Which budget 4wd with stick packs?

[Lonestar]

Hi guys,

I am after a 4wd for indoor club racing... but competitive club racing I am currently reviewing my options for a 4wd, as I used to run 2wd and vintage, but my track dumped the latter class So as I like to make the most of my racedays, I need a 4wd to fill up the time between the real driving, ie 2wd rounds

As I will already have to buy a kit, I don't feel like buying saddle lipos on top, I have plenty enough stick lipos like that... so my 4wd will have to take stick packs.

And as I sold my 2wd this spring, it also means I'll have to buy one too... which means not much dinero left for a 4wd kit then!

So - what 4wd's do we have that don't break the bank and take stick-packs and are reliable as our jumps are usually pretty manly and hard on cars? Parts availability won't really be an issue as in my area there aren't that many shops anyway...

- Tamiya DB01 - 01R - from what I've seen, not that reliable, the ones that race with us often come limping on 3 wheels back to the pits
- HPI Cyber10B - prolly my lead option right now, but moving away from the "budget" category...
- LRP Blast : read some good things, but steering geometry isn't one of them
- Ansmann Master Smacker - discontinued...
- HPI Brama - looks VERY basic
- TeamC/Ansmann new thingy - very confused by the lineup and badges...

Am I forgetting any?

And then, the $200 question : can these buggies, in not far from "stock" form, be competitive against the more expensive cars? There's a guy in our area who goes very very fast with a cyber10B, but then again it's loaded with hopups and prolly costs more than a fully loaded D4 (and then again he's a former onroad vice world-champ, so he'd drive circles around us with a Grasshoppper)... So basically, can $150 or $200 buy you reliable 4wd racing?

Thanks for any input

Paul