GTA 5 Online: The Best Cars to Steal and Keep (2024)

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Human Made

Penned by Gibson Vasela

My name is Gibson Vasela. I am a freelance writer who has been playing video games for almost 20 years now. I play all kinds of games, but I especially love immersive sims and RPGs.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

In Grand Theft Auto, stealing cars is quite literally the name of the game. The large open world that Rockstar has hand-crafted for its players provides many, many opportunities for finding and stealing some really nice vehicles. Many of them can even be kept at your garage for safekeeping. So exactly which cars/vehicles should you steal in GTA 5 Online and keep around for your personal use?

While it’s true that the best vehicles can only be bought, there are still plenty of great cars that can be collected from off the street. Here in this article, we are going to be going over the top 10 BEST cars to steal and keep in GTA Online.

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Best Cars & Vehicles to Steal in GTA 5 Online

Before we get started, note that our list is ranked in no particular order. Now, let’s dive in!

Sultan

Kicking off our list with our first pick, it’s the Sultan. This is a really nice-looking rally car that was popular among players in Grand Theft Auto IV. This car has made its triumphant return to Los Santos in GTA V, and it definitely does not disappoint. The car is a sedan and can hold a maximum capacity of four players. This makes it a good option for cruising around town with your friends.

The car has a really classy look to it that reminds me of some of the Tuners cars of the early 2000s. It would look great in any player’s garage, especially with the right customization options. The car is pretty fast as well, which makes it a good car to get if you are a beginner player to GTA Online and need something for getting around town.

In order to find this car, you will need to look for it around the middle-south part of Los Santos, in the neighborhood Chamberlain Hills. This car has a chance of spawning in this area, so be sure to keep an eye out for it when you are passing through this part of the city.

Albany Primo

Up next it’s the Albany Primo. Much like the previously mentioned Sultan, this 4-door Sedan that allows users to travel around the city with friends in style. I never drove this car that much in GTA IV, but I was still happy to add it to my car collection in GTA V. It has a boxy design that I think looks really good on Sedans. If you are a fan of these kinds of cars, then definitely pick this one up.

The car features a good-sized hood with Its design is similar to the Admiral car. The customization options on this car are very lackluster, really only featuring basic upgrades. However, it can be upgraded to the Primo Custom at Benny’s Original Motorworks. This MASSIVELY increases its customization options, allowing you to deck out this car inside and out with some great mods.

If you want a nice-looking Sedan that you can show off with at your next car meet, then get the Albany Primo and upgrade it to the Primo Custom. It is definitely a good option to consider going with. If you want to steal this car, you can find it being driven on the highways throughout the map. And according to the GTA wiki, it often spawns close to the Los Santos Customs on the map.

Sanchez

Onto spot number 3, we have our first motorcycle on the list… The Sanchez! This off-road motorbike is one of my favorite vehicles to own in the game. It features a really cool, sporty look that you’ll love if you are a fan of off-road motorbiking. It looks great with the sponsorship liveries on it, such as the Sprunk livery, and it has some good customization options. It’s really nice if you love customizing motorbikes.

This is a great off-road vehicle that I recommend you use if you are ever going through Blaine county or any part of the map that is off-road. Its speed and acceleration are not as good as some of the other motorbikes in GTA V… But for an off-road vehicle, it works really well and is a lot of fun to drive. I don’t recommend taking it into off-road races, as it’s best used in free roam.

This motorcycle can be found and stolen from the town of Sandy Shores. This town is located to the south of the big lake in the center of the map. I usually see one either being driven around by an NPC, or parked next to one of the houses.

Sabre Turbo

Next up we have the Sabre Turbo. The Sabre Turbo is a muscle car, and it’s also one of the best-looking vehicles on this list! It was also in Grand Theft Auto IV, and was one of my favorite cars to drive around Liberty City in. This particular car has a really great appearance, as it comes with a big thick stripe running from the hood to the back of the car by default.

The sound of the engine on this car is top-tier, and it’s really nice to listen to it purr when you are driving it down the street. As for its performance, the car feels heavy to drive and suffers from breaks that are not too good. This means it can take some skill to get used to, as otherwise you’ll find yourself overturning and spinning out of control.

Its customization is also pretty okay, and I really like that you can put a big engine block on top of the hood! The Sabre Turbo can most often be found in Vinewood Hills, as well as the Great Ocean Highway.

Sentinel Convertable

Halfway through our list, let’s take a look at the Sentinel. This is a two-door coupe and one of the most expensive cars on this list. It can be bought online for a price of $95,000! So if you can only steal one car on this list, make sure that it is the Sentinel. The car has a pretty nice and sleek look to it, but its not really my favorite design on this list. It looks like a common car that you would see being driven in real life.

That isn’t to say that it’s not worth getting, however. The car makes good top speed. But its acceleration is just okay when you compare it to similar cars of the same class. Personally, I would not go out of my way to get it. But if this is a car that you were already interested in getting, it is better to just steal it than pay the $95,000. Speaking of which, this car can be found at the parking lot of the Los Santos Golf Club, and it can sometimes spawn around Paleto Bay.

Gold Dubsta 2

Onto our next pick for the best cars to steal & keep in GTA Online, we have the Gold Dubsta 2! This is an incredibly rare and difficult-to-acquire car that many players desperately want. The car is an SUV that specializes in going off-road. The Dubsta 2 is a variant of the regular Dubsta model, featuring more details such as a wheel attached to the hood of the car, as well as some special headlights and a ram on the front hood.

There is a particularly rare version of this car that will spawn with a gold paint job and gold wheels! Because of how rare this car is, it is certainly something that you can use for bragging rights once you get it. To acquire this vehicle, head to Vinewood Hills. According to what I’ve found online, the car only seems to spawn after 7:30 AM and no later than 12:00 PM.

Bati 801

Up next at spot number 7, we have the Bati 801! This is another motorcycle, and unlike the Sanchez, it is designed for asphalt, not dirt. This is a really nice, modern-looking bike that makes its return from Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost And Damned. It was a really fun ride to cruise around with in that game, and in GTA V it’s no different. If you want to add a motorcycle to your collection, this is a good choice.

The motorcycle is pretty fast for a vehicle that you can find on the street. And it feels really great to drive, with decent breaking and handling that make navigating through dense Los Santos traffic really satisfying. I am a big fan of motorcycles myself, so this was one of the first vehicles that I ever owned. And I still enjoy using it every now and then to this day… Despite all the newer, better motorbikes that have been added to GTA Online.

If you are looking to grab this vehicle, you can find it spawning naturally in the northern part of the city. More specifically, it can be found being driven by an NPC on Milton Road. This street will stretch up from the northernmost part of Vinewood Hills down to a few city blocks in the urban parts of Los Santos.

Karin Futo

No onto our next pick, it’s the Karin Futo! This really excellent-looking Japanese car is popular among the Tuner scene. It is a sports car that features a boxy design with 2 doors. If you are a big fan of Japanese cars from the 1980s, then you will surely love the look of the Karin Futo. I should warn you, however, that this vehicle does not have the best stats relative to other sports cars in the game.

Its acceleration and speed are weak, so it really isn’t the kind of car that you can take into a sports race and expect to get first place. The car does feel good to drive with breaks that make mistakes easier to correct. If you are looking for a good beginner’s sports car, consider getting this one. You can find it spawning naturally at the Port of Los Santos, often being driven around the roads by NPC drivers.

Canis Mesa

Coming up next is the Canis Mesa! The Canis Mesa is an SUV. You may recognize the Merryweather variant of it, an off-road version of it commonly used by the mercenary organization. This design is more geared towards driving around towns and cities, not off-road. It shares many similarities to the real-world Jeeps, so I recommend getting the Canis Mesa if you love those kinds of cars.

Despite the standard version of the car not being designed around driving off-road, it does make a good off-road vehicle. The car does not feel to heavy to drive. This makes it good for navigating up steep hills and over difficult terrain without getting stuck. You can find the Canis Mesa spawning naturally at Fort Zancudo, the military base located on the western side of GTA V’s map.

Patriot

And last but not least on our list, we have my absolute favorite car from Grand Theft Auto IV… The Patriot! This is a 4-door SUV with high suspension. It is a classy, luxurious-looking car that lets you cruise around San Andreas in style. It’s a really nice-looking car, and it’s unique compared to a lot of the other vehicles on this list. So if you want to feel special, consider getting a Patriot!

The car is not that fast, even with the best upgrades. This is to be expected for a SUV-class vehicle. And its turning can take a bit to get used to. You might want to lower its suspension inside of a Los Santos Customs, lest you fall over and crash! It’s a great car to bring to car meets. But not really something I’d recommend you use in a street race.

This car will spawn naturally in Pacific Bluffs, being driven down the highway. I’ve also seen them spawn in Hawick, a neighborhood in Los Santos near the Casino.

Join the High Ground!

And with that, our article for the Best Cars to Steal & Keep in GTA 5 Online is now complete. What are your thoughts on this ranking? Did we leave your favorite car out?

Feel free to let us know down in the comments section! And subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more GTA Online content.

Happy gaming!