That is actually pretty normal, even for high-end racing chassis.

I've never owned, touched or even seen a redcat from up close. All I've read is that e.g. materials are poor. Non-hardened aluminium, bending (and later breaking) easily. So for bashing, durability might become a problem.

Racing... I don't know these cars myself, but usually cheaper cars have less options for setup changes. Also it can be hard to find racing setups (unless you have some experience and like to tinker and find out all about it on your own). Worst case would be that the design is so off, that you cannot get it to run well with setup. Also they might not fit into any racing class (again, not knowing these cars well enough). Plus the possible durability/quality issues mentioned above.
So while it's not impossible, it's sure a lot more work to get these cars going fast and consistent.

For starters they're ok - and much better than any toy RC from Walmart or such. But if you guys really get into it, you may want to upgrade one day, sooner or later.