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The fact that the quality of the destruction physics in Wreckfest still stands out in the current market says a lot about the engine the game runs on. However, when push comes to shove, this is a game about cars, and the best cars will often come out on top of the scrap pile, even if they look a bit worse for wear by the time they get there.

Updated October 6, 2022, by Evan Regan: The meta of Wreckfest has shifted over the summer as both new players on the Nintendo Switch and long-time players on consoles and PC have pushed a slew of cars into the conversation. The El Matador, Gremlin, Roadcutter, and Starbeast SS have been performing well as of late and, as a result, have earned themselves a place among the best cars in Wreckfest.

14 Rammer RS: Rearview Nightmare

While not the most technical car on this list, the Rammer is there for one thing and one thing only: fighting other cars. Boasting a high strength and top speed combination, this brute can close ground quickly and do a lot of damage before players even know it’s there.

The struggle with the Rammer is its acceleration. Once it hits top speed, it can keep pace with almost anything, but getting there with its clunky body knocking into everything that comes near it can be a challenge. The RS model solves the acceleration issue, but at the cost of top speed, turning it into more of a pure racer than the versatile bruiser that the standard model excels as.

13 Roadcutter: Cutting Corners

On its own and without any tuning by its player, the Roadcutter excels in one area: explosive speed. Off the starting line or coming out of corners it may have the best acceleration in the entire game, and it can use that to blow away opponents who need to slow down on sharper turns. The rest of the Roadcutter’s attributes are fairly average.

That is until players slap some armor on it. Since it’s not overly reliant on its top speed, the added weight doesn’t affect the Roadcutter like it might with other cars. What it does do is take that explosive cornering speed and cause an absurd amount of chaos in the process as Roadcutter goes crashing through the opposition, slowing them down while simultaneously taking advantage of its best asset.

12 Battle Bus: Bringing The Chaos

Any player rolling into a competitive match as the Battle Bus isn’t there to win a clean race. Loaded with a giant shovel on its front end, this massive school bus is going to ram anyone and everyone it sees. The only goal of a Battle Bus player should be to wreak havoc, and while that may be frustrating, it is still a viable strategy.

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Can players outrun it? Sure, but they’d better be certain it isn’t gaining ground behind them because no car can do more damage in a single hit than the Battle Bus. It may be a bit of a novelty pick, but in the right hands, this car can dominate the “alternate” set of rules present in Wreckfest.

11 Stock Car: The Need For Speed

Jumping to the opposite end of the spectrum, the Stock Car is exclusively about getting out in front of the pack and staying there, but in that regard, it’s one of the best in its class.

It might not be the flashiest-looking belle of the ball, and it crumbles like a dead leaf under even the slightest impact, but if players can get out ahead early the Stock Car’s speed and handling will carry them through. It’s a toss-up pick though — one wrong move, and it’s easy to spend the majority of a race spectating.

10 El Matador: The Wrestler

This car - no, truck - snuck its way into the conversation by being constantly underestimated. It looks about as heavy as it is, making it a devastating fighter car. That’s no surprise given its name, but what is surprising is just how viable the car can be in a race.

El Matador has strikingly-fast acceleration, and while its top speed may not rival the best cars in Wreckfest, it makes up for it by being able to bully other cars out of its way instead of overtaking them cleanly. It also boasts exceptional handling, and its heavier back end (thanks to the truck bed) makes cornering a dream. El Matador’s versatility and control make it a strong pick for any situation.

9 Rocket RX: Master Of None

The very first car players unlock in Wreckfest is also one of the most versatile. It’s not the fastest, strongest, or best handling, but it holds its own in every category, can be customized to suit any event type, and it’ll look good doing it.

This is the car most players will learn basic tuning strategies with, and it does a great job of it. The Rocket is viable no matter how it is set up, and that makes it great for all occasions. The RX version takes a while to unlock, but the top speed and handling improvements it brings to the table make the grind worth it.

8 Starbeast SS: Lawful Neutral

Much like the Starbeast, its un-upgraded sibling, the Starbeast SS didn’t initially excel in any particular area but had decent attributes across the board. Upon its release, Bugbear actually buffed the Starbeast SS because of how little it improved upon any of the standard model’s stats, but that buff has elevated it to a higher standard. It’s just taken players time to revisit the car and realize as much.

The Starbeast SS now boasts vastly improved grip and handling, making it one of the most agile vehicles in Wreckfest. This is the opposite of a fighter car. Instead, players should use that agility to weave through their opponents, taking advantage of openings and ducking through them before the opponent closes them up. When used correctly, the Starbeast SS can be a slippery adversary.

7 RoadSlayer: Master Of All

Another versatile car in nearly every category, the RoadSlayer will make any player competitive before tuning even enters into the equation. There’s really no way to go wrong with this selection, and before the current meta, the RoadSlayer was one of Wreckfest’s most popular cars.

Essentially, this is the best all-rounder car in the game. The only reason it didn’t bump Rocket off the list outright is because the RoadSlayer needs to be unlocked in order for players to access it, which means spending hard-earned credits while the Rocket is sitting there free of charge.

6 Tristar: Modestly Dominant

The Tristar is one of those cars that is completely unassuming to the eye and will go unnoticed until it flies past its competitors on a corner. What it lacks in straightaway speed it makes up for with exceptional grip and handling.

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The issues creep in once the Tristar gets into a fight. It doesn’t take much for this car to get beat up, and while its components are tough the car itself is not. This is a very technical car to try and win with in PvP; it’s a clean-racing vehicle that requires pinpoint timing and careful overtakes to be effective. However, the players that know it well can embarrass anyone on the track.

5 Gremlin: Little Bugger

Another car that lives up to its name, the Gremlin is a tiny vehicle that players might misjudge as being weak. However, its surprising weight for its size will quickly put those assumptions to rest. While the Gremlin isn’t exactly tough, it can hold its own in the dirty areas, opening up enough room for it to take advantage of its strongest attribute: its turning.

The Gremlin’s suspension is near the top of its class, making it one of the best cars in Wreckfest for cornering. Even when oversteering players will find they maintain near-perfect control, giving the Gremlin a huge advantage on turn-heavy tracks and allowing it to cut inside on bigger, clunkier cars. The Gremlin’s handling makes it perfect for beginners, while its deceptive size and quickness make it a dark horse selection for veteran players.

4 HammerHead RS: Family-Sized Fury

For a station wagon, the HammerHead sure is mean. Surprisingly fast for its size, it can outrun most cars in a straightaway, and will handle turns better than a lot of them too. This is one of the most commonly used cars in Wreckfest PvP because its mix of control and speed can be a nightmare, and it’s no slouch in the strength department either.

The only problem, really, is just how darn big the thing is. Sure, it can fit more passengers in the back seat, but that extended rear end makes an appealing target for opposing players. The RS model is an improvement in almost all categories, and definitely essential for serious competitive players, but it makes the car lighter. That makes it easier to push around, and given this car’s reputation online, pushed around it will get.

3 SuperVenom: A Sporty Blur

Here’s where the current meta really starts to take hold. The SuperVenom is undoubtedly Wreckfest’s fastest car. On a straightaway, there isn’t a better option available. So why isn’t it number one?

The simple answer is the car hardly grips the track at all. While speed is an important factor, the slightest mistake in turning the SuperVenom will result in spinning out. Every time. This is not a selection for beginners, but the player that can reign in this car’s turning will be rewarded with a vehicle that can win them any race, against any player, on any track. It’s just that fast.

2 Bulldog: Old-School Cool

The Bulldog is no longer the king of the Wreckfest meta, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t receive props for once being the best car in the game. With excellent handling, great acceleration, and a surprisingly light body for its overall size, the Bulldog used to out-compete bigger cars and quicker cars by simply being better at something the others weren’t.

It could be armored up to withstand hard collisions while barely losing any of its top speed, making it tough enough to fight dirty and fast enough to win clean. While the days of its dominance have come and gone, there was a time when the Bulldog sat alone at the top of the Wreckfest pyramid, and it’s still a solid choice today.

1 Raiden RS: There Can Only Be One

Wreckfest fans knew this was coming. Since its release in early 2020 as part of the Rusty Rats Car Pack DLC, the Raiden RS has dominated the game’s PvP racing in every category.

Second only to the SuperVenom in speed, and second to none in terms of grip and handling, the Raiden RS has been dictating the game’s meta for over two years. Even beginner players can pick this car up and have a good chance of finishing in the top ten in an online race. Unless it goes head-to-head in a straightaway with a SuperVenom, or gets wrecked on turn 1 by a HammerHead, the Raiden RS is going to win the vast majority of the races it competes in. It is, quite simply, the best car Wreckfest has to offer.

Wreckfest is also available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch and PC.

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