From everything I was able to unearth in my research, the polite answer would be: "Not particularly".
HPI and REVOS are pretty good.
In my suggestion traxxas is the best brand plus all of there stuff is made in the USA and they made the worlds fastest and most aerodynamic RC car
Syma offers good RC helicopters for a under $75. They are very good helicopters for your nephew to start off with.
BRP 1/18 scale Mini RC Racers is the most durable brand of RC Car. They last for years even if you use them allot.
You didn't mention how old your son is, which can be important in choosing age-specific RC cars. Air Hogs is a brand good for the over-12 crowd, while Hot Wheels and Maisto RC cars are popular for ages 8-15.
The best brand for RC airplane parts are Blue LiPo, Gens Ace, Sky LiPo, A123 Systems, Exceed TX and FlySky Airplane/Heli TX. They were all reviewed as the best brands of RC airplane parts.
savage brand rc's have a range of an eighth of a mile.
There are several different types of RC helicopters. The "best" model depends on whether you are looking for a smaller, rechargeable version, or a large, monster RC helicopter. For a small helicopter, models by Syma tend to have good reviews; for a larger model, the Blade brand tends to make many models.
Check out a local vintage guitar or music store. Some consignment shops have such items. Also, check on Ebay or Amazon for better pricing options for it.
Traxxas is considered the top seller of RC cars in many categories in the industry. Their name is associated with high quality and high tech.
www.nitrorcx.com has facts for beginners and advanced nitro rc enthusiasts. They support forums on their web site for people sharing their personal experience with the brand name vs generic parts debate.
In terms of the most features the Boss RC 50 is the best looper