The first decision you make in Forza Horizon 6 is also one of the least stressful ones in any recent racing game: Mei hands you the keys to one of three cars, and you drive it to the festival. That's it. No permanent consequences, no locked-out content. Still, knowing what each car actually does well means you spend less time second-guessing yourself and more time actually racing.
Does your starter car choice actually matter?
Not in the way you might think. All three starter cars land in your garage regardless of which one you pick first. The selection only determines which car you drive during the opening sequence to the festival. Once you arrive, you can swap freely between all three.
There is one thing worth knowing, though: these starter cars are not the same as the versions you can buy from the in-game dealership. Mei has already tuned each one for its intended race type, making them meaningfully better than their stock counterparts. Hold onto them.
Don't sell your starter cars. They come pre-tuned by Mei and outperform the standard versions available in the car catalog.
The opening car selection
All three starter cars
All three cars sit at C Class with a Performance Index of 500, so there's no raw advantage in terms of competitive tier. The differences show up in specialization.
Which starter car should you pick first?
Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205: best for exploration and road racing
The Toyota Celica leads the pack in speed (5.6) and handling (4.8), and it ties the Jimmy for braking at 3.4. Its AWD configuration and solid off-road rating of 6.5 make it genuinely capable across different terrain types, not just tarmac.
If you plan to prioritize road races, rally events, or just want a car that handles most situations without frustrating you, start with the Celica.
Celica handles all terrain types
Nissan Silvia K's: best for drifting and street racing
The Nissan Silvia K's is the only RWD car of the three, and that single fact defines its entire personality. Its braking stat (2.1) is the weakest in the group, which sounds bad until you realize the Silvia wants to break traction, not scrub it.
For street racing circuits where tight cornering matters less than momentum and slide angles, the Silvia is the pick.
The Silvia's RWD layout is what makes it drift-friendly. The other two starters are AWD, which distributes power more evenly and resists oversteer.
GMC Jimmy: best for off-road and stunts
The GMC Jimmy wins on raw numbers in more categories than either competitor. It posts the highest acceleration (6.6), launch (6.3), off-road rating (8.7), power (334 hp), and torque (507 N-m). It comes fitted with rally tyres and AWD as standard, which is exactly the setup you want when the race takes you away from any recognizable road.
Off-road races and dirt/rally races are different event types. Off-road events take you completely off mapped paths, and that's where the Jimmy's 8.7 off-road rating makes a real difference. Its handling (3.1) is the lowest of the three, but when you're launching off a ramp and trying to stick the landing, handling isn't really the priority.
The Jimmy is also the heaviest car at 1,456 kg, which keeps it planted but limits its agility on tight circuits.
The Jimmy's low handling stat (3.1) makes it a poor choice for road circuits and technical races with tight corners. Stick to off-road and open terrain events with this one.
What's the actual best pick if you have no preference?
Based on the stats and hands-on testing documented across sources, the Toyota Celica is the safest first choice for players who don't have a specific event type in mind. It has the best top speed, the highest handling, and it performs adequately in every race category rather than excelling in one and struggling in others.
That said, if you already know you want to spend your first hours drifting, take the Silvia. If you're heading straight for off-road events, the Jimmy is the correct answer. The Celica wins by default only because most new players will encounter a mix of race types before settling into a specialty.
Once you've settled in and want to expand your options, check our full Forza Horizon 6 car list and unlock guide to see what's worth chasing next, or grab the loyalty rewards cars for free if you've played previous Forza titles. For everything else the game has to offer, the complete Forza Horizon 6 guide collection has you covered.