Well, I partially agree with your friend. The Bandit does seem kind of like a toy. If you were willing to go up a little on the price range then you could go with the Team Associated B4. The B4 might also cost more because the B4 tends to be more fragile than other buggies.

But, if you were not willing to pay then the Bandit vxl will probably do just fine in a novice race, and possibly even more.