RC4WD C2X Review: 1/10 Scale Rock Crawler Extraordinaire

The off-road world is perhaps bigger and more enticing now than ever, with seemingly every automaker offering a vehicle suited to some variation of driving off tarmac. And yet, we all have an inner child. Some of us can quell it, some find it hard to keep quiet, and others find a way to integrate things of pure, innocent, harmless joy into our lives. For some, RC rock crawling is one of those things. It checks the boxes of technicality and vehicle-focused hobbying, but at a scale that can be enjoyed in much closer quarters or smaller spaces than the great outdoors.

Which brings us to the RC4WD C2X. On the outside, the detailing is impressive. It’s faithful to the Toyota on which its styling is based, but it carries the beefy, oversize tires common on purpose-built rock crawlers. The “bed” is made of Delrin and looks alright, though we’d prefer a dedicated flatbed. Even so, the results of a full photoshoot using Apple’s Portrait Mode made for images that the untrained eye would easily mistake for a full-size truck on a trail run.

Mechanically, things get even more exciting. Obviously there’s no combustion engine here, yet one of the fun things about radio-controlled rock crawling is understanding (and adjusting) the vehicle’s weight distribution. In the case of the C2X, that means knowing the 35T brushed motor is mounted front-mid, which is ideal for crawling. Better yet, the springs, shocks, and suspension geometry really do look like the real thing.

Getting the C2X going requires very little. You simply charge the included battery with the included charger, install the included batteries into the remote, and that’s it. It really is ready-to-run, with everything you need included. We did make some throttle and steering adjustments, like changing the steering angle end points, but that comes down to preference; you don’t have to touch this if you don’t want to.

rig it climbs and crawls remarkably well. The soft, grippy tires hook up well on hard surfaces, though they do have a tendency to dig when on looser terrain. If anything, the C2X is only limited by its breakover angle. It occasionally gets hung up (“turtled,” “high-centered,” or “bellied out” in four-wheel-drive speak) and struggles to keep enough tire on the ground for sufficient traction. Given, any stock crawler would likely have this issue, but it’s worth mentioning.

But the flex this thing has is incredible, and it’s supremely fun to push to the limit. Getting the suspension fully extended and compressed at opposite corners, known as “crossed up,” shows how capable it is, with the C2X happy to crawl out of nearly any pickle it finds itself in. And when moving faster, the easily-adjusted suspension takes anything in its way and deals with it as if the impact is half the size.

On the speed front, the C2X is happy to cruise along at a walking pace without issue. This means it’ll be more than happy as a trail rig, so you can hike with it or drive it to the obstacles you’re seeking out. A two-speed transmission would make it a rocket, but that would increase the price. We suppose that’s what the aftermarket is for.

Our one concern with the C2X is the quality control. The steering arm screw wasn’t tightened from the factory, and we found a few others that were loose as well. Similarly, we lost the driver-side (RHD, for the record) windshield wiper to the backyard Bermuda Triangle. These notes in mind, we recommend giving everything a once-over prior to your first run. Then again, we recommend that with any new-to-you RC crawler, it’s just a tad more worthy of note on a rig that carries a $499.99 MSRP.

There’s also something to say for the C2X not being another run-of-the-mill crawler. Sure, there’s something to buying a major name brand rig, but being unique is part of the fun in the 4WD world, and if you don’t expect to need parts the same day from the LHS (local hobby store), why not try something “different?”

Overall, we are enjoying our time with the C2X immensely. Playing around on backyard obstacles that, should they be full-size, would make our road-legal rigs balk is endlessly fun, and learning to drive the C2X based on its scale, ground clearance, approach/breakover/departure angles, weight balance, and center of gravity does really bring proportionally the same kind of enjoyment as doing so in the full-size 4WD space.

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