by MORGAN Jack - Published 2 months ago

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Best Cars Ranked

Highlight

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

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch has added many courses, making it a great time to improve your skills. The game features a wide variety of characters, karts, and other customizations, allowing you to personalize your Mario Kart vehicle.

Even without customizations, the different kart stats make it difficult to choose the best Mario Kart car. This list will look at the stats of some of the best karts to help you choose the best one for you.

Updated on September 25, 2024, by Bobby Mills: The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Pass is now finished, doubling the size of the already large base game. With 96 courses to play and a variety of new characters and karts, you might need help deciding what to use. We've updated our list with a couple of new recommendations. Get ready to race!

14 Master Cycle

It's Very Risky To Ride A Wheelie Solo

Mario Kart 8 Stats

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Stats

Ground Speed

+0.25

Ground Speed

+0.25

Water Speed

+0.5

Water Speed

-0.25

Air Speed

+0.5

Air Speed

Anti-Gravity Speed

-0.25

Anti-Gravity Speed

Acceleration

-0.5

Weight

Ground Handling

+0.5

Ground Handling

Water Handling

+0.5

Water Handling

Air Handling

+0.75

Air Handling

-0.25

Anti-Gravity Handling

+0.5

Anti-Gravity Handling

Traction

-0.75

Traction

-0.75

Mini-Turbo

-0.25

Bike Type

Sport

Bike Type

Sport

It wasn't always common to see characters from outside the Mushroom Kingdom in Mario Kart. Now, there are characters from Zelda, Animal Crossing, Splatoon, F-Zero, and more. When Link was first introduced in the DLC for the Wii U version, it was a big surprise.

Link's Master Cycle pairs well with his character stats, although it was slightly nerfed in the Deluxe version. It's fast and good at navigating anti-gravity sections. However, the Master Cycle and its off-road version, the Master Cycle Zero, are only available on the Switch. If you still have the Wii U, you can't get them unless you bought the DLC previously.

13 Streetle

Surprisingly, Not The Only Vehicle Based On Bugs

Mario Kart 8 Stats

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Stats

Ground Speed

+0.25

Ground Speed

-0.5

Water Speed

+0.25

Air Speed

+0.25

Air Speed

-0.25

Anti-Gravity Speed

+0.25

Anti-Gravity Speed

-0.75

Acceleration

+0.25

Acceleration

+0.5

Weight

-0.25

Weight

-0.5

Ground Handling

+0.25

Water Handling

+0.75

Air Handling

Anti-Gravity Handling

-0.25

Traction

-0.5

Traction

+0.75

Mini-Turbo

+0.5

The Streetle, from Animal Crossing, is used by Villager and Isabelle. If you play Mario Kart 8 online, you've probably seen a few Luigis or Yoshis driving the Streetle. It's popular because it's a good all-around kart.

The Streetle is a strong choice because it handles well on different terrains, boosts your mini-turbos, and even goes faster in water. This makes it good on courses like Rosalina's Ice World. Its light weight makes it easy to maneuver. When paired with the right driver, it can help you win many races.

12 Yoshi Bike And Comet

Speedy, Without Compromising Handling

mario-kart-8-deluxe-mario-riding-the-comet-and-the-yoshi-bike.webp

Mario Kart 8 Stats

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Stats

Ground Speed

-0.25

Water Speed

-0.25

Air Speed

+0.25

Anti-Gravity Speed

-0.25

Anti-Gravity Speed

Acceleration

+0.75

Acceleration

+0.25

Weight

-0.25

Weight

Ground Handling

+0.75

Ground Handling

+0.25

Water Handling

+0.75

Water Handling

Air Handling

+0.75

Air Handling

+0.25

Anti-Gravity Handling

+0.5

Anti-Gravity Handling

Traction

-1.25

Traction

Mini-Turbo

+0.5

Mini-Turbo

+0.25

Bike Type

Sport

Bike Type

Sport

The Yoshi Bike is a two-wheeler modeled after Yoshi, with arms that flip out when gliding. It has the same stats as the Comet bike.

Like in Mario Kart Wii, there are inside and outside drift vehicles. The Yoshi Bike is an inside drift vehicle. Its acceleration and handling stats help you reach top speed and stay in control, but it sacrifices speed and traction.

11 Landship

Large, Clumsy Battle Vehicle

Mario Kart 8 Stats

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Stats

Ground Speed

-0.75

Ground Speed

-0.50

Water Speed

+0.50

Water Speed

+0.50

Air Speed

+0.50

Air Speed

-0.25

Anti-Gravity Speed

-1

Anti-Gravity Speed

-0.75

Acceleration

+1.25

Acceleration

+0.50

Weight

-0.50

Weight

-0.50

Ground Handling

+0.50

Ground Handling

+0.25

Water Handling

+0.75

Water Handling

+0.75

Air Handling

+0.75

Air Handling

Anti-Gravity Handling

-0.25

Traction

-0.25

Traction

+0.75

Mini-Turbo

+0.50

The Landship is inspired by airships from classic Super Mario Bros. games. Its cannons move as you drive, reminding you of the difficulty of Super Mario Bros 3.

The Landship's best attribute is its acceleration, but it's slow. It's lightweight and has good handling, allowing you to evade competitors. It's a good choice on wide open, twisty tracks like DK Mountain.

10 Badwagon And The GLA

Overcome The Competition With Style

Mario Kart 8 Stats

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Stats

Ground Speed

+0.50

Water Speed

+0.50

Water Speed

-0.25

Air Speed

-0.50

Anti-Gravity Speed

-0.25

Anti-Gravity Speed

Acceleration

-0.50

Acceleration

-1

Weight

+0.50

Weight

+0.50

Ground Handling

-0.50

Ground Handling

-0.75

Water Handling

+0.75

Water Handling

-0.25

Air Handling

-0.25

Air Handling

-0.75

Anti-Gravity Handling

-0.75

Anti-Gravity Handling

-0.50

Traction

+0.50

Traction

+0.50

Mini-Turbo

-0.75

Mini-Turbo

-1

The Badwagon debuted in Mario Kart 8 and has the same stats as the GLA, a Mercedes-Benz tie-in car.

The Badwagon is heavy and has good traction, but its acceleration and handling are poor. It's not good in water, so avoid courses like Cheep Cheep Beach, Squeaky Clean Sprint, or Water Park.

9 Teddy Buggy And Cat Cruiser

Plush, Tiny Powerhouses

mario-kart-8-deluxe-peach-in-the-cat-cruiser-and-donkey-kong-in-the-teddy-buggy.webp

Mario Kart 8 Stats

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Stats

Ground Speed

-0.25

Water Speed

-0.25

Air Speed

+0.25

Anti-Gravity Speed

Acceleration

+0.25

Weight

Ground Handling

+0.25

Water Handling

Air Handling

+0.25

Anti-Gravity Handling

Traction

Mini-Turbo

+0.25

The Teddy Buggy and Cat Cruiser are the cutest ATVs in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. They have the same stats as the Yoshi Bike, with slightly better acceleration and handling.

These karts are perfectly average with a slight decrease in their speed stat. They're an easy car for beginner players, but can be balanced out to be more competitive with a heavy-weight character, like Bowser or Morton, or Funky Kong.

8 Biddybuggy

A Bug, Buddy, Buggy-Buggy

Mario Kart 8 Stats

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Stats

Ground Speed

-0.75

Ground Speed

-0.75

Water Speed

+0.50

Water Speed

-0.50

Air Speed

+0.50

Air Speed

-0.50

Anti-Gravity Speed

-1

Anti-Gravity Speed

-0.25

Acceleration

+1.25

Acceleration

+0.75

Weight

-0.50

Weight

-0.50

Ground Handling

+0.50

Ground Handling

+0.50

Water Handling

+0.75

Water Handling

+0.50

Air Handling

+0.75

Air Handling

+0.25

Anti-Gravity Handling

0

Anti-Gravity Handling

+0.50

Traction

-0.25

Traction

+0.25

Mini-Turbo

+1

Mini-Turbo

+0.75

In the original Mario Kart 8, the Biddybuggy had the same stats as the Landship, but now, it's its own vehicle. The kart's best asset is its acceleration, but it also improves on its handling and traction, and has a decent mini-turbo. 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, Unique Karts

Blue Falcon's Mario Kart 8 Stats

Both Karts' Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Stats

Ground Speed

+0.25

Ground Speed

+0.25

Water Speed

0

Water Speed

-0.25

Air Speed

+0.25

Air Speed

0

Anti-Gravity Speed

+0.25

Anti-Gravity Speed

+0.25

Acceleration

+0.25

Acceleration

-0.25

Weight

-0.25

Weight

-0.50

Ground Handling

0

Ground Handling

-0.25

Water Handling

0

Water Handling

+0.25

Air Handling

0

Air Handling

-0.50

Anti-Gravity Handling

0

Anti-Gravity Handling

+0.50

Traction

-0.50

Traction

0

Mini-Turbo

0

Mini-Turbo

-0.25

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

The Classics Are Always The Best

Tanooki Kart's Mario Kart 8 Stats

Both Karts' Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Stats

Ground Speed

0

Ground Speed

-0.25

Water Speed

+0.50

Water Speed

-0.25

Air Speed

+0.25

Air Speed

+0.25

Anti-Gravity Speed

-0.25

Anti-Gravity Speed

0

Acceleration

-0.25

Acceleration

+0.25

Weight

+0.25

Weight

0

Ground Handling

-0.25

Ground Handling

+0.25

Water Handling

+0.75

Water Handling

0

Air Handling

+0.75

Air Handling

+0.25

Anti-Gravity Handling

-0.5

Anti-Gravity Handling

0

Traction

+0.25

Traction

+1

Mini-Turbo

-0.5

Mini-Turbo

+0.25

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. 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

Get On Your Bike And Ride

Mario Kart 8 Stats

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Stats

Ground Speed

0

Ground Speed

-0.25

Water Speed

+0.25

Water Speed

-0.25

Air Speed

+0.25

Air Speed

0

Anti-Gravity Speed

-0.25

Anti-Gravity Speed

+0.25

Acceleration

+0.25

Acceleration

+0.25

Weight

-0.25

Weight

-0.25

Ground Handling

+0.50

Ground Handling

+0.25

Water Handling

+0.50

Water Handling

+0.25

Air Handling

+0.50

Air Handling

0

Anti-Gravity Handling

+0.25

Anti-Gravity Handling

+0.25

Traction

-0.50

Traction

+0.50

Mini-Turbo

+0.25

Mini-Turbo

+0.25

Bike Type

Standard

Bike Type

Standard

While the Flame Rider and Standard Bike have below average speed and weight, their strong 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, making them a smart pick for tracks like 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 can't decide whether you favor speed or handling, why not go right down the middle?

4 Wild Wiggler And W 25 Silver Arrow

Control The Course

Mario Kart 8 Stats

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?

Mario Kart 8 Stats

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

Believe It! Small Is Powerful

Mario Kart 8 Stats

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Stats

Ground Speed

0

Ground Speed

-0.50

Water Speed

+0.25

Water Speed

0

Air Speed

+0.25

Air Speed

-0.50

Anti-Gravity Speed

-0.25

Anti-Gravity Speed

-0.50

Acceleration

+0.25

Acceleration

+0.50

Weight

-0.25

Weight

-0.25

Ground Handling

+0.50

Ground Handling

+0.50

Water Handling

+0.50

Water Handling

+0.50

Air Handling

+0.50

Air Handling

-0.25

Anti-Gravity Handling

+0.25

Anti-Gravity Handling

+0.25

Traction

-0.50

Traction

+0.25

Mini-Turbo

+0.25

Mini-Turbo

+0.50

Bike Type

Standard

Bike Type

Standard

The City Tripper and Varmint share the same statistics, including acceleration, handling, and mini-turbos, which are all decent. They previously had the same stats as the Standard Bike and the Flame Rider. However, they struggle with weight and speed, making them less suitable for beginners.

These vehicles are ideal for courses with limited off-roading or moderate winds, like Toad Harbor and Sunshine Airport. Their speed can be improved by using heavyweight characters such as Dry Bones or Morton.

1 Pipe Frame

What's A Plumber Without Pipes?

Mario Kart 8 Stats

The Pipe Frame is the best car in the game, with excellent acceleration, handling, and mini-turbo. It also has decent traction but is hampered by its weight and speed. Although statistically identical to the City Tripper and Varmint, its ATV design makes it a superior choice.

The Pipe Frame is a popular choice for heavyweight characters due to its ability to balance low speeds and perform well on various courses, including Royal Raceway, Music Park, and Rosalina's Ice World. Its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses, making it a top choice in Mario Kart 8.