RC Car Reviews
The best RC car under $50 has got to be the ORRENTE RC Stunt Car. This car offers so much more than standard RC vehicles, as it’s capable of the coolest tricks including 360° tumbling flips and spins.
This RC is 4WD which allows it to carry out awesome rotations. It can be driven in any direction, and it’s surprisingly responsive given the budget price tag.
ORRENTE seems to be anticipating a few incidents, as it’s equipped with anti-slip and anti-crash rubber tires that protect it from the impact of driving on rough and uneven ground. For added thrills, there’s LED headlights and 2 built in motors.
It doesn’t run particularly fast (with a maximum speed of around 3.7mph), but that’s not what it’s about. Instead, this RC is designed for flips and spins, and it certainly ticks a lot of boxes here.
It comes with two rechargeable batteries included, each with a run time of around 20 minutes. The charge time is longer than I’d have liked, at over 2 hours. With two included though, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice too much playing time.
The only other thing to note about the charging is that to recharge the battery there is a door that needs to be unscrewed using a tiny screwdriver. While the screwdriver comes included, it does make charging the battery a fiddle.
All in all, this RC greatly exceeded my expectations. It’s a great little RC and what it lacks in speed, it more than makes up for in versatility and value.
At a glance
- Scale
- 1:28
- Max. Speed
- 7 kph
- Charge Time
- 1.5-2 hours
- Run Time
- 44 mins
- Drive Type (2WD or 4WD)
- 4WD
The best RC car under $50 has got to be the ORRENTE RC Stunt Car. This car offers so much more than standard RC vehicles, as it’s capable of the coolest tricks including 360° tumbling flips and spins.
This RC is 4WD which allows it to carry out awesome rotations. It can be driven in any direction, and it’s surprisingly responsive given the budget price tag.
ORRENTE seems to be anticipating a few incidents, as it’s equipped with anti-slip and anti-crash rubber tires that protect it from the impact of driving on rough and uneven ground. For added thrills, there’s LED headlights and 2 built in motors.
It doesn’t run particularly fast (with a maximum speed of around 3.7mph), but that’s not what it’s about. Instead, this RC is designed for flips and spins, and it certainly ticks a lot of boxes here.
It comes with two rechargeable batteries included, each with a run time of around 20 minutes. The charge time is longer than I’d have liked, at over 2 hours. With two included though, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice too much playing time.
The only other thing to note about the charging is that to recharge the battery there is a door that needs to be unscrewed using a tiny screwdriver. While the screwdriver comes included, it does make charging the battery a fiddle.
All in all, this RC greatly exceeded my expectations. It’s a great little RC and what it lacks in speed, it more than makes up for in versatility and value.
Pros
- Bright and engaging design with working LED lights will be loved by both kids and adults
- A lot of fun to use - can do flips so withstands rough play
- Hard plastic exterior is exceptionally durable
- Battery life is reasonable - around 20 minutes of run time each
- Comes with 2 rechargeable batteries included
Cons
- To charge the car the battery door needs to be unscrewed with the included screwdriver which is a bit fiddly
- Steering can be tricky to figure out at first, but the car is very durable
- Batteries take a long time to charge - over 2 hours
Forget racing, if you’re after an RC that’s been designed for flips, spins and other stunts, Force1 Tornado LED Remote Control Car is the one for you. With a name like Tornado, would you expect anything less?
The bad news? This vehicle is pretty difficult to control. The good news? Well, it doesn’t really matter!
It comes with a remote with two joysticks, one of which controls forward and back, while the other turns the wheels left and right. Once you’ve mastered the controls, you can do 360° spins and flips. Once flipped over, you can continue to drive just the other way around.
So, it’s a lot of fun. There’s no speed control and getting to grips with the joysticks can be tough, but the quality is good enough that it doesn’t matter if you have the odd knock.
It’s equipped with bright LED lights that add to the thrill. Kids will love it as, while it is a little difficult to control, spinning out of control is half the fun!
The tires don’t provide great traction, which makes it harder to do stunts on smooth or hard surfaces. It does well on carpets and rougher surfaces.
The battery life is decent, you’ve got around 30 minutes of play time. It comes with two batteries included, so you can charge one while the other is in use. The Tornado mode does drain the battery faster.
All in all, this RC vehicle is likely to provide hours of fun. The under $50 price tag is the icing on the cake!
At a glance
- Charge Time
- 3 hours
- Run Time
- 25 mins
- Drive Type (2WD or 4WD)
- 4WD
Forget racing, if you’re after an RC that’s been designed for flips, spins and other stunts, Force1 Tornado LED Remote Control Car is the one for you. With a name like Tornado, would you expect anything less?
The bad news? This vehicle is pretty difficult to control. The good news? Well, it doesn’t really matter!
It comes with a remote with two joysticks, one of which controls forward and back, while the other turns the wheels left and right. Once you’ve mastered the controls, you can do 360° spins and flips. Once flipped over, you can continue to drive just the other way around.
So, it’s a lot of fun. There’s no speed control and getting to grips with the joysticks can be tough, but the quality is good enough that it doesn’t matter if you have the odd knock.
It’s equipped with bright LED lights that add to the thrill. Kids will love it as, while it is a little difficult to control, spinning out of control is half the fun!
The tires don’t provide great traction, which makes it harder to do stunts on smooth or hard surfaces. It does well on carpets and rougher surfaces.
The battery life is decent, you’ve got around 30 minutes of play time. It comes with two batteries included, so you can charge one while the other is in use. The Tornado mode does drain the battery faster.
All in all, this RC vehicle is likely to provide hours of fun. The under $50 price tag is the icing on the cake!
Pros
- Construction is fairly good quality so this RC will withstand the odd bump and knock
- A good option for kids as although it’s tricky to control, it’s built for stunts and flips
- Long battery life which is impressive for such a budget model
- Light up LEDs are engaging and add to the thrills
Cons
- Tires don’t provide particularly good traction indoors or on very hard floors
- Although the remote has a joystick, there is no speed control and instead just work as an on / off switch
- Difficult to control precisely
The EpochAir Remote Control Car is fantastic value for money. It comes with everything you need to get started including disposable batteries for the remote control. People are often surprised that they still need to have disposable batteries for the controller, so this is a great extra feature.
There’s a lot to love about this RC. It reaches speeds of up to 12 mph which is decent for an off-roader, and it’s been designed to tackle all terrains. The anti-slip tires and powerful motor means it can adapt to a range of ground conditions. Having said that, it doesn’t cope particularly well with slopes, so bear this in mind if you’ve got a hilly garden!
The design itself is worth a mention. It has a slick gray body and LED lights. The chassis is made from high quality ABS which can withstand impact, while the anti-collision bumpers and baffles should also protect it from the odd knock.
It comes with two batteries included, and actually this car boasts the longest run time of RCs I’ve recommended, with each battery lasting up to 60 minutes. This gives you a total run time of up to 120 minutes! The charge time is around 2 hours.
At 1:20 scale, this remote control car isn’t enormous. In fact, some users commented that it’s smaller than they expected. While it doesn’t have the power to tackle seriously rough terrain, the good ground clearance does mean it should be able to get over bumps and uneven areas in your garden.
All things considered, I can see this RC vehicle being a very popular choice. The slick design and long battery life alone make this vehicle worth the price.
At a glance
- Scale
- 1:20
- Max. Speed
- 20 kph
- Run Time
- 1 hour
- Body Material
- plastic
The EpochAir Remote Control Car is fantastic value for money. It comes with everything you need to get started including disposable batteries for the remote control. People are often surprised that they still need to have disposable batteries for the controller, so this is a great extra feature.
There’s a lot to love about this RC. It reaches speeds of up to 12 mph which is decent for an off-roader, and it’s been designed to tackle all terrains. The anti-slip tires and powerful motor means it can adapt to a range of ground conditions. Having said that, it doesn’t cope particularly well with slopes, so bear this in mind if you’ve got a hilly garden!
The design itself is worth a mention. It has a slick gray body and LED lights. The chassis is made from high quality ABS which can withstand impact, while the anti-collision bumpers and baffles should also protect it from the odd knock.
It comes with two batteries included, and actually this car boasts the longest run time of RCs I’ve recommended, with each battery lasting up to 60 minutes. This gives you a total run time of up to 120 minutes! The charge time is around 2 hours.
At 1:20 scale, this remote control car isn’t enormous. In fact, some users commented that it’s smaller than they expected. While it doesn’t have the power to tackle seriously rough terrain, the good ground clearance does mean it should be able to get over bumps and uneven areas in your garden.
All things considered, I can see this RC vehicle being a very popular choice. The slick design and long battery life alone make this vehicle worth the price.
Pros
- Large wheels makes it suitable for a range of terrains and allows it to tackle obstacles
- Comes with two large capacity batteries included giving you a long run time of up to 120 minutes
- Anti collision bumpers and baffles will protect the motor and body from damage
- Comes with disposable batteries included for the controller
Cons
- Doesn’t have enough power to ascend even slightly steeper tracks at speed
- Plastic cage is fairly brittle
Reaching up to 20 mph, the BLUEJAY Remote Control Car has been built for speed, powered by a 380 motor. It’s an awesome 1:12 off-road monster truck that moves surprisingly fast for such a budget model!
The chassis is made from ABS plastic which helps keep the weight and price down, while the main body is made from aluminum alloy for durability. The chassis is equipped with some really cool features, such as LED headlights and the lights on the top.
It has grippy and wearable tires, as well as a bumper shock absorber. These allow it to tackle most terrains without getting stuck, although a note that I did find it got stuck in taller grass. The large wheels mean it’s stable when doing stunts both indoor and outdoors, and it also copes with slopes and small obstacles with ease.
This model too comes with two batteries included. Each one has a decent run time of 35 minutes, giving you a total run time of 70 minutes. The batteries do need a couple of hours to charge.
The range of the remote is fairly limited, but this is a very minor drawback.
For the price, you get a lot for your money. While designed for kids, I strongly believe that adults will love it too. The long run time and high speeds make a great value for money option.
At a glance
- Scale
- 1:12
- Max. Speed
- 33 kph
- Charge Time
- 2.5 hours
- Run Time
- 70 mins
- Body Material
- aluminium alloy
Reaching up to 20 mph, the BLUEJAY Remote Control Car has been built for speed, powered by a 380 motor. It’s an awesome 1:12 off-road monster truck that moves surprisingly fast for such a budget model!
The chassis is made from ABS plastic which helps keep the weight and price down, while the main body is made from aluminum alloy for durability. The chassis is equipped with some really cool features, such as LED headlights and the lights on the top.
It has grippy and wearable tires, as well as a bumper shock absorber. These allow it to tackle most terrains without getting stuck, although a note that I did find it got stuck in taller grass. The large wheels mean it’s stable when doing stunts both indoor and outdoors, and it also copes with slopes and small obstacles with ease.
This model too comes with two batteries included. Each one has a decent run time of 35 minutes, giving you a total run time of 70 minutes. The batteries do need a couple of hours to charge.
The range of the remote is fairly limited, but this is a very minor drawback.
For the price, you get a lot for your money. While designed for kids, I strongly believe that adults will love it too. The long run time and high speeds make a great value for money option.
Pros
- Reaches up to 20mph which is impressive for such a budget model
- LED and chassis lights are a great extra feature and allow you to use at night
- Comes with bumps and slopes very well thanks to the suspension and grippy tires
- Comes with two batteries included, each with a run time of 35 minutes
- Instruction manual is very detailed and has clear picture directions
Cons
- Gets stuck on some terrains such as tall grass
- Remote range is fairly limited
- Charging time is a couple of hours
It’s rare to find a budget RC truck as intricately designed as the DEERC DE45 1:14 Off Road RC Monster Truck. This 1:14 scale monster truck has an awesome, realistic build that will be loved by kids and adults alike.
It’s been designed for all terrains, and it’s able to easily scale slopes up to 45° steep, while also tackling bumps and objects. Whether you’re heading to the mountains, beaches, or grasslands, this monster truck shouldn’t have any issues.
Unlike many budget models which are made solely from plastic, this monster truck has a scratch resistant metal shell. It’s also equipped with an anti-collision bumper, so knocks shouldn’t be a problem. The shock absorption system absorbs the vibration caused by bumps on the wheels, protecting the electronic parts as you scale various surfaces.
It comes with two batteries included, each with a run time of up to 45 minutes. This gives you a total run time of 90 minutes. It charges quickly too, and the charging cable has a light which switches off when the battery is fully charged.
There’s not much to dislike about this awesome car. The remote isn’t the best quality, but it does the job, and there’s no speed control, which are two minor issues. It’s not really built for speed, but the lack of speed control does mean that children or beginners may find it harder to control.
All in all, this is a fantastic monster truck, and one that I would happily pay over $50 for!
At a glance
- Scale
- 1:14
- Charge Time
- 1 hour
- Run Time
- 90 mins
- Body Material
- metal
- Drive Type (2WD or 4WD)
- 4WD
It’s rare to find a budget RC truck as intricately designed as the DEERC DE45 1:14 Off Road RC Monster Truck. This 1:14 scale monster truck has an awesome, realistic build that will be loved by kids and adults alike.
It’s been designed for all terrains, and it’s able to easily scale slopes up to 45° steep, while also tackling bumps and objects. Whether you’re heading to the mountains, beaches, or grasslands, this monster truck shouldn’t have any issues.
Unlike many budget models which are made solely from plastic, this monster truck has a scratch resistant metal shell. It’s also equipped with an anti-collision bumper, so knocks shouldn’t be a problem. The shock absorption system absorbs the vibration caused by bumps on the wheels, protecting the electronic parts as you scale various surfaces.
It comes with two batteries included, each with a run time of up to 45 minutes. This gives you a total run time of 90 minutes. It charges quickly too, and the charging cable has a light which switches off when the battery is fully charged.
There’s not much to dislike about this awesome car. The remote isn’t the best quality, but it does the job, and there’s no speed control, which are two minor issues. It’s not really built for speed, but the lack of speed control does mean that children or beginners may find it harder to control.
All in all, this is a fantastic monster truck, and one that I would happily pay over $50 for!
Pros
- Great for slopes, able to climb up to 45° with relative ease while also climbing over objects
- 2 included batteries have a very impressive run time of up to 45 minutes each (90 mins in total)
- Shock absorption on tires and anti-collision bumper will protect the car if driven too roughly
- LED headlights are an engaging extra feature
- Charging cable has a bulb which turns off when the battery is fully charged
Cons
- May be too fast for younger children to handle or control in tight areas
- Remote is a little flimsy when compared to the rest of the RC
- No speed control - only has forward and reverse although this is to be expected for the price
Tips for Buying The Best RC Car Under $50
- The first thing you’ll need to think about is whether you want a car, truck or buggy. There are also variations between these types. Trucks are for adrenaline junkies, whilst cars are best for racing
- Budget RCs will still most likely come with batteries included. Pay attention to the type and run time. Ni-Mh batteries are best for beginners and easier to use, although less powerful
- Brushed motors are best for beginners and more affordable. Budget RCs are unlikely to use brushless motors, which are more expensive and provide more power
- Choose between 4WD or 2WD. 2WDs tend to be cheaper, easier to maintain and more durable, but they move slower. 4WD models provide more of a thrill but can cost slightly more
- Finally, look at extra features. These may include LED lights, drifting tyres or dual motors for added powers. Budget RCs are unlikely to have as many cool features to play with.
FAQs
Why is the RC hobby so expensive?
While we are firm believers that it’s more than possible to enjoy the RC hobby on a budget, it has to be said that those new to the world are often surprised at the cost of some of the cars.
The reason is predominantly because the cars are expensive to manufacture. Every component needs to be tough, lightweight and able to withstand regular use, and finding the best materials for the job doesn’t come cheap.
RC vehicles can be incredibly advanced. These aren’t the same as standard kids’ toys. Many are capable of reaching incredible speeds and are made from great quality materials.
Remember, you get what you pay for! While cheaper RC models are easy to source, they may not have the same features as high end models. Having said that, cheaper models can still be a huge amount of fun.
Can you make a cheap RC car faster?
Yes, any RC vehicle can be modified to increase its speed, no matter what the cost!
However, increasing the speed without spending more money can be tricky!
Adjusting the gear ratio is one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to increase the speed of your RC. You can upgrade the Pinion gear by adding more teeth gradually over a period of time. While this won’t increase the acceleration, it will increase the top speed.
You should also change your tires. Slick tires are best for roads or tarmac, while spiked tires are best for slippery grass or mud.
Finally, reduce the weight of your RC. Replace heavy parts with lighter pieces, or switch the batteries for something lighter. Li-Po battery packs tend to be lighter than Ni-Mh packs.
