Forza Horizon 5 packs a vast array of vehicles, each with unique handling and performance characteristics. Some are a delight to drive, while others require significant attention to maneuver. This is mainly due to their design, power, or handling dynamics.
These cars require some serious skills to be tamed, or you’ll end up sideways pretty quickly. With that in mind, I’ve curated a list of ten of the most challenging cars to drive in Forza Horizon 5, based on community feedback and personal experience.
Koenigsegg Jesko
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- Class: S2
- Handling Rating: High
Being a modern car, the Koenigsegg Jesko does have impressive handling stats, but this side of the car is only accessible to those who know how to handle it. For the beginners, Jesko’s immense speed and acceleration, paired with a rear-wheel-drive setup, require precise control. Small steering inputs at high speeds lead to control loss, resulting in the car going into the barricades.
Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
- Class: A
- Handling Rating: Moderate
It’s the nature of classic muscle cars to dance with their rear ends. That’s why the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe is a tricky four-wheeler. The car has significant power but lacks modern handling aids. With its rear-wheel-drive setup and insane amount of torque, the car oversteers a lot, making it a challenging drive for inexperienced players.
Hennessey Venom GT
- Class: S2
- Handling Rating: Moderate
The Venom GT is synonymous with insane straight-line speeds. Since it puts all of the power to the rear wheels and weighs less than a fully loaded vending machine, it struggles with cornering. As soon as you floor it, things can get out of hand if you don’t react to counter-steering quickly. This violent nature makes the Hennessey Venom GT not just a thrilling challenge but a worthy addition to our list.
Rossion Q1
- Class: A
- Handling Rating: Moderate
The Rossion Q1 is easily the most annoying car in the game in terms of handling. Without proper tuning, the Q1’s rear end tends to lose grip quite easily. When the speeds are high, the challenges get equally higher, requiring careful setup and driving skills to manage.
Porsche 959
- Class: A
- Handling Rating: Moderate
While the Porsche 959 comes standard with an all-wheel-drive system, it can pose an unbalanced nature. Many players report that once the 959 loses grip, the chances of gaining it back can sometimes drop to zero, making it a tricky car to drive without proper skill.
Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
- Class: S1
- Handling Rating: Low
Everyone’s favorite American muscle car, the Hellcat, is lightning fast in a straight line. But to extract the sheer performance from it requires immense efforts. The car packs a ton of power and torque, but lacks the aerodynamics to keep up. Due to this, players often find it challenging to maintain control, especially on uneven surfaces or corners that require aggressive steering.
Willys MB Jeep
- Class: D
- Handling Rating: Low
The purpose of the Willys MB Jeep’s design was to counter rugged terrains. So, it seriously lacks the guts required for high-speed racing. On top of that, the Jeep is shipped with a simple suspension and an ancient braking system, making it almost impossible to stop and steer on paved roads and tight corners.
BMW Isetta 300 Export
- Class: D
- Handling Rating: Very Low
This has to be BMW’s smallest car. The Isetta 300 is such a tiny piece of machinery that its unique design and narrow wheelbase result in poor stability. It’s very prone to tipping and offers limited maneuverability, especially at higher speeds and tight turns.
Reliant Supervan III
- Class: D
- Handling Rating: Very Low
Just like the Peel 50, the Reliant Supervan III also comes with three wheels underneath. The result is poor stability, which poses significant challenges during turns, where the risk of rollovers is at its peak.
Peel P50
- Class: D
- Handling Rating: Extremely Low
Don’t judge this car by its looks; It may seem funny, but with only three wheels and a higher centre of gravity, the Peel P50 stands as the most unstable car to drive in the game. With its feather-like weight and thin track width, this car loves tipping, especially at higher speeds, making it almost impossible to control in a straight line.
Tips To Make These Cars Easier To Drive
While the difficulty level of these cars is high, it’s not permanent. Mastering them is an art, and once you achieve it, you’ll enjoy these cars instead of avoiding them. Below are some tips through which you can improve your driving experience and gain mastery over these abysmal vehicles.
- Drivetrain Conversion: The Majority of the cars on this list have one thing in common: they are rear-wheel-drive. Since the game allows you to swap in a different drivetrain, going for an all-wheel-drive conversion can make all the difference.
- Tire Compound & Width: Go for semi-slick tires for improved grip and versatility. Avoid full slicks, as they can provide no grip on wet roads. Similarly, you can increase the rear-tire width to reduce oversteer, but with the front tire, try not to play with the width too much, as it could result in understeer.
- Suspension & Handling Components: Install anti-roll bars for better cornering and swap in a race suspension to further refine your vehicle’s handling. Reducing the weight is also wise, but make sure you maintain a balance, since a massive decrease in weight can make a car twitchy.
These cars may pose a challenge, but mastering them is a feat of its own and can give you an edge over casual players. Remember, the game offers you deep tuning options so you can always mold your vehicle according to your playstyle.
Plus, if you are ready to take things further, hooking up a proper wheel setup can give you more control over your car and enhance your Forza Horizon 5 experience. That said, don’t move away from the challenge — embrace it.
Published: May 29, 2025 06:47 pm