The WLToys 124018 V2 is a sensible starting point for a 10 year old moving up from toy-grade. It’s a proper four-wheel-drive buggy chassis rather than a simplified kids’ model, so it handles rough ground, kerbs and grass without falling apart — but the brushed motor keeps outright speed manageable while they learn throttle control and braking.

Best for: parents who want a genuine hobby-grade feel without brushless speed straight away. Watch out for: brushed motors wear faster under hard use, so budget for a spare in time.

The H16E’s party piece is the GPS speedometer and mobile app, which turns every run into a measurable thing — top speed, distance, laps — and that’s exactly the kind of hook that keeps a 10 year old engaged beyond the first week. The 1/16 scale keeps it compact and relatively low-cost to run.

Best for: kids who enjoy gadgets and like tracking their own progress. Watch out for: the app needs a phone or tablet paired via Bluetooth, which adds a setup step adults will likely need to handle first.

This is where things step up to brushless power — the 14304 is drift-tuned, which means it’s built to slide predictably rather than grip hard and launch, so it’s actually a forgiving way to learn throttle-and-steering coordination at speed. A 67km/h top end sounds a lot, but drift setups rarely use full throttle in a straight line the way a race buggy would.

Best for: a confident 10 year old who wants to learn controlled slides, not just drive fast in a straight line. Watch out for: drift tyres are low-grip by design, so this isn’t the car for rough grass or gravel — smooth, hard surfaces only.

The metal chassis on the XTS-P12 is a real plus for this age group — it shrugs off the inevitable knocks and tumbles far better than an all-plastic equivalent, and rally tuning means it’s happy on loose gravel, grass and wet paths rather than needing a smooth drive or car park.

Best for: families wanting one car that copes with the garden, the park and poor weather equally well. Watch out for: the metal parts add weight, so expect to replace a battery pack sooner than on a lighter plastic car.

Mechanically identical to the blue version above, this is simply the red colourway for anyone whose 10 year old has a strong preference — and at this age, a favourite colour genuinely does affect how much they bond with a new car.

Best for: households where colour choice matters as much as the spec sheet. Watch out for: it’s priced slightly higher than the blue version, so check current stock and pricing before deciding on colour alone.

This is the top of our list for a reason — the RX12 is genuinely 3S-ready, meaning it has real headroom beyond its out-of-the-box speed for when your 10 year old grows into it over the next year or two. At stock settings it’s a capable, enjoyable drift-and-rally hybrid; pushed to 3S power later, it’s a seriously quick car.

Best for: the confident, supervised 10 year old you expect to still be into RC at 12 or 13. Watch out for: don’t run it on 3S power straight away — start on the supplied setup and only consider upgrading once they’ve mastered basic control, ideally with an adult present.