FOUC Car Tier List

I've put a lot of hours into this game [way more than it shows on steam], and I got bored and decided to make a tier list.

No special vehicles on this list because I honestly have no clue where to rank those.

Also, just let me preface this that every car in this game is viable and you can win with any car provided you're skilled enough. This is just my opinions on which cars are better than others with explanations for each. I also separated the cars into each class for convenience.

Some of these are obvious, some are not.

Introduction

Flatout Ultimate Carnage is a great game; not only for the awesome gameplay and amazing visuals for its time, but also for the awesome cars you get to choose from. Each car has certain quirks to it that make them suitable to different situations, but in the end there are some aspects that make certain cars better than others. These aspects range from raw differences in speed, to cornering capability, strength, and even specific quirks that can't be measured by stats [I'll get to those].

Tier Lists

Below is what I believe are accurate tier lists for each class of cars based on my personal experiences using them through all my hours of playing. SS being the highest rank possible [therefore the best], and C being the lowest rank possible [therefore the worst].

Derby

Race

Street

I'll now go over some details as to why I placed each car where they are. I'll try to keep it short and sweet, so if you want an in depth explanation just message me or something. I also threw in recommended skill level because some cars are more difficult to handle than others.

Derby Class

SS Tier

1 - Grinder
Undisputed best car in the derby class. Great speed that rivals most race class cars, great strength to withstand tough hits, and level 2 nitro upgrade make the Grinder a great car to breeze through Career Mode with. It does have some trouble cornering at high speeds, but the difference in speed from this car to the others makes this a no brainer.

Recommended Skill Level: Intermediate

S Tier

2 - Bonecracker
Another carnage mode unlockable, the Bonecracker's greatest strengths lie in its cornering ability while maintaining high speeds due to its fantastic acceleration. Level 2 nitro upgrade doesn't hurt either, and high strength also ensures you can take a few punches. Only thing separating this from the Grinder is a lower top speed.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

3 - Blaster XL
This thing does not care about anyone or anything in its path. High strength and high weight make this one of the toughest cars in the game, and it can destroy anything. Couple that with good top speed and a 10.0 handling stat, and this bully is surprisingly quick as well.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

A Tier

4 - Switchblade
Basically a budget Bonecracker, the Switchblade boasts a nice speed game and good cornering capabilities, but doesn't really offer you anything that the Bonecracker doesn't already do better. I guess its prime use would be if you don't have the money or don't have the Bonecracker unlocked, but it's still a good car nontheless.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

5 - Venom
This is the budget Grinder for you. Great top speed and great strength, but has some trouble cornering. It's fun to mess around with, since it's great top speed really makes for some nice lap times. I'd recommend using this to clear some of the time trials in Career Mode.

Recommended Skill Level: Intermediate

B Tier

6 - Splitter
I really dislike using the Splitter cause FWD makes cornering a pain in the butt due to under-steer. But since the derby class really lacks speed before level 3, it still has enough to take the top spot of B Tier. Okay speed and okay strength make the Splitter the least appealing of the level 3 derby cars, but it does offer level 2 nitro.

Recommended Skill Level: Intermediate

7 - Shaker
The Shaker is a great car for inexperienced players to use. Fantastic cornering and good top speed make it an intriguing pick for those looking for a level 2 car. Although its bad acceleration relative to its top speed makes this car heavily nitro dependent.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

8 - Banger
This little thing leaves a lot to be desired in terms of speed. It corners like a champ, but falls flat when it comes to straightaways. It also gets eaten alive by other cars since it prety much has no weight to it. The developers probably gave this car to Jack Benton as a handicap.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

C Tier

9 - Chili
There's not really much you can say about any of the level 1 derby cars. They all suck, but the Chili at least has great cornering capability. But with no speed, no strength, no weight to it, and no ability to handle any kind of debree on the track, the Chili will forever be the underdog.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

10 - Malice
The Malice corners well and has the highest top speed of the three level 1 derby cars, but it really just isn't impressive at anything. It gets eaten alive by other cars just like the Chili does, but at least it can actually catch up to people... sometimes.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

11 - Roamer
This thing just exists. It's reeeeaaly slow, but can take a bunch of hits. But by the time you even need to worry about taking hits, you should already be investing in a level 2 derby car. The Roamer is fun car to beat people up with for some extra cash in the early going, but it's bad.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

Race Class

SS Tier

1 - Insetta
This was actually really close. The Insetta has crazy top speed that makes even street cars look slow, and the strength to take a lot of hits. Too bad it's cornering is god awful. But hey, when you have that much of a speed advantage it's hard to not blow everyone away. Level 3 nitro helps too.

Recommended Skill Level: Advanced

S Tier

2 - Ventura
Really fast, good cornering, but really weak as well. But what makes the Ventura so good is what I like to call "Sticky Tires". Basically, whenever this car goes airbourne, it will always land without any recoil. It's absolutely delightful and allows you to gain a lot of nitro through jumps without any fear of going AWOL when you land.

Recommended Skill Level: Advanced

A Tier

3 - Bullet
The Bullet is just a fantastic car all around. Great speed alongside great strength make the Bullet a solid choice for the aggro driver who just wants to mess things up. Is good for cornering as well, and is really only limited by its top speed. You'll find yourself hitting that barrier more often than not, especially with level 3 nitro.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

4 - Lentus
The Lentus is a force to be reckoned with. Nice speed along with good weight makes this a heavy hitter if you choose to go that route. But 4WD ultimately causes the Lentus to lose the cornering battle with the Bullet. It also has lower strength than you might expect, especially if you plan to use it to go aggro.

Recommended Skill Level: Intermediate

B Tier

5 - Daytana
This thing is deceptively great at cornering, but only in skilled hands. Good speed allows you to keep up with you opponents, but I definitely wouldn't recommend this car to beginners as it doesn't react well to debree and is super squishy. But in skilled hands, the Daytana can really give the upper tier cars a run for their money.

Recommended Skill Level: Advanced

6 - Fortune
The Fortune does a great job at cornering despite being FWD, and that's thanks in part to a 7.7 handling stat which is fantastic for any car. Debree gives this thing fits, but it's definitely a lot easier to control than the Daytana and is not as squishy. Definitely the safer of the two choices if you're looking for something with a little more control.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

7 - Mad Rash
One of my favorite race cars, this thing boasts RWD coupled with a good handling stat to make cornering a breeze. It suffers in top speed compared to its level 1 counterpart the Boxer, but makes up for it in its ability to take corners at higher speeds. Performs like a level 2 car in level 1.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

8 - Nevada
This is as close to a tank as you're going to get. This thing will power through any obstacle, any car, and anything else that stands in its way. A great car for going aggro, but the Nevada is limited by its poor speed capabilities. Winning with the Nevada in the later cups could be tough.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

C Tier

9 - CTR
This car has a target on its back, and for good reason. It's slow, squishy, and gets killed by debree. But it's great at cornering and can definitely do work in the right hands. This car would definitely benefit someone who prefers to not crash into things, as it's very easy to control and rewards safe driving.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

10 - Lancea
The award for most underwhelming race car goes to the Lancea. Despte being RWD, the Lancea is actually pretty bad at cornering. Couple that with decent speed, and you can see why I have it listed this low. All it really has to offer is strength, but it can still be decent in the right hands.

Recommended Skill Level: Intermediate

11 - Boxer
Oh what some people will sacrifice for a little more speed. The Boxer brings you the highest top speed of the level 1 cars, but at a considerable cost of maneuverability. It's cornering is inferior to the Mad Rash and has only a slight speed advantage while sacrificing strength. There is no logical reason to use this over the Mad Rash.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

Street Class

SS Tier

1 - Bullet GT
The age old question of Bullet GT vs Road King is very debateable, but I'm on team GT. Crazy fast, strong enough to survive to the end, and great cornering make this the best car in the game. Add 10.0 nitro to that, and you've got a win in the bag as long as you can control it.

Recommended Skill Level: Advanced

2 - Road King
Very close second. What Road King lacks in strength, it makes up for in speed. With the highest speed stats in the game [not counting special cars], the Road King can take you to victory as long as you avoid anything and everything, cause this thing is wild. Stay as far away from any Canyons you see as you can.

Recommended Skill Level: Advanced

S Tier

3 - Speedevil
My favorite car in the game, and one that can definitely take you far with practice. This thing rules city tracks due to its fantastic speed game, great cornering, and good strength. It can knock people around if need be, but it's definitely too wild to be useful as an aggro car.

Recommended Skill Level: Advanced

4 - Terrator
Not as wild as the Speedevil, but definitely a challenge. The terrator boasts great speed and good cornering capability. But with low strength and low weight, this car is a glass rocket. In retrospect, it's just the speedevil just slightly worse. Still good though.

Recommended Skill Level: Advanced

5 - Sunray
The car that probably made too many people curse at their screens boasts great speed capabilities and decent strength. But it suffers in it's cornering ability despite having a decent 5.5 handling due to FWD. It's great because it allows instant recovery from crashes, but really makes it tough to take the best lines.

Recommended Skill Level: Intermediate

A Tier

6 - Canyon
Despite being weaker than it's FlatOut 2 iteration, the Canyon is still a one car wrecking crew. With decent speed but great handling capabilities, the Canyon is fit to handle all situations. The best part is that debree is not a problem for it like it is for so many other cars.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

7 - Speedshifter
This sleek machine has pretty good speed capabilities, but not enough to warrant inclusion in S tier. Decent strength can keep it going until the end, but it also occasionally gets "Sticky Tires" which really makes the Speedshifter a solid choice for any skill level. It corners well too, so it's like a discount speedevil.

Recommended Skill Level: Intermediate

8 - CTR Sport
The sport version of race class' CTR can certainly fly. This thing can corner easily despite being FWD due to it's relatively lower top speed and good handling stat. But it's suuuuper squishy and is extremely limited by its low top speed, making little use of level 3 nitro.

Recommended Skill Level: Intermediate

B Tier

9 - Scorpion
Speaking of wasting level 3 nitro, here comes the Scorpion with its mediocre top speed. I like using the Scorpion because it offers great strength for a Street car and is also the only level 1 car that comes with level 3 nitro. Also handles really well, but corners too slowly.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

10 - Sparrowhawk
This car has fantastic potential, but is really tough to get a grip on. It likes to slide around, so it's important not to over-steer. Mediocre speed and low strength make this a popular wreck target, but you'll be surprised how well this car corners in skilled hands.

Recommended Skill Level: Advanced

11 - Crusader
Whenever I see this car, I see flashes of Frank Malcov crashing into walls. The Crusader has great strength and is an okay choice for an early career aggro car. It handles exceptionally well, but low speed really makes it difficult to compete. Aggressive nitro usage is demanded for this car.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

12 - Insetta Sport
The basis of this cars design is control. FWD makes it so you're always in control at the expense of some cornering capability. This is an ok starting car, but it really doesn't deal with debree well and its speed isnt high enough to warrant keeping it around past level 1 of street.

Recommended Skill Level: Beginner

C Tier

13 - Chili Pepper
This car is just awful. It corners exceptionally well, but is trash at just about everything else. You get it for a discount though, and agressive nitro usage can yield some good results. But you're squishy and have no means to defend yourself. Pick this car if you want a challenge.

Recommended Skill Level: Intermediate

14 - Vexter XS
Its speed is mediocre, it absolutely sucks at cornering, its strength is bad, it doesn't even have a working nitro upgrade... Yea, this car is not worth any of your time or in game money. If you're a masochist, go ahead and take this car for a spin. I promise you'll love it.

Recommended Skill Level: Advanced

Conclusion

So there are my thoughts surrounding the cars available in FlatOut Ultimate Carnage. I reserve the right to change my opinions in the future if I find that anything just isn't quite right. Feel free to let me know your opinions as well.

"Why the hell did you make a tier list for a 10+ year old game?" - My brain

It's cause I have nothing better to do, and I like this game. I might add some showcase videos if I get around to it.

Happy Crashing!

[_murk1s_]

hm interesting

[Lince]

I wouldn't use this guide for Flatout 2, since there is a pretty notable difference in stats for certain cars.

[SymphonyNo28CoTkin]

Is it possible to apply this guide to flatout 2 or have the cars been changed a lot in Carnage?

[default.mp3]

Sunray is a shit car. Omg. It always feels like you fighting the car instead of driving it. It sucks at cornering, sucks at overall stability and you getting no speed because of.
Speedshifter should be higher than this abomination

[Joshisun]

In my opinion the lentus is one of the best cars in the game, but very nice guide.

[Solus]

A very good guide and a great reading! Thanks mate!

[Atomic1200]

I will say in defense of the Boxer, it is pretty fun to drive like a moron that doesn't know they have a brake pedal if you go as fast as possible and drift through every turn.

[Ctrekoz]

Finished entire Derby class with Venom, also has one of the best designs in the game imo, love it

[MiniTheGoodra]

*proceesds to use the low tier cars becuasse challenge.

[hex]

malice is probably the best derby class car
its all skill