The best cheap rc cars of 2023
what is “cheap” for an rc car?
So here at radio-controlled.co.uk we take RC cars very seriosly, but we also cater for those looking for cheap RC cars. The first thing to build an understanding is…. What is cheap?
So RC cars can go up to around £1500 for a full kit when we look at the hight end of the market. A typical 1/8th racing buggy set up will cost around £500-600 at least once you factor in all of the additional electronics and maintainance kit you will require.
Our guide to cheap RC cars looks at the lower end of the market where the products are still of high enough quality to not be classed as “toys” but also dont break the bank.
Our guide price range for buying high quality RC cars whilst being classified as “cheap” is from around £90-170. Anything below this and we would classify them as “toy RC cars”. Thats not to say there arent budget options out there, but we would certainly advise that if you are looking for a high quality prooduct you should spend in this price bracket.
The top 10 cheap RC cars of 2023
10. The WL Toys 104019 brushless truggy
The WL Toys 104019 brushless truggy was launched in late 2022. Its a great value offroad truggy stle car which includes the standard WL Toys remote control, a battery, charger and a wheeliebar to stop it flopping over when you pop those ever satisfying wheelies.
This RC is lods of fun and very planted to the ground in corners. Radio-controlled.co.uk sell both the brushed and brushless versions of tthis truggy immediately available for 2 day delivery here in the UK.
The one thing we would recommend is upgrading the wheels and tyres to offroad tyres. Its a bit strange for a truggy like this to come with road style tyres like it does, so this is one area for improvement.
Reach out to us and we can help you upgrade anthing on this product if you want to.
9. WL Toys 124017 v2 rc racing buggy
The WL toys 124017 was top of our list last year. Its still an amazing value product which we love, but its tendency to flip over a lot has let it move down the rankings.
Now whilst you have to turn the speed down if you want to handle cornering its still an amazing rc buggy out of the box, and if you want something to go insanely fast in a straight line this buggy is blisteringly fast.
Again with this model we recommend replacing the tyres on this model to something with slightly less traction. The extreamly grippy tyres are the reason why it flips over so easily.
9. ZD Rocket RC buggy
coming in at only £109.99 the ZD rocket is at the cheaper end of the spectrum in this category. Its an absolute bargain and doesnt disapoint. Getting a 4wd buggy at this price is a real tread.
ZD Racing rocket is a 1/16 full-scale all-terrain all-wheel-drive electric desert truck, which is based on the prototype of the world-famous Ultra4 extreme off-road race and has a more realistic appearance with great impact.
Rotating clamshell design, equipped with simulation LED roof spotlights.PVC anti-roll cage shell, simulation cockpit. This allows for the lid to open whilst protecting the electronics
8. ZD Racing Thunder RC Truck
The ZD Racing Thunder RC truck is amazing value at only £159.99.
All metal chassis CNC processing, metal adjustable rod, 77T metal reduction gear. Front bumper board has reserved LED lamp holes (for DIY), rear wheel is equipped with the head wheel, to prevent rollovers effectively.
The ZD thunder is an amazing piece of kit for the money. Pick one up today and grab an absolute bargain before they sell out!
7. MJX HyperGo RC brushless monster truck
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6. The HBX 16889a Pro brushless rc mini truck
This is one of our top selling RC cars, and its absolutely bomb proof. Check out all the reviews of this product on youtube and youll find only glowing opinions.
Small and mightly it fits easily into a backpack.
5. HBX 901a 1/12th rc truck
One of the youtube supergeeks when it comes to cheap RC cars ranks this HBX 901a rc buggy at the very top of their list and we can see why. It larger than its counterpart (above) so can handle even more rugged terrain.
The HBX 901a firebolt comes with all you need to get going at a really great price including controller, charger, bettery and remote.
4. WL Toys 184016 RC buggy
WL Toys have listened to their customers. This product was released in a small number to get customer feedback. Its not been released after some final perfections and its looking spectacular.
The buggy iteslf is a revision of the WL toys 144010 which was already a top selling product, which would have been in this list if it wasnt for this new revision of the product.
Its called “mad max” for a reason and its absolutely blistering.
3. Rlaarlo Amoril RC racing buggy
Rlaarlo are absolutely killing in in the marketing, slowly building a growing followng and an immaculate reputation. With the recent launch of the larger 1/12th model the Rlaarlo AMX-12 they are on a role, but unfortunately that doesnt fall into the “cheap RC cars” category.
The Rlaarlo Amoril range of buggies are amazing quality with nothing spared on componentry. The 4wd platform offers amazing grip and there are various options of brushed and brushless motors alongside the option of having a super light carbon base.
Check out our Rlaarlo RC cars page to see all the Rlaarlo products.
Radio-controlled.co.uk is the UKs priary distributor for Rlaarlo RC.
2. WL Toys 124016 v2 Sand buggy
The WL Toys 124016 is the sand buggy version of the 124017. This buggy ranks a lot more highly becuase it doesnt suffer from the same dreaded flip. The 016 is slightly heavier and a better suspension design. This all means that the 016 can rip using all its power and still handle cornering.
The closed style body shell also stops debris from getting into the cabin and affecting the electronics.
We highly recommend thie WL toys 124016 and absolutely love it on the beach.
1. MJX HyperGo 16207 Buggy
The MJX Hyper-go series of off-road rc buggies and rc monster trucks is here. They have received rave reviews from all the RC geeks on youtube, and we know you will love this amazing RC experience with reliability and intense high speed in mind. This series of RC buggies and RC monster trucks come with high quality batteries and radio equipment on board.
Whilst the monster trucks are amazing the buggy is a mad little thing massive wheels and a tiny body ready to rip up the track.
