The Bezgar even has built-in shock absorbers to keep it moving over rough terrain, and fully charges in under three hours. It’s even got a lightbar stretched across the roof above the seats, so you can keep cruising after the sun goes down. Battery Voltage: 2x6V 800mAH | Top Speed: 25 km/h | Drive Mode: 2WD | Charging Time: 2.5 Hours Supported by a durable frame that can handle some crashing and rolling around, the Maisto achieves a kid-friendly top speed of around five miles per hour making it manageable for kids learning to control the vehicle. The pistol-grip joystick is a good size for smaller hands and includes a trigger for moving forward or reverse and a circular control toggle for changing direction. It requires six AA batteries, giving the Maisto a longer runtime without the constant need for recharging. Battery Voltage: 6AA Batteries | Top Speed: 20 km/h | Drive Mode: 4WD | Charging Time: N/A Additionally, there’s a removable race car driver that kids can take out and play with separately and then put back when they want to drive around the house. With a simple, two-button design, bright colors and plenty of noises to keep a toddler entertained, the cartoon race car will bring hours of joy. Three AAA batteries are required to power the car and two AA batteries are needed for the remote. Battery Voltage: 3AA Batteries | Top Speed: 5 km/h | Drive Mode: 4WD | Charging Time: N/A This RC car requires no assembly, so it’s ready to go right out of the box. The wide, rubber wheels can handle almost any surface from sand, dirt, gravel, and pavement. The best improvement over the previous model is that the Platinum Ford F150 features a safety breaker that shuts down the car if the battery or motor gets too hot, preventing damage to the car and reducing fire hazards. Battery Voltage: 20V | Top Speed: 48 km/h | Drive Mode: 4WD | Charging Time: 2.5 Hours This car comes with two rechargeable batteries so you can keep one charged while you use the other. Each battery gives you about 30 minutes of play and can reach a full charge in as little as 90 minutes. The frame of this RC car is made to be highly maneuverable. Its small wheels make taking sharp turns a breeze, and the compact frame also makes it perfectly travel-size. The large rubber tires can take on a variety of surfaces from pavement to gravel and dirt, while the battery and motor compartment are splash resistant, so you don’t have to worry about driving through small puddles. Battery Voltage: 2x3.6V 700mAh | Top Speed: 20 km/h | Drive Mode: 2WD | Charging Time: 90 Minutes The 1:12 scale means it’s on the larger side, but it can also tackle just about any terrain. It’s great for both off-road use on rocks and gravel but it can motor along really well on streets and sidewalks too. It’s a four-wheel-drive vehicle, with separate front and rear motors, lots of torque to spare, and an independent suspension system so it won’t be shaken up on even the roughest surfaces. The best part of the Double E Monster, however, is that you won’t be stuck replacing batteries; it sports an internal rechargeable 6V 800 mAh pack that can be recharged from any USB power source. This saves you the trouble of having to carry around an extra power adapter; you can recharge it from your laptop or use your mobile phone or tablet charger. Even better, a single charge (which takes about two hours) provides up to 40 minutes of running time, making it one of the longest-lasting RC cars we’ve seen in this price range. Battery Voltage: 2x6V 800mAh | Top Speed: 6 km/h | Drive Mode: 4WD | Charging Time: 90 Minutes With a classic racing sports car design, the Growsland isn’t going to be climbing any rocks or doing any offroading, but it handles great both indoors and outdoors on streets and sidewalks, and the 1:18 scale means it’s small enough to motor around indoors without knocking around your furniture or freaking out your pets. It can get up to a pretty reasonable speed of around 8 mph. A simple two-joystick remote makes it easy for younger kids to operate, although it’s worth noting that the use of the older 27 MHz frequency for the remote means that you won’t be able to race two of the same cars in close proximity as the remotes will interfere with each other. The car and remote will also require you to supply your own set of six AA batteries, but we don’t think that’s a serious omission considering the price tag here. Battery Voltage: 4AA Batteries | Top Speed: 16 kp/h | Drive Mode: 2WD | Charging Time: N/A Rebecca Isaacs is a writer and an educator. She specializes in consumer tech and tested several of the remote control cars on our list.
What to Look For in a Remote Control Car
Age Range
Perhaps the most important consideration when buying a remote control car is the age of the person (or people) who’ll be using it most. If the car is for a young child, you may not want a feature-rich model with high top speed. But if it’s for a tween, teenager, or even an adult, the option you select can be more complicated.
Battery Life
There’s nothing worse than setting up a new piece of technology just to have it run out of batteries before you know it. That’s why paying attention to battery life (in addition to keeping a set of spares handy if its battery isn’t rechargeable) is smart. It’s also worth noting that a vehicle with more features will drain a battery more quickly.
Price
You’d be surprised at how much you can pay for a remote control car if you want one that’s fast, durable, and packed with features. That’s why it’s important to prioritize what’s really important to you and pay attention to the price tag.
