Forza Horizon 5 Starter Car Guide: Bronco, Corvette, or Supra?

Choosing your first car in Forza Horizon 5 feels like a monumental decision, but the real question is: which one will set the tone for your adventure in Mexico? While you'll eventually own all three, your initial pick becomes your workhorse for the critical early-game grind. This guide breaks down the Ford Bronco, Corvette C8, and Toyota Supra to show you exactly which starter aligns with your driving style and progression goals.

Ford Bronco vs Corvette C8 vs Supra: Best First Car in Forza Horizon 5

The Common Misconception: You Only Get One Car

Here's the thing though - while you're only picking one to drive off the lot, Haley quietly ships the other two straight to your garage anyway. The whole 'starter choice' thing is mostly about which ride gets pre-upgraded for the opening races. You'll end up with all three cars for free regardless, so don't stress too hard about the others disappearing forever.

Good News: All three starter cars - Bronco, Corvette, and Supra - get deposited in your garage no matter which one you pick. The choice only affects which vehicle is pre-tuned to A-class for the first few events.

Why Your First Choice Still Matters

But here's where that choice actually matters: the car you select becomes your default workhorse for the opening hour, and that early-game grind can set the tone for your entire Horizon Mexico experience. Your pick directly influences how quickly you'll rake in credits and skill points before you're swimming in cars.

• Corvette C8: This thing's a rocket. With a 0-60 mph time around 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 194 mph, it's your best bet for dominating early road and street events. More wins mean more credits, which means unlocking cooler stuff faster.

• Ford Bronco Badlands: If you're the type who can't resist grabbing every XP board you see, this is your jam. Its off-road index of 9.1 and long-travel suspension let you bulldoze through rough terrain and grab those early boards that would wreck a sports car. Plus, you'll crush dirt and Cross-Country championships right out of the gate.

• Toyota GR Supra: Don't sleep on this middle-ground option. It's not the fastest, but its 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds is still respectable, and the RWD layout makes tuning changes feel way more obvious. If you're trying to learn how tuning actually works, the Supra's shorter wheelbase gives you instant feedback on adjustments.

Head-to-Head Comparison: Stock Performance Analysis

Official In-Game Statistics Breakdown

The stat cards don't lie, and they paint a pretty clear picture before you even hit the accelerator. Every car gets rated on that familiar 0-100 scale, so you can see exactly what you're signing up for in each category.

Car	Speed	Handling	Acceleration	Launch	Braking	Off-road	Class
Chevrolet Corvette C8	5.6	4.9	7.8	5.3	4.5	3.2	S1 801
Toyota GR Supra	5.2	5.3	7.4	6.1	4.7	3.4	A 800
Ford Bronco	4.3	3.4	5.9	3.7	4.4	8.1	B 738

The Corvette immediately flexes its S1 801 rating with that 7.8 acceleration stat, while the Supra keeps things balanced across the board in A-Class. The Bronco drops to B 738, but that 8.1 off-road rating screams its purpose loud and clear.

Real-World Performance Testing

Stats on paper are one thing, but community testing reveals how they actually launch when you're sitting at the starting line. These 0-100 km/h times tell the real story.

Car	0-100 km/h Time	Top Speed (Stock)	Key Characteristics
Chevrolet Corvette C8	4.3 seconds	296 km/h (184 mph)	Fastest, RWD with mid-engine grip
Toyota GR Supra	5.8 seconds	250 km/h (155 mph)	Balanced turbo torque, RWD
Ford Bronco	6.7 seconds	190 km/h (118 mph)	4WD, off-road gearing, slower

That 4.3-second sprint makes the Corvette the undisputed drag champion, while the Bronco's 6.7-second time reflects its taller gearing and heavier build. The Supra slots right in the middle as the all-rounder you can trust.

Surface-Specific Performance Analysis

Here's where your choice really locks in, because Mexico's terrain doesn't mess around. These cars behave completely differently depending on what's under their tires, so you need to know where each one actually shines.

On asphalt, the Corvette and Supra dominate with 1.02 G of lateral grip, hugging corners like they're on rails. But that low ground clearance and rear-wheel drive becomes a serious liability once you leave the tarmac behind.

On dirt and cross-country, the Bronco becomes an entirely different beast. That 8.1 off-road rating isn't just for show - you're getting all-terrain tires, 4WD, and 224 mm of ride height, which means you can blast through Baja trails and PR stunts without lifting. The Corvette and Supra, with their sub-4.0 off-road ratings, will struggle to find traction on loose surfaces.

So the trade-off is clear: pick the Corvette or Supra for road racing dominance, but you'll be crawling through dirt events. Grab the Bronco and you'll own the off-road scene, but you'll be watching sports cars disappear on the highway.

Gameplay Style Recommendations

Picking your starter isn't just about stats - it's about how you want to play. Here's the breakdown.

Choose the Ford Bronco If...

You're the type who looks at a map and sees shortcuts through rivers instead of roads. The Bronco's off-road rating sits at 8.1, which means you can literally point yourself in a straight line and go - plowing through riverbeds and over hills without breaking a sweat. That AWD system keeps you planted on loose dirt, so you won't be fighting the wheel every time you leave the pavement. This makes it perfect for early dirt racing and cross-country events where other cars would need hours of tuning to compete. It's also your go-to for PR stunts on sand dunes and farming Air and Wreckage skill points since you can just yeet yourself off anything and keep moving.

Choose the Chevrolet Corvette C8 If...

Speed is everything to you. The Corvette brings a 7.8 speed rating and the highest stock acceleration of any starter, so it absolutely dominates pure road racing, speed zones, and highway sprints. Thanks to its mid-engine layout and aerodynamic profile, you can three-star most early Speed Zones with basically zero tuning - just point and shoot. But there's a major catch: that low chassis gives it a miserable 4.9 off-road rating, so even looking at mud will have you spinning like a top. If you're comfortable with RWD handling and want the fastest starter on asphalt, this is your pick - just don't expect to leave the pavement.

Choose the Toyota GR Supra If...

You're here for the drift life and tuner culture. The Supra's 6.5 handling rating and classic RWD layout make it the most predictable starter for learning drift zones and tackling street scene events at night. It's a solid Class A all-rounder, so you can throw it into most race types without completely embarrassing yourself. Plus, let's be honest, it looks damn good in the garage. But it's a jack-of-all-trades situation: it's not as fast as the Corvette on tarmac, and it's nowhere near as capable as the Bronco off-road. Choose this if you want a stylish daily driver that can drift, but don't expect it to be the absolute best at any one thing.

Progression & Upgrade Strategies

Bronco Upgrade Priority (Dirt Dominance)

The Bronco's already rocking AWD from the factory, so you can skip that expensive conversion and dump everything into making it actually handle dirt. Your first stop has to be the Rally Suspension - this isn't optional if you want to survive loose surfaces. Set it to 20.0 cm front and 22.0 cm rear for gravel events, and you'll feel the difference immediately.

After that, grab Off-Road tires in either 285/70 R17 or 315/70 R17 sizes. For hard-packed dirt, you could swap to Snow/Rally compound, but the deep tread pattern on Off-Roads will save you in sand. Now, about weight reduction: only go for Race-level parts if you're committed to staying in A800. The Bronco's suspension travel is worth more than shedding a few pounds, so don't waste credits here unless you're hitting the PI cap.

Corvette Upgrade Priority (Road Racing)

Building a Corvette for road racing means one thing: grip, grip, and more grip. Race compound tires are mandatory - no exceptions. Run 305 mm front and 355 mm rear widths to maximize contact patch. Once you've got that sorted, weight reduction is your next priority. The full Race parts package with polycarbonate windows and a lithium-ion battery will strip 130 kg off the curb weight, and you'll feel that in every corner.

Here's where most people mess up: don't AWD swap - it's a trap. That conversion slaps a brutal 150 kg penalty on a car that doesn't need it, plus it costs precious PI you could spend on aero. Keep the rear-wheel-drive layout and invest in a centrifugal supercharger set to 10 PSI instead - it delivers linear power without turning your tires into molten rubber on long laps. This path gets you to S1 900 efficiently.

Supra Upgrade Priority (Balanced Build)

The MK4 Supra lives for drifting, which means you keep it rear-wheel-drive. AWD will kill the slide control that makes this car legendary, so leave that swap alone. Start with Sport tires in 255 mm front and 285 mm rear - these give you progressive breakaway so you can feel the limit instead of snapping into a wall.

For power, you want a Race single turbo (not twin) to keep the torque predictable. Aim for 700-800 hp to stay competitive in S1 class. The secret sauce is in the suspension: drift springs with a soft rear setup (350-400 N/mm) and front ARBs set to 20-25. This keeps the tail rotating while the nose stays planted, which is exactly what you want when you're sideways through a corner.

Essential Early Game Upgrades (All Cars)

Before you start dumping credits into cars, you need to lock down two things: a house and some cheap starter vehicles. La Cabaña costs 150,000 CR and sits west of Dunas Blancas - buy it immediately because it permanently doubles your Forzathon Points from every event. That's a lifetime pass to faster progression.

For starter cars, you can't go wrong with these under-50K options:

• 2016 Subaru WRX STI
• 2013 Audi TT RS Coupe
• 1987 Buick Regal GNX

Once you've got wheels, focus on the Mastery skill tree for wheelspins and credit bonuses. Smash those fast-travel bonus boards for easy cash.

The universal upgrade path for any early car looks like this:

• AWD conversion (1,500-4,000 CR)
• Sport turbo & exhaust (~8,000 CR)
• Race transmission & diff (~7,000 CR)

This gets you a competitive build without bankrupting your garage.

Advanced Optimization & Meta Considerations (2026 Starter Strategy)

Here’s where we stop just driving and start playing the meta. Once you’ve got your starter car and a few wins under your belt, the real game becomes farming credits efficiently and staying ahead of the seasonal curve.

Seasonal Playlist Preparation

The Festival Playlist is your weekly paycheck, and each season punishes the wrong car while rewarding the right one. In Spring, when the tarmac’s dry and warm, the Corvette C8 on race tires (tuned to S1 900) becomes an absolute monster. The AI simply can’t match its braking points on asphalt, which means you’ll clean up road-racing championships without breaking a sweat.

Come Autumn, the storms hit and everything turns to mud. This is where the Ford Bronco earns its keep. Swap in that 7.8 L V8, slap on A 800 off-road tires, and crank the ride height - you’ll three-star those 600-meter danger signs that the Corvette can’t even approach. Winter doubles down on the Bronco’s superiority. With snow tires at A 790–800, its 4×4 launch leaves the Corvette and Supra spinning their RWD wheels on ice, so you’ll dominate snow-covered dirt events while everyone else is fighting understeer.

Summer brings the heat and dust, which is perfect for the Supra at A 800 with rally suspension and semi-slick tires. Its shorter wheelbase lets you slice through vineyard corners in street-scene sprints without dropping your combo, and the setup handles the occasional gravel patch better than you'd expect. If you need tunes, grab 'Snow Beast 1.0' (123 456 789) for the Bronco, 'S1 Grip King' (987 654 321) for the C8, and 'A-Road Hybrid' (555 123 888) for the Supra.

Credit Efficiency & Next Car Purchases

The fastest way out of poverty isn't racing - it's exploiting the Car Mastery trees. Your absolute first buy should be the 1998 Toyota Supra RZ for 45k CR, because its Super Wheelspin node costs only 5 skill points and averages a 120k CR return plus rare cars. You'll make your money back in under 15 minutes, which means it literally pays for itself before you've finished your coffee.

Next, target the 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS for 80k CR. It's the cheapest Forza Edition car with a +50% race credit modifier, and its first three mastery nodes drop an instant 75k CR, cutting the net cost to less than 5k. Once you own it, grind for the Buena Vista house (2 M CR) to unlock double Forzathon Points. With the Cayman's bonus, you can farm 300 FP/hour in Horizon Arcade, converting that to two Super Wheelspins every 20 minutes.

If you want to go full sweat mode, the 1987 Buick Regal GNX FE costs 150k CR but packs a ×7.2 skill-chain multiplier with the 'Saeenu 2026' tune. Build a 500k skill chain in one go and you'll earn 20 skill points, which unlocks four Super Wheelspins worth roughly 480k CR. That's a repeatable loop that turns skill points into liquid credits.

Here's a practical seven-day roadmap: Day 1 - grab the Supra and spin your way to +75k CR. Day 2 - buy the Cayman for an instant +250k CR bump. Day 3 - bite the bullet on Buena Vista (-2 M CR). Day 4 - farm Arcade and recoup +1.8 M CR. By week's end, you'll have 2.3 M liquid and a skill-point loop you can run forever.

Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

This is the part where we save you from yourself. First, never sell the free gift cars you earn from accolades - like the Koenigsegg Jesko from the V10 story. Once they're gone, you can't reclaim them for free; you'll pay auction-house markup to get them back, which nukes your early-game value.

Second, those driving assists are quietly robbing you. Turning off the braking line, traction control, and stability management nets you a 5–15% CR bonus per race, and you can keep rewind on for safety, so there's no excuse. Third, don't fast-travel before you've smashed all the XP and fast-travel boards. The boards unlock free fast-travel and fund your first serious tune, which saves hours of driving time later.

When upgrading, resist the urge to chase horsepower first. In C-A class, always add race tires before you slap on 30 extra hp - otherwise you're just spinning your wheels and wasting credits. And finally, watch out for these tuning traps: anti-roll bars set to 1/65 front/rear will make your car feel like a boat, front aero maxed with rear aero inverted kills off-road balance, and the brake-balance slider is backwards (moving left shifts bias to the rear), so check your work before you lock in.

Final Verdict & Quick Decision Guide

The Objective Best Choice for Most Players

Here's the thing: if you're staring at those three garage slots and just want someone to tell you what to click, grab the Ford Bronco. You won't regret it.

The Bronco isn't just good off-road - it's broken good. We're talking a 9/10 grip rating that lets you float over Mexico's sand dunes, rivers, and rocky switchbacks while the Corvette and Supra are still spinning their wheels. This means you can reach every single Bonus Board and PR Stunt across all 11 biomes right out of the gate, no upgrades needed. That's huge for early progression.

But the real magic is how forgiving it is. That long-travel suspension will literally bounce you out of rookie mistakes. Brake too late into a ditch? You'll just boing right back onto the trail instead of eating wall. The community calls it a 'sleeper hit' for beginners, and they're not wrong.

Plus, it costs you nothing. The Bronco's a permanent garage addition, and a 30-minute upgrade loop (slap on some off-road tires and a turbo) turns it into an A-class dirt monster while staying competitive in everything else. You can't ask for more from a free starter.

Quick Decision Flowchart

Still want to sweat the details? Let's walk through this real quick.

Do you want to explore off-road right away? If you shouted 'yes' at your screen, the Bronco's already in your garage and you're sorted. Stop reading.

If not, here's the next question: Is your priority pure speed on asphalt? We're talking highway pulls, road racing, that 490 hp V8 roar. The Chevrolet Corvette does 0-60 in 2.9 seconds and tops out around 190 mph. It dominates highway events and feels incredible on pavement.

But maybe speed isn't your thing. Do you care about balanced grip, drift-friendly handling, and the whole tuner culture vibe? The Toyota Supra is lighter than the Corvette, more planted than the Bronco, and teaches you throttle control like a patient instructor. It's the drift practice king and looks incredible slammed.

If you somehow answered 'no' to all three, the community default is Corvette - mostly because raw horsepower is always fun. But honestly? You can't go wrong.

Long-Term Perspective: All Roads Lead to Mexico

Before you spiral into analysis paralysis, take a breath - starter choice barely matters past the first few hours.

Here's the good news: you keep all three cars permanently after the intro sequence. That decision you just agonized over? It's purely about which one you drive first, not which one you'll be stuck with.

And you won't be driving it for long. Within 45-60 minutes, you'll snag a free Koenigsegg Jesko from the V10 storyline accolades. That's a hypercar that makes the entire starter trio look like toy cars. Throw in wheelspin rewards that drop Ferraris and Lamborghinis within your first few playlist clears, and suddenly that Corvette's 190 mph feels quaint.

Veterans will tell you the real choice is about roleplay and practice, not performance supremacy. Pick the:

• Bronco to master A-class dirt events
• Supra to learn drift mechanics without punishing yourself
• Corvette for those retro aesthetic cruises down the highway

Progression in FH5 is gated by accolades, playlist participation, and auction house hustle - not by whether you clicked the right car in the first five minutes. So pick what feels cool and start driving. Mexico's waiting.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the Ford Bronco offers the most forgiving and versatile start, letting you conquer off-road challenges and explore freely from day one. But whether you prioritize raw speed, balanced handling, or off-road dominance, your choice only shapes the opening hours. You'll soon be collecting hypercars and customizing a vast garage, so pick the car that excites you and hit the road - Mexico's playground awaits.