Are you having trouble hitting the ball or successfully controlling it in the air in Rocket League? Well, changing your car might in many cases be the answer. After all, they affect way more than just your look.
But which cars are the best for newcomers looking to take on the field and master both basic and intermediate techniques? To help you find the perfect fit for your playstyle, here are the best starter cars in Rocket League.
All Rocket League Hitbox Types, Explained
Before we go into the vehicles themselves, it’s important to understand each of Rocket League‘s hitboxes, divided between the Octane, Dominus, Plank, Breakout, Hybrid, and Merc types. You can check out a quick overview of each of them below. Keep in mind that, no matter how different they might look to the naked eye or how adjusted their hitboxes might be, all cars within a type share the same core strengths and weaknesses.
- Octane: The game’s ”main” class, which offers a perfect mix of high-end height, width, and handling. The best choice for those looking to dominate in the sky or respond to 50/50 situations with a good success rate. Lacks range.
- Breakout: Having their prominent/flat noses as their main feature, the cars in the Breakout class excel when performing powerful one-touch shots, flicks, and stick dribbles. Their low height makes them a poor pick for contests (50/50s).
- Dominus: Featuring a slightly higher hitbox when compared to those in the Breakout class, as well as a similar length/width, the cars in the Dominus class mitigate the above’s weaknesses at the cost of range.
- Hybrid: The game’s all-rounder type. That approach, however, makes it a jack of all trades but master of none when in the hands of more inexperienced players.
- Merk: Featuring the tallest hitbox in the game, Merc-type cars are able to score powerful hits and easily perform blocks at the cost of maneuverability and range.
- Plank: As the name implies, cars of this type make up for their lack of height via their wide bodies. They also share many Breakout weaknesses, while having worse handling.
To give you an even better look at each, you can check out all of the cars in Rocket League below, divided by their hitbox types. If you are looking for a specific car, we recommend using your device/browser’s search feature to speed up the process.
| Hitbox Type | All Cars |
|---|---|
| Octane | 1963 Aston Martin DB5, Armadillo, Backfire, BMW 1 Series, Bone Shaker, Dingo, Fast 4WD, Fennec, Ford F-150 RLE, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Gizmo, Grog, Harbinger, Hogsticker, Honda Civic Type R, Jackal, Jurassic Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Marauder, Mario/Luigi NSR, Mudcat, Octane, Outlaw, Proteus, Road Hog, Scarab, Shokunin, Sweet Touch, Takumi, Triton, The Dark Knight’s Tumbler, Twinzer, Volkswagen Golf GTI, Vulcan, Xentari, and Zippy |
| Dominus | ‘89 Batmobile, Aston Martin DBS, Aston Martin Valhalla, Admiral, Aftershock, Batmobile (2022), Bumblebee Car, BMW M3, BMW M240i, Chikara, DeLorean Time Machine, Diestro, Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack, Dominus, Ecto-1, Dodge Charger, Ferrari 296 GTB, Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R RLE, Gazella GT, Guardian, Hotshot, Ice Charger, Imperator DT5, Knight Rider, Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4, Lamborghini Huracán STO, Lightning McQueen, Lockjaw, Maestro, Mamba, Masamune, Maverick, McLaren 570S/765LT, Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S, MR11, NASCAR Chevrolet Camaro/Next Gem, NASCAR Ford Mustang/Next Gem, NASCAR Toyota Camry/Next Gem, Nemesis, Nissan Fairlady Z, Nissan Z, Peregrine TT, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Porsche 911 Turbo, Ripper, Ronin, Scorpion, Tyranno, Werewolf, and Samus’ Gunship |
| Hybrid | Beskar, Endo, Esper, Nissan Skyline, Pontiac Fiero, Insidio, Jäger 619, Lamborghini Urus, Niimbus, Nissan Silvia, Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32), Primo, R3MX, RAM 1500 RHO, Tesla Cybertruck, Tygris, Venom, Void Burn, and X-Devil |
| Breakout | 1966 Cadillac DeVille, Ace, Animus GP, Azura, Beakout, QUADRA TURBO-R V-TECH, Cyclone, Diesel, Emperor, Mazda-RX7, Fuse, Komodo, Mako, McLaren Senna, Megastar, Nexus, Redline, Revolver, Samurai, The Incredible, and Whiplash |
| Merc | Behemoth, Merc, Nomad, Stampede, Ford Bronco Raptor RLE, Battle Bus, and Turtle Van |
| Plank | Artemis, Batmobile (2016), Bugatti Centodieci, Centio, Formula 1 2021/2022, Mantis, Paladin, Sentinel, and Twin Mill III |
The Best Starter Cars in Rocket League
True to the above, we consider the Octane to be the best starter car in Rocket League, as it is not only available from the get-go, but it can excel in pretty much any situation. For those having trouble hitting the ball altogether, going for the Merc can also work, as its big build offers you more than an edge on the ground. Any Breakout-type can also be a great pick for those looking to poach goals or just get the first hits.
If you are looking for the game’s absolute best, though, the Fennec is a pro favourite. But wait, isn’t the car an Octane type? How can it be better? Well, it all comes down to how well its chassis fits the mentioned hitbox, which translates to way more control and ease of use when both on the ground and in the air.
Although now over five years old, we recommend that all looking to learn more check out Rocket Science’s Rocket League Hitbox Visualizations (All cars) video, which offers a first-hand look at all hitboxes. While at it, checking out how to Speed Flip might also help you unlock the next level of your game.
