thanks for all of the responses,
I went to a few of my local hobby shops and the first one wasnt a lot of help (all they have is off road nitros) but when i went to the second they were very helpful they didn't really carry any rtr's in stock or really any kits but they have a huge inventory of parts bodys ect.
So after talking a little with the guy behind the counter he really recommended hpi, and he said that he honestly is really into the nitro drift scene and he recommended the new nitro rtr rs4 3 drift. He said that it would be great for a beginner like me. So knowing its in my price range and hpi's know dependability im considering this.
http://www.hpiracing.com/kitinfo/10071/