I've driven my buddies a couple times... the best way I can describe handling is that it's like driving a couch, which is similar to riding in a 1989 Mercury Grand Marquis. lol! Very plush, but you have to plan ahead for turning/stopping as it does both of those as the user's inputs seem to be...
After seeing what my buddies k8s does vs his xmaxx... I'd lean towards xmaxx, hard. Even with the upgrades on the kraton (m2c chassis, vitivon hubs, upgraded turnbuckles, upgraded shock shafts, don't know what else), it just doesn't hold a candle for durability to the xmaxx in relatively stock...
There are a few occasions where I had to use red to keep something from moving. In those cases, I made sure it was something I could heat with a pencil torch to get the threadlock to release. In cases where blue doesn't hold and a torch isn't advised, I use orange. Even with orange, you better...
x-maxx is probably the king of 1/5th'ish bashers available. The arrma offerings all require some upgrades to handle big stuff very well. You can go read up on them at arrmaforum.com and traxxas's forums as well for the xmaxx.
A bashing buddy of mine has the outcast 8s, kraton 8s and xmaxx. Out...