If you’ve spent any real time blasting through the dirt canyons in Forza Horizon 5, those cross-country races, brutal PR stunts, all that in the Mexican wilderness. You already know that picking the right car for such terrain isn’t just important; it decides the whole race.
After digging into leaderboards, tunes, and player tests, one thing stands out: the 2016 Jeep Trailcat is the off-road champ. This lifted Wrangler with a Hellcat engine works like a beast on rough terrain like nothing else.
Why The Jeep Trailcat Rules Off-Road
Even in stock condition, the Trailcat sits at 744 PI and has a perfect 10.0 off-road score in A-class. It’s got that wide stance, all-wheel drive, and the kind of torque that lets you blast over jumps or rip through bumpy trails without losing speed. Players love it for dirt and cross-country races because it launches hard, sticks every jump, and barely ever flips, even when you push its limits.
Community feedback backs this up. On Forza forums and YouTube, it’s a go-to for unbeatable AI and rival times. Unlike buggies that flip easily or trucks that drag on speed, the Trailcat balances power and control. It shines in events like Baja runs or festival cross-country series.
How To Get And Upgrade It
You can grab the Trailcat straight from the Autoshow for 75,000 CR. It’s cheap for what it does. Start your build with off-road tires, rally suspension, and race brakes to get close to A800. If you want to push into S2, swap in a bigger engine.
Key upgrades:
- Off-road differential for grip.
- Rally springs and anti-roll bars.
- Wider tires (front 325mm, rear 355mm).
- Sport clutch and flywheel for quicker shifts.
Aim for PI around 800 for most events. This setup gives killer acceleration without losing handling.
Killer Tune To Copy
Check out the share code 165 062 373 by FineMosquito752. It’s an S2 901 unlimited off-road tune, perfect for dirt and cross-country. Tires at 1.5 bar all around, caster at 7.0, springs front 48.8/rear 69.4, and max acceleration on the diffs. Players have hit top-10 rivals times just by loading this tune.
For A-class, try 272 154 191. Same creator. It flies through free roam and races.
Test It In Action
Throw this beast into a Goliath run or any cross-country playlist. You’ll clear jumps farther than F-150s with grip tighter than Broncos. In online lobbies, it leaves most meta cars in the dust until you get to X-class. If you need more speed for long straights, I suggest tweaking gearing, but honestly, this Jeep rarely lets you down off-road.
The only real downside is its weight, so you’ll need a bit of practice on tight rally corners. Once dialed in, nothing beats it off-road. So, grind some wheelspins or save credits, buy it, tune it right, and own the dirt.
