DEERC 1205 BRUSHLESS RC Car Review: Easy and Fun, Even for Newbies

It’s been a while since I’ve played with an RC car, so opening up the DEERC 1205 BRUSHLESS RC Car felt like jumping into a hobby from the beginner side of the learning curve. The good news is that this brushless RC truck turned out to be a lot of fun right away. It’s quick, looks great, includes some nice extras, and was easier to get running than expected. It also has one design choice that’s more annoying than it should be. Let’s open the box, check out the features, and see how it does on a gravel driveway.

What Is It?

The DEERC 1205 is a brushless RC car with a short-course truck-style body, four-wheel suspension, lighting effects, and a pistol-grip controller. It comes ready to assemble with very little setup, and it includes two rechargeable batteries so you can swap packs and keep driving longer.

What’s Included?

• DEERC 1205 BRUSHLESS RC car
• Controller
• Instruction manual
• Two rechargeable batteries
• USB charging cable
• Four extra tires
• Phillips screwdriver
• Extra small parts and tire-related hardware
• Additional plastic accessory pieces

Design and Features

The DEERC 1205 has a bold orange, white, yellow, and black body with a desert racer look. It has a rear cage-style section, chunky tires, and clear side windows with molded driver figures wearing helmets inside. Out of the box, it makes a strong first impression.

The body shell is already installed and held on with four cotter pins. Once removed, the shell lifts off to reveal the internal chassis, motor, battery compartment, and power button. Inside, there’s a brushless motor with red cooling fins, electronics mounted in the center, and shocks on all four wheels.

The suspension looks substantial, and there are some metal components in the structure, but the shell itself is made from fairly thin plastic. That was one of the first things that stood out during handling. Thin doesn’t automatically mean fragile, but it was enough to raise a question about long-term durability.

In actual use, though, the shell held up better than expected. Even after running over gravel, there were no obvious chips, cracks, or damage.

The included controller uses a familiar pistol-grip layout with:

• A spring-loaded steering wheel on the side
• A trigger for forward and reverse
• A power button
• Buttons for the chassis lights
• Buttons for the interior headlight

The steering wheel has a foam ring, which makes it a little more comfortable to grip. It’s a simple controller overall and feels approachable even if RC cars aren’t your usual thing.

Power and Setup

Getting the DEERC 1205 ready to run is straightforward, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind before starting.

First, the car includes two rechargeable battery packs. Each pack has a charge indicator, and both arrived partially charged. Charging is handled with the included USB-A cable. The battery connector is keyed, so it plugs in only one way, which helps prevent mistakes.

The controller, however, needs four AA batteries, and those are not included. It also does not recharge them, so you’ll need your own set before the car can be used.

Installing the vehicle battery requires removing the shell again. Inside the chassis is a battery bay with a small locking tab. Open the cover, connect the battery, place it in the compartment, and lock the cover back down. Once that’s done, the car can be powered on from the switch inside the chassis.

That last part leads directly to the biggest usability issue with this car: the power button is under the shell. So every time you want to turn the car on or off, you have to remove the shell and deal with the four cotter pins.

It’s not difficult, exactly, but it’s more tedious than it should be. A more accessible power button through the cockpit area or somewhere along the body would have made daily use much more convenient.

On the Road

For the first test run, the DEERC 1205 was driven on a gravel driveway rather than on pavement. That’s not the smoothest environment for a beginner or for testing straight-line precision, but it does say something useful about the car’s ability to handle loose surfaces.

Right away, one thing became obvious: this RC car is fast.

It takes a little time to get used to the controls if you’re rusty or new to RC driving, especially on gravel, where the rear end can slide around. But once the basics click, the truck becomes very easy to enjoy. The steering wheel on the controller directly adjusts the front-wheel angle, and the trigger provides immediate forward and reverse control.

There was some drifting, but that seemed more related to the gravel than to any flaw in the car itself. On a looser surface, that kind of slip is expected. Even so, the truck still managed some impressively straight runs and had no trouble moving quickly in both directions.

The overall experience was surprisingly approachable. Even without a lot of RC car experience, it didn’t feel frustrating. Instead, it felt like the kind of product that encourages a few shaky first passes, then quickly turns into confident zipping back and forth.

And yes, it’s a blast.

Fast acceleration, reverse, a little gravel drifting, and enough punch to make the truck feel exciting without being impossible to manage. That balance is a big part of why this one stands out.

Lighting Effects

The DEERC 1205 has more visual flair than you might expect. There are underbody chassis lights and illuminated figures inside the cab. Both can cycle through different colors using the controller’s buttons.

The chassis lights are especially noticeable when the car is sitting still or used in dimmer conditions. During daytime driving, they’re mostly just a bonus feature, but they do add personality.

The controller labels one lighting function as headlights, but in practice, that button controls the illuminated heads inside the cab. Those also change colors, so you can match the interior glow with the underbody lighting if you want.

It’s a fun touch, although it comes with one small catch: if the car is powered on, an accidental bump of the trigger can send it moving unexpectedly. And since the main power switch is hidden under the shell, shutting everything off still means removing the body.

See It In Action

Final Thoughts

The DEERC 1205 ended up being a really enjoyable RC car, especially as a first hands-on experience after a long break from this category. It looks great, moves incredibly fast, and manages to be fun without feeling intimidating. That’s a nice combination.

The included extras also help its value. Getting two rechargeable batteries in the box is a big plus, and the extra tires and accessories make the package feel more complete. The lighting effects are more novelty than necessity, but they still add a cool visual bonus.

The one real complaint is the hidden power button. Having to remove the shell and fuss with cotter pins every time you want to turn the car on or off is inconvenient, plain and simple. It doesn’t ruin the experience, but it’s the kind of design decision that stands out, especially since the rest of the car is so enjoyable.

If you want an RC car that’s quick, fun, and easy to get into, the DEERC 1205 makes a strong case for itself.

The DEERC 1205 RC Car retails for $149.99; it is available on Amazon.

Source: Manufacturer-supplied review sample.

What I Like: Easy enough for someone without much RC car experience; Includes two rechargeable batteries; Comes with an extra set of tires; Handled gravel use without obvious shell damage; Lighting effects on the chassis and inside the cab add personality

What Needs Improvement: The on/off power switch should be accessible without removing the shell; Controller AA batteries are not included — either include them or make the remote USB rechargeable