Best way to improve driving?

[Panzer]

I've stuck with the Ford Fiesta R2 for a while now because I seem to be able to control it well, and I don't constantly spin out like I would with the Ford Mustang GT4 I bought.
But I'm noticing that I'm starting to fall behind in the event standings, so I'm assuming I need to get into some faster vehicles, or I need to go faster with my current vehicles. But I just don't know which cars to use. Most of them I cannot control and I'll spin out almost instantly

[EF_Neo1st]

Originally posted by Panzer:

I've stuck with the Ford Fiesta R2 for a while now because I seem to be able to control it well, and I don't constantly spin out like I would with the Ford Mustang GT4 I bought.
But I'm noticing that I'm starting to fall behind in the event standings, so I'm assuming I need to get into some faster vehicles, or I need to go faster with my current vehicles. But I just don't know which cars to use. Most of them I cannot control and I'll spin out almost instantly

Practice at Time Trials checking your results with the online leaderboards, and practice at custon championships with different weather.

You dont exactly need faster vehicles but to master the ones you have better.
Also, usually, if you are pushing too hard and falling behind (be it because you are crashing, having to save a lot from crashes or just not fast enough), consider the approach of "the slower you go the faster you will be" . . . because it is true in some cases.
If you are crashing it too often, or if you are having to slow down a lot to save from crashes, you are overshooting the turn according to your current skills, meaning you should slow down earlier (or more) to be able to carry proper speed through the turns (proper speed you can control the car properly without having to "save the car from crashes).

Also, practice with each car (at each terrain) how to react for all types of turns, so by listening to the call and looking at the turn you will know by heart, for that car, how to deal with it at that terrain (reason why practicing at time trial and checking your improvement with online leaderboard is good).

The Mustang GT4 you need to use more your throttle and less you brake (but for some turnss you need to do a hardbrake or even using handbrake), it will want to spin so use it at your benefit, not against you, brake less and use more your throttle, also learn better throttle management and threshold, so you use just enough to force the car into pivoting but not so much that you spin, and carry its angle of attack for as long as you need through the turn.
The effectiveness of your inputs will vary from terrain to terrain too.

[Xenial Jesse]

The GTs are really tough to drive; rear wheel drive with rockets for wheels, so definitely don't be put off by that Mustang. You just bought a real beast.

Your guess that you might need to get a faster car to help your event standings is incorrect. In general it won't help at all; changing class will just change the times you're competing with accordingly and you'll simply be trying to get used to a new class. It could turn out that you're naturally better with a different class but that's an unknown.

Really, just go for the class whose mixture of driving and success is the most fun for you. If you're best with R2, stick with it unless you're bored of it. Since you say spinning out is a problem, avoid anything that's RWD (GT, Group B (RWD), H2 (RWD), H3). They're fun, but they're also notoriously punishing and are the classes most eager to spin out. For something fast but controllable, try out the 2000cc or R5 classes.

Note that faster classes mean more expensive repairs in My Team mode. The R5s especially can see you losing credits quicker than you earn them as they're not only costly to fix, but also very happy to get more air than you'd like.

To get better results, in general DR2 isn't interested in rewarding anything other than skilling up. So really the first thing to do is just settle on a class and/or car you like, and then prepare yourself for lots of practice. However, here are some early setup tips that should help:

Tuning:
Youtube "Dirt rally 2 GTR tuning <your car>" and you'll find recommended tuning setups. For example:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gtr+technical+dirt+rally+2.0+lancia+

Controller:
DR2 is decent on a controller but maybe its defaults aren't perfect for you. Worth a look:
https://www.reddit.com/r/dirtgame/comments/arx94j/controller_settings_guide_dirt_rally_20/

I recently switched my controls and I don't know if it's helping my times, but it's definitely changing how the game feels.


The only other real advice from here is to go as slow as you need to go in order to stay in control. You don't get better in DR2 by getting lucky while beyond your limits, you only get better by driving within your limits and letting those limits grow.

One last thing: If you use Time Trial mode to practise, you can select a ghost (or 3) from anyone else in the world and have their ghost visible on the track with you. So you could run a stage, see what your basic time is, then select ghosts around that time and work on beating them (and maybe even add them on Steam if you want some friendly competition).

[karik_FIN_134]

Just move to R5's (most modern 4wd rally cars in the game with good amount of power and best handling specially after some setup changes)

U can find my own R5 setups from this spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1B0MNyHmtHrl0PN2R18tQ4mBkaqnouWR_dm6MPHu3qhE/pubhtml

[DCBenton]

If you keep crashing, you are driving beyond your ability, so slow down. Then to get faster like the top guys, it's simply a matter of driving the tracks over and over and over and over and over till you know every single detail of the track without needing pacenotes, and you probably can't even stand them anymore lol. It's how you get better at anything, constant and consistent practice and it pretty much requires some dedication and patience. Most of the time it seems like you don't improve at all for ages, and then the next day you'll just be able to go faster somehow :D. A good way to see where you are losing time is to race ghost cars. I usually go with R2 and then R5. Trying stuff like RGT/RWD is probably the harder path. and Group B is for when you want to kick it up to insane lol.

[timecop]

try to be in the correct gear at turns. If co pilot says left-4, then shift down to 4 or 3 gear. For me it works well if I switch to 1 lower gear. Im also new but now I can drive just below average. Happy with my progress :>

[EF_Neo1st]

Originally posted by Timecop1994:

try to be in the correct gear at turns. If co pilot says left-4, then shift down to 4 or 3 gear. For me it works well if I switch to 1 lower gear. Im also new but now I can drive just below average. Happy with my progress :>

Not always (I mean, it is not what it mean, despite working on some turns for car/track/weather combination) . . . it depend on car, terrain, weather, turn inclination, camber or offcamber, following turn.
The numbers mean the severity of the turn not the gear (also, if it was gear the slower cars that go up to 4th gear only would be lost, like . . why saying 5 or 6 if car have only 4 gears?).
https://www.automobilemag.com/news/a-beginners-guide-to-rally-pace-notes/#:~:text=Rally%20pace%20notes%20sound%20and,corner%2C%20and%20come%20out%20unscathed.&text=Pace%20notes%20are%20complied%20before,as%20%22recce%22)%20run.

[Shaman King]

For me the 1 main point of improving was setup of 3 mons be it even dirt cheap ones for 100e one...or geting 4k screen for better fov. And also wheel stand you can get for 100 not as important but bettr than always adjusting seat position. These two things mainly monitor setup can move you forward very fast. I mean if i had the cash i buy even the loadcell brake pedals they work as almost force feedback pedal that can be crazy good whn you want to get the -2 secs in your final time. Its not like with basic setup u cant get better i saw dude who like me play on logi wheel and set world record but he had that triple screen also. You can better see into corners and such

[EF_Neo1st]

No equip or setup will improve bad or wrong driving, a better equipment may make it easier to improve, a setup that apply to your driving style may deliver better according to skills + driving style but none of it will not make any magic without knowledge and practice as Improvement only come through both, knowledge and practice.

[DCBenton]

Yeah, I remember buying my first wheel many years ago, thinking how it was gonna make me much faster, but nope it actually made me slower at first until I had used it for a awhile, it took me quite a few weeks to adapt to it. At first I thought I'd made a big mistake getting one and was considering returning it, but I ended up keeping it and I'm ultimately glad that I did.

[Marcille Donato]

My advice is to just keep driving and driving and driving, and when you reach Master difficulty, quit the game and uninstalled this ♥♥♥♥.

[Limygeorge]

Originally posted by Bruce Wayne:

My advice is to just keep driving and driving and driving, and when you reach Master difficulty, quit the game and uninstalled this ♥♥♥♥.

That's sound advice for the OP. But not for me. If I tried to do this I would be playing the game for the rest of my life. On my death bed, decades later (I hope) I would be ranting and raving about my failure to do this.

My last words would probably be, "All I wanted out of life was to be a masterrrrrr".....[dead].

Perhaps, obviously, in light of the above, I have decided not to take up this challenge.

[Shaman King]

as i said they can be very powerfull drivers but they have 100% good setup like thrustmaster for thousands of dollars and motion rig. i dont know if they would be able to replicate the time with average wheel like g29 and single monitor or standard trustmaster. i tried driving a real car some very good cars with good horsepowers and i can tell the difference between my wheel and the real car. the motion rig does many work too but u need to be light like not oever 100kg or it crashes it doesnt have the mechanics for that weight i mean even 95+ is enough for it but the quality of driving improves with every feeling. i dont want to say u dont have the chance but its very easy to do on proper setup vs very hard doing on normal home setup for 300€

[EF_Neo1st]

Originally posted by Zakys:

as i said they can be very powerfull drivers but they have 100% good setup like thrustmaster for thousands of dollars and motion rig. i dont know if they would be able to replicate the time with average wheel like g29 and single monitor or standard trustmaster. i tried driving a real car some very good cars with good horsepowers and i can tell the difference between my wheel and the real car. the motion rig does many work too but u need to be light like not oever 100kg or it crashes it doesnt have the mechanics for that weight i mean even 95+ is enough for it but the quality of driving improves with every feeling. i dont want to say u dont have the chance but its very easy to do on proper setup vs very hard doing on normal home setup for 300€

I already met guy with G29 and single monitor driving insanely fast at any simulator (and I mean nearly the best possible times).
Also when his G29 was broken he could drive, after 1 to 2 weeks, 1s off of his best times on a gamepad.
Knowledge and practice developing skills and more knowledge is what make a driver fast, the equipment is just . . . something that may help the improvement (with better and more detailed feeling), but will not make a slower driver any faster.

[Axe]

1) Don't think hero slides are always the answer = They can lengthen the time you aren't moving forward.

2 ) Eat Bananas = They are potassium rich which is good for the brain and will keep you sharpe & focused.

3) Practice, practice practice = Who doesn't need this?

4) Keep good, healthy and timely bowel movements = Relieves unnecessary stress levels.

5) Get a divorce = Optional...