Highlights

• Different playstyles should be considered when choosing the best car in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
• Our list features extensive tables with all the stats for both Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
• Offset different stats as needed by balancing drivers, wheels, and gliders along with choosing the best Mario Kart 8 car for the biggest advantage.

With dozens of courses added for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch, there’s never been a better time to re-up your Mario Kart skills! With a vast number of characters, carts, and more, it’s easier than ever to customize your Mario Kart vehicle to your heart’s content.

But even without any customizations, the karts alone offer a variety of stats that make it tough to pick one decisive best Mario Kart car. In our list, we’re looking at the stats of some of the best to try to help you choose the best car in Mario Kart 8.

Updated on December 3, 2023, by Bobby Mills: The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Pass has now concluded, and in the process has doubled the size of the already generous base game. With 96 courses now available to conquer, and a myriad of new character and kart combinations to ponder over, is it any wonder you'll be turning to our list for help? We've added a few nods to the new characters and courses, to keep things current. Start your engines!

It's important to remember which version of the game you're playing, as kart stats may vary between Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

To anticipate this, we've included kart information from both games in our list.

12 Yoshi Bike And Comet

Zippy, Without Sacrificing Handling

Honouring everyone's favourite hungry dino, the Yoshi Bike lives up to its namesake. This two-wheeler is perfectly modeled after the precious reptile, down to the arms that flip out of the side of the bike when gliding. It's identical to the Comet bike in stats.

Dating back to Mario Kart Wii, the series has had inside drift and outside drift vehicles, with the Yoshi Bike being the former. The bikes' acceleration and handling stats will help you reach top speed and stay in control once you get there. Just be mindful that you sacrifice speed and traction with this choice.

11 Landship

Big, Bulky Battlecar

With a design that calls to mind the airships of classic Super Mario Bros. games, the Landship is much less intimidating on the track than its inspiration, but its cannons move as you drive along – harsh reminders of the brutality of Super Mario Bros 3. Damn those World 8 stages.

Acceleration is this kart’s best attribute, but it comes at the expense of speed. In addition, the kart is lightweight, but its solid handling will allow you to evade competitors. On tracks like DK Mountain, which are wide open and twisty, it pays to not have to go hurtling round every bend, lest you end up at the bottom of a lava-filled chasm.

10 Badwagon And The GLA

Beat The Competition In Style

The Badwagon made its debut in Mario Kart 8, sharing its stats with, among others, the GLA - a special, brand tie-in car added in the Mercedes-Benz Mario Kart 8 DLC.

These ATVs are superior in weight and traction stats, but they suffer in acceleration and handling comparatively. They're also not great in the water, so we wouldn't choose them for courses like Cheep Cheep Beach, Squeaky Clean Sprint, or Water Park.

9 Teddy Buggy And Cat Cruiser

Fluffy Little Powerhouses

If you’re looking for the cutest kart in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Teddy Buggy or the Cat Cruiser may be the ATVs for you; identical to the Yoshi Bike in stats, only cars this time. You'll only slightly increase your acceleration and handling with these puppies, but the trade-offs are minimal.

With a slight decrease in your speed stat, these are perfectly average karts. This is an easy car for beginner players, but it can also be balanced out to be more competitive with a heavy-weight character, like Bowser or Morton, or everyone's favourite bandana-toting Wii darling, Funky Kong.

8 Biddybuggy

A Biddy, Buddy, Buggy-Buggy

In the original Mario Kart 8, the Biddybuggy had the same stats as the Landship, but now, it's its own vehicle. This kart's best asset is its acceleration, but the Biddybuggy also improves on its handling and traction, and has a decent mini-turbo as well. On tracks with reduced gravity, like 3DS Rainbow Road and Sky-High Sundae, its aerodynamics allow for some serious airtime.

Its lowest stats are its weight and speed, both of which are below average, but its other perks quickly help close any gaps. This kart is especially ideal for windy courses that don't have many off-road options, such as Mario Kart Stadium.

7 Blue Falcon And Splat Buggy

From Different Universes Come Different Karts

The Blue Falcon was introduced as a kart inspired by the F-Zero series in Mario Kart Wii. Captain Falcon himself, though, remains notably absent, despite an uptick in cameos from the likes of Link, Inkling and Isabelle. Now, it shares its statistics with the Splat Buggy, a kart that is itself derived from the Splatoon games.

These cars feature an impressive speed stat, but they're terrible for off-roading. You're better off not even bothering with it on tracks like Koopa Cape, which thrive on you knowing when to venture off the beaten track. Paired with the right other parts, though, they're excellent choices for any intermediate driver.

6 Tanooki Kart And Koopa Clown Car

You Can't Beat The Classics

The Tanooki Kart and the Koopa Clown Car have the exact same stats, but while the Tanooki Kart was available in Mario Kart 8, the Koopa Clown Car wasn't added until the Deluxe version. Got to add that double-dip value! These vehicles have the highest possible mini-turbo stat, which is great for labyrinthine courses that have a slick surface, and they have above-average weight and handling, making them easy to drive on difficult courses. Wii Rainbow Road won't know what hit it.

Their traction is average, so they're not ideal for off-roading, and their stats are rounded out with below-average speed and less-than-perfect acceleration. A character with a lower weight-class will help increase the acceleration; try newcomers Diddy Kong and Pauline with these bad boys.

5 Flame Rider And Standard Bike

Go On, On Yer Bike

While the Flame Rider and Standard Bike's speed and weight are below average, their great traction makes it easy to take tight turns on levels like Bowser's Castle, both current and retro iterations. They both handle well and have above-average acceleration and mini-turbos as well, so they're a smart pick for the likes of Maple Treeway.

These bikes can be balanced out with middleweight or heavy characters; in general, they are more evenly-keeled than some other options, so they work well as a decent all-rounder. If you simply can't decide whether you favour speed or handling, why not go right down the middle, eh?

4 Wild Wiggler And W 25 Silver Arrow

Gain A Monopoly On The Course

The Wild Wiggler and the W 25 Silver Arrow are, simply put, among the best ATVs in the game. The great traction makes tight turns easy, while the high acceleration, handling, and mini-turbos increase their ability to catch up with characters on tougher courses. Many Tour maps, including Shanghai and Bangkok, have the interesting wrinkle of looping back on themselves, so these stats are perfect should any head-on collisions occur.

They are also a great vehicle for Bowser's Castle or Cloudtop Cruise, which are all too keen to chuck you off a ledge. These ATVs are a fantastic option for middleweight characters like Mario or Luigi, or newcomer Birdo.

3 Mr. Scooty

Where's Mrs. Scooty?

The stats for Mr. Scooty vary: its acceleration and mini-turbo are some of the best in the game, but it also has some of the lowest stats for speed, so it might not be the optimum choice if pure adrenaline is your bag. Mr. Scooty also handles very well and has decent traction, but its weight poses a challenge to the inexperienced.

Mr. Scooty shares identical stats with the Biddybuggy, with the most major difference between them being that Mr. Scooty is a bike, and the Biddybuggy is an ATV. That might sound purely cosmetic, but trust us, it makes for changes in handling.

The Mr. Scooty bike is best suited for tracks that have limited off-roading, like SNES Rainbow Road or Waluigi Pinball, and plenty of chances to use a mini-turbo without tight turns. Thwomp Ruins is a great course to practice with this bike.

2 City Tripper And Varmint

Small Is Powerful: Believe It!

The City Tripper and Varmint are two more bikes that share the same stats. They even used to be identical to the Standard Bike and the Flame Rider, until Deluxe rolled around. The best features of the City Tripper and Varmint are their acceleration, handling, and mini-turbos, which all have decent traction. Unfortunately, both seem to struggle with their weight and speed, so beginners should steer clear.

This makes them ideal for courses that don't have much off-roading, or those that are windy without being overbearing; for instance, Toad Harbor and Sunshine Airport are fab tracks to use this vehicle on. Meanwhile, their poor speed can be bettered by driving with heavyweight characters like Dry Bones or Morton.

1 Pipe Frame

What's A Plumber Without Pipes?

Statistically, the Pipe Frame is the best car in the game, no question: it has great acceleration, handling, and a great mini-turbo. It also has decent traction, but, like many of the other cars on this list, suffers from its weight and speed being off-kilter. It's identical in stats to the City Tripper and Varmint, but the Pipe Frame being an ATV makes all the difference yet again.

The Pipe Frame seems to be a favorite for heavyweight characters, with how it helps to balance low speeds and excels on simpler courses like Royal Raceway or Music Park, as well as slipperier maps a la Rosalina's Ice World. Its positives greatly outweigh its negatives, leading the Pipe Frame to come out on top as, at least from a numerical standpoint, one of the finest choices in Mario Kart 8. You can't lose!*

(*Dependent on skill level.)