RBMike

I got to start going to the track earlier in the day because the only guy I know who runs the CEN always breaks it before I get there. Still have not seen it run. That's why they say to stay away.

stiffler297

Don't forget about the Hyper 8.5 FR2. For the price of around $410 you can't go wrong and it's very durable.

JR V

iTrader: (1)

Why these three buggies? That might help us in the recommendations.

njballa

I run Xray Most at my track run Kyosho,Losi,Jammin but the guy who runs Cen whoops on all and does'nt break, can't say the same for those Losi cars always something. Hard to break an Xray I must say.

Black

iTrader: (18)

I bought a CEN Matrix, the Factory Editon and hated the car. I wanted to try something other then my Losi 8 and well, the quality of the kit was crap, the instructions sucked and it just wasn't a quality ride. Also the design is a 100 years old and is in desperate need of an update. Also from what I understand there is alot of hop-ups that are need to make the car handle "decent."

Oh for the record I even had the upgraded spindles and the crosspin conversion as well and the car was still extremely sub-par.

On the other hand, my Losi is a rock. I have had 2 kits, the first one had about 5 gallons on it and my second one has about 6 gallons on it and the only thing that I have ever broken was a right rear hub, and I did that last weekend at the Pro-Series when I was driving like a tard.

sickboy

iTrader: (75)

I think its pretty funny that some people question the durabilaty of the Losi.

MaTt 93

iTrader: (8)

What about kyosho mp777 sp2 And the mugen mbx5 prospec ? are they anygood

rezenclowd3

iTrader: (17)

The two just mentioned are also very good. If I had to buy a buggy again right now, it would be between the Losi 8, Xray EC and Mugen MBX5R. I like the Losi layout the best however. Many people will say a particular chassis wasn't suited to their driving style, when in all honesty, you can tune these vehicles to drive to your style AND most drivers are not good enough to say a particular driving style cost them a race. If you can't hold your lines and accelerate and decelerate at the same spots every time, then you still have to develop your driving skills. I know I do, but I am fairly consistent.

tex1

iTrader: (4)

With the 08' Worlds around the corner you will see the K-Cars get a complete make over that is influenced by Gil Losi. You will also see the Mugen move to the 6 version. I would predict a little buyers remorse if you went either of those directions. With that said, The Mugen is a very good car right now. It is stable, will keep you out of trouble and is rock solid build wise.

I have never really cared much for the Kyosho but I think they will be the ones to watch in 08'.

The Losi will stay as is and you might see a few detail updates.

The Xray will certainly change a little. They always do as they search for every detail to make them the best in all conditions.

TEX

DOMIT

iTrader: (1)

The Losi and OLDER Xray are both "edgy." (When a top level pro driver tells me it's too hard to drive, I believe them.) New Xray (EC or something like that) looks more stable though... and to agree with what everyone says, there is NOTHING else built to the quality standards of Xray.

Jammin, MBX5R and Kyosho are more "friendly." Also check out the Caster ZX-1R pro. Very similar to the Mugen, but lighter and less pricey, and turns better. I have an MBX5 Prospec, and believe me, it takes some work to make it turn halfway decent. I'm changing to the Caster ZX-1R pro.

rabidsquirrel

iTrader: (2)

I would agree, overall, with DOMIT's statements.

The Jammin' is about as driver friendly as it gets. Once you get a baseline setup on it, it seems to work really well at any track without adjustment. And if you make some minor adjustments for the track you are it, it rails - especially in the rough.

However, I feel that there is a buggy that is a better compromise between edgy platforms, and 'easy' platforms - it is the Hyper 8.5 (Not the older Hyper 8, which is 'edgy' itself)... Ahhhh, what a differences 4mm of chassis length makes!

The 8.5 is the way to go for most 'experienced' novices. It is definitely easier to drive than the Losi, but still favours a finesse driving style. It is just much more forgiving than the Losi, and it is better in the rough. Some people have put the new Jammin' Big Bore shocks on it (16mm) and are reporting that it jumps as well as the Losi with the Jammin' BBs. I run a Hyper 8.5 with the older Jammin' BBs (14mm) and Losi's have nothing on me. This is a great buggy, and parts are dirt cheap for it. You can get spares on Ebay for pennies on the dollar every week. You won't really need them though,. because the buggy is really durable as it is. Just get spare shock towers and you should be good to go.

There are some modifications that you'll want to do to the buggy to help prevent slop before it happens, but these are few and easy to do. There is information outlining what to do online at Nitrohouse.com.

mugenlife

iTrader: (4)

we had a guy here in the states running the caster after putting mugen diffs in it he sold it to get a mugen R. he liked the mugenR alot better than he did his caster but alot of that might be due to parts support but he also ran faster lap times with his R. i wont go out on a limb to say XXXXX car is best (he also learned more about set up after he switched)but i really think there are more than 1or 2 cars made that can do well. infact i would say the majority of the cars mentioned all can win thing is how easy is it for you to get parts?

free2day77

iTrader: (2)

if you think the losi is edgy, you should drive mine. stable and very forgiving..

stiffler297

Again I'm taking rabidsquirrel's side on this one as my Hyper 8.5 is just freaking awesome. Lands like a pillow on jumps and turns on a dime. I'm not even running the BB shocks and it lands sooooo smoooooth. The driveline is incredible as you would expect from Ofna. My wife actually hit a pole in the air with the lower arm and it just scratched it, bounced off and kept on going. Very durable buggy.

rabidsquirrel

iTrader: (2)

Free2Day,

I'm just going by what I've seen with my own eyes at local tracks. There are gobs of Losi 8ights any given day. When I'm following them, waiting to pass, it just seems that their 'little' mistakes are compounded more than mine. When I drove the Hyper 8 configuration, it was very similar situation to the Losi's I see today. Your setup may be great, but the majority I'm up against seem like they are tapdancing with the controls just to keep it 'together' when pushing hard. It just seems to me like I'm having an easier go at it with the Hyper 8.5 than most 8ight's are. I've witnessed the same with other 8.5 drivers as well.

Hyper 8.5s definitely seem to have a noticable edge in the rough stuff over every other buggy to date. The disclaimer here is that I've not yet run against the Associated buggy yet, so it may be better.

These comments are based off my own experiences and observations. Basically, this is my opinion. Take it for what you will...