CARS GOOD FOR DRIFTING
Looking for the perfect beginner drift car? This won’t be your typical list...
WHAT A GOOD DRIFT CAR NEEDS
If you plan to start drifting, then there are a few things that are MUST haves for your first drift car:
Number one is a manual transmission. DO NOT drift with an automatic transmission. Trying to drift with an automatic will make things much more difficult. If you don’t know how to drive stick, don’t worry. It’s easy to learn with some practice.
The second MUST have is rear wheel drive. DO NOT try to drift a front wheel drive car. Getting the rear end to break loose will be very very difficult unless you want to drift driving in reverse ;)
The third is finding the right car that meets the first and second requirements.
WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T BUY
You’ve probably seen tons of cool drift car recommendations, but we plan to burst your bubble…
Drift cars you shouldn’t buy
The Nissan 240SX better known as the S13 held the title of a great beginner drift chassis for decades, but FORGET IT. Back in the day, I bought a 240SX for only $800, but those days are long gone.
If you’re looking for a 240SX that hasn’t been abused you’re going to pay a fortune for it. SO DON’T BUY a 240SX. The DON’T buy list doesn’t stop there.
Don’t buy an AE86, RX-7, S2000, or BR-Z for a beginner drift car.
Stay away from Mazda rotary engines, turbocharged engines, or overseas imports like a Skyline. Your goal for a good drift car is reliability and ease of use. An overly expensive or high-horsepower car won’t make you better at drifting.
Stay away from Miata’s too. Unfortunately, they’re becoming the next 240SX and are starting to carry a hefty drift tax.
WHAT DRIFT CAR OPTIONS ARE LEFT???
So we ruined your obsession with becoming the next Takumi Fujiwara sporting an AE86 from Initial D. If you really want to learn how to drift, there’s still hope. Here’s the beat drift cars:
BMW Drift Cars
BMW E46 Drifting
You’d be surprised that older BMWs are some of the best first-starter drift cars. Manual e30, e36, e46, Z3, and E92 can all drift with an LSD or welded diff. These models give you decades of older BMWs to choose from. The list is so extensive we compiled a list of the best BMW drift cars here.
Nissan 350Z Drift Car
Nissan 350Z Drifting on Track
So you hate ALL BMW’s? Well, there’s the good old Nissan 350z. It will usually be a bit more expensive than a used BMW, but boy will it drift with very little to no modifications. Its low-end torque V6 has no problems drifting with just a clutch kick. They’re great for daily driving too. Just make sure you always check your oil.
Mustang Drift Cars
Foxbody Mustang Drifting
Surprisingly Mustangs are becoming more and more popular as beginner drift cars. The classic Foxbody and fourth-gen 94-04 SN95 are good beginner cars. The S197 2005-2014 are ok too if you can find a good price for one.
The only downside besides adding a welded diff or LSD is the steering angle isn’t the greatest. But for a beginner, you can always modify steering angle at a later point in time.
THE BEST STARTER DRIFT CAR?
I’d say its a tie between an E46 with an inline 6 or 350Z with its v6.
E46 VS Nissan 350Z Best Cars Good For Drifting
Both sport around 180HP which is the sweet spot for a beginner. That’s not crazy horsepower, but just enough to easily start learning donuts, drifting through corners, and then learning transitions.
