Step one of rallycross: forget everything you know about cars. Horsepower is useless, driver skill is infinitely more important, a 3-cylinder Toyota Yaris beats a Mercedes GLA, finishing often gets you in the top two-thirds! Spending $2,000 on fancy tires will get you farther than $10,000 of car mods! Now, with this in mind, you are ready to hear this: these cars aren't expensive!Okay, maybe you're like us and you were totally ready to hear that. The fact is, rally cars shouldn't—can't be too expensive! Without neglecting some performance, you will be spending some 1/20th that brands like Subaru spend on what's known as a "Supercar" class, the cars you see in videos and pictures - the pros! To spend less it's better to have a car that's ready to rally competently off the new or used car lot, as doing something like putting a V8 in a Honda Fit (it's been done) is hard, expensive, and laborious; generally an unwise undertaking for someone who doesn't yet know if they can stomach the dirt. These are the 10 best cars to get you started and winning so that you can kick-start your rally career!
10 Mazda3 Turbo Hatchback
This will technically be one of the slower cars picked, not on the rally course but on the books. The fact is, Mazdas are surprisingly bulletproof under abuse - you've seen what some kids do to these poor Miatas! The Mazda3 is no different. Ignoring the 186 horsepower (capable but not lame), the Mazda3 is gunning for the WRX as of 2021 with a new AWD 2.5-liter Turbo pushing 227 horses! Without the turbo, there is still the "Select Package" with an AWD option that comes in at just $25,250 brand-spankin'-new!
The reason this car would win is, quite simply, because it's simple! The car is very very light at just 2,984 lbs, the biggest advantage in any rally stage. The non-hatchback is also not a bad way to go, the only restrictions that could arise would be the longer wheelbase and restricted space that might not agree with a simple roll cage, and that's it. The 2.5 L engine may put you in a more competitive class but in this car, you may be at an advantage as most cars with that big of displacement tend to weigh 3,500 to 4,000 lbs, even stripped down.
9 Focus RS or ST
These two cars are much more different than you might think, but both deserve to be grouped and mentioned together. The RS is a $40,000+ AWD hot hatch with "drift mode" and some serious rally inclinations from Ford like tight, sporty suspension and improved AWD management. Having AWD is, of course, an advantage except that it puts you in another class with other AWD vehicles, and rarely competes against FWD.
The ST is FWD, a great starting-off point for beginners since FWD means little to no oversteer and easy handbrake control, making the whole traction possess pretty binary and easy to learn (but a little harder to master). Both cars make enough horsepower to carry you quickly through the straightaways and both benefit from one of the biggest aftermarket part availability ever. The car itself has a great rally history and used ones can be picked up for a cool $12,000 (for one we would rally with).
8 Audi S3
Quattro is implied, as almost every single Audi since the original "Quattro" has born that name, meaning yes, AWD. The S3 stands apart from the A3 thanks to a sportier overhaul including a turbo, suspension improvements, and 40-80 more horsepower than the A3. The AWD is symmetrically programmed to move power right and left as needed to keep the car going straight at all costs. The car weighs in at a reasonable 3,500 lbs so it has an upper hand on the loose stuff.
A good-working, used S3 can run a cool $16,000 for one we would race, and as little as $11,000 for one we would race... but budget for repairs for. The fact about the S3 is that it's pretty nice, and might be hard (emotionally) to think of playing in the mud with it, but once you do it will not disappoint!
7 Toyota Celica GT4 (Made Till 1999)
This is a more rare, specific, and even discontinued car, but it has a rally history and was the favorite of rally drivers since the four-wheel-drive model came out in 1988. Backed by Toyota reliability and with a feasible spread of aftermarket support, the GT4 is not a bad idea at all. It weighed one stock seat over 3,000 lbs making it lively and maneuverable.
While the debate is still alive about the old manual VS automatic, this one takes the side of the manual. If you can find one and don't mind halting a car that's increasing in value then you will not be disappointed! While it is a blast to drive with a turbo I4 engine, you will also be greatly regarded for your nod to rally history and your car that's over 20 years old.
6 Honda Civic Si
The Si was first offered in the United States in 2007 and was instantly a hit! A fast, sporty Civic that almost anyone could afford brand-new? Yes, please! This is the only Honda on the list because, sadly, Honda hasn't seen fit to offer too many rally-ready cars and when they have produced rally Civics they required an AWD conversion.
Almost all Civic Si's you can but are going to be under 3,000 lbs and manuals, giving you full control over gears but not exactly recommended for beginners. At the same time, it's just an FWD car so it will go where you point it. We cannot emphasize enough how indestructible these Civics can be, and with modifications as simple as a new set of tires and as little as $7,000 in cash for the car you can be a friggin' champion!
5 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X (10)
This was the last in the line of (true) Lancers, the 2017 Evolution. Frankly, it's the last Mitsubishi anyone ever really cared about. For decades Mitsubishi and Subaru pitted their Lancers and Imprezas (WRX's) against each other and tried to outdo the other. Mitsubishi was debatably second best but at the same time, more affordable!
Either way, Mitsubishi has never stopped getting its tires dirty from Dakar to rallycross, and the Evo proves it! The manual AWD beast is just over 3,000 lbs. The 2.0 L Turbo was an inline-four which was (again, arguably) more centered than the Subaru's pancake boxer that sits low but not as central, changing the dynamic of cornering all together. All we can say is... try both! But if you can't you will never regret owning a "Lan Evo."
4 VW Golf R
Now for a premium pick. For a while, the Golf R, Focus RS, and WRX were the big three, the top dogs! They were the unbeatable hot hatches and when it came to the dirt, well, we need to take you back to the Golf R's release in the U.S. in 2012... the 7th generation was just released, VW was cheating emissions to give us more power in the states and making bank doing so. Rallycross was nothing but a race for second place against the iconic Golfs (Polos) that never seemed to lose!
Needless to say, this is a purist rally car. New they cost $40,000 and weighed 3,340 lbs. They sat low (an advantage when your suspension is good in rallycross, as most courses are relatively smooth and road-like), and they came in two-door options. They hold on to the path with legendary AWD, and thankfully (to some) they only come in a manual!
3 Audi A4 or S4
That's right! Audi gets two spots on this list because we aren't talking about the stinkin' Lancia Delta! Like any one of us could afford to (financially or emotionally) rack a piece of art like that over some backwoods gravel. The A4 and S4 respectively are the A3/S3's larger siblings with very similar capability and performance.
One advantage, since we're roping in the A4 as well, is that this is Audi's cheapest and most available sedan. Wrecked, repoed, and junkyard donors are readily available, but so are old men who did nothing but drive their A4 to their lawyer job and back on the highway for 5 years. The 4 cylinders aren't necessarily gutsy but you can get automatic (with paddles...useful!) or manual - user's choice, and they don't weigh a ton! Well, 1.5 tons (3,500 or so) to be exact.
2 VW Jetta GLI
Alright first off, this car has what some consider "issues." You will most likely see these as advantages if you're open-minded. The GLI is FWD, automatic (but can be manual), and has what many call a "Christmas Tree Dashboard." AKA, easy to start rallying with, less mental strain (did we mention it's a dual-clutch?), and not too pricey on the used market, a great advantage is you're at all mechanically capable.
(Yes we know that the pictured Jetta is a GTI, not a GLI, still, we recommend both and they are virtually the same) The GLI is made to be a lightweight streetcar that won't break the bank, an improvement on the Jetta, and an alternative to the nicer Audis. The result is a 228 horsepower purist sports car that weighs 3,200 lbs and comes with a turbo. Aftermarket - yes sir! Despite the ticks that many Volkswagens have, they are shockingly great at standing up to racing abuse and delivering continuous performance. In an FWD race, well, this would be the car I would watch very, very carefully.
1 Subaru WRX STI
Except for some Lan Evo fans I may have insulted, you made it to the best rally car you can buy with cash! And trust us, we know. Fans of Initial D, rallycross, Collin McRae, and Travis Pastrana all agree: the WRX is an unbeatable beast on the dirt! Since the '80s Subaru has focused countless research hours and effort on mastering AWD. The Symmetrical AWD they used in 1980 was so great that Audi, Mercedes, and others picked up on the right-left balance method and ran with it. Recently they even swept the podium (1st, 2nd, and 3rd) at Nitro Rallycross!
The STI has won so much in rallies that it's almost boring, and owners turn into raving fans or reasons that non-drivers can't explain by looking at a paper. The paper gives it 250 to 300 horses, 3,300 lbs, and a 0-60 time of about 4.6 seconds. The trail, on the other hand... well, the Subaru doesn't stop or slow for anything, and it has this unique superpower of becoming one with the driver and responding effortlessly. Is it bulletproof? Minus the head gasket issue (pre-2015), yes! These things will never die on you, just ask Ken Block!