Major failures by a company once known for high quality product.
Bear in mind this is supposed to be a 'ready to run' truck, this is certainly not the case. Right out of the box I had to tighten all the wheels. I put batteries in, sat the truck on some blocks and revved a few times to listen out for any strangeness from the gears and servo. All seemed well.
Put the truck on the floor (indoors on low pile carpet) and checked the steering...
the wheels barely moved. Tried on the kitchen floor (porcelain tiles), same poor performance. Already underwhelmed but still hopeful, I took the truck out for a test run at my local park, which is very flat with low cut grass. Things were looking a bit better when the 'Savage' was let loose. The steering works okay(ish) when the truck is moving. As I was making steering and throttle adjustments on the receiver I noticed that one of the recessed potentiometers was not aligned in the receiver housing and was very difficult to turn with the supplied tool - frustrating.
Keeping the faith, I persisted with testing. The thing rips dirt with no regard for life! Living up to its name, I foolishly thought. Around 5 minutes into play time, smoke was emitting from under the body. I brought the truck to a stop and lifted off the body to a reveal a smoking center differential. Not sure if it was the diff internals or the slip. Then I noticed one of the tires was not properly glued (one side was only 50% attached to the rim). Enough is enough. I packed up and went home to set about returning the Savage to the store I purchased it from.
I agreed to let the retailer inspect the vehicle and see if the issues can be resolved satisfactorily. This is still in process and I hope they can make things right.
Aside from all the above, I can totally see the potential in the Savage XL and love the new look. It has a menacing stance and surely will be fun if it worked the way it is expected to.
Oh, one more snag, the battery compartments are ridiculously tight on space considering the size of high capacity and hic 'C' LiPo batteries currently available.
This truck could be great but will need a lot of modifications to get it there. I have purchased a high torque servo ready and waiting for installation. My HPI Vorza Flux HP is an absolute monster and the build quality puts the current crop Savage to shame. For this reason only have I not completely given up on Savage XL.
I hope this helps you make an informed decision on whether or not to purchase this truck.
