Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

We’re a bit obsessed by 2-in-1 toys so this car immediately caught our attention: press a button and it transforms from a speedy flat car to a high-level off-roader. It’s brilliant fun, climbs on everything, races along walls, scales piles of books in its way and even drives upside down – without needing a person to constantly come over and readjust it.

Plus, it’s as good indoors as it is outside. If you want the car to do the work, there’s even a button you can push so it’ll move on its own. The price point makes sense for all that it offers, and it’s less of a faff battery-wise than several others.

Best: For (toy) passengers

Rating: 8/10

This sleek Barbie car promises to give any doll a ride, but our testers will confirm it does a lot more than that. It squeezes a whole range of different toys into the passenger and driver’s seats, from stuffed animals to baby dolls (some of whom were rather large). This makes it a fabulous ride, considering no other RC car we tested has the capacity to accept passengers.

We also like the stylish lights at the front and back and the controller is easy to use. Our one negative? This RC car requires a lot of batteries up front. And we’d love it if it came in a colour besides pink.

Best: Immersive experience

Rating: 9/10

This future of RC cars is here and it looks like Mario Kart in the real world, complete with a racing car, gates and arrow markers to set up in your space. This works with the Switch (and can be played on your TV) and takes you from your living room to the desert and ocean as other Mario characters come alive and start racing alongside you. And just like in the video game version, mushrooms give you a boost; red shells slow you down.

For parents worried about too much screen time, this game really does have the best of both worlds as our testers were wandering around following the Kart on its journey and guiding it, too. It’s suitable for multiple players at once, but they’ll each need their own Kart.

Best: Style

Rating: 9/10

The Megalodon is a car that makes you do a double-take: every single child who saw this thing wanted it, regardless of age. Among Megalodon’s virtues is the impressive ability to take a battering – this guy went spinning and bashing its way down staircases too many times to count – as well as its wheels, which power over any terrain including tile, wood, stone, fake grass and water. Megalodon is also adept at spinning in circles and was one of the fastest of the bunch, so will be suitable for older kids (including the 10+ set).

Best: For jumping

Rating: 8/10

This RC car is great for a lot of reasons: it’s super-lightweight, so you can take it places, with foam wheels that won’t trash your floors. Plus, it has an amazing capacity to jump – it’ll fly down stairs and spring up to 55cm in the air. While we couldn’t quite get it to leap over objects as advertised, it’s impressive enough even when it’s not doing that, with a 200ft range.

Best: For stunts

Rating: 8/10

If you want a car with the power to do nose and tail wheelies – while in motion – 360 spins and all kinds of jumps, then Spin Master’s grave digger is your ideal stunt car. You don’t need to be a pro as even a novice can manage push-button stunts with this truck. The skull print graphics, metallic accents and BKT tyres ensure this monster truck makes a bold visual statement the kids will find impressive.

Best: Budget option

Rating: 7/10

One of the smaller ones we tested, this is your value-for-money RC car. It can move in multiple directions and both the body and wheels turn. It worked for us on a variety of surfaces and is easily portable, so it’s one you can pack in a bag and take anywhere.

Best: For younger kids

Rating: 7/10

One of the smaller remote control cars we tested, this Buzz Lightyear buggy packs a lot into its petite package – it can even ride along on just the back wheels. We like the remote, which includes a turbo speed function and goes forwards, backwards and turns easily. The Buzz Lightyear figure is a hit with the kids too; the only thing that would improve this car would be to have the option of removing him for play inside and out of the car. This is a great first RC car option for your four or five-year-old.

Best: For all terrains

Rating: 8/10

This monster truck has an adjustable chassis so it can be lowered or raised, whether you’re looking for speed or the ability to get through all sorts of terrain (those sturdy tyres in rock crawler mode can manage just about anything). We really like how the remote switches between left and right-handed options, so many of these toys are designed for the right-handed among us, and it has a driving range of 25m. This is a bigger-sized truck with massive wheels, designed with older kids in mind.

Best: For the classic car lover

Rating: 8/10

This mini Lamborghini is built 1:18 to the scale of the real deal, and is a stylish addition to any mantlepiece when it’s not being used as a racing car. The officially licensed design comes with a trigger-style remote that takes the car in all directions. It appealed to every adult who saw it as much as to the kids.

Best: For portability

Rating: 8/10

This Hot Wheels racing car is ultra-petite – and therefore perfect for throwing in your bag or packing in the suitcase – but it can still race at speed, going up to 8km an hour. There are six different, brightly hued styles to collect, it goes in any and every direction and the controller is easy enough for a four-year-old to work on their own.

Best: For train lovers

Rating: 9/10

This train is controlled via a (free) app that works with Bluetooth and plays different sounds. It’s suitable for kids as young as three, who can make it go forwards, backwards or bring it to a stop. It includes a charging cable and will work on most wooden train tracks you have. Our testers, aged three and five, spent hours with this train – and weren’t even bothered about the app.