A popular activity in GTA 5 and GTA Online is street racing, which pits a player against 14 others to find out who is the fastest driver and who has the best car. One can go to a standard race and win by getting the best time out of each lap or a point-to-point race, which rewards the earliest finisher. One of the game-changing updates to GTA 5’s online street racing is Los Santos Tuners, which brought in cars with modifications that make them go faster than stock vehicles. There are over 17 tuner cars in the game with different stats and qualities, so new players may be confused as to which one may be best for them.

The Los Santos Tuners expansion was released on July 20, 2021 to much fanfare. According to Rockstar Games, more people logged into GTA Online for its launch than in previous updates. The reason was that it gave players an online car meet, where they could customize their vehicles and show them off to their friends on a private track. There are many tuner cars for players to choose from, and the best car depends on what a person values most in a vehicle.

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The Best Tuner Car in GTA 5 is Based on a Classic JDM Car

Stock Karin Sultan RS Classic from GTA 5

For hardcore car enthusiasts, the Karin Sultan RS Classic is the perfect choice, with its top speed of 117.50 mph (189.1 km/h). It’s also one of the best-looking cars in the game, being based on the classic Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) Subaru Impreza 22B STI. For people who want to spruce this already beautiful car up further, it has a lot of customization options, too.

These perks come at a steep price, as this car costs $1,785,000, and that's not counting the add-ons the player will spend toward GTA 5's auto shops. It’s also quite hard to drive. While this vehicle is excellent at accelerating, it may take a more experienced racer to handle it through corners at high speed.

Other Great Tuner Vehicles in GTA 5

GTA Online ZR350 tuner cars racing

The runner-ups are as expensive, if not more costly than the Karin Sultan RS Classic. Those looking for a sleeker-looking tuner car in GTA 5 should go for the Emperor Vectre. It costs just as much as the RS Classic. However, it’s slower at just 115.25 mph (185.48 km/h) max speed. The Vectre has a smoother appearance based on the Lexus RC F, which may turn some heads in the Los Santos Tuners social space.

The hood and trunk of this car are curvy and look more modern than the boxy and edgy housing of the Karin Sultan. Another advantage of this car over its faster counterpart is that it’s easier to handle through corners, so players may have an edge on a Vectre in courses with lots of curves and hairpins.

Players who want nothing but to speed past everyone else in GTA 5's racing mode will love the Karin Calico GTF, with its top speed of 121.25 mph (195.13 km/h). This is another JDM-inspired car, which is based on the design of the Toyota Celica. It accelerates quickly too, making it hard to control, even for intermediate racers. It’s also the most expensive tuner in the game, at a base price of $1,995,000. Therefore, players will need to pull in a few extra high-value heists to be able to afford this magnificent vehicle.

Los Santos Tuners is one of the best additions to GTA 5 as it adds a staple part of street culture to a game that’s all about urban life: fast and customizable JDM cars. For those new to the scene, these best tuner car picks will surely help them fit in during their first Los Santos Tuners car meet.

GTA 5 is available now on PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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