ARRMA Mojave Grom 4x4 BLX Review: The 1/18 Brushless Truck That Makes Newcomers Look Good

Boiling it down: the ARRMA Mojave Grom 4x4 BLX is the best-value 1/18 brushless short-course truck for newcomers who want genuine speed without moving to a 1/10 platform. It earns that verdict through a tougher 223s chassis and a brushless drivetrain that costs less to maintain over time, not because it is the fastest truck on paper. If you plan to run on basketball courts, cul-de-sacs or short grass and you lack the budget or space for a 1/10, this is the truck to start with.

Decide in one minute: is the Mojave Grom 4x4 BLX your truck?

So, is the ARRMA Mojave Grom 4x4 BLX for you? If you are a first-time RC buyer looking for a small, rugged short-course truck that can deliver real speed on paved or low-grip surfaces, the answer is yes—this is the best-value 1/18 brushless option you can buy today. The key is to separate the truck itself from the long model name. The Mojave Grom 4x4 BLX is a true 1/18-scale, four-wheel-drive short-course truck with a brushless motor, which means it is noticeably faster and more efficient than the brushed version. It also sits on the newer 223s chassis, a stiffened platform that shrugs off the kind of hard landings a beginner will inevitably dish out. The catch? It is not a toy for extreme bashing. You need a compatible LiPo battery, a reasonable charger, and a running surface that does not punish a 1/18 truck with constant big jumps.

The boundary matters as much as the recommendation. Skip the Mojave Grom 4x4 BLX if you want a ready-to-run box that works with AA batteries, or if your only running spot is a BMX track with jumps over a meter high. This truck is built for hard surfaces, basketball courts, small parks, cul-de-sacs and gentle slopes—not for repeated big air. Similarly, if your heart is set on a 1/10 platform because you plan to race at a club, save your money and start there. But if you are an adult or a responsible teenager who wants a fast, low-maintenance RC car for a modest space, the BLX version removes the biggest complaint owners have with brushed Groms: the need to upgrade within a month.

Decode 223s, BLX and 4x4 before you buy

What do the numbers and letters in '223s', 'BLX' and '4x4' actually mean? The '4x4' is straightforward: all four wheels are driven, which gives the truck the traction to pull out of corners on loose dirt and short grass. 'BLX' is ARRMA's label for its brushless power system—a sensorless brushless motor and a matching ESC together that deliver higher top speed and better efficiency than a brushed motor. The part that confuses most buyers is '223s'. It is neither a 2S battery label nor a 223mm length; it is the chassis variant code for this generation of the Grom platform. When you search for this truck online, you will find listings that call it different things. That is exactly why you have to verify specs on ARRMA's official documents rather than trust third-party category pages. A well-known product-testing site even grouped ARRMA trucks under a category mechanism that had nothing to do with RC cars, which tells you how little you can rely on generic categories.

That distinction changes your buying decision in a concrete way. Because the 223s chassis is the newer, stiffer version, it resists flex during hard cornering and under landing loads, which means fewer cracked components and less slop in the steering over time. The brushless BLX system extends that advantage: it produces less heat at comparable power, so you get longer runtimes per charge and you do not need to replace worn brushes—the classic failure point of brushed motors. The practical result is a truck that is faster out of the box and cheaper to keep running. Do not expect it to transform into a rock crawler or a full-size basher; it is a scaled-down short-course truck that rewards smooth throttle control. If you habitually pin the throttle and slam into curbs, no chassis code will save you.

Compare the Mojave Grom 4x4 BLX against 1/18 rivals

Before you compare it with other 1/18 trucks, remember: every spec on a retailer's page is a claim, not a fact. In this product class, third-party guides and category pages are useful only as a selection filter; they can point you toward the right scale and price band, but they mix in irrelevant content from unrelated product categories. That is why every comparison below should be checked against the official spec sheet for the exact part number you plan to buy. The Mojave Grom 4x4 BLX, the brushed Mojave Grom, and the other 1/18 trucks in its class all advertise similar scale and battery numbers, but the real differences show up in drivetrain durability, included electronics, and actual street price.

Here is how the Mojave Grom 4x4 BLX lines up against the most common alternatives. Against the brushed Mojave Grom, the BLX costs roughly $50 more upfront but adds a brushless motor and ESC that deliver noticeably higher top speed and longer runtime per battery; over a season you rarely need to replace the motor. Compared with a typical 1/18 stadium truck in the same price band, the Grom's 4x4 drivetrain gives it better traction on loose surfaces, while other 1/18 trucks often use a simpler 2WD layout. The BLX also includes larger sealed bearings and a metal gear in the diff housing, which reduces the chance of stripping gears on rough landings. No, it is not a 1/10 truck, and it should not be compared to one—but within the 1/18 category, it offers the best balance of speed, durability and cost.

Budget for batteries, charger and spares

Your real budget is not just the price of the truck. The Mojave Grom 4x4 BLX does not include a battery or charger in the box, so to run it you need a 2S or 3S LiPo with the right connector and a charger that can balance LiPo packs. A decent 2S 1400mAh pack costs around $25–$35, and a balance charger capable of 2S–3S runs about $30–$60. If you want two batteries for back-to-back runs, factor in $50–$70 for batteries alone. On the maintenance side, set aside $20–$40 for spare parts like a set of shock towers, an extra set of tires, and a few hinge pins. A common rookie mistake is buying the truck plus one battery and no spares, then putting the purchase on hold when a minor crash bends a steering link. Consider building a first-order package of truck, two batteries, one charger, and a small spares kit—that lands between $300 and $380 depending on your choices.

Now separate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves. Among the must-haves are a LiPo battery with the correct cell count and connector for this truck, a compatible balance charger, and a basic tool set such as a 1.5mm hex driver and a cross wrench; without those the truck simply will not run. The nice-to-haves include a second battery, upgraded tires for wet or dusty conditions, a foam bumper kit, and a carrying bag. You can skip the aluminum upgrade parts entirely because the plastic parts on the 223s chassis are strong enough for the intended use, and aluminum often transfers crash energy into the chassis instead of absorbing it. Also, budget for a battery voltage checker if your charger does not show cell voltages; it costs less than $10 and prevents over-discharging, the leading cause of premature LiPo failure.

Run this five-point verification checklist before checkout

Before you hit checkout, run this verification routine against ARRMA's official documentation—the product page on arrma.com and the manual PDF for your exact SKU. First, confirm the model number and version. The Mojave Grom 4x4 BLX has a specific part number that distinguishes it from the brushed model and from earlier Grom releases; do not rely on the photo in a third-party listing. Second, verify the battery requirements: the manual will list the recommended cell count and capacity, and the connector type. Third, check the included items—some retailers list a battery or charger as 'included' when only a manual is in the box. Fourth, look up the spare parts list and confirm the part numbers for the 223s chassis; this is the only way to be sure you are buying the sturdier version. Finally, register the product or file the receipt for warranty claims. These steps take ten minutes and prevent a wrong-order headache.

The misleading-claim trap is real. Online listings may describe the truck as '2S ready' when it actually needs a 3S for the advertised speed, or they may show the previous generation's chassis in the photo. Treat every third-party description as a rumor until you see it in the official spec sheet. A common pattern: a reviewer's category page ranks the truck against unrelated products, and the accompanying text is auto-generated from generic copy. Several brand-specific category pages contain content entirely unrelated to RC cars—one even linked to infant-care guidelines—which is a reminder that category pages are compiled by algorithms, not by people who have run the truck. Always compare the SKU, the chassis code, and the battery connector text on the retailer's page with the same three strings on ARRMA's site. If they do not match exactly, ask the seller before paying.

Apply this decision rule to your next RC purchase

You can distill this entire buying decision into one reusable rule: buy the brushless 1/18 only if you can answer yes to three questions—will you run the truck more than once a week on hard or low-grass surfaces, can you buy a LiPo and charger without stretching your budget, and are you prepared to treat it as a serious hobby machine rather than a toy? If you answer yes to all three, choose the BLX over the brushed version, because the higher upfront cost disappears by the time you save your first brushed motor from premature wear. If any answer is no, save the money and either get the brushed Grom or step up to a 1/10 with the same budget. This same rule transfers to any future RC purchase: compare long-run maintenance cost, not just the sticker price.

Picture the first weekend with the truck: you charge a 2S pack, carry it to the basketball court, and it pulls cleanly through corners on the painted surface, landing small bumps without a pause. A month later, you are still running the original drivetrain—no belt to wear out, just shaft-driven durability. The point is, the Mojave Grom 4x4 BLX becomes the truck you use consistently because it does not punish small mistakes. For a newcomer who wants speed without a repair hobby, that is the real win: a truck that keeps you driving rather than fixing. When you are ready to move up, that same decision rule will tell you exactly which 1/10 to buy next.

The decision rule stands: verify the SKU, match the battery, and budget for maintenance. Choose the BLX when your usage justifies it—and you now know when that is.