Forza Horizon 5 is home to a rapidly growing collection of cars for many a gamer. The game currently has over 630 cars and the developers keep adding new cars every month, alongside other content. The game has become extremely popular, not just with Racing aficionados but also with casual gamers that just want to drive around and have fun in fancy cars.
The online racing scene in Forza Horizon 5 can be quite tricky to navigate for beginners. PvP racing or "Open Racing" as it is known in the game is home to all sorts of racers, some that are too competitive for their own good. There's also an entire world of car selection and tuning that players need to figure out before they can compete with any hopes of winning in online races. There are a few cars across different performance tiers that stand out.
10 1990 Mazda Savannah RX-7
The Mazda RX-7 Savannah is an underrated coupe for Road Racing and Street Racing. It's a quick, nimble sports car that can cruise through corners comfortably at higher speeds than most other sports cars. With an AWD swap, it can keep up with opponents quite well in terms of pure pace and with its compact dimensions, the car handles really well.
The Mazda Savannah RX-7 is great for B700 and A800 performance classes and its timeless looks with popup headlights are a bonus that will surely be appreciated. It's an absolute joy to drive with its zippy performance
9 1965 Shelby Daytona Coupe
When it comes to racing pedigree, there aren't many cars that can match the Shelby Daytona and it lives up to its reputation in Forza Horizon 5. A strong performer across B, A, and S1 class Performance tiers, the car truly comes alive in Dirt Racing.
It has a neat little trick up its sleeve where it can retain its B class performance rating with an AWD swap and thicker rear tires, and with some performance upgrades, the car becomes a monster in B Class dirt races.
8 2020 Lotus Evija
The Lotus Evija is a beautiful car. The design is striking but what's even more astounding about it is its sheer performance. On stock configuration, the Evija boasts of 1,973 horsepower with 1,700 nm of Torque. This car can be tuned to an S2998 performance rating, allowing it to remain just within the limit required for S2 class online racing.
The Evija accelerates like a rocketship once it picks up some momentum and the brakes are even stronger than its raw pace. Players that love a late-braking style approach to cornering will love the Lotus Evija in Forza Horizon 5. Players will need to just remember that the Evija shines in Road Races with high-speed curves and long straights.
7 1970 Porsche 914/6
Another brilliant sports car from the 1970s, the Porsche 914 is a lightweight and agile racer that loves corners. It's often overlooked because of its down-to-earth nature but the 914 can be an absolute joy to drive when built right.
The Porsche 914 is a nimble, peppy little roadster that can be tuned across several performance classes. This versatility makes it a great choice for players that like lightweight, easy-to-drive cars. Starting out at a D427 rating, this cute classic sports car can be tuned for D500, C600, B700, and A800 races. With Engine swaps, players can also try pushing it for S1900 but that wouldn't be advisable because the car gains too much power for its weight.
6 2016 Jeep Trailcat
The Jeep Trailcat is, quite simply put, the best off-roader in Forza Horizon 5. It's widely regarded as the best and with good reason. It blitzes through cross-country races and is an absolute joy to drive around the entire map. The sheer control it maintains through corners is absolutely hilarious to watch as the chassis leans against the laws of gravity.
The Jeep Trailcat can be tuned for A800 and S1900 Cross Country racing but A800 is the sweet spot for online racing, where it dominates almost every other off-roader in the game.
5 1986 Hoonigan RS200
The Hoonigan RS200 is the Forza Horizon equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife. This car can do everything, and it does everything fast. The Hoonigan RS200's main strength is its short length and small turning circle radius alongside raw pace from its powerful 506 bhp engine.
The Hoonigan RS200 can handle every type of race with ease because it's fast enough to keep up with S2998 supercars and hypercars on roads as well as the best rally cars on the dirt.
4 1992 Toyota Celica GT Four
The 1992 Toyota Celica GT Four is a car with a Rally Racing pedigree, and it shows in Forza Horizon 5. The Celica GT Four waltzes through dirt races like a ballerina with its agility and grace. The handling is just so predictable that it can navigate its way through dirt racing courses like a hot knife through butter.
The Celica GT Four can be tuned for B700 and A800 dirt racing and absolutely dominates most other cars at these performance tiers.
3 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia
Most players overlook the Ferrari 430 Scuderia in Road and Street Races. They go for the flashier, newer models like the 488 Pista or the F8 Tributo. The 430 Scuderia is an absolute gem and will smoke the newer cars with a decent tune. It's also got that gorgeous, timeless design that Ferraris from the 2000s were famous for. As elegant and artful, as it is precise.
The 430 Scuderia is one of the best cars for S1900 Road Racing, taking on corners like a champ and acceleration that competes with the newer Ferrari supercars.
2 2008 Koenigsegg CCGT
As far as meta cars go, the Koenigsegg CCGT was the first choice for anyone entering an S2998 Road Race. The CCGT is Koenigsegg's track version of the CCX and is a track toy unlike any other. The CCGT offers competitive acceleration and top speed along with precise handling that is easy to judge.
Considering how difficult it is to race cars at the S2998 performance tier, the CCGT is the best bet for most players to get through, thanks to its excellent traction and acceleration out of corners. The responsive steering makes it even easier to control.
1 2012 Hot Wheels Bad To The Blade
The recently released Hot Wheels expansion added the Hot Wheels Bad To The Blade as the penultimate Hot Wheels car in the game. This mean machine is the new king of the S2 class meta and drives like a beast that is possessed. It's got loads of traction and the steering feels like that on an F1 car. It takes corners on a dime and accelerates to its top speed effortlessly.
The Hot Wheels Bad to the Blade has replaced the Koenigsegg CCGT as the S2998 meta car and with good reason. It's a joy to drive, looks like a fighter jet, and handles like a Formula 1 car. There's not a lot more to be said about why it is so good.
Forza Horizon 5 is currently available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.