Here’s an admission; yours truly knows absolutely nothing about football, or “soccer” as they in the US-of-A calls it. But put a car in there, and I’ll bite any day of the week. That’s essentially how I got into Rocket League. Just in case you’ve never heard of it, players essentially drive around comically engineered RC-Esque cars to bounce around a large football against an enemy team. All you need to know now is which one of them is the best Rocket League car.
One thing that Rocket League never lacks is variety. After being around for many years, there’s no shortage of cars to choose from. There are fictional cars from Doc’s DeLorean to K.I.T.T, as well as real-life vehicles transplanted into the world of arcade football with Lamborghinis, Jeeps, Skylines, and more. Choosing then, is no easy task with dozens to pick from. More of them, in fact, are continually being added with seasonal passes and new updates.
- Car Body Types
- Best Rocket League Car
- 10 – Merc
- 9 – Marauder
- 8 – Takumi
- 7 – Mantis
- 6 – Aftershock
- 5 – Breakout
- 4 – Batmobile
- 3 – Endo
- 2 – Dominus
- 1 – Octane
- Conclusion
Understanding Rocket League Car Body Types
So, which of these magnificently adorable machines is the best Rocket League car? Well, before we get to answer that, there are a few things you should know about how Rocket League’s cars work. The most basic of them all are car bodies, or ‘body types’. In Rocket League, the underlying structure of each car is standardised, in order to set their respective hitboxes. In gaming terms, a hitbox is what determines the spatial dimensions of a particular 3D model.
This includes knowing how large your car is, where the edges are, and so on. In short, your car’s invisible ‘box’ is what allows the game – and in extension, the players – to know when you’ve been able to ‘hit’ a ball or other players’ cars. Setting the boundaries of this invisible box is important to the core mechanics of Rocket League. For instance, having a larger hitbox (or car ‘body’) means that you have a greater chance of hitting the ball.
Although, it also increases your chance of hitting other players. Therefore, the best Rocket League car should have a body type that balances this well. Mostly, you’ll need to consider a body type whose hitbox at least somewhat resembles the appearance of your car. Some body types and cars don’t match perfectly. They may have a hitbox that sticks way too high beyond the visible roof, or too far forwards in front of the car. This makes it much harder to place the car where you need it.
Body Types For The Best Rocket League Car
In Rocket League, there are six distinct body types. These are Octane, Dominus, Plank, Breakout, Hybrid, and their latest addition, Merc. Each one has its own unique dimensions setting their respective hitboxes, and underpin many of Rocket League’s cars on their own. These body types also impact other factors such as handling, ride height, inclination, and so on. As far as the best and most popular car body type, players are more likely to choose Octane.
This is since the Octane body type is both very tall and wide compared to other body types. This helps to increase players’ chances of hitting the ball. Plank, as the name suggests, is another favourite owing to the plank-like length that makes it a great defensive play. Meanwhile, the Dominus body type has a slender form but a large enough hitbox that makes it the perfect choice for making trick shots. Nonetheless, each body type will have its own pros and cons.
Which One Should You Pick As The Best Rocket League Car?
Aside from body types, however, each individual vehicle is specially tuned. This goes for their acceleration, top speed, handling, or sometimes their ability to maintain boost. Even the general shape of the vehicle is considered, as it could impact how players are able to hit the ball. They might prefer an angular design or one that is boxier. As such, there’s a lot to consider when picking away at finding the best Rocket League car.
Though this can be subjective to your playing style – offensive, defensive, or just plain stylish – we’ve gone ahead and picked the most popular ones anyways. Ranked in order of good to great, here’s our top choice for the best Rocket League car you can have for your next tournament…
10. Merc
The Merc body type is the newest one to be added to Rocket League. Thus far then, you’re quite limited in terms of what car you can put on top of that body. Mainly, there’s the namesake van-shaped Merc, and the Battle Bus. For this best Rocket League car guide, we’re taking the plain old Merc as our No. 10 pick. If we can summarise the Merc quite simply, it’s very fast, very big, but not so agile. The Merc has one of the largest hitboxes in terms of width, height, and length.
Especially so in terms of height, as it sits far taller than all other body types. It can also handle a lot of power, especially once you’ve picked up the boost power-up. However, the Merc’s size and straight-line speeds do come at the cost of agility. It’s not as sporting or athletic as other vehicles in Rocket League. It certainly feels like a brick at times when you’re trying to turn at speeds. That size could present a huge challenge, as well.
Having a bigger car means you’re likely to hit other players as much as the ball. The rival team could exploit that. But overall, the Merc fits right at home as a defensive vehicle. Its large size makes it able to body-block the goal or other players altogether. Plus, its heft makes it a good ramming device if all else fails, and you’re left with resorting to hitting other players back. If your style is more aligned with American football, the Merc could make for a good offensive weapon, too.
9. Marauder
In what will be a familiar pattern here, the Marauder sits on the Octane body type. In our No. 9 place for the best Rocket League car, the Marauder is another great defensive choice. Plus, it could work well for midfield and attacking plays just as wonderfully. It’s unfortunate then that most people don’t really consider or remember the Marauder that much. Though that might have something to do with Rocket League locking this car behind a paid DLC.
Nonetheless, the Marauder’s Octane-bound hitbox makes it a tad bit wider than most other vehicles. Just like the Merc then, this means you’re able to score a higher chance of making contact with the ball. For new players, this could be a great way to practice and get into the groove of Rocket League. The one downside – as we looked at earlier – is that a big hitbox will come at the price of speed and agility.
It won’t turn or go as sprightly as one might hope. That said, the Marauder makes up for this in sheer inertia. Its large mass makes it a devastating vehicle to ram through your opponents. Part-time goalies would love the Marauder for its ability to work well further upfield than the goal itself. Whereas the Merc only works well in the back, the Marauder is a better all-rounder.
8. Takumi
If you’ve been enjoying yourself with the Octane body type, then the Takumi is a great way to elevate your skills. The sky is quite literally the limit. In a unique blend of other body types, the Takumi is perhaps the most agile and bounciest of the bunch we have here. This is what makes it a great contender when looking at the best Rocket League car. Although, we should warn you that the Takumi’s really only recommended for the more experienced players.
It has a fairly high learning curve to master the car right. For a start, the Takumi, although based on the Octane platform, has a relatively compact footprint. This means that you’ll need to be more precise with your controller in hand to hit the ball. It’s a lot shorter than most other cars, too. In that sense, trying to use the Takumi for defence is like asking an 8-year old me to block the goal in an adult’s football match. You’re just too tiny.
But where the Takumi excels is in midfield and attacks. It’s faster and more agile than a lot of other cars. Combined with its diminutive size, you can easily zoom past your opponents if need be. If you’re someone who prefers to bounce and glide through the air, then the Takumi is also a great pick. In Rocket League, it controls like a breeze (pun intended) and cuts through the air like a hot knife through butter. You could bounce your way across the field without a hitch.
7. Mantis
In stark contrast to the Takumi, we have the Mantis taking up our No. 7 slot as the best Rocket League car. The Mantis is an equally challenging car to master, as it requires a lot more precision and necessitates that you use 110% of the car’s abilities. The Mantis sits on the Plank body type. Consequently, it sits low to the ground like an actual plank of wood. It’s short and wide, which is vastly different from the tall and slender Takumi.
Unfortunately then, the Mantis doesn’t work as well in the air. The hitboxes are just not big enough for that sort of play. However, where it works well is being planted onto the ground. The Mantis’ flat design makes it so that players could queue up for a shot much easier than the Takumi. Passing to other players are quite seamless with the Mantis too, which makes it a great midfield and especially for attacks.
If you need to make a jump, then you could utilise the flipping and sideswiping manoeuvres. With its literal plank-like shape, you could use the Mantis like a paddle to whack the ball into the goal. Performance-wise, it goes and turns fast, more so when you’re laying flat on the ground. Just don’t think about using the Mantis for defence, however. With its shorty proportions, balls would fly past the roof without you even noticing.
6. Aftershock
So far then, we’ve covered two distinct types of the best Rocket League car. We’ve looked at cars that aren’t very good at turning. Then, we’ve looked at cars that are agile, but require a lot of skill and brainpower to control. So, why not take a detour into one of the best handling cars in the game, and one that you could master relatively easily. Within Rocket League, we measure handling with two separate metrics; turning radius, and cornering speeds.
The best handling cars should be able to manage and balance both with equal measure. The Aftershock certainly can. Built on the Dominus body type, the Aftershock, unfortunately, suffers from a very tiny hitbox. So, hitting the ball would be difficult. On the flip side, it does make navigating past your opponents that much easier, especially at speed. Between its performance and playful controls, the Aftershock makes for a marvellous offensive play.
It turns on a dime, with a somewhat weighted feel to the controls that give the player a lot of feedback. On top of that, a slight boost will easily make the Aftershock sprint from one end of the field to the other in the blink of an eye. Although, this hyperactive dynamics would mean that you’ll need to be a bit more careful when applying any input. Too much steer, and you’ll practically be doing donuts on the pitch.
5. Breakout
Okay, so maybe the last few cars are a bit tougher to play around with if you’re new to the game. They’re either too eager or too lethargic for a rookie to get their feel of how Rocket League plays. In that case, the Breakout is the best of the beginner choices in our best Rocket League car list. It’s a great all-rounder in terms of the hitbox, handling, and performance. The boost power is adequate for higher-tier matches, as well.
Built on the eponymous Breakout body type, the Breakout is as boxy in design as its hitbox. Its added length and flat bodywork make it a treat to soar through the air. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have as much height as some of the other cars on this list. Though you’d still have no trouble hitting the ball. Overall, the Breakout is best placed on the midfield or the front of the pack, where you can use its jack of all trades versatility to manage your shots more precisely.
It could even work well in the defence when you need it to. There is at least one significant downside with this all-rounder format, in that the Breakout’s performance is merely adequate. It’s good enough for everything that you ask it to, but it’s clear that this is meant to be a ‘beginner’ class car. If you’re already an experienced Rocket League player, you should consider looking else. Granted, some of the elite gamers still throw the Breakout into the fray, just for a bit of fun.
4. Batmobile
Rocket League is no stranger to the odd branding partnership or two to bring classic cult icons to bash each other for a goal. One of their first – and arguably the best DLC thus far – has been putting Bruce Wayne’s Batmobile into the game. They love it so much that they have not one, but two Batmobiles in the game. There is the newer ’16 Batmobile, and the original nostalgia-inducing ’89 car. The latter is what’s made it into the No. 4 slot of our best Rocket League car list.
Built on the Plank body type, this Batmobile drives like the aforementioned Mantis… Only better, in every way. However, the Batmobile is locked behind a paid DLC. Though if you are keen to lighten up your wallet, you’ll, in turn, get a car that performs well in every regard. The Plank platform means that it hugs the ground well. Combined with its slim and flat hitbox, the Batmobile is the best car if you’re all about that dribbling.
Moreover, the Batmobile goes very fast and has a ridiculously small turning radius that makes mincemeat of high-speed cornering. Compared to the Plank-borne Mantis, the Batmobile at least does rather well in the air. So, it’s good to know that those jumps are easy to manage. Alas, its shorter-than-usual dimensions mean that you should approach headbutts with caution. One other disadvantage is that the immense performance of the Batmobile can take some learning.
3. Endo
To be frank, I’m somewhat more biased towards the Endo than any other car here. This is merely for a form over function sort of appeal, as the Endo is – to my eyes, anyway – the best looking car in the game. It reminds me a lot of the Lotus Evija, which is an equally very voluptuous and sensual piece of sculpture. But rest assured, there’s more than meets the eye as far as the Endo goes in our search for the very best Rocket League car.
The Endo is one of quite a few cars that sit on the Hybrid body type. So-called, because its personality is a great hybrid of the Dominus and Octane body types. Spoiler alert, those two will be up next. But for now, the Endo behaves as the best of both worlds. It has the large hitbox and straight-line speeds of the Dominus. At the same time, the Endo carries over the precision dynamics and agile handling of the Octane.
Altogether, it makes the Endo a perfect car for any situation if you’re a more dynamic player, switching often with your teammates in offensive and defensive play. Apart from on-the-ground performance, it also handles well in the air, in case you’d like to show off your aerobatic skills. There are some downsides, naturally. There’s a steeper learning curve than some other cars here. You’ll also need to pay extra for a DLC to get this car, as well.
2. Dominus
In the No.2 slot for our best Rocket League car round-up, we have by far the most popular car in the game. The Dominus, built on the uhm, Dominus body type, is one of the vehicles made available as you start the game. So, it’s easy to pass it on and say that it’s only a rookie’s car, or that it’s not as good as the ones that you’d have to work to unlock. Nonetheless, even the pros still use the Dominus in their top-flight e-sports matches, simply because of how good it is.
The Dominus isn’t as versatile as some other cars, like the earlier Endo. It’s not as good for defending the goal, since the handling isn’t up to snuff with what you need to make minute corrections. Not to mention, the mid-air controls are a bit difficult to modulate. Despite this being one of the starting cars, it does require a bit more skill to master. But it makes up for all this with how impressive the Dominus is when you’re on the offensive.
It has one of the largest hitboxes in the game. This not only makes it easier to kick the ball, but also for ramming into other players and clearing the path ahead for your teammates. More speed and power always help, as the surge of boost kicks the Dominus into a sprint towards the opposing field. Furthermore, despite not being the most agile, it does have some good turning speeds.
1. Octane
Finally, we have what we can consider to be the ultimate and best Rocket League car to take the crown. I think a lot of players can agree that the Octane is quite simply, magnificent. What’s even more interesting, is how the best cars – just like the Dominus – are made automatically available for every player as soon as they start a new game. It goes to show that you don’t have to pay any more money or spend hours grinding your way to get the best car.
The Octane excels in every regard, and is no doubt the most versatile of any car in Rocket League to date. Versatility, as we mentioned earlier, is a very important factor to consider. Unlike a real football match, you’re not always stuck to just playing the midfield, defence, or be on the attack. Most of the time in Rocket League, you’ll often need to play all those roles at once. This is why the Octane has become one of the most popular choices whenever you’re joining a game.
It’s fast in both the straights and corners. At the same time, the controls feel just right, with predictable and speedy handling. The hitbox too, is a bit taller than some other cars, which makes it a great vehicle to kick-off with or contest the ball. However, this hitbox is the only main drawback of the Octane. Being taller makes it easier for other players to ram you. On top of that, the Octane is quite a bit shorter, which might make hitting the ball sideways a little tricky.
Best Rocket League Car – Conclusion
So, there you have it, a list of the very best Rocket League cars that you could choose for your next playoffs. I’m sure some of you will have some qualms with our list, and that’s perfectly fine. Each player will have different styles of gameplay. They might prefer something unapologetically fast, or a car that is uncompromisingly good at being a battering ram. Either way, there’s no shortage of cars you could pick and choose from the Rocket League garage, to your heart’s every desires.
Rocket League used to have a crate system read our full guide on Rocket League Crates.
Other Car Related Games
- Vehicle Tycoon Codes to Redeem for Free Rewards
- Rocket League Cross Platform – Learn How to Play With Friends on Any Device
