Forza Motorsport: the best cars you should buy as soon as you can

The best cars in Forza Motorsport aren't always the fastest, so here are our top picks and tips on what to look for

Forza Motorsport is finally here, and right out of the box it stands as one of the best racing games around. But we’re not here for a quiet drive – we want to get ahead of the pack and leave them in our exhaust fumes. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the best cars in Forza Motorsport.

If you want the fastest cars in the game, we're here to help. Before we continue, learn more about Turn 10 Studios' latest by checking out our Forza Motorsport review.

Forza Motorsport: How to choose the best car

The best car in Forza Motorsport is never simply the fastest. There are several factors that contribute to choosing a car, and speed is the least of them. Often, the fastest cars are the weakest on corners.

There are four values you will need to consider: speed, handling, braking, and acceleration. In our experience, the most important are handling and acceleration: the former to have better traction in turns and not suffer too much for understeering or oversteering, the latter to get a good start right away and put you ahead of the pack as quickly as possible.

You should aim for cars that are balanced. A car with a better balance between all values and a good handling score is easier and more satisfying to drive throughout the race. On top of that, you can upgrade your car after each race, so there will always be time to make up any gap with your rivals.

That is, of course, as long as you don't notice a 0.4-0.5 point gap in speed between the top of the class and the car you put your eyes on. In that case, it's worth going for the fastest car, since you couldn't make up that gap in such a short time, and the car's handling on the track is offset by its top speed anyway.

Which starter car to choose in the Builders' Cup Intro Series - Forza Motorsport

Forza Motorsport Builders' Cap

Xbox Game Studios

Forza Motorsport kicks off with the Builders' Cup Intro Series, a short prologue to the bigger career mode. You won't have to spend credits to buy cars in this step, as the game will ask you to pick one of three starter cars. These are:

• 2018 Honda Civic Type R
• 2019 Subaru STI S2019
• 2018 Ford Mustang GT

The game doesn't show you each car's attributes here, but our best choice is the Honda Civic. The 2018 Ford Mustang GT is easily the fastest, and the 2019 Subaru STI S2019 might be the most iconic, but the 2018 Honda Civic Type R is the most balanced. You'll notice it particularly when exiting the last turn at Grand Oak Raceway, when getting it right means you can go full throttle, and gain precious tenths on the straight.

The best cars to buy in the early game - Forza Motorsport

Time for a few tips now on the best cars to buy in the first 20 hours, broken down by event where they will come in handy.

Xbox Game Studios

• Practical Performance - 2021 Volkswagen Golf R - speed 3.6, handling 2.5, braking 2.4, acceleration 2.8 - AWD - IP 488 - cost 70,000 C. Not the fastest but the most balanced car.

Modern Tour

Xbox Game Studios

• Built for Sport - 2018 Porsche 718 Cayman GTS - 5.1, 2.9, 3.0, 4.5 - RWD - IP 608 - 115,000 C. It's the fastest here.
• Super Sedans - 2018 BMW M5 - 6.5, 2.8, 3.3, 5.8 - AWD - IP 711 - 179,000 C. Not the fastest car, but the most balanced, with excellent acceleration.

Enthusiast Tour

Xbox Game Studios

• Track Specials - 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II - Speed 3.5, control 2.8, braking 2.9, acceleration 2.8 - RWD - IP 447 - cost 82,000 C.

Don't let the retro look fool you. It's a very balanced car, and one of the few allowing you to go full gas getting out of corners without losing the rear end.

Power Tour

Xbox Game Studios

• Iconic Muscle - 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 - Speed 3.5, Control 2.4, Braking 2.7, Acceleration 4.1

These were some of the fastest cars in Forza Motorsport. Of course, you should test several of them in each category to find the best one for you. However, remember that you can tweak your cars' performance by customizing them as you see fit during each event, which can dramatically change how they drive on track.