Forza is a very popular name in the Racing Simulation/Arcade genre. Synonymous with racing and car culture, Forza has become one of the most successful franchises in the history of racing games.
Throughout the years, Forza has featured hundreds of real-world, high-performance machines and numerous iconic real-world tracks such as the Nurburgring Nordschleife, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (Now Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca), and many more.
Ranking The Best Starter Cars in Forza Horizon 4 (Street Cars)
Right at the start of Forza Horizon 4, the player is given three cars to choose from. These cars are neither slow nor fast, but all three of them are very distinct from each other in terms of their handling characteristics and power delivery. The car you choose here will be used to complete a few events before you are given your next free car.
It is important to choose the right car at the beginning of the game because the car you end up choosing will give you specific handling behaviors that you need to learn and become familiar with to become a better driver overall.
Note: Everything that follows is within the context of these difficulty settings:
3. The Uncle with A Midlife Crisis: Dodge Charger R/T
The Dodge Charger R/T is an American Muscle Car that American automaker, Dodge, made from 1966 to 1978. It features a 7-liter, naturally aspirated V8 engine coupled with a four-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels.
Under the hood, the Dodge Charger R/T makes a respectable 425 horsepower and 490 ft-lbs of torque. The Dodge Charger R/T weighs 3671 lbs, making this car the heaviest starter car on this list.
On paper, the Dodge Charger R/T may seem like the most powerful and fastest car on this list, but like Uncle Ben said: “With great power comes great responsibility.“
How it feels in-game:
In-game, the Dodge Charger R/T feels as expected from an older American Muscle Car: Fast, powerful, but boaty.
The Dodge Charger R/T was never known for its handling characteristics since this car was made to rip up straight roads one quarter-mile at a time. The Dodge Charger R/T feels old when turning and slowing down. It is unbearably lethargic on switch-backs as well. On power, it kicks out the rear wheels like it’s a day job – it will do it all day. The whole package makes driving the car a very wild experience, not to mention hard to control.
You might say that “Hey, this is the best car to learn in then. It makes life hard now, so life can be easy later on.”
Yes, but no.
The problem is that the Dodge Charger R/T is not very competitive when you turn the difficulty up. Beginners will find it very hard to control the muscle car when it’s already going at a high rate of speed. In comparison to the other cars on this list, the Dodge classic feels like it’s got the power, but doesn’t have the springiness to back it up. Kind of like an uncle with grown-man strength, but “beer-belly” agility.
It does have the best exhaust note from this bunch, though.
2. The Boring Gentleman: Audi TTS Coupe
The Audi TTS Coupe is a 2-door sports coupe from German Automaker: Audi. It features a futuristic look and sharp styling that is very eye-catching and modern.
Under the hood, the Audi TTS Coupe packs a 2.0L turbocharged inline four-banger that makes 310 horsepower and 280ft-lbs of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission. It weighs just 3053 lbs.
The Audi TTS Coupe is probably the most boring car to drive among the three cars on this list. Don’t get me wrong, it is relatively fast, turns corners well, and has enough stopping power. The problem with this car is that it is too behaved. It understeers a lot so it is a lot harder to turn while you’re on the gas. Situations wherein you have to correct oversteer on corner-exit are almost non-existent.
Is that a good thing?
You could argue that different drivers have different driving styles. Some prefer oversteer so they can kick out the rear wheels and point the car where they want to. Some even prefer understeer to give the car a more planted feeling during corner exits. The problem lies within the goal I alluded to in the intro: which starter car can give you the most complete handling characteristics package that will help you hone your skills early on in the game. With that said, the Audi TTS Coupe will not give you oversteer situations that can help you catch slides or induce slides later on in the game.
For that reason, the Audi TTS Coupe is the worst starter car in Forza Horizon 4. It handles like it’s on rails. It feels stable and safe during both corner entry and corner exit. It gives you zero drama. It just does the job and does it well enough. The car is like that gentleman you meet at the high school prom; he is too kind, too well put together, he knows his thing, he treats you well, but man he is boring.
1. The Energetic Teenager: Ford Focus RS
The Ford Focus RS is a small sporty hatchback that Ford Motors made from the years 2016 to 2018. It features all-new styling for the 2016 model year, an all-wheel-drive system, and a Ford Mustang engine. Yep, you read that right, it sports a Ford Mustang Ecoboost engine under the hood.
The Ford Focus RS features the 2.3L turbocharged inline-four that was first used in the sixth-generation Ford Mustang. This gives the Ford Focus RS 350 horsepower and 350 ft-lbs of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels through a 6-speed transmission. It weighs 3446 lbs which makes it heavier than the Audi TTS Coupe and is almost as heavy as the V8-powered Dodge Charger R/T.
How it feels in-game:
In-game the Ford Focus RS feels the most energetic and ready in terms of handling. It accelerates and stops quickly. Changing directions feel very direct and instantaneous. It turns corners very well and holds racing lines like it’s on rails.
Now, you might be thinking: “Hey, that sounds a lot like the Audi TTS Coupe! You hated on that car!” – and you’d be right.
They are both AWD cars, so their handling characteristics will most likely be identical. What makes the Focus RS different is the way it behaves when driven hard: When braking before a turn, the Focus RS will shift its weight up-front in an almost exaggerated manner. This takes the weight off the rear wheels and transfers it to the front. The lack of weight on the rear wheels reduces friction, and in turn, reduces grip. With the added grip upfront, the Focus RS will effortlessly point its nose towards the middle of the corner and hold. With the reduced rear weight, the Focus RS will try to slide the rear tires, but since it’s an AWD car, the front wheels will also try to straighten the car up. The result is a weird kind of controlled drift or a powerslide if you will. It’s like the Charger R/T and the TTS Coupe combined.
Why this matters:
The Focus RS strikes a balance between control and chaos. It oversteers and understeers when you want it to. This is what we are looking for in a starter car: One that gives you enough control while at the same time induces enough out-of-control situations that keep you engaged and keep your driving techniques sharp.
Forza Horizon 4 includes off-road and rally races as well, new players need to be able to control slides well enough to become more competitive at the different races the game offers.
Pick Your Horizon
While we placed the Focus RS on top of this list, we also discussed how driving styles can differ. That’s not the only factor at play here as well: Players might simply prefer the look and sound of one car versus the other. In the end, Forza Horizon 4 is a game that is meant to be enjoyed, so pick the car that you think will give you the most enjoyment. After all, these are only 3 of almost 400+ cars available in-game. You’ll never know which cars await in the Horizon.
