Top 5 Most Popular RC Cars of 2025: A Look at What’s Dominating the Hobby This Year

Every few months, we take a step back and look at how the RC market is shifting. Instead of focusing on which models get the most hype or the most dramatic promo videos, we simply ask ourselves a straightforward question: which RC cars are enthusiasts actually choosing to buy and run in 2025? It's a very different picture from “most viewed” or “most talked about,” and often a lot more revealing.

When we went through the 2025 numbers so far, a clear pattern appeared. Micro RC cars are quietly dominating, serious 1/8 electric buggy racers are still investing in proper kits, and small but capable 1/18 crawlers are carving out their own space. Below is our take on the top 5 best RC cars of 2025, in reverse order, based on data from RC online shop and the batteries people tend to pair with them.

#5 – Tekno EB48 2.2 (1/8 Electric RC Buggy Kit)

At number five on our list of top RC cars 2025 is the Tekno EB48 2.2. This is not a casual backyard toy – it’s a 1/8 electric competition buggy kit aimed at racers who actually like building, tuning and chasing lap times. In our data, most EB48 2.2 buyers already owned at least one 1/10 buggy or truggy before stepping up to 1/8.

The 2.2 update refined a lot of small things: geometry, durability, and day-to-day maintenance. You feel it in the way the car lands jumps and how repeatable the setup is from one race day to the next. If you’ve been around long enough, you know some platforms are “fast but fragile”. The EB48 2.2 doesn’t really fall into that category. It’s more of a workhorse race buggy that you can run all season.

From a trend perspective, the EB48 2.2 is a good reminder that 1/8 RC racing cars are still very much alive. Even in a year where micro RCs are trending, there’s a solid core of drivers investing time and money into proper 4S race setups and RC buggy kits.

4S LiPo battery choice we keep seeing for the EB48 2.2

When we looked at which packs customers most often bought with the EB48 2.2, one pattern stood out clearly: a strong 4S LiPo battery for 1/8 buggy with enough capacity for mains and enough punch for high-traction tracks. One pack shows up again and again in SNS:

CNHL LiHV 6000mAh 15.2V 4S 120C HV Hard Case LiPo Battery with EC5 Plug

The 6000mAh LiHV 4S format gives a good balance between runtime and weight, and the 120C rating helps keep the power delivery consistent deep into a run. For drivers running longer mains or high-grip surfaces, this kind of pack has become a very common choice for the EB48 2.2.

#4 – Vanquish H10 Optic (1/10 Rock Buggy Kit)

Next on best-sellers list is the Vanquish H10 Optic, a 1/10 rock buggy kit with a proper tube chassis and serious crawler credentials. This is the kind of RC car that doesn’t just show up as a “first car” in the database – it’s typically a second or third project for people who already own a crawler or scaler and want something more focused.

From the data we see, many H10 Optic buyers also pick up separate servos, brushless systems, radios and scale parts at the same time. In other words, they aren’t just looking for an RTR they can drive out of the box. They want a rock buggy platform they can design around their own style of driving, whether that’s technical crawling, rock racing or trail runs with friends.

This model also lines up with another trend we’ve noticed in 2025: kits are quietly coming back. Even though RTRs still dominate volume overall, the number of people searching for RC kits and choosing to build from scratch is trending up, not down.

3S LiPo picking habits for the H10 Optic

For the H10 Optic, a lot of our customers go for a compact 3S LiPo for rock buggy builds. The goal is always the same: keep weight reasonable, keep voltage healthy, and leave some room in the chassis for clean wiring. One pack that appears frequently together with H10 Optic choice is:

CNHL Black Series V2.0 1500mAh 11.1V 3S 130C LiPo Battery with XT60 Plug

A 1500mAh 3S LiPo with XT60 sits well in many buggy and crawler layouts, and the 130C discharge rating offers very crisp throttle response. On rock buggies like the H10 Optic, that combination tends to give a nice balance between slow control and the ability to punch up a ledge when you need it.

#3 – HPI Venture 18 Flux (1/18 Scale Crawler)

In third place, our data shows a clear winner in the small crawler category: the HPI Venture 18 Flux. It’s a 1/18 scale crawler with a classic truck shell and a surprisingly serious chassis underneath. If you look at what people actually do with it, it tends to be the “take everywhere” truck – thrown into a backpack, driven at the campsite, or used on small indoor obstacle courses.

Compared with toy-grade minis, the Venture 18 Flux behaves much more like a scaled-down version of a 1/10 crawler. That’s why we see it pop up alongside other “enthusiast” products, not just entry-level RTRs. For many buyers, this is the first micro RC car or 1/18 crawler that actually feels like a proper hobby-grade machine instead of just a novelty.

2S micro crawler battery that fits how people use the Venture 18

Most customers running the Venture 18 Flux go with a light 2S LiPo micro crawler battery. The priority is almost always the same: keep the center of gravity low and avoid making the truck feel top-heavy. One of the most common pack is:

CNHL MiniStar Series 650mAh 7.4V 2S 70C LiPo Battery with XT30 Plug

A 650mAh 2S LiPo with XT30 is small, light and easy to mount in 1/18 platforms. The 70C rating offers more than enough discharge capability for a brushed or small brushless crawler system, and the pack size fits the way people use these trucks – long, relaxed sessions on technical terrain rather than short bursts of full throttle.

#2 – Losi Micro T (1/28 Stadium Truck)

Second place on our list goes to the Losi Micro T, a 1/28 stadium truck that has quietly become one of the most fun micro RC cars in our catalogue. If you look at the timestamps on SNS, a lot of these are bought in pairs or alongside other vehicles – which tells us people are often planning to race them with friends or family.

The Micro T fits a very modern use case: not everyone has space for a full outdoor track, but almost anyone can tape out a small course in a living room or garage. Because of that, we see Micro T in INS coming from both experienced hobbyists and complete beginners. For some, it’s a side car to run between big 6S bash sessions; for others, it’s their first taste of RC racing-style handling.

From a trend viewpoint, the Micro T is a big part of why micro RC and small indoor tracks show up so often in what people search and buy around “best RC cars 2025”. It’s not the most powerful or the largest vehicle, but it’s the one that actually sees the most runtime in tight spaces.

#1 – Losi Micro B (1/28 Buggy)

Our clear number one best-selling RC car for 2025 so far is the Losi Micro B. If you’re only looking at scale or raw power, that might be surprising. But if you look at how people actually live and where they can drive, it makes perfect sense.

The Micro B is small enough for almost any environment – hallway, driveway, office, small club micro track – and affordable enough that many buyers pick up more than one unit. Its buggy layout gives it a planted, predictable feel on small layouts, and that seems to be exactly what people want from a micro RC car 1/28 scale right now: fun, controllable, and always ready to go.

We see the Micro B showing up not only as a “first RC car” but also as an add-on for experienced pilots who already own big truggies, crawlers or EDF jets. When you only have ten minutes in the evening, the micro buggy is usually the car that actually comes off the shelf.

What this top 5 list tells us about RC in 2025

Looking at these five models side by side, a few things become very clear:

• Micro RC is no longer a niche. Two 1/28 Losi platforms sit at the very top of our sales chart, driven by convenience and sheer fun.
• Small crawlers are here to stay. The HPI Venture 18 Flux shows that 1/18 crawlers can be both capable and popular.
• Kits are still relevant. Both the Tekno EB48 2.2 and Vanquish H10 Optic prove that there is strong demand for serious RC kits and custom builds.
• Battery choices are becoming more intentional. We see clear patterns in which 4S, 3S and 2S packs people choose for these platforms, rather than random trial and error.

For us, this list is a reminder that the “best RC cars 2025” aren’t defined by scale or specs alone. What really stands out are the models that fit into people’s everyday RC life—cars you can run on a tight backyard track, crawlers that make sense to bring along on a weekend trail, and buggies that still feel sharp and predictable after a full day of laps.

We’ll keep watching the trends and sharing what we learn. If you already own one of these top 5, you’re part of the story behind the products. And if you’re still choosing your next RC car, this list is a clear snapshot of what the community is genuinely enjoying in 2025. To explore more power options for your builds, you can browse our RC car battery collection or take a look at the full range of RC cars available this year.