A point about the buggy/truggy thing; Truggies are more stable than buggies but if you're used to electric a 1/8 buggy will feel like a big, heavy truck. They are very stable and easy to drive. A truggy is easier but usually more expensive to maintain. Because they are larger and heavier but don't have parts engineered specifically for them, everything wears faster (CVD's, bearings, gears, suspension parts, clutches) and tires are much more expensive too.
If you're experienced I'd recommend a 1/8 buggy. You can get the Losi RTR for a reasonable cost, it has a good DSM radio and the chassis is proven competitive.
That's my $.02