rc cars electric or petrol?

Nitro:

Hard to get running right (tuning)
Gets a lot dirtier because of the exaust and gas on board
Cant run in snow very well
Slower than electric (if you compare it to a good electric setup)
More durable out of the box
Faster out of the box
More nitro cars and trucks than there are electric (but converting them is a good idea..)

Electric:
Smooth, Silent operation
Just plug in and go
Less things that can go wrong
Batteries take a while to charge
Stays cleaner
Bigger money-hole
Easier to wrench on
References :
http://www.ultimaterc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56890