely personalized experience. (2)

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Traxxas had the consumer in mind when they built their brand. Most of their vehicles require little to no assembly and are ready to go out of the box. You can customize Traxxas machines just like many other brands on this list so the possibilities are endless. 

Traxxas also comes with a higher price of admission, but along with that price comes the quality and durability you would expect from an industry leader like them. 

#3 – Losi

Losi RC cars is another giant in the industry and a recognizable name everywhere. Started in 1980, Losi touts a long history of quality designs and products. 

Team Losi Racing (TLR) has been designing innovative R/C racing products for over 30 years and our mission is to provide discriminating racers with the highest quality competition products. Throughout the world, Team Losi Racing is recognized for innovative design and engineering excellence resulting in championship-winning vehicles. (3)

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Just like these other top brands, Losi sells cars that are ready to drive out of the box, which makes them a great option for RC car beginners. Losi RC cars are also able to be modified to suit all your needs. Team Losi racing has an impressive record of tournaments and national championships which only adds to their stellar performance reputation as an RC company.

#4 – ARRMA

ARRMA offers a large selection of RC vehicles from dirt driving and bashing to racing.  ARRMA touts that they are “Designed to be fast, Designed to be tough” and they definitely have the durability to survive much of the punishment from the abuse their machines take. With most of them having a larger size, their parts are sturdy enough to withstand almost anything.

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ARRMA is a great brand no matter whether you are new to the hobby of RC, or a seasoned veteran looking for a new toy. They are designed from the ground up and take into account all the aspects needed to make a great RC car. They also offer a wide range of machines from trucks, buggies, and cars. ARRMA also offers packages that are ready right out of the box, making them very beginner friendly. ARRMA is a brand that defines high-speed super-tough RC action. (4)

#5 – HB Racing

HB (Hot Bodies) Racing is all about…you guessed it, racing! If you want a brand that is all about racing AND winning, HB is the brand for you. They sponsor a ton of drivers who finish on the podium all the time. Their innovative designs allow you to build your RC car from the ground up and customize every aspect to make the best driving, fastest track cars you can. HB (Hot Bodies) brand of strictly racing cars were based off the design of cars from HPI Racing, so if they look familiar, you know why. 

There are no ready to drive kits with this company, so if you are ready to take the plunge, then you can’t go wrong with HB Racing machines. Make sure you brush up on your knowledge about building and maintaining RC cars. (5)

#6 – Axial Racing

If you are looking for vehicles that will drive on, and over anything, then Axial is the way to go. Axial RC machines will take you anywhere you want to go off road. Many Axial Racing models models have waterproof components that make them ideal for any type of terrain you may face.

Founded in 2005, Axial R/C, Inc. quickly became a global brand leader of hobby grade radio controlled products and was later acquired by Horizon Hobby, LLC in 2018. Now a brand of Horizon Hobby, Axial chassis and accessory products continue to be manufactured to the highest quality standards, with design emphasis on rugged construction and scale realism. (6)

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Axial Racing has several awards for their crawlers and off-road vehicles.

#7 – Mugen

Mugen has a reputation of top quality RC machines with a long history of awards and trophies. What Mugen lacks in realism of their vehicles, they make up for due to being technologically advanced and designed to race. The parent company is in Japan and has been going strong since 1982. 

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Mugen Seiki Co., Ltd. is recognized for top quality radio control gas powered racing car (Off-Road buggy, On-road racing, and touring cars) and related parts around the world. (7)

#8 – Redcat Racing

Redcat was founded in 2005 with the ambition of bringing people together and enhancing lives through our products. We love helping vehicle enthusiasts and communities create memorable experiences by delivering fun, creative RC cars. (8)

Redcat racing is a great entry into the hobby. Redcat racing is what actually got me started because my neighbor bought two of them and we drove them around and I just had to have my own RC truck. Redcat has very reasonably priced vehicles just like the one below.

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Redcat has many different models including realistic replicas to monster trucks and many models have a decent price of entry. Redcat also listens to the community and they try to implement based on the feedback of the customer.

Overall, Redcat is a good brand of RC car that anyone can enjoy on or off-road. 

#9 – Kyosho

Kyosho is one of the biggest brands of RC cars to come from Japan and have been making quality machines for almost 60 years! 

Founded 1963 in Japan, Kyosho has been building products for close to 60 Years! We want to show the world the value of enjoying life through the hobby of Radio Control. Since its foundation, Kyosho has lived by this philosophy. There is no end to the pursuit of this goal, from each generation to the next, our unceasing search for ways people can have fun leads to continuous idea creation that takes shape in the form of truly innovative products. (9)

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Kyosho Racing has kit cars, planes, helicopters, and boats. If you are looking for a brand that has every type of RC vehicle AND is a top name in the game, then Kyosho is the way to go. They always try to innovate and make sure their customers have the best service and product possible.

#10 – RC4WD

If you want realistic RC cars that look just like vehicles on the streets, but can crawl and tear up dirt, then RC4WD is the perfect machine for you. They are a brand that is in high demand and for good reason. Quality products and service make them a leader in the industry. 

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RC4WD started off as a dream by a man living in the Bay Area. In 2001, the one-stop shop housed in a small garage quickly got its foot into the door. While the goal was never to create a business, the owner’s love and dedication for radio control vehicles and extreme scale has allowed RC4WD to continue growing right along with their fan base – The American Dream! (10)

#11 – MST Racing

I can’t have a list of the best car brands without adding Max Speed Technology. They provide something a bit more unique with most of their vehicles. They make drift cars!!! That’s right, you can get RC cars to drift with on the track just like real drift cars. They don’t only make drift cars, but offer other on and off-road capable vehicles 

Max Speed Technology is an innovative R/C car design team & manufacturer. MST products have brought a lot of fun to RC Drift & Touring Car owners! (11) Drift cars from MST offer a whole new type of driving for that thrill of racing around a track and letting the rear end loose.

Best RC Car Brands Wrapped Up

Choosing the best rc car brand doesn’t have to be a tough decision. Any brand on this list will give you great enjoyment. The lowest price of entry is Redcat, so if you are not sure if RC is right for you and want to try it out, go with a Redcat.

Other than that, pick one of these brands style that you like, and welcome to the wild and wonderful world of Radio controlled vehicles.

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Matt Powell