This is a big one. Start with slower, less powerful rides so you can practice. Choosing a high-powered car may be a waste as you’ll likely crash a lot in the beginning. The road is long so think ahead. Learn how to pick the right fit for you and how to upgrade and customize your car here.
Paying attention to your co-driver’s pace notes will get you better race times. Your co-driver gives you a heads-up on what’s coming ahead on the road and makes key suggestions to help you out. You’ll want to take their advice.
Here are a few things your co-driver might say and what each means:
Left/right 1-6: Your driver may say a number between 1 and 6 to warn you about the severity of an upcoming turn. 1 is the sharpest a turn can be and 6 is the easiest.
Caution: This means there’s an upcoming hazard on the road.
Crest: There’s an upward slope coming up on the road.
Jump: An upcoming bump on the road that will send your car into the air if you’re going too fast.
Maybe: This is when you can decide to take the co-driver’s advice or not.
Follow these steps to adjust the timing of your co-driver’s calls:
In this menu, you can also switch between the Imperial and Metric system for when your co-driver needs to use distance.
The sooner you repair your car between stages, the better. Not only do you face a time penalty if you go over the time limit for repairs, but any unrepaired parts can slow your car down. If you’re not sure where to start, a good rule is to always prioritize mechanical repairs over cosmetic fixes.
Need help deciding where to begin?
The short (and fun!) answer here is using the handbrake when you make turns to begin a drift, but there’s more to it. Using the handbrake can help you tighten a turn, but it’s not necessary to start a drift. To keep your car drifting through tight corners, you’ll need to balance throttle, steering, and the footbrake. Adjust the settings as you learn what’s working for you.
Also, remember that you don't need to put your foot all the way down when accelerating. Holding down accelerate might make you feel you’re going as fast as you can, but DiRT Rally 2.0 isn’t an all-or-nothing game, especially if you’re playing with analog triggers. Knowing how to balance acceleration and braking is what will give you the most control.
Go back to the basics. When it comes to winning, there’s no shortcut. The sooner you embrace that practice is essential to get good at DiRT Rally 2.0, the sooner you’ll see yourself on the leaderboards.
