Need For Speed games are great because they feature a wide assortment of cars that players can pick. On top of that, each performs differently and can be upgraded to be even better, which can make the games more immersive, since the cars players create will be unique to them. As the years have gone by, Need For Speed games become deeper since cars can now go everywhere. Some of the best Need For Speed games do this well, by giving players cars that are not only good for street racing but also excellent on other surfaces like dirt and snow. This makes the player better at the game overall since they just don't race on normal roads, but also go off-road as well.
The latest entry in the series Need For Speed: Unbound does this by offering a huge selection of cars, with many that can be used for several applications. Much like the later open-world Need For Speed games, off-roading has become much more popular, which in turn has made many players want to create car builds that do great on this terrain. This list features cars that can be upgraded to go off-road and come out of the box ready to be taken on the dirt road and that makes them stand out more. In turn, players will get a great experience in Need For Speed: Unbound.
5 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX
Going off-road is usually never about speed, it's always a good added benefit that players can have. If they use some of the fastest cars in Need For Speed: Unbound on these tracks, they won't go anywhere fast. The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX does a great job in this area. Driving off-road is all about control, and how long can players keep the four wheels on the ground. Luckily for players, this is very easy to do in the Lancer.
Not only is balanced well for off-roading, but it's also a rather quick car, fast enough that players can race competitively and aggressively, but also not lose their balance. Since Need For Speed: Unbound is about players customizing their cars in many different areas, the Lancer can be upgraded and can have a build specifically for off-roading. Players who own the Lancer will note, that even when they buy it outright, it shines mostly in the off-road areas, and gets better. This makes off-roading fun when a car performs well in an area that it was designed for.
4 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
The Subaru brand is iconic and well-liked in the Need For Speed series, and for Need For Speed: Unbound that fact remains true. Much like Need For Speed: Heat Subaru cars can be built for a bunch of different race types. If players want a car that's great at drifting, for example, the Subaru Brz is great for that. So the car brand is very versatile. Need For Speed: Unbound carries that for the carmaker. In Need For Speed: Heat, the Subaru Impreza WRX STI stood out for being a great off-roading car.
Because much like the Lancer, it has a very high degree of customization which allows the car to be dynamic. In Need For Speed: Unbound this is still true, and much like the Lancer, it's pretty balanced and makes staying in control easier to do. While not as quick as the Lancer, for off-roading as mentioned before, control plays a large role for these types of races. The WRX has great control and braking, so when the course has a sharp turn, players who drive this car can pull it off very easily.
3 Land Rover Defender 110 Double Cab
This is a tank of an off-roading vehicle that can help players in these areas, but also make things harder for them. First, it's a heavy car, one that is built for off-road, and because of its power, players handle these extreme areas in a car like this. However, while it's a great car to have for traversing off-road to get away from cops, or for other reasons, it's still very slow. It can be great for racing, provided players spend time upgrading, it takes a while to get there.
But starting out, after their first few upgrades are done, the Defender can become a threat in Need For Speed: Unbound. The best way to use the Defender is after upgrades. This can make it race-worthy, and stand up on its own. But players should note that it's an investment and should be bought only if players want that size and power. Everything for the Defender like the speed and handling comes as players spend money on it.
2 Pickup Ford F-150 Raptor
Much like the Subaru, the Ford brand of cars in all Need For Speed games can be used for many different reasons. In Need For Speed: Unbound, some of the best cars are Ford cars, which is why they are pretty popular throughout all Need For Speed games. The Raptor, which is a truck, is a bigger car that stands out from the rest of the trucks and vans that are in Need For Speed: Unbound.
The Raptor is not only quick, but handles very well off-road, and can go up against the faster cars on this list without many upgrades. This makes the Raptor a great car for players who want to master off-roading quickly. Plus it performs well on normal roads as well. In Need For Speed: Unbound when a car is great at many things like cop chases, it can help the player in many situations and the Raptor does all that well.
1 BMW M3 Evolution II
Not many players know that this car is great for off-roading as it is good for normal roads. Mainly because the handling is so stiff, which can be loosened up, but for off-roading, the stiffness goes a long way. The E30 variant in Need For Speed: Payback is a dynamic car, and can be upgraded in many areas to become a specialized car, one of which is drifting.
In Need For Speed: Unbound, the Evolution shares the same qualities, but it's a much more balanced car. This means when players create a drift build, they'll also be creating a build that works elsewhere, in turn, the Evolution becomes versatile with what it can do. However, if players truly want the Evolution to shine for off-roading, then they should heavily invest in this car. The off-roading sections can be hard in Need For Speed: Unbound and the Evolution makes things much easier.
Need For Speed: Unbound is available now on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.