PLEASE help with first rc car/ truck purchase!

I'm looking into getting into the rc cars and I'm really liking the Hpi stuff. For the most part I will just be bashing in low grass, some pavement and on the beach. At first i was pretty dead set on the HPI Firestorm Flux but now the HPI Savage Xs has caught my eye. Any advice on which one would be better suited for what I want to do? Or suggestions for a totally different machine would be fine too...Really need some advice on what to get, I'm ready to pull the trigger. Also, I'd love to stay around the $300 range. Really hate to put any more than that into my first purchase. Thanks!

I would pick up an electric traxxas rustler they cost about $200 and they work really well on grass sand pavement and the only problem with hpi is that they are a little more expensive

Check out the HPI E-Firestorm. I started out with a Rustler. It sounds like your're an HPI fan though. DO NOT BUY THE SAVAGE XS. They have so many problems.

You could get a slash 2wd or 4x4. The 4wd will probably handle better in low grass, but, I've got the 2wd and it will go through grass, but it heats up and you don't want to run it long. If you buy a 4wd you might want to get a platinum or ultimate, they are the same, they just have upgraded parts. The platinum is called a kit and doesn't have a radio. If you just buy the normal 4wd, it is rtr. Check out this video on the platinum edition by rc nightmare. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W8TMWyJe0c