Bandai Cyclaws

While at first glance the Bandai Cyclaws doesn't look like a traditional RC car, all the right qualities to make it a top pick are there: it's affordable, it tackles various types of terrain, it's quick and has a few nifty features. With dozens of positive reviews from consumers at Amazon.com, this car stands out. The Cyclaws has a sleek, thin body with four large wheels that can open to reveal a claw-like tire configuration, which results in the ability to perform tricks and climb terrain that would be the end of the road for a regular RC car. With the wheels in their closed position, this remote-control car can accelerate well and move fast.

Though the Bandai Cyclaws remote-control car comes with a rechargeable battery pack, users note that it runs out of power fairly quickly (we saw reports of around 20 minutes). The battery can take a while to charge too, according to owners, but no one gets into specifics as to how much time that actually is. A few reviewers point out that since the remotes only run on one frequency, two different Cyclaws vehicles cannot be operated at the same time -- a disappointment if you set out to race a friend with one.

Overall, however, the Cyclaws RC car owners say it's an interesting toy that combines the fun of a traditional remote-control racer with some surprising off-road chops. The combination leads to a lot of fun for the kids running them, say reviews.