RC Off Road Trucks - Big Fun In A Small Package

Losi Desert Truck

Features
If you want to topple the competition on the racetrack, then this is the car you need to be looking at. This 1/10th scale truck is packed with features like a desert truck body, molded front and rear tube racing bumpers, front skid plate, roll cage, blue anodized oil-filled shocks and working headlights and taillights. The Losi car also comes with a Spektrum 2.4GHz DSM radio that uses no crystals or channels so you can run your car anywhere, anytime, with anyone. It also features CV-style long rear dog bones, and a low-maintenance spider-gear differential, captured rod ends (for less ball pops).

Drive Review
We nicknamed this car Rip and Roar. On a fresh battery this car moved quicker than most of the rest. With more than 3-inches of travel, suspension is the big ticket for this car as we felt the most confident over rough terrain at high speeds compared to our other electric choices. Jumping high and far is easy to achieve due to a powerful 12T motor but keep a sharp eye on your driving skill, as the car is a little rear heavy. This car is built for the track, sharp turns, tabletop jumps, whoop sections and backside straightaway's.

Our thoughts
What car was the most fun to drive?
Jerrod:
I thought it was going to be a slam-dunk to answer this question, but my top choice wasn't one I figured I'd choose. I thought the Traxxas Summit was the most fun to drive. It had selectable lockers that you could engage, had high- and low-range speeds, badass cantilever suspension, and giant tires. It was also slung low so the all-independent suspension truck was really stable. The only things I would have changed are the shock valving and the spring rates.

Jordan:
As a long time R/C fan and former racer, this answer is a tough one. The realistic feeling I got from driving the HPI Baja 5T made me yearn for more time with gas-powered R/C. The stability of the Traxxas Slash took me back to weekends at the track, clogging turns and gluing wheels together. The Summit's ability to go anywhere (and fast) also made it pure fun to drive. Can I choose all three?

Jeff:
Controlling the HPI Baja 5T almost made me feel like I was behind the wheel driving it. Hearing the gas engine revving, kicking up big rooster tails as it zoomed by at incredible speeds through bumps -- it was the most fun I've had driving any kind of R/C vehicle. I only wanted to jump it once -- to try it out -- but then I got greedy and aired it repeatedly until I broke a coilover shock rod end.

What car do you think is the best bang for the buck?
Jerrod:
The best deal for my money would have to be the Losi Desert Truck. It was built very similarly to the R/C cars I used to have (100 years ago). All the parts were top quality, and in a package that costs about $200. It went fast, handled well, and was simple and easy to work on.

Jordan:
For me this has to be the Traxxas Slash. At a price of $189.99 you have a solid race ready car without breaking the bank. The spec classes at the racetrack make it even more appealing. A steel gear transmission allows you to drop-in a brushless ready motor and tackle speeds over 65-plus mph. `Can't wait to try that!

Jeff:
I hadn't realized the Traxxas Slash was so inexpensive! I could tell right away that it was a solid short track truck, with excellent control over smoother dirt. I can't discount the little Losi Mini Desert truck though -- the scale speeds are so high, and it launches off curbs like nobody's business.What car would you want to take home?

Jerrod:
Take Home? No question: The HPI Baja 5T, and not just because it was the most expensive car. The new 5T was a weed whacker with wheels on it (literally). For the ultimate power monger (yes, hello?), there is nothing even close to the massiveness and force that comes from the Baja 5T. The 1/5-scale vehicle would break your leg if it hit you, and having Jeff fly it over my head only a few feet away made quite an impression as well.

Jordan:
At the end of the day I have to choose the HPI Racing Baja 5T. This is my first experience with a gasoline-powered R/C car and it will not be my last. Runtimes of more than 45 minutes assures all-day fun with the 5T. Pitching the car in corners reminds me of a few lucky trips I have had riding shotgun in Trophy Trucks.

Jeff:
All things considered, I like the Losi Desert Truck. Good price, lots of speed, and the larger tires helped it stay in control over rougher patches of dirt. The Traxxas Summit is great, too -- crawled great, had a surprisingly fast high-speed setting, and the larger scale increased the fun factor. But it's just too expensive (due to all the stuff it has on it). Of course, if money was no object, I'd be launching the HPI Baja 5T over head-high tabletops every weekend.

Thank you
Thanks go out to 1-800-Battery, which quickly supplied us with enough AA batteries to power all of our R/C transmitters.