At 1/24 scale this is a genuinely small, light car, which means low mass and low speed — exactly what a first-time driver needs while they work out which way the wheels turn when the stick goes left. It’s ready to run out of the box, so there’s no awkward setup between unwrapping and driving.

Best for: a genuine first RC car, indoors on a hard floor or outside on a smooth path. Watch out for: 1/24 scale parts are small and fiddly to replace, so budget for patience (or a parent) rather than expecting a six year old to fix it solo.

A buggy shape with a bit more ground clearance copes far better with kerbs, door thresholds and garden grass than a flat-bellied road car — useful when steering accuracy is still a work in progress. The small size keeps top speed in check while the buggy chassis shrugs off the inevitable nose-first stops.

Best for: mixed indoor/outdoor use where the surface isn’t always perfectly smooth. Watch out for: being a micro-scale model, it still needs careful handling — this is a step up in toughness, not an invincible toy.

Drift cars use slippery hard tyres so the rear end slides rather than grips, which turns steering correction into a game rather than a punishment for a wobbly line. It’s a gentle, low-consequence way to teach a six year old that the throttle and the steering wheel work together.

Best for: smooth indoor floors (laminate, tile) where the slide-around handling is at its most fun. Watch out for: it won’t grip or climb like a buggy, so it’s not the right choice for garden or gravel driving.

Once a child has got the hang of a smaller car, this 1/16 scale 4wd buggy offers noticeably better traction and stability without jumping to a genuinely fast machine. Four-wheel drive also makes it more forgiving over uneven ground, which means fewer stalls and less frustration.

Best for: children who’ve outgrown a micro car and want more capability in the garden. Watch out for: it’s quicker than the smaller cars on this list, so early sessions are best run with an adult nearby to set throttle limits if the transmitter allows it.

This sits a notch above the Yellow 16201 in build quality and durability, which suits a six year old who has already shown they can stop, reverse and turn without constant reminders. The sturdier chassis holds up better to the bigger jumps and knocks that come with growing confidence.

Best for: a gift for a child who’s already had some RC seat time, perhaps via an older sibling’s car. Watch out for: the higher price means it’s more of an investment, so it’s worth being confident the interest is there before buying.

A brushless motor capable of 45km/h is well beyond what any six year old should be driving unsupervised, so this one earns its place on the list as a “grow into it” family car rather than a child’s own toy. Most transmitters paired with brushless setups include a dual-rate or limiter switch, which an adult can set low while the child learns, and open up gradually.

Best for: households where an adult wants a capable car to share, with the child starting on a locked-down low setting. Watch out for: never let a six year old run this at full speed unsupervised — it’s genuinely fast, and the consequences of a mistake are much higher than with the smaller cars above.