Forza Motorsports 3 Car List On The Xbox 360: The Best Cars for Beginners

Forza 3 continues in the tradition of Forza 2 and provides one of the best racing games in the genre on any platform. There is plenty of white-knuckle racing to be had - but of course, games of this kind can be quite difficult for new players to get into. Forza Motorsport 3 already offers a huge number of assists for new players which can be turned on or off as desired, but one assist that the new player can use to help themselves is picking cars that are fairly easy to drive. This Forza 3 car list guide selects some of the most forgiving cars in the first few tiers so beginners can get on their feet.

 When the Mazda Miata debuted in 1990, it started a revolution. As any driving enthusiast will tell you, the Mazda Miata re-invented the concept of small, agile roadsters. Although significantly down on power compared to some other F-class cars, the Mazda Miata's extremely low weight and outstanding response to driver inputs makes it one of the easiest cars to take corners with in Forza 3. It makes the front wheel drive cars given to the player after the tutorial feel like big, heavy pigs, and you'll likely need to re-calibrate your sense of what is possible in a hairpin turn.

The Mazda Miata is rear wheel drive, and it can get out of hand when pushed extremely hard. But that is also a strong point. The Miata is a superb car for learning how rear wheel drive vehicles handle in Forza Motorsports 3, and it is far more forgiving to sloppy driving than, say, a Porsche or even a Mustang.

The Volkswagon GTI Mk5 hyped by VW as a return to form. The GTI had become heavy and un-sporting over the years. Enthusiasts were puzzled, then, when the new GTI Mk5 did not seem to be much lighter or smaller than previous models - that is, until they drove it. Once the GTI Mk5 became available for purchase it quickly became apparent that this new GTI had brought back the fun to the car - and made it a great pick for racing games.

The heart of the GTI Mk5, and the reason it is great car for new players in Forza 3, is its engine. The turbo 4-banger in the Volkswagon GTI Mk5 is fairly unique among such engines in that it produces huge amounts of torque at a relatively low number of RPMs. This means that the GTI has kick-in-the-pants accelerate beyond what one would normally expect for each car. If you mis-shift in the GTI Mk5 it isn't a big deal. There is still plenty of omph to get you hurtling towards the finish line. The GTI Mk5 handles well, too. It under-steers gradually at the limit, but can be forced into oversteer as you become more experienced with it. This is why it's a great beginner car for any gamer in Forza Motorsport 3 for the Xbox 360.