[HVAC25000]

*disclaimer* do me a favor guys, these are my opinions, don't get all offended if my experiences differ from yours, this is the stuff that I have seen with my own eyes.


Well I've had a XXX-4, XX-4, X10, and BJ4.

The XXX-4 was my favourite, it was easy to set up, jumped like a dream, turned on rails, but broke like clay, and because it always broke, I sold it.

Got the X10, which was almost as good as the xxx-4, I think I didn't like the shaft drive bit (I'm a big fan of the XXX-4's single belt, sealed drive train), and it was also crumbly like the XXX-4 (but the new X11 isn't that way, and I'm very interested in getting one). The car was ran on big, rough, 1/8 buggy American tracks, and handled all that stuff very wincluding beating the 1/8ths. It was actually quite easy to work on, and despite what everyone who hasn't owned one thinks, very easy to set up. I just used the rough track setup from the instructions and couldn't have been happier.

The XX-4 is probably the best rough track handling/driving/jumping car out there, but the most difficult car to setup I've come across. It does rough stuff amazingly well. It's not as crumbly as the XXX-4, but compared to some other cars, it breaks easy. The shock towers, arms, hubs, and carriers are a bit weak. If you're running on a track with huge jumps, it will be an issue. Unfortunately, though, the kit is no longer made because the chassis mold was ruined, so you'd have to get a used one, and if you broke the chassis, you'd have to buy another used car. Simple answer to that is to get an X-5 if you've got the money and are running a rough track.

The BJ4 is bullet proof, but out of all the cars I've had, I like it's driving/handling the least. It also takes 30-45minutes to change a spur gear, which on my pebbly (tiny rocks) tracks get torn up very quickly. If you used some lexan to seal up the spur area, it wouldn't be an issue. The gearboxes are amazing, I never do anything to my diffs, they just keep going and going. The original BJ4 is very left side heavy if you're running NIMH, but with LIPO it's well balanced. The WE is balanced fine with NIMH.

Don't let anyone talk you into a B44, they break easier than anything else ever made.


Also keep in mind what batteries you're going to run. If NIMH, then car choice isn't an issue, but if LIPO, then you need to worry about whether you're going to run stick packs, or the new trak power saddle packs.


If i could find a way to make the XXX-4 stop breaking, I'd get another in a heartbeat just because it was so fun and simple. If I got a good deal on an X11, I'd get one of those, but I run stick LIPOs so I'd have to spend a ton of money on new batteries.


Given a choice of any car, money no object, I'd get one of the new breed of cars in a heartbeat and just copy someone else's setup. Either an Atomic Carbon S4, Aero A-one, X11, Serpent S500, or the Schumacher CAT SX. I really can't decide, other than the fact that the CAT is the only one that runs stick packs, so I'd probably go with it. Plus I have a Schumacher Mi-3 and LOVE how easy it is to work on, the CAT will be almost as easy.