Radio Control Car Action-Truck of the year 2003: Traxxas T-Maxx 2.5

Radio Control Car Action, Sep 2003

When we sat down to decide the 2003 Truck of the Year, we carefully considered each new release that we had tested in RC Car Action since the last Truck of the Year had been chosen. Despite the many great trucks that debuted in the past year, all of the editors kept coming back to one truck as the no-brainer pick for Truck of the Year honors. It's one of the most popular RC vehicles of all time, it has one of the best engines in RC, it's easy to operate for beginners yet performs well enough to satisfy seasoned vets, and it's just a ton of fun to drivethat's the most important part. So here it is, our 2003 Truck of the Year: the Traxxas T-Maxx 2.5.

THAT ENGINE!

We admit it. When we heard that the "new" T-Maxx would remain .15-powered and wouldn't include a big-block .21 engine, we concluded that Traxxas had blown it: bad move, not gonna fly, gotta be a big-block. Well, insert the game-show-buzzer sound effect here because we couldn't have been more wrong.

The incredible TRX 2.5 engine displaces 2.5cc (or .15ci) and pumps out enough power to shame many "sport" big-block engines. The RC Nitro dyno-test confirmed more than 1hp (1.33 to be exact) from the mighty mill, and it has no trouble pushing the T-Maxx past 4omph-and that's with electric starting!

To support the extra ponies, the TRX 2.5

T-Maxx features Traxxas' Wide-Maxx suspension that has more tuning possibilities and gives the truck a wider stance to improve handling. A thicker aluminum chassis and beefier plastic universal slider shafts are included to handle the extra power, and the shock towers and body posts have been noticeably reinforced, too. All of these features combine to make the TRX 2.5 T-Maxx the undisputed "big daddy" of the monster-truck kingdom.

UPGRADE POTENTIAL

There are more hop-ups available for the T-Maxx than for any other RC vehicle. It's possible to replace more than 90 percent of the stock components with aftermarket parts in a variety of materials and colors. This makes the T-Maxx the ultimate truck to customize and a favorite for those who just can't leave well enough alone.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

This isn't something we usually factor into the selection of a Car or Truck of the Year, but we'll make an exception here. If anything goes wrong with your T-Maxx (or any other Traxxas product), calling the toll-free customer service number or pointing your mouse to the Traxxas website will get you rolling again fast.

In addition to its great customer service, Traxxas is the only RC company to offer a lifetime engine replacement and exchange plan. For $100 (plus $5 shipping), you can exchange your TRX 2.5 engine (no matter what its condition) for a brand-new one. That's a lot less dough than it would cost to purchase a brand-new engine from the hobby shop.

PARTS SUPPORT

Just about every hobby shop carries replacement parts for the T-Maxx. The T-Maxx is the most popular vehicle in RC, which means that finding replacement parts won't be a problem. If you live in the boondocks and don't have a hobby shop near your home, you can order the parts by mail or directly from Traxxas-on the phone or via the Internet.

Which is better: the book or the movie?

The TRX 2.5 T-Maxx manual deserves recognition for being the best in the industry. The term "manual" doesn't really do it justice; it's more like a "getting started in nitro" book. From tire gluing, engine break-in and radio setup to after-run maintenance, suspension tuning and more-it's covered. Full-color illustrations, 3D CAD drawings and hardware identification charts help as well, and everything is printed on heavy, glossy paper. A handy business-card-size engine-tuning guide is included for you to keep in your wallet; you can refer to it when you're out bashing on the truck.

That should be enough to get-and keep-anyone running, but because the Traxxas guys know that sight and sound are the best tuning aids, they even include a DVD! The final-assembly steps, engine break-in, troubleshooting and more are all played out to make your T-Maxx experience totally goofproof. It's good stuff and just one more reason the T-Maxx is our pick for Truck of the Year.