Maverick Phantom XB brushed 1/10 buggy
Are you looking for a budget entry to the RC Car world? We found the Maverick Phantom XB 1/10 Buggy on AT models website. I was doing research into cheap buggies and this caught my eye. The Price point is very low at £109.00 for a RTR out-of-the-box starter car. You get a lot for a little. It was the metal geared Differentials that made me look as, this is a big plus at this level. the car looks good and HPI has a good reputation.
Everything you need is in the box. 1800mah battery, a small charger, and a pretty good transmitter. this is a budget-end vehicle so please don’t expect it to be super fast straight out of the box. That being said it was pretty quick for a car with a brushed motor. Luckily this is still a hobby-grade vehicle with plenty of scope for upgrades.
Maverick Phantom XB Out of the box
It is a great-looking little buggy although it does feel smaller than models like the FTX vantage but I think this is more to do with geometry. The Shell to the car feels a little stiff and lower quality with the wing in particular looking fragile. Under the cover is a different matter, HPI has put a lot into the build of the chassis which is a strong tub with the new screwless setup. Some clever design choices have helped strengthen the car. The whole centre section of the car is one love cover which adds stiffness and strength to the model. The wheels and tyres look good and reading up on the model we can see it has a mechanical high-torque servo.
All the lower arms are made from a decent composite plastic and the base model comes with plastic thread metal-topped oil-filled suspension. The car sits and bounces well. My only criticism was the lack of adjustable steering arms although these could be replaced later.
The radio transmitter felt odd in my hand. I have quite big hands and the controller felt small but after usage, I got used to the feel and it was fine. I feel that this control is more responsive than a lot of other RTR type transmitters.
The spec list reads well
- 4WD shaft drive Racing Buggy
- Brushed electric 550 high torque motor
- Waterproof ESC and water-resistant servo
- 2.4Ghz Maverick radio set with waterproof receiver
- USB Charger included (2A input recommended)
- 7.2V 1800mAh NiMh battery pack included
- Gear cover to keep debris away from the spur gear
- Differentials front and rear
- Ball Bearings throughout
- Independent double wishbone suspension
- Oil-filled shock absorbers
- Dual point bellcrank steering system
- Separate servo saver
- Pre-cut factory finished and decaled bodyshell
- Molded tub chassis with optimized weight distribution
First run of the Maverick phantom XB
We took the Maverick to a local indoor track to test out the running. Unfortunately, the first run was a bit of a letdown. The car was fast enough and probably came close to 20mph with great handling but, it was not long before the first breakage. The screw holding the right lower arm popped out of its thread causing a crash and the loss of a bogbone drive shaft. Parts are available for this model as the Maverick Phantom range shares a lot of parts with new and older models. This particular kind of brake can be sorted with some Thread locking glue. The next item to brake was the Wing. We knew it would break as it is very rigid and looks weak.
Was it fun
A simple answer is yes. The driving experience is good. It handles well but it is slow because it is a brushed motor with a NiMH Battery. This is a model that needs upgrades so I think you can guess what happened next. At this point, we jumped on Amazon and purchased a motor and ESC. We did not want to go nuts as you can overpower a car. this is another of my son’s cars so we chose a 4200Mah Lipo 2 battery, a 3300KV motor, and 60A ESC.
Maverick Phantom XB easy to upgrade.
The setup of the Maverick Phantom XB means changing things like motors and ESCs is quite an easy job. As we are upgrading the motor and ESC we decided to add full metal suspension. The car did not really need new suspension but it always helps. For the rear wing, we decided to use an old approach and molded some plastic drain pipes to fashion a wing. A wing made from pipe is almost indestructible. The total cost for upgrades was £70.00 and for this, we have quite a good car.
Running with Upgrades
The first thing to note was the speed. This car is now very quick easily outpacing the brushless FTX vantage 2.0 that we were running against. The handling was good and the new suspension helped with all that power. Apart from the initial breakages, this car is a tough little machine.
In conclusion
You have to ask yourself a question. How much car can you get for your budget? The Maverick Phantom XB would say a lot. It is a great little buggy for the beginner or the advanced user. Out of the box, it is a safe fun little buggy that can be enjoyed. It still has enough power and speed for jumping and skidding around but, it would not be competitive in a race. If this is what you are looking for then this is £109.00 very well spent.
If you want something more thrilling and speedy then get this car and upgrade the Motor, ESC and battery. You will then create a little monster for less than £190.00. Whatever you are after the Maverick Phantom XB could be the car for you.
For further information contact Fatboys RC HERE
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