The physics-based derby racerWreckfestfrom Bugbear Entertainment has landed on the Nintendo Switch. It comes with all the grinding metal, spinning wheels, and flying mud that made the original release stand out when it first launched back in 2014. By now, many players have had time tobecome intimately familiarwith the game’s mechanics and features, and have established a meta for the racer’s competitive scene.
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The fact that the quality of the destruction physics inWreckfeststill stands out in the current market says a lot about the engine the game runs on. However, when push comes to shove, this isa game about cars,and the best cars will often come out on top of the scrap pile, even if they look a bit worse for wear by the time they get there.
Updated Jun 19, 2025, by Evan Regan:The meta of Wreckfest has shifted over the summer as both new players on the Nintendo Switch and long-time players on consoles and PC have pushed a slew of cars into the conversation. The El Matador, Gremlin, Roadcutter, and Starbeast SS have been performing well as of late and, as a result, have earned themselves a place among the best cars in Wreckfest.
14Rammer RS: Rearview Nightmare
While not the most technical car on this list, the Rammer is there for one thing and one thing only: fighting other cars. Boasting a high strength and top speed combination, this brute can close ground quickly and do a lot of damage before players even know it’s there.
The struggle with the Rammer is its acceleration. Once it hits top speed, it can keep pace with almost anything, but getting there with its clunky body knocking into everything that comes near it can be a challenge. The RS model solves the acceleration issue, but at the cost of top speed, turning it into more of a pure racer than the versatile bruiser that the standard model excels as.
13Roadcutter: Cutting Corners
On its own andwithout any tuning by its player,the Roadcutter excels in one area: explosive speed. Off the starting line or coming out of corners it may have the best acceleration in the entire game, and it can use that to blow away opponents who need to slow down on sharper turns. The rest of the Roadcutter’s attributes are fairly average.
That is until players slap some armor on it. Since it’s not overly reliant on its top speed, the added weight doesn’t affect the Roadcutter like it might with other cars. What it does do is take that explosive cornering speed and cause an absurd amount of chaos in the process as Roadcutter goes crashing through the opposition, slowing them down while simultaneously taking advantage of its best asset.
12Battle Bus: Bringing The Chaos
Any player rolling into a competitive match as the Battle Bus isn’t there to win a clean race. Loaded with a giant shovel on its front end, this massive school bus is going to ram anyone and everyone it sees. The only goal of a Battle Bus player should be to wreak havoc, and while that may be frustrating, it is still a viable strategy.
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Can players outrun it? Sure, but they’d better be certain it isn’t gaining ground behind them because no car can do more damage in a single hit than the Battle Bus. It may be a bit of a novelty pick, but in the right hands, this car can dominatethe “alternate” set of rulespresent inWreckfest.
11Stock Car: The Need For Speed
Jumping to the opposite end of the spectrum, the Stock Car is exclusively about getting out in front of the pack and staying there, but in that regard, it’s one of the best in its class.
It might not be the flashiest-looking belle of the ball, and it crumbles like a dead leaf under even the slightest impact, but if players can get out ahead early the Stock Car’sspeed and handlingwill carry them through. It’s a toss-up pick though — one wrong move, and it’s easy to spend the majority of a race spectating.
10El Matador: The Wrestler
This car - no,truck- snuck its way into the conversation by being constantly underestimated. It looks about as heavy as it is, making it a devastating fighter car. That’s no surprise given its name, but what is surprising is just how viable the car can be in a race.
El Matador has strikingly-fast acceleration, and while its top speed may not rival the best cars inWreckfest, it makes up for it by being able to bully other cars out of its way instead of overtaking them cleanly. It also boasts exceptional handling, and its heavier back end (thanks to the truck bed) makes cornering a dream. El Matador’s versatility and control make it a strong pick for any situation.
9Rocket RX: Master Of None
The very first car players unlock inWreckfestis also one of the most versatile. It’s not the fastest, strongest, or best handling, but it holds its own in every category, can be customized to suit any event type, andit’ll look good doing it.
This is the car most players will learn basic tuning strategies with, and it does a great job of it. The Rocket is viable no matter how it is set up, and that makes it great for all occasions. The RX version takes a while to unlock, but the top speed and handling improvements it brings to the table make the grind worth it.
8Starbeast SS: Lawful Neutral
Much like the Starbeast, its un-upgraded sibling, the Starbeast SS didn’t initially excel in any particular area but had decent attributes across the board. Upon its release, Bugbear actually buffed the Starbeast SS because of how little it improved upon any of the standard model’s stats, but that buff has elevated it to a higher standard. It’s just taken players time to revisit the car and realize as much.
The Starbeast SS now boasts vastly improved grip and handling, making it one of the most agile vehicles inWreckfest. This is the opposite of a fighter car. Instead, players should use that agility to weave through their opponents, taking advantage of openings and ducking through them before the opponent closes them up. When used correctly, the Starbeast SS can be a slippery adversary.
7RoadSlayer: Master Of All
Another versatile car in nearly every category, the RoadSlayer will make any player competitive before tuning even enters into the equation. There’s really no way to go wrong with this selection, and before the current meta, the RoadSlayer was one ofWreckfest’smost popular cars.
Essentially, this is the best all-rounder car in the game. The only reason it didn’t bump Rocket off the list outright is because the RoadSlayer needs to be unlocked in order for players to access it, which meansspending hard-earned creditswhile the Rocket is sitting there free of charge.
6Tristar: Modestly Dominant
The Tristar is one of those cars that is completely unassuming to the eye and will go unnoticed until it flies past its competitors on a corner. What it lacks in straightaway speed it makes up for with exceptional grip and handling.
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The issues creep in once the Tristar gets into a fight. It doesn’t take much for this car to get beat up, and while its components are tough the car itself is not. This is a very technical car to try and win with in PvP; it’s a clean-racing vehicle that requires pinpoint timing and careful overtakes to be effective. However, the players that know it well can embarrass anyone on the track.
5Gremlin: Little Bugger
Another car that lives up to its name, the Gremlin is a tiny vehicle that players might misjudge as being weak. However, its surprising weight for its size will quickly put those assumptions to rest. While the Gremlin isn’t exactly tough, it can hold its own in the dirty areas, opening up enough room for it to take advantage of its strongest attribute: its turning.
The Gremlin’s suspension is near the top of its class, making it one of the best cars inWreckfestfor cornering. Even when oversteering players will find they maintain near-perfect control, giving the Gremlin a huge advantage on turn-heavy tracks and allowing it to cut inside on bigger, clunkier cars. The Gremlin’s handling makes it perfect for beginners, while its deceptive size and quickness make it a dark horse selection for veteran players.
