With the towns being so far apart from one another, walking on foot is not feasible, especially with a large horde of undead possibly coming at you. This begs the question; how do you move about the post-apocalyptic world now? The answer has always been cars.
With plenty of abandoned vehicles all scattered around the world in Project Zomboid, you can easily choose your poison, as the zombies won’t have anything to do with them other than get whoever is inside those vehicles and driving them. Important to note that there are three classes of cars in the game: Standard, Heavy-Duty, and Sport, each with its own nuances and benefits, as well as the vehicle it’s part of, resulting for a subjective and varied range of cars to grab a hold of and drive. With that said, which vehicle is good in the game? That’s what we’ll find out from this list.
For this list, the list was made at the time of the game’s latest version (ver. 41.78 Steam) and is based on my experience in a friend-hosted multiplayer server, and items listed are from the vanilla version of the game, meaning no mod items are included. Vehicles listed may have variants that offer something significant that may warrant a separate entry and reasoning. This is a subjective list, and the order is in no particular order.
7. Franklin Valuline (6-Seater)
Why is the Franklin Valuline (6-Seater) Great?
It’s a van that has created a special niche for itself as it’s the best car, in the base game, with a seating capacity this big. While this holds the obvious man-carrying advantage, it has a few more niches, as seen below.
- Quieter Engine – This has a quieter engine compared to other variations of the car
- 6-Seater – This variant has the most seats of any car in the game, at the moment
- Interchangeable parts – Other Franklin Valuline parts can help fix up this car
The main selling point of this car is its aforementioned 6-seat capacity, which is self-explanatory in why it’s good for bringing a large group of players to whichever destination, be it near or far. While it sounds peachy, this car has drawbacks — quite a lot, to be honest.
One big tradeoff to having six seats is the lower trunk capacity, which, at 50 units, is laughable for a Heavy-Duty class vehicle, and it doesn’t end there. The engine, while it should be similar, is absolutely scrawny, with just 260 horsepower to use, which, in game terms, is pretty slow. Given that the other variations generally have double of what this car has in terms of specs, don’t expect it to be great for long runs, but hey, you’ll at least have a slow cruise with friends along.
Franklin Valuline (6-Seater) Details:
- Horsepower: 260
- Weight: 1250
- Seats: 6
- Vehicle Type: Heavy-Duty
How to Get the Franklin Valuline (6-Seater):
- Check any open carpark for the car
- Gas the car if the vehicle doesn’t have it
- Check the trunk, surrounding area, or glove box for a key
- (Optional) Look for the key in a nearby buildings storage areas
- If a key isn’t found, hotwire the car to use
6. Masterson Horizon
Why is the Masterson Horizon Great?
The Masterson Horizon is a pure, simple car that doesn’t look too bulky and isn’t a handful to drive. In the beginning of the game, you’re more likely to get this as your first car if you want something good for starters, but that’s still going to give you the following perks.
- Common – One of the most common cars to find in the game
- Standard Parts – Replacing parts is simpler
- 4-Seater – Can fit up to 4 people at a time
It’s a comfy little four-seater with good turning due to its relative lightness and decent handling, having few drawbacks. Even with its tiny frame, it’s a zippy little thing, but that’s likely going to be your only multi-man chariot as it’s not meant for large scale warehouse loots as it can only hold a carry weight of 40, which isn’t a lot, especially for a long town restock from your base. Despite that, it’s still a reliable Standard vehicle, making parts a non-issue as the game is pretty generous with Standard type vehicles.
As a personal recommendation, this is best as a small scouting vehicle meant for personal exploration or as a backup/disposable unit to pick apart for repairs.
Masterson Horizon Details:
- Horsepower: 360
- Weight: 960
- Seats: 4
- Vehicle Type: Standard
How to Get the Masterson Horizon:
- Check any carpark for the car
- Gas the car if the vehicle doesn’t have it
- Check the trunk, surrounding area, or glove box for a key
- (Optional) Look for the key in a nearby buildings storage areas
- If a key isn’t found, hotwire the car to use
5. Dash Bulldriver
Why is the Dash Bulldriver Great?
While cars in the game are decent on the road, there will be inevitable times you’ll go off-road to dodge a mob or roadblock or go to an area that requires said off-road adventures. While the use-case is niche, it isn’t bad, as the stats below demonstrates.
- Good off-road stability – Doesn’t slow significantly when off road
- Common – The regular variant can be pretty common to look for
- Decent trunk capacity – The car has a sizable trunk capacity for looting purposes
There are only 2 variants that differ somewhat from the standard car, the Police and Fire Station variants, which have slightly more powerful engines and a different radio installed, but those benefits are so minor that even the base car is fine. It still shares the same 2 seats and 130 carry weight layout that all of the models carry, so the only important reason to choose it over any other Heavy-Duty vehicle is its terrain flexibility.
This is a pickup truck in essence, which isn’t surprising given the amount of storage it can hold, but it also shouldn’t surprise anyone why it’s good off-road. Its wheels are a bit raised, allowing the tires to do their thing without scrubbing off some speed. This is especially true if you decide to go to the hidden military base, as that is hidden through a dense forest, which can also house zombies that can ambush you in the car if you go too slowly.
This car proves that even the fastest car would be useless if the terrain slows you to crawling speed, as that is a common way to die in this game, so again, this car helps prevent that unfortunate end from happening to you and your lone passenger.
Dash Bulldriver Details:
- Horsepower: 400
- Weight: 1370
- Seats: 2
- Vehicle Type: Sport
How to Get the Dash Bulldriver:
- Check any carpark for the car
- Gas the car if the vehicle doesn’t have it
- Check the trunk, surrounding area, or glove box for a key
- (Optional) Look for the key in a nearby buildings storage areas
- If a key isn’t found, hotwire the car to use
4. Chevalier Cossette
Why is the Chevalier Cossette Great?
A sports car with a lot of pep, the Cossette is a killer on clear, open stretches of highway where obstructions are nonexistent. This is an absolute speed demon on the road, and even more so if your character is also a Speed Demon in terms of the perk of the same name. With that being said, the benefits are few, but still okay, as seen below.
- Fastest car in the game – Can comfortably go to the max of the speedometer
- Very rare – Only a few of these can be found in the map
- Stylish looks – The car not only drives good, but also looks good
The car is ridiculously fast, making a usually slow trip from A to B cut down to about a third of the time, and even more so if the path is unobstructed. The asterisk here is unobstructed, as, like real life, the roads can have wrecks in the middle of the road, and if you slam into one at high speed, you’ll have critical to terminal damages as a result of smashing your car into the obstacle. A mix of being careful and being familiar with the way back is your ticket to speedy returns, but for unexplored areas. You’ll need to moderate your speed, as you’d have a hard time repairing your vehicle if it does receive a few knocks, which leads me to the next point.
Being a Sports car, the car is rare to find, and parts are even rarer to find when something like tires are in bad shape. That’s already a handicap given that the trunk space is also bad with just 30 on the carry weight, which, to put it into context, is about two people’s inventory space, which is bad for the long haul.
If you still wish to have this car, then best of luck finding one, but if some lucky chance you do have it, then this beauty will be worth the accidental 120mph crash into a tree…or mob…or wall (you get the point).
Chevalier Cossette Details:
- Horsepower: 570
- Weight: 990
- Seats: 2
- Vehicle Type: Sport
How to Get the Chevalier Cossette:
- Check around a large parking area or a bar parking
- Gas the car if the vehicle doesn’t have it
- Check the trunk, surrounding area, or glove box for a key
- (Optional) Look for the key in a nearby buildings storage areas
- If a key isn’t found, hotwire the car to use
3. Franklin Valuline (Ambulance)
Why is the Franklin Valuline (Ambulance) Great?
This is an instance where the variant can be passed as a completely different vehicle. This version of the Franklin Valuline is equipped with the usual ambulance goodies, which are pretty good for a zombie apocalypse for the following reasons.
- Siren and Lights – You can use these to draw zombies away from a location
- Large trunk space – This variant also has a sizable trunk capacity for looting purposes
- Possible Med Kit spawn – The trunk may hold a Medical Kit to use
- Most powerful non-sport engine – The engine in the ambulance is the highest that is not in the sport category
With the 6-seater being the worst of the bunch, the Ambulance happens to be the best of the Valuline variants, as it’s a zippy, usable, and powerful car that you can haul just about anywhere. With this one, you have access to the aforementioned lights and sirens, and while noise is a bad thing to have in a hoard, if you were to rescue someone nearby or just want to funnel the undead for easy killing, this should do the job just nicely.
Speaking of death, there is also a chance that the trunk may hold a spare Medical Kit that can hold a number of important survival items to prevent that, such as bandages and disinfectants, which is perfect if you got a little too close to the zombie you were taking its brains out on.
This is a must-have vehicle for a number of reasons, and a vehicle you should definitely get if you want a fleet of usable vehicles.
Franklin Valuline (Ambulance) Details:
- Horsepower: 490
- Weight: 1205
- Seats: 2
- Vehicle Type: Heavy-Duty
How to Get the Franklin Valuline (Ambulance):
- Check any hospital parking or similar healthcare area
- Gas the car if the vehicle doesn’t have it
- Check the trunk, surrounding area, or glove box for a key
- (Optional) Look for the key in a nearby buildings storage areas
- If a key isn’t found, hotwire the car to use
2. Chevalier Nyala
Why is the Chevalier Nyala Great?
Like the other Standard cars on this list, the Nyala is a great car that has strong use in any point in the game due to its reliable, easily repairable nature. It differs itself from the Masterson Horizon by simply being the same car, but better, with a few extras on top of the ones below.
- More sourceable – Easier to exactly pinpoint and get in the world
- Standard Parts – Replacing parts is simpler
- Siren and Lights – You can use these to draw zombies away from a location (Police variant)
- 4-Seater – Can fit up to 4 people at a time
While Standard cars can be a bit boring to look at, the Nyala has a bit more personality in that this can be found either its base sedan colors, as a taxi variant, or as a police vehicle, with the latter being a strong point in finding one. It’s a joy to have one around for those medium to long-distance travels, as the general reliability and repairability make this a good car to keep at any point, because an old, worn one is for parts, and a new one is easy to maintain and keep, making it a versatile car in the long run.
This again is similar to the Masterson but ideally, it holds 15 more storage weight, is a bit more powerful at 400 horsepower compared to the 360 for the former, and with the police variant, has a siren and lights that can prove as a good distraction tool for emergency cases. While untested as a theory, this car seems to have the best chance of having a key in my testing, so you’ll be keeping it more personalized as no one can drive your vehicle around (unless they hotwire it).
Overall, a good, solid car that you should use at any point in the game, and likely keep for parts for the next car or restore for as long you can keep it alive and damage-free
Chevalier Nyala Details:
- Horsepower: 400
- Weight: 1100
- Seats: 4
- Vehicle Type: Standard
How to Get the Chevalier Nyala:
- Check any carpark for the car or police station for the police variant
- Gas the car if the vehicle doesn’t have it
- Check the trunk, surrounding area, or glove box for a key
- (Optional) Look for the key in a nearby buildings storage areas
- If a key isn’t found, hotwire the car to use
1. Chevalier Step Van
Why is the Chevalier Step Van Great?
For those days where food is running out, you want to loot somewhere, or move to a new place on the map, this is your old reliable vehicle of choice. Being the car with the largest carry weight among all the cars in the game, this has the benefit of being important just for that reason alone, but with a few more upgrades such as the following.
- Largest trunk space– The best car in terms of trunk capacity at 16 0 carry weight
- Fairly powerful – The engine is still powerful enough to haul even a fully loaded van at speed
- Little glass repairs – This van only has you worry about the windshield and side windows for replacement
Again, this is the best vehicle to use for those looting raids from far away, allowing you to have almost 4 cabinets’ worth of guns, canned goods, ammo, etc. in one quick swoop. While the engine only has 360 horsepower, it’s still a fast vehicle on a straight line when on tarmac, and while it’s not viable to take offroad, you can do a fair bit of that assuming your tire pressure isn’t low.
The van isn’t really meant to carry people, however, so you’ll need to have a separate van for the others, such as the 6-seater we mentioned earlier, if you intend to tag along the whole squad for a raid, but even better would be a whole fleet of similar Step Vans each driven by someone, for that maximum haul all the way back home.
Chevalier Step Van Details:
- Horsepower: 360
- Weight: 1440
- Seats: 2
- Vehicle Type: Heavy-Duty
How to Get the Chevalier Step Van:
- Check any carpark for the car
- Gas the car if the vehicle doesn’t have it
- Check the trunk, surrounding area, or glove box for a key
- (Optional) Look for the key in a nearby buildings storage areas
- If a key isn’t found, hotwire the car to use
