2WD RTR Monster Truck Shootout – Final Results!!

Final Results

Here is the list of categories, and the break down of where each vehicle placed/scored:

Top Speed–
1. ARRMA Granite
2. Traxxas Stampede
3. ECX Ruckus

Pavement Driving–
1. ARRMA Granite
2. ECX Ruckus
3. Traxxas Stampede

Loose Surface Driving–
1. ECX Ruckus
2. ARRMA Granite
3. Traxxas Stampede

Jumping–
1. Traxxas Stampede
2. ECX Ruckus
3. ARRMA Granite

Durability–
1. ECX Ruckus
2. ARRMA Granite
3. Traxxas Stampede

Ease of Use–
1. Traxxas Stampede
2. ECX Ruckus
3. ARRMA Granite

Parts Availability–
1. Traxxas Stampede
2. ARRMA Granite
3. ECX Ruckus

Price–
1. ECX Ruckus
2. ARRMA Granite
3. Traxxas Stampede

Looks–
1. ARRMA Granite
2. ECX Ruckus
3. Traxxas Stampede

Features–
1. ARRMA Granite
2. Traxxas Stampede
3. ECX Ruckus

Here are the totals listed as accrued above. Just like golf, the lower the score, the better.

3rd Place- Traxxas Stampede- 2, 3, 3, 1, 3, 1, 1, 3, 3, 2 = 22 points total

2kd Place- ECX Ruckus- 3, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 = 20 points total

1st Place/Champion- ARRMA Granite- 1, 1, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1 = 18 points total

3rd Place- Traxxas Stampede (22 points overall). No doubt the Traxxas is a good truck and has gotten thousands of people into our hobby. But, when compared side-by-side with the Ruckus and Granite, it shows its age. The main thing holding back the Stampede is its smaller, dated platform. It’s more narrow, has a shorter wheelbase, and uses smaller tires than its competition, those factors hurt how it drives compared to the others. The Stampede does have its upsides, it won 3 out of the 10 categories in the shootout and had perhaps the best electronics of the bunch. But overall it simply could not hang with the newer platformed trucks. The Stampede name is legendary in bashing circles and has served thousands of people well, but it is in desperate need of a complete update.

2nd Place- ECX Ruckus (20 points overall). The Ruckus is an amazing truck and it won 3 categories in our shootout- price, loose surface driving, and durability. We knew from our previous review that it was a competent basher, but we did not expect it to come so close to winning our shootout against its more expensive competition. Here’s the deal, the more we were able to drive it back-to-back with the other trucks, the more it showed us that indeed it was right there in the hunt. Yes, there are areas that can be improved on the ECX, notably its drive-shafts, spur gear, and motor, but overall it drove incredibly well and was able to take a ridiculous amount of abuse from our test drivers. If you are looking to save some bucks and get a solid truck, the Ruckus is what you want.

1st Place- ARRMA Granite (18 points overall). We have a champion for our BigSquidRC 2wd Monster Truck Shootout- the ARRMA Granite. We knew when we reviewed the Granite a couple months ago that it was a fantastic truck, driving it back-to-back against its competition simply confirmed that to us. The Granite drives well right out of the box, carving up low speed corners and pounding through the rough stuff, and it is great fun to push to its limits. The stock power system has good yank, putting out more than enough power to pop wheelies, throw up rooster tails, and make some pretty sizable double jumps. Perhaps most impressively, we’ve beat on the Granite harder than any other truck we’ve ever tested and it comes back smiling for more. The ARRMA is a great all around basher, that’s why it is the winner of our BigSquidRC 2wd Monster Truck Shootout. If you like to have fun bashing you NEED a Granite in your rc garage.

Did you skip to the end and missed something? Head back to the beginning to catch all the details!

Special thanks to Slot & Wing Hobbies in Champaign IL for letting barge in and take over their new facility for a day while we wrapped up our testing.