HAIBOXING 16890SA 1/16 Scale 4WD Brushless RC Truck Max 40 MPH Fast RC Cars, All Terrains RC Car with Independent ESC 4X4 Off-Road Semi-Truck for Boys and Adults, 3S Battery Applicable (not Included)

This thing is … incredible!! I rarely post reviews but feel obligated to for this. Am in my upper 50’s and this thing is so much fun it takes me right back to my childhood memories. This is sooooo much fun for a reasonable price. I was skeptical about the advertised battery life but I am getting 30 minutes of use out of each charge in spite of the “reckless” driving I am doing with it. Just buy it.

Value for money:Have been buying LaTrax for my kids and have gone through 3. This truck easily stomps them all with quality parts included without upgrades needed (metal axles, diff, drivetrain, etc). This thing takes a beating and the batteries last!

I'll come straight to the point...these HBX trucks based on the venerable 16889 platform (or the smaller 1/18 platform) are the best value in RC. They are not the cheapest, but the combination of price with the quality of design and specification is unbeatable. The only bad news is that you cannot buy this one or some others, direct in the UK and have to buy on Amazon.com, which adds to the cost due to tax and postage.The latest 16890A shares its chassis and most running gear with the 16889A, with a slight difference to the top link in the rear suspension and the rear shocks being mounted to the rear of the shock tower and arms instead of in front. This new truck has a different truggy style body and a green-coloured brushless motor that is 3500Kv, instead of the 3800Kv of the 16889A. In theory this should allow more punch for acceleration and places less heat stress on the motor and esc, but I have no idea whether they have up-geared it to achieve the higher claimed top speed or not.The truck is constructed largely of an engineering plastic, which is perfect as this plastic grade is very elastic and reluctant to break. HBX seem to have nailed the formula here, achieving good rigidity for sound handling, but great durability. Metal chassis parts are NOT an advantage on such trucks as they add weight, can bend or snap and transfer impact energy to weaker components.The truck is plenty fast enough and wholly enjoyable on 2s battery power and the manual states 3s is not recommended, although many people do seem to use 3s.In use everything just works well with no hitches and great design. The remote is a great one with no lag, good feel, lots of adjustability, including a power knob, so you can dial down power when inexperienced or handing to a child. The on-off switch is perfectly positioned at the side of the chassis, so can be accessed with the body on....just so convenient.The oil shocks are well-tuned and give the ride quality the feel of a much bigger truck, with minimal hopping or bouncing, controlled landings and smooth progress over uneven ground.The driveline parts are all-metal and seem incredibly durable. I have several HBX trucks at this scale and nothing has broken or worn out. If anything does, parts can be sourced via Amazon, HBX or the large, Asian online market places.The provided wing and wheelie bar are easy to install and the lights come already installed.A couple of tips I would offer:Firstly, although the provided USB chargers work fine, if you are using LiPo batteries, you really should be able to do a proper, balanced storage charge when not using them for a while. They should not be left at too high or low voltage, as this presents a risk and can damage the batteries. Get a simple balance charger that will do storage charge. I also use a low voltage alarm and battery checker to keep an eye on voltage. You don't want to discharge a LiPo cell to 3V or below, so the cheap alarms available on Amazon offer some reassurance and can be strapped down on the battery when running.Secondly, I spray the chassis and running gear with GT-85 PTFE spray. This provides a dirt and water repellent finish that does not attract dirt like oil-based products. The solvent flushes out dirt and dust from moving parts on application, then dries to a sheen to both lubricate and protect. After running, I use a dust blower and then apply the spray, wiping where necessary and the truck comes up like new.

TL;DR: One of my favorite RC cars (and I have more than a few). Plenty fast, fun to drive and bash, durable, and a great value. Most common/desired upgrades are included. Great customer support. It is on the smaller side, part of the reason I like it. It is also hobby grade, meaning you can repair and/or upgrade it.Continue reading for more detailed review:Summary - This is honestly one of my favorite RCs. I’m finding myself loving these smaller scale RC cars. It’s small and easy to take with and bust out anywhere, and the batteries charge so fast (with a good charger). You don’t need a lot of space to run it, the controls (specifically speed limiting) allow kids to easily use it, and I’m not afraid that it’s going to hurt someone/damage property. And honestly, I have less reservation about driving it hard because it’s super durable and inexpensive. It’s perfect if you live in town or in urban/suburban settings.I own this model and the 18859A. I love the 18 for it’s small size, but if I could have only one, it would be the 16890A. The 16 has a better motor, better differentials, sturdier spur and pinion gears, and overall just seems more capable while only being slightly larger.Pros: very durable, no issues so far with some decent bashing. All metal drive train, including diff gears, cups, spur/pinion gears, and driveshaft/axles. Quality aluminum oil filled shocks. Strong brushless motor. Sweet looking body. Easy to work on/service, simple design. Comes with two capable LiPo batteries. Also comes with a set of paddle tires and some spare parts.Cons: the product pictures show diffs with four planetary gears, but they actually only have two; not a huge deal, but want to point out the inaccuracy and 4 would probably increase durability. Rear wing/spoiler breaks off pretty easily; attempted to reinforce it and it still broke off in less than a month. ESC is a weak point; works fine, but braking is almost nonexistent and there’s no programmability or way to adjust it. Chassis is cramped with a small battery tray, and bulkheads are integrated as part of the chassis. Third party support is almost nonexistent. Included charger is low quality (usable, but I suggest a full fledged balance charger that’s more capable).While it may have some shortcomings, for the price this RC is really hard to beat. I will update this review regarding durability in the future, but so far a month in this thing has held up to everything I throw at it (and I’m not holding back), and the only broken part is the rear wing. It’s great for in town and smaller spaces, but might not be the best choice if you have lots of open space and rough terrain. Overall I would buy it again and recommend it to anyone looking for a beginner rig, a smaller size RC, and/or a budget-friendly option.

The media could not be loaded. This thing is so fun it almost feels illegal. The fact you can get an RC this good for this cheap is just insane. If you're concerned about it not being fast out of the box, don't be. It's fast. It's also surpsingly stable, and easy to manuever. But the best thing, by far, is how insanely durable this car is. I did this jump at least 20 times yesterday, and the only time it quit was when the battery finally ran out. No damage to the driveshafts, control arms, nothing. Same story when I accidentally hit a curb at almost full speed. It bounced so hard it launched one of the body clips. No other damage. Just stop reading and buy this. You won't regret it for a second.

It’s says it does 30 mph but I’m here to testify it’s faster than than than because I have another RC that says it does 35mph and this one smokes it by a lot I’ve raced both side by side several times to make sure also everybody I tell them it supposed to do 30 mph are like no way it’s way faster than that and it takes a beating and keeps on ticking it also wears out tires on concrete it has so much torque I’ve had to buy new sets a couple of times for it