Finding the Right Remote Control Car

Let's face it, remote control cars can be expensive. Sure the starting price of that cool RC car seen at your local hobby shop might be manageable at $200, but then there's the transmitter: another $100. Oh, and the battery: $60. Hey, you want to charge that battery don't you? Battery charger: $100.

With all the additional costs of getting a hobby-grade RC car, a "toy-grade" car at your local superstore starts to look better and better. Alright it looks a little cheaply-made, but it comes with everything you need and sells for much less. Perhaps you've tried this route before. Everything is great when it's brand new. Then you find that the plastic parts break easily. Taking it apart to see what's wrong is difficult. Then you find the little part that you need to replace (the one that should cost about $5) isn't available anywhere and the manufacturer doesn't support replacing it. So the only way to have a working RC car is to buy a whole new vehicle. I'll repeat what I said earlier... remote control cars can be expensive.

Well, things have changed recently and I've found what I believe to be a perfect "starter" RC car... The Losi Micro-T (and similar Micro Desert Truck).

First, let me say that I am not affiliated with Losi in any way, and they pay me no money for what I say here. I simply found a great little car, and want to tell people about it.

The Losi Micro series cars sell for about $80, and come with everything you need including the vehicle, transmitter, batteries, and charger. Out of the box, they are very quick little devils. They will pull wheelies on demand, and are capable of speeds up to 11 mph. However, these little cars have so much more to offer.

First of all, they are cheap. Cheap to buy, cheap to repair and maintain, and cheap to upgrade. In fact, the Losi Micro-T is by far the cheapest hobby-grade RC car you can buy. Additionally, they are very durable. The parts are made very well, and because these cars are so light, there is very little stress on chassis, suspension, and drivetrain even during crashes. If you do manage to break something, replacement parts are typically in the $5 to $10 range and sometimes even less.

So these cars are cheap. They are reliable. They are well made. But are they fun? Heck yes! These little cars start life out of the box going 11 mph and pulling wheelies on demand. Add an upgraded lipo battery ($5) and a fast motor ($15), and you have a vehicle capable of 30 mph. Need even more speed? 50+ mph with a brushless motor is not unheard of.

How big are these cars? They are about 5 inches long. That makes them perfect for either indoor or outdoor fun. For indoor fun, there is no better RC car you can buy. Whether on a track, jumping 3 feet in the air, or making speed runs down your hallway, this car is just the perfect size for indoor entertainment. Other RC cars are simply too big and have a turning radius that is too wide to really enjoy indoors. Outdoors, these cars are equally at home. With a very capable fully-independent suspension, these RC cars handle pavement, dirt, and rough terrain very easily.

So now that you have decided on a Losi Micro, now what?
Well, first you'll have to decide if you want a Micro-T or Micro-DT. Then you might want to personalize it for looks, handling, or speed by getting some upgrades for it!