Summary
It was early spring in 1994 when EA first introduced to the gaming world one of the most iconic racing franchises,Need for Speed. Today, theNeed for Speedfranchise spans over twenty games and even one film adaptation that did moderately well at the box office. But, one core feature that keeps gamers returning to the franchise is the ability tofine-tune and customize their vehicle. And with every newNFSgame released, players have even more freedom in designing their favorite cars.
But,Need for Speedhas becomemore than a simple race game since the most recent games include Off-road, Drag, Drift, and even “Runner” (running away from the police) type races. Without any doubt, the most challenging races to complete are the off-road ones, especially inNeed for Speed: Payback. Over forty Off-road vehicles are available for players to use in the game, making it a lot more challenging to know which ones are thebest off-road cars inNFS Payback.
Updated on Jun 13, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:The modernNeed for Speedgames have been hit-or-miss, but even the worst games in the series boast stellar racing, amazing visuals, and a wealth of vehicles.Need for Speed: Paybackis a game with many questionable design choices, to the point where some people find it to be a rather mediocre game in the series. However, players willing to overlook the game’s issues will enjoy a fun story campaign with excellent racing action that never lets up. Players must load up their garage with cars that can tackle numerous racing scenarios. Thebest off-road cars inNFS Paybackcan help players win races in these events and make progress in the game’s story.
12Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 ‘17
How To Obtain: Complete “Same Crew, New Wheels” In Chapter 1: Ignition
Turning down anything free is not the wisest course of action to take in a game where money can be hard to come by. Thebest off-road cars inNFS Paybackcost a pretty penny, and players need to start somewhere before moving on to better vehicles. This makes the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 ‘17 one of the best starting vehicles in the game for most off-road events.
This car can be acquired without spending any money, which makes it worth checking out for players who want to take their first step into the glorious realm of off-road racing. Most players will move on as they rack up cash, but a few upgrades are all it takes for the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 ‘17 to become an impressive off-road vehicle that can leave most rival racers in the dust.
11Subaru Impreza WRX STI ‘11
How To Obtain: Complete “Same Crew, New Wheels” In Chapter 1: “Ignition”
Once players complete the “Same Crew, New Wheels” mission inNeed for Speed Payback, the game opens up and lets themexplore the sandboxin the vehicle of their choice. Of course, these humble beginnings can be frustrating if players don’t have a decent car to explore the world with. This makes it important to find good starter cars that can carry players in the early game.
One of thebest off-road cars inNFS Paybackplayers can get their hands on is the Subaru Impreza WRX STI ‘11. It may not seem like much, but a few upgrades are all it takes for this vehicle to become an off-road master that handles like a dream and can pull off some snazzy overtakes to snatch the lead and stay ahead of the rest of the pack.
10Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX
How To Obtain: Complete Any Mission In Chapter 4: “Open Skies”
By the time players reach Chapter 4 inNeed for Speed Payback, a wealth of options will open up to them. This is necessary, given that the difficulty of the events ramps up considerably, forcing players to upgrade their cars or just move on to other vehicles entirely. Thankfully, numerous options open up to them around this time, including one of thebest off-road cars inNFS Payback.
With a few upgrades, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution can dominate most off-road events with ease. There’s something cathartic about being so out of the league of most racers that they never manage to regain the lead after being passed in the very first turn of the starting lap.
9Ford Mustang 1965
How To Obtain: Find All Derelict Parts For The Vehicle
There are many derelict vehicles present inNFS: Paybackthat are worth finding, with players having to use vague visual clues to find these parts in the game world. It gives players another excuse to rev their engines and explore the title’s open landscape, with one of the derelict vehicles being a powerful 1965 Ford Mustang.
Hearing this car’s engine purr after making an effort to find this vehicle’s parts makes for a great time, and it’s even more fitting that this vehicle is nigh-perfect for off-road racing. Zooming through the game’s sandy and grassy tracks and leaving their opponents behind makes for a great time that players can’t get enough of, and understandably so.
8BMW M3 Evolution 2 E30
The BMW M3 Evolution II E30 made its debut in theNeed for Speedfranchise inNeed for Speed (2015)and since then has appeared in two other NFS games (Need for Speed: PaybackandNeed for Speed: Heat). And while this BMW M3was made for Drift racesinNeed for Speed: Heat, it took a different role inNFS Paybacksince it excelled in Runner, Drift, and Off-road races.
But, players will want to use the BMW M3 Evolution II E30 as an Off-road car since it has excellent Landing (4.4) and Airtime (3.8). On top of that, players unlock this vehicle early on in the game after completing the Same Crew, New Wheels mission in Chapter 1: “Ignition.” Fans who want to make the most out of this Off-road speed demon will want to use the Americana Performance Cards.
7Ford Mustang Boss 302
Players who want to unlock a reliable off-road vehicle as soon as possible will be glad to hear that the Ford Mustang Boss 302 can be obtained in the first chapter itself. This reduces a lot of the headaches most players would experience from trying to obtain this vehicle otherwise.
The engine purrs like a beast and the car feels smooth to drive. Of course, players will have to invest a lot in upgrades to stand a chance against racers in tougher courses, but this is a small price to pay for a car that can be obtained cheaply compared to some of the other vehicles in the game.
6Dodge Charger 1969
How To Obtain: Complete Chapter 2: “Desert Winds”
This Muscle car fan favorite first made it into the NFS spotlight in a spin-off calledMotor City Onlinein 2001, which essentially wasNeed for Speedbut in an online setting. InNeed for Speed: Carbon, the 1969 Dodge Charger took the role of a Police car wrecker due to its muscle car aspect, but in later games, it was more of a Drag-type car. Fortunately, the 1969 Dodge Charger inNeed for Speed: Paybackis a decent Off-road car.
Its Top Speed is quite impressive for an Off-road car, reaching up to 143 without any Performance Cards. Because of that, this American muscle car can also participate in SpeedX races, but players should make sure they have the best Performance Cards (which function like Ultimate Parts from theNeed for Speed: Heat) before attempting these races.
5BMW X6 M
How To Obtain: Complete One Mission In Chapter 4: “Open Skies”
It’s funny how a luxury SUV that people can splurge on in real life to drive their family around can somehow be customized to the extent that it becomes one of the best off-road vehicles in the game. This is precisely what makes this car so magical to drive around in, with players loving the idea of using this vehicle to zoom past their opponents in competitive off-road races.
It’s unlocked in Chapter 4, with players purchasing this vehicle for a pretty penny that is made worthwhile with its performance. A few upgrades are all it takes for this vehicle to become one of the best cars players can use to obliterate their opponents in any off-road race.
4Volkswagen Beetle
Long-time NFS fans will likely remember driving a Volkswagen Beetle inNeed for Speed 2after inputting the cheat code “bug” into the chat box. But, the Volkswagen Beetle would become a mainstay in the NFS series appearing in four other games, includingNeed for Speed: Payback. And while its initial stats may seem like nothing special, the fact that it’s a Derelict makes it top-tier.
And that’s because Derelicts can reach higher stats than regular cars, meaning players will be able to reach 399 with relative ease. However, obtaining Derelicts is no easy task and involves locating five Derelicts parts of the car the player wants. These parts are scattered around the map but can be located through various Clues.
3Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.8
When people think of Off-road cars, they usually picture a Land Rover Defender 110 or a Ford F-150 Raptor, and while these Off-road cars may be decent, they’re nothing compared to the Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.8 (which is also amazing inNeed for Speed: Heat). For starters, this speedster can reach the Top Speed of 174 while Off-road, which is already remarkable. On top of that, players can use the Outlaw Performance Cars to boost their Speed and Nitrous rating even further.
But, players will need to save up quite a bit for this Off-road monster since it costs $160,950 to purchase, aside from completing Chapter 4. So, the fastest way to earn cash fast inNFS Paybackis by completing SpeedX races, as they usually have short racetracks that can be finished in less than four minutes.
