Forza Horizon 5 throws over 700 cars at players, from vintage classics to cutting-edge hypercars. With that kind of roster, the question isn’t whether there’s a car for every taste, it’s which one’s going to help you smoke the competition in seasonal championships, online ranked matches, or that one dirt race that’s been taunting you for weeks.
Here’s the thing: there’s no single “best car in Forza Horizon 5” that works for every situation. The answer depends on your race discipline, class restrictions, and whether you’re chasing top speed, acceleration, or handling. But some cars punch well above their weight, and a handful of S2-class monsters dominate nearly every road race they touch.
This guide breaks down the best cars in Forza Horizon 5 across classes, disciplines, and game modes. Whether you’re a new player hunting for a reliable starter or a veteran fine-tuning your garage for competitive ranked play, you’ll walk away with a shortlist of vehicles that actually deliver on the tarmac, dirt, and everything in between.
Key Takeaways
- The best car in Forza Horizon 5 depends on race discipline, class restrictions, and terrain type rather than one universal choice.
- The Koenigsegg Jesko dominates S2 class road racing with exceptional top speed (280+ mph) and balanced handling, making it the closest thing to an overall best car.
- Building a diverse garage with strong cars across different classes (S2, S1, A, B) and disciplines ensures you’re prepared for seasonal championships, ranked racing, and varied event types.
- Community tuning setups from experienced creators like Don Joewon Song and HokiHoshi can transform decent cars into competitive race winners without requiring tuning expertise.
- Rally-focused vehicles like the Hoonigan Ford RS200 Evolution excel across multiple classes and disciplines, dominating S1 street racing, A-class dirt events, and seasonal challenges.
- Underrated cars like the BMW Isetta 300 and Toyota MR2 (1995) prove that meta cars aren’t always necessary—skill and the right tune often matter more than following tier lists.
What Makes a Car the “Best” in Forza Horizon 5?
“Best” is slippery in a game with this much variety. A car that dominates S2 road racing might be useless in B-class cross country. Context matters, and so does the tune. Before diving into specific models, it helps to understand what separates good cars from dominant ones.
Performance Metrics That Matter
Forza Horizon 5 tracks a handful of core stats that determine how a car performs:
- Speed: Top-end velocity on straights. Critical for road racing and highway sprints.
- Acceleration: How quickly the car reaches its top speed. More important than raw speed in technical courses with frequent turns.
- Handling: Responsiveness through corners. A car with sharp handling lets you carry more speed into and out of turns.
- Launch: Initial burst off the line. Matters most in drag races and short sprints.
- Braking: How quickly you can scrub speed before corners. Overlooked by new players, crucial for advanced racing.
- Offroad/Dirt Handling: How well the car behaves on loose surfaces. Some road cars become uncontrollable in dirt races: others thrive.
No car maxes every stat. The “best” cars strike a balance that fits their discipline, or they excel so hard in one area (like the Jesko’s speed) that weaknesses become manageable with skill.
Class System and PI Ratings Explained
Every car in Forza Horizon 5 sits within a Performance Index (PI) rating that determines its class:
- D Class: 100-500 PI
- C Class: 501-600 PI
- B Class: 601-700 PI
- A Class: 701-800 PI
- S1 Class: 801-900 PI
- S2 Class: 901-998 PI
- X Class: 999+ PI (typically heavily modded or extreme builds)
Most seasonal championships and online races restrict entries to specific classes. A maxed S2 hypercar won’t help you in an A-class dirt event. Smart players build a garage with at least one strong car per class and discipline, not just a fleet of S2 rockets.
Best Overall Car: Koenigsegg Jesko
If there’s a single car that defines “best” in the broadest sense, it’s the Koenigsegg Jesko. This Swedish hypercar sits at the top of the S2 class and has been a meta staple since launch. It’s fast, tuneable, and forgiving enough for intermediate players while still rewarding advanced techniques.
Why the Jesko Dominates
The Jesko’s strength comes from its absurd power-to-weight ratio and top speed potential. With a 5.0L twin-turbo V8 pushing over 1,600 horsepower (in the right tune), it hits speeds north of 280 mph on long straights. That alone makes it a monster in road races and highway sprints.
But raw speed isn’t the whole story. The Jesko also handles surprisingly well for a car this fast. Its rear-wheel-drive layout can get twitchy under hard acceleration, but once you learn to feather the throttle out of corners, it rewards clean racing lines with blistering lap times. The car’s high PI (around 964 stock) means it competes in S2-class events where most rivals are already stretched to their limits.
In online ranked racing, the Jesko shows up constantly. It’s not unbeatable, technical tracks with tight hairpins favor more agile cars, but on circuits with long straights and sweeping turns, few cars keep pace.
How to Unlock and Tune the Jesko
The Jesko isn’t a freebie. Players can acquire it through:
- Autoshow Purchase: Available for 2,800,000 CR (credits). Expensive, but accessible if you’ve been grinding races or flipping cars in the auction house.
- Seasonal Rewards: Occasionally appears as a reward in seasonal championships or Forzathon Shop rotations. Check the Festival Playlist each week.
- Auction House: Sometimes listed below Autoshow price, though competition is fierce for top-tier cars.
Once you’ve got it, tuning matters. A stock Jesko is fast but twitchy. Popular community tunes focus on:
- Rear downforce: Adds stability at high speeds without killing top-end velocity.
- Softer suspension: Helps the car stick to uneven road surfaces.
- Shorter gear ratios: Improves acceleration on technical tracks where you won’t hit max speed.
Search for “Jesko S2 Road” in the community tune browser and filter by downloads or likes. Tunes from creators like Don Joewon Song or HokiHoshi are usually solid starting points.
Best Cars by Class and Racing Discipline
Not every race lets you bring an S2 hypercar. Class restrictions and terrain types force you to diversify. Here’s a breakdown of standout cars across the most common class and discipline pairings.
Best S2 Class Cars for Road Racing
S2 is where the hypercars live. These cars excel on paved circuits with long straights and fast corners.
- Koenigsegg Jesko: Already covered, but worth repeating. The default choice for S2 road racing.
- Rimac Nevera: An electric hypercar with instant torque and all-wheel drive. Launches harder than the Jesko and handles better in tight corners, but slightly lower top speed. Great for technical S2 tracks.
- Bugatti Chiron: A bit heavier than the Jesko, but the AWD grip makes it more forgiving for players still learning S2 handling. Competitive in most S2 road events.
- Ferrari 599XX Evolution: Not technically S2 (it’s often in X-class), but tuned down to S2, it’s a track monster with insane cornering speed. Harder to acquire (usually a seasonal reward), but dominant once you have it.
Best S1 Class Cars for Street Racing
S1 (801-900 PI) is the sweet spot for street racing events, where narrow roads and sharp turns punish pure speed.
- Hoonigan Ford RS200 Evolution: AWD rally monster that grips like crazy and accelerates out of corners faster than most S1 cars. Dominates both street and dirt events in this class.
- Mosler MT900S: Lightweight, mid-engine, rear-wheel drive. Surgical handling on technical street courses. Cheap to buy and easy to tune.
- BAC Mono: Single-seater track car with go-kart handling. Not ideal for long straights, but unbeatable on twisty street circuits.
- Porsche 918 Spyder: Hybrid hypercar with AWD. Balanced stats across the board, great all-rounder for S1 street events.
Street races often feature tight 90-degree turns and narrow corridors. Prioritize handling and acceleration over top speed in this class.
Best A Class Cars for Dirt Racing
A-class dirt racing (701-800 PI) is where rally cars shine. You need grip, acceleration, and suspension that handles bumps without losing control.
- Hoonigan Ford RS200 Evolution: Yes, again. Tuned down to A-class, this car is even more dominant in dirt than it is in S1. AWD, short wheelbase, and rally DNA make it the top pick.
- Subaru Impreza 22B STi: Classic rally icon. Responsive handling, AWD grip, and enough power to hang with faster cars. A staple in A-class dirt.
- Lancia Delta S4: Another rally legend. Slightly twitchier than the Subaru but faster in the right hands. Excellent for experienced players.
- Ford Focus RS ’09: Budget-friendly option with solid stats. Not the fastest, but reliable and easy to tune for consistent dirt performance.
Dirt races reward smooth driving over raw speed. Cars that maintain traction through loose surfaces and absorb terrain changes tend to win.
Best B Class Cars for Cross Country
B-class cross country (601-700 PI) is all about durability and off-road capability. You’re smashing through fences, bouncing over hills, and navigating mud. Handling becomes less precise: stability and acceleration matter more.
- Jeep Trailcat: Purpose-built off-road monster. High suspension, wide stance, and enough torque to power through mud and sand. Top pick for B-class cross country.
- Ford F-150 Raptor DeBerti Design: Trophy truck with insane suspension travel. Handles jumps and rough terrain better than almost anything in B-class.
- Chevrolet Colorado ZR2: Balanced off-road truck. Not as extreme as the Raptor, but more predictable. Good for players who want consistency over ceiling performance.
- Ariel Nomad: Lightweight buggy with go-anywhere capability. Less stable on jumps than the trucks, but faster on flatter cross-country routes.
Cross country is chaotic. Pick a car that doesn’t fall apart when you clip a tree or land a jump sideways.
Best Beginner-Friendly Cars to Start With
New players don’t need S2 hypercars. They need reliable, affordable cars that teach good habits without punishing every mistake. Here are some forgiving options that still win races.
Ford GT (2017): Available early, affordable, and handles well in S1 road races. AWD option makes it forgiving for players still learning braking points.
Subaru WRX STI: Dirt and street racing workhorse. AWD, predictable handling, and tunable across A and S1 classes. Cheap to buy, easy to drive.
Chevrolet Corvette C8: Mid-engine layout gives it excellent balance. Strong in A and S1 road racing. Forgiving enough for beginners, competitive enough for intermediate players.
Toyota Supra RZ: Affordable, iconic, and tuneable. Works well in street races and road events. Not the fastest, but responsive and predictable.
Honda Civic Type R (2018): Cheap, nimble, and punches above its class in B and A-class street races. Great for learning how to carry speed through corners.
These cars won’t dominate every event, but they’ll teach you how to brake, accelerate, and corner without fighting unstable handling or overwhelming power.
Top Cars for Specific Game Modes
Different game modes reward different strengths. Seasonal championships, The Eliminator, and online ranked racing each have their own meta.
Best Cars for Seasonal Championships
Seasonal championships rotate weekly and usually restrict entries by class, manufacturer, or country of origin. The “best” car changes every week, but a few versatile picks show up constantly:
- Hoonigan RS200 Evolution: Works in almost any dirt, street, or rally seasonal event. If the restriction allows it, bring it.
- Mosler MT900S: Covers most S1 road race seasonals. Lightweight and fast.
- Porsche 911 GT3 RS: Competitive in A and S1 road events. Frequent seasonal restriction candidate.
- Ford Bronco R: Handles most cross-country and off-road seasonals in B and A-class.
Check the seasonal restrictions before building a car. Some events limit you to specific decades, drivetrain layouts, or manufacturers. Having a broad garage helps more than one perfect car.
Best Cars for The Eliminator
The Eliminator is Forza Horizon 5’s battle royale mode. Players start in random low-tier cars and upgrade by winning head-to-head races. The final showdown rewards speed and off-road capability.
The best strategy is upgrading to a Level 10 car (the highest tier) as quickly as possible. Top Level 10 cars include:
- Funco Motorsports F9: Off-road demon with ridiculous acceleration and top speed. Dominates final circles.
- Ferrari 599XX Evolution: If the final circle ends on pavement, this car is nearly unbeatable.
- Koenigsegg Jesko: Another strong Level 10 option for mixed terrain.
Early-game drops (Levels 1-4) are random, but try to upgrade quickly. Avoid getting stuck in slow SUVs or trucks. Chase red car drops and win head-to-heads to climb tiers fast. Coverage from Pure Xbox often highlights how The Eliminator meta shifts with seasonal updates.
Best Cars for Online Ranked Racing
Ranked racing enforces class restrictions per season. The meta shifts with balance patches and new car releases, but certain cars stay competitive across updates.
S2 Ranked:
- Koenigsegg Jesko: Still the most common sight. Fast, tuneable, and proven.
- Rimac Nevera: Gaining popularity for its AWD grip and acceleration.
S1 Ranked:
- Mosler MT900S: Lightweight and nimble. Top pick for technical tracks.
- Hoonigan RS200: Strong in mixed-surface or street race rotations.
A-Class Ranked:
- Subaru Impreza 22B STi: Reliable in dirt and rally events.
- Mazda RX-7 (FD): Handles beautifully in road races. Tuned right, it’s a top-tier A-class pick.
Ranked lobbies are sweaty. Players run optimized tunes and know racing lines. If you’re serious about climbing ranks, download meta tunes and practice the seasonal tracks in free roam or rivals mode first.
Hidden Gems and Underrated Cars Worth Trying
The meta gets stale. If you’re tired of seeing the same Jesko and RS200 every race, here are some underrated cars that still perform.
BMW Isetta 300 Export: Meme car, right? Tune it to A-class and watch it embarrass supercars in tight street races. The tiny wheelbase makes it hilariously agile.
Renault 5 Turbo: Lightweight rally icon that handles like a dream in B-class dirt events. Flies under the radar but wins races.
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (1977): Muscle car that dominates B-class street racing. V8 torque and rear-wheel drift make it fun and fast.
Noble M600: Overlooked S1 road racer. Lighter than most competitors, with sharp handling and plenty of speed.
Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2: Vintage racer that punches up in A-class road events. Not the fastest, but corners like it’s on rails.
Toyota MR2 (1995): Mid-engine layout gives it excellent balance. Strong in A-class street and road racing. Cheap to buy, easy to tune.
These cars won’t top every tier list, but they’re fun to drive and competitive enough to win in the right hands. Experimentation beats following the meta 100% of the time.
Tuning Tips to Maximize Your Car’s Potential
A stock car is rarely the best version of itself. Tuning transforms decent cars into race winners and great cars into unstoppable machines. You don’t need to be a tuning expert, community tunes exist for that, but understanding the basics helps.
Essential Tuning Settings for Speed
If you’re building your own tune (or tweaking a downloaded one), focus on these areas:
Tire Pressure: Lower pressure increases grip but reduces top speed. Higher pressure does the opposite. For road racing, aim for 30-32 psi. For dirt and cross country, drop to 28-29 psi for better traction.
Gear Ratios: Shorter gears improve acceleration but lower top speed. Longer gears do the reverse. Match your gearing to the track, technical courses need shorter ratios: highway sprints need longer.
Downforce: More downforce increases cornering speed but kills top-end velocity. For tracks with lots of turns, max it out. For high-speed circuits, reduce rear downforce to boost straight-line speed.
Differential: Adjusting acceleration and deceleration diff settings affects how power transfers through corners. Higher acceleration diff (60-80%) helps RWD cars put power down without spinning. Lower values (30-50%) make the car more nimble.
Suspension Stiffness: Stiffer springs improve responsiveness on smooth tracks. Softer springs help absorb bumps in dirt and cross country. Tune based on terrain.
Brake Balance: Moving brake bias forward (52-55%) reduces oversteer under braking. Moving it rearward (45-48%) helps the car rotate into corners. Adjust based on handling preference.
Tuning is deep, and guides from Windows Central often break down advanced setups for specific car models. But for most players, downloading a proven community tune is faster and just as effective.
Where to Find Community Tune Setups
Forza Horizon 5’s community tune system is a lifesaver. Top tuners upload their setups for free, and you can download them with a few button presses.
How to find tunes:
- Open the pause menu and select “Upgrades & Tuning.”
- Choose “Find Tuning Setups.”
- Search by car name, creator gamertag, or keyword (e.g., “S2 Road” or “Dirt A-Class”).
- Filter results by Downloads or Likes to find popular tunes.
Recommended tuners:
- Don Joewon Song: Known for balanced road and street tunes.
- HokiHoshi: Specializes in drift and rally setups.
- Nalak28: Competitive ranked tunes with detailed descriptions.
- Saeenu: Drag and top-speed tunes.
Always read the tune description. Some tunes prioritize grip, others prioritize speed. Match the tune to your driving style and the track type.
How to Acquire the Best Cars in Forza Horizon 5
Knowing which cars are best doesn’t help if you can’t get them. Here’s how to acquire top-tier vehicles without dropping real money on Car Packs or DLC.
Autoshow Purchase: The most straightforward method. If a car is available in the Autoshow, save up credits and buy it. High-tier cars like the Jesko cost millions, but grinding races, completing accolades, and flipping auction house cars builds credits fast.
Wheelspins: Earned through leveling up, completing challenges, and unlocking perks on the Car Mastery tree. Wheelspins award random cars (including rare ones) and credits. Super Wheelspins offer better odds for high-value drops.
Seasonal Championships and Playlist Rewards: Every week, the Festival Playlist rotates new seasonal championships and challenges. Completing them awards exclusive cars, many of which become meta picks. Check the playlist on Thursdays when it resets.
Auction House Sniping: Rare cars occasionally appear in the auction house below market value. Set your filters to specific makes or models, refresh frequently, and buy out cheap listings fast. Competitive, but effective for grabbing expensive cars at a discount.
Forzathon Shop: Rotates weekly. Spend Forzathon Points (earned through daily and weekly challenges) on featured cars. Some weeks offer meta cars like the RS200 or Mosler.
Barn Finds: Hidden classic cars scattered around the map. Unlock them by discovering barns and waiting for the restoration timer. Most barn finds aren’t meta cars, but a few (like the Ferrari 250 GTO) are valuable for collection or auction flipping.
Accolades and Challenges: Completing specific accolades (e.g., “Win 50 Road Races”) awards cars. Some of these are top-tier options. Players reviewing gaming walkthroughs on IGN often find efficient routes to unlock rare accolade cars.
Car Mastery Perks: Some cars unlock additional vehicles through their Car Mastery tree. For example, the 1965 Pontiac GTO has a perk that gifts you a rare Pontiac. Check mastery trees before selling duplicate cars.
Credits come faster than you think. Race frequently, complete seasonal content, and flip auction house finds. Within a few weeks, you’ll have enough to buy most of the cars on this list.
Conclusion
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to “what is the best car in Forza Horizon 5,” but the Koenigsegg Jesko comes closest for overall dominance in S2 road racing. Beyond that, the best cars in Forza Horizon 5 depend on class restrictions, race discipline, and how you like to drive.
Build a diverse garage. Keep a strong S2 road car (Jesko, Rimac Nevera), a reliable S1 street racer (Mosler, RS200), a dirt-focused A-class rally car (Subaru 22B, RS200), and a B-class cross-country truck (Trailcat, Raptor). That spread covers most events the game throws at you.
Don’t sleep on tuning. A well-tuned B-class car can beat a stock A-class car in the right hands. Use community tunes if you’re not comfortable building your own, and adjust based on track conditions.
Most importantly, drive what you enjoy. The meta matters in ranked, but seasonal championships and free roam races reward skill and consistency over raw stats. Test different cars, experiment with builds, and find the ones that click with your driving style. That’s where the best cars in Forza Horizon 5 really live, not on tier lists, but in your own garage.
The post Best Car in Forza Horizon 5: Ultimate Guide to Dominating Every Race in 2026 appeared first on Cowded.
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