I am having trouble deciding which car would be best for my first touring car. It will be using mainly for parking lot fun, but I want to be able to race it on an indoor carpet track and be somewhat competitive (mid pack in stock class is acceptable).

I have been considering these:
new- HPI Sprint
new- MRC STR-4
new or used - Tamiya Ta04s
used - HPI Pro 2 or 3
used - TC3
used - xxx-s

I have seen all of these in my price range, but don't really know if getting a new lower end car (like the Sprint) is worth getting over a higher end car (like the TC3).

Any opinions?
How about the tamiya cars? Which ones should I consider?
What about the STR-4? It looks nice but is it worth the hassel of having to mail order parts?

Thanks in advacne for your help.

The main factor is parts availability - whether it be via mail order or your local hobby shop (if there is one closest to you).

You can buy the cheaper car, but you may end up with a non-usable car the first time you break something (such as a lower arm) and cannot get a part to replace it.

The big names that most online and local hobby stores carry parts for are AE, Losi, X-Ray, and HPI.

Tamiya cars are nice, but from what I have seen, require a lot of hop-ups and they are quite expensive overall.

If you are a decent wheel and get bitten by the competitive bug, the cars that have been dominating stock TC are the X-ray cars (all of their models are competitive and fairly durable, but they are a bit expensive and parts availability has been iffy at times), and the Corally RDX.

-Rich

-Rich

I agree with Rich - getting parts is a big thing.

My first tc was a ft tc3 - I learned a lot from it and parts are around plus you can get a real good deal on a used one if you look hard enough.

The Losi and X-ray and Tamiya's are also very nice but I see them as a steeping stone from like a tc3 - a lot more things going on those car than a shaft driven car like a tc3. I hear tweek set-up is a real ball.

The main things ran at the track I used to run was tc3/4 and x-ray and a few losi's.

Just some thoughts and I would look around for a good bit if you are serious on racing.

Nothing like getting a car and you find out it has bad habits and breaks a lot!!

mc

Try a used Factory Team TC3 to start out with. It'll have all the adjustments you need, there are tons of them so parts availability generally isn't a problem, and because they've been out so long a used one won't break the bank. You can try it out in the parking lots and on the track relatively inexpensively.

if I where you I would go with the tc3, I wouldnt go with the HPI sprint, or any tamiya kit.

id go for the ta04, not like im endorsing it, but its easy to tune and its a great caar, easy to drive and build too, but if you dont agree with me thats okay just do what you feel like

id go for the ta04, not like im endorsing it, but its easy to tune and its a great caar, easy to drive and build too, but if you dont agree with me thats okay just do what you feel like

if you were trying to endorse it you would tell him to get a ta 04 ss not a ta 04 s.the ss's are better designed and have a shorter wheelbase. but if ya got the money i would go for a tc3.