Is it the Octane? The Dominus? The Batmobile? The Breakout? After diving into piles of statistics and research, Rocket League writers Pajhola and 0wl have come together to try and tackle the question as old as Rocket League itself: "What is the best car in Rocket League?"

THE OCTANE - Pajhola

Undoubtedly the most popular car in Rocket League, the Octane has dominated the scene since Rocket League’s release in 2015. It is believed to be the most well-rounded car in the game and is also the default car setting when one launches Rocket League for the first time. So in this article, we will be going in-depth into the design and stats of the Octane. Keep in mind that these statistics are for the Octane’s HITBOX, not the car model itself.

Before I continue, I would like to let you know that the statistics and spreadsheets I am using were calculated and made by Rocket Science, so for further explanation on the statistics of cars, make sure to check him out using the link above!

Hitbox

Let’s start with the basic dimensions of the hitbox. The numbers are measure in “Unreal Units”, as Rocket League runs on the Unreal Engine game engine. Here is an overview:

Hitbox visualizations created by Trelgne with Rocket Science

Here are some side by side comparisons with the in-game Octane:

Overall, the Octane has a standard and square-like hitbox compared to other commonly used cars, making it an ideal car for most players to use. Its center of mass (the Z-axis) is set slightly farther back on the car, adding to realism and natural feel of gravity when dribbling.

Turn Radius

The turn radius of a car is quite a challenging statistic to calculate and represent. In this data, Rocket Science uses the term “Angular Velocity”, which is represented with the radians per second (rad/s) unit. In terms of circles, radians are used to measure portions of the circle just like degrees. A full circle is 360 degrees, or 6.28 radians. So, angular velocity simply means how many radians the car is turning per second.

The data was collected at two different speeds: Boosting at max speed + turning, and driving at max speed + turning. Through these two tests, the Maximum Angular Velocity of the Octane was determined to be 1.98 rad/s, which was the slowest out of all of the car models tested.

Chart by Rocket Science

However, the angular velocity of a car also changes over the course of the turn. The cars do not instantly turn as fast as possible. So, more data was collected to see how the angular velocity changed over time, and it was all plotted relative to the Octane’s angular velocity:

Graph by Rocket Science

The Octane’s data is represented by the white line on the x-axis of the graph. It is evident that the Octane turns the fastest at the beginning of a turn, but as the turn progresses, the Octane turns the slowest.

For more in-depth explanation and further information on the Octane’s Angular Velocity, check out Rocket Science’s video on the topic:

Final Notes

Because the Octane is very well-rounded all around the board, it has been the car model of choice for the majority of casual and professional players. Players have had various reasons for liking the Octane, ranging from 50/50 advantages to aerial control. Simply put, it seems to be the most basic and understandable car to play/learn from.

The dominance of the Octane in online play may also result from social factors. Everyone sees how all the professional players use it, so they use the car as a way to try to get better, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

THE DOMINUS - 0wl

It's lean. It's mean. It's a flick machine. It's the Dominus, and it may just be the best car in the game. Here's why:

Vehicle Specifications

Credit to Trelgne

The Dominus stretches longer than Octane, with the Octane being 118.007 x 84.199 units and the Dominus being 127.927 x 83.278 units. The Dominus is flatter than the Octane: -.97° to -.55°. It also is lower to the ground: 31.3 units to 36.159. Surprisingly, the Dominus has better handling than the Octane without boost (2.336 to 2.323) and with boost (2.031 to 1.967).

Feel

When using the Dominus, you are able to generate powerful shots even if you have little momentum. One way to do this is by air rolling your car into an angle in which your car will collide with the ball on its front bumper. The Dom's front bumper is the "hard" area of its hitbox, which bounces the ball off it instead of catching it. As with any car, you can use the front corners to generate good power as well. However, the advantage the Dom presents when using its corners to shoot is that its visual hitbox (how the car looks) matches almost perfectly with its actual hitbox (the dimensions of the car's hitbox). This allows you better control when placing your shots.

Another advantage of the Dominus is its flicks. The top of the car is softer, and allows you to easily catch the ball on its roof without the ball bouncing at all, and immediately flick it. Flicks are another way to generate great power without much momentum. When using the Dominus, simple front-flip flicks take great arcs through the air, making them great setup tools on offense and great clears on defense. If you have good momentum, a side-flip flick with the Dom changes the path of the ball much more than it does with many other cars, including the Octane. This is because the ball sticks to the car longer due to its length and is flicked to the side more and more as the car rotates sideways.

Professional Usage

Video by JohnnyBoi_i

Most freestylers use the Dominus because its hitbox makes it easier to perform, with the exception of the flip-reset, numerous mechanics easier than the Octane. These include air dribbles, redirects, scoop shots, Musty Flicks, and more. The Dominus also air rolls more slowly than the Octane, giving the freestylers an easier time timing their rolls and flips in midair.

Video by The Polmantrio

Even at the highest level of play, the Dominus is used to put on a clinic of the most difficult mechanics in the game. Players like Gimmick, Memory, Jacob, Torsos, Fireburner, and Klassux main, or only use, the Dominus in competitive play. Even more have occasionally used the Dom in competitive play, including Turbopulsa, Chicago, Skyline, Rizzo, and EyeIgnite. Furthermore, most of these players have recently used the Dominus this calendar year. Players are shifting away from the all-around Octane and using cars that provide specialization in certain fields of the game. The Flat Car Revolution is currently taking place in Rocket League, and the Dominus is leading it.

THE ANSWER

Both the Octane and the Dominus have proven themselves to be statistically, aesthetically, and popularity-wise the best cars in the game. Both dominate certain aspects of the game, but there is no clear "winner". So, when you ask, "What car is the best in the game?" you are really asking, "Which car feels the best to me?" The aspect of how a car feels to you in Rocket League is what causes so many different cars to be created by Psyonix and used by the community, and, in the end, the best car in the game is all up to you.