Finding the fastest and most reliable kart and driver combination inMario Kart Worldoften comes down to a personal feeling, with the karts and racers each leaning towards different types of driving styles and abilities that players may use. This time around, there also seems to be a bit less customization with players no longer being able to tweak the stats for their karts with wheels and glider options. There are still several combinations of karts and drivers that tend to work a little better than others, however.
InScreenRant’s review ofMario Kart World, the enjoyment of unlocking characters and costumes was mentioned, but I failed to note that it is also very rewarding to unlock new karts and see what their stats are. Since writing that review, I have also realized that the stats shown inMario Kart Worldare a little misleading, withseveral hidden stats operating behind the scenes, as proven byYouTuber svcTylerin a recent video. This makes ranking kart/racer combinations a bit more difficult without trying every combination, but here are some of the best that I have found.
10Koopa Troopa With The Zoom Buggy Is Great For Balanced Stats
Good Acceleration And Handling, With Pretty High Speed And Weight Too
First up is a very basic combination of Koopa Troopa with the Zoom Buggy kart. This is not a mind-blowing combination by any means, butits stats offer good acceleration and handling, particularly on dirt roads, and the weight and speed still come in fairly high.Not only does it look stylish with the matching colors and cheerful smile on Koopa Troopa’s face, but it could be a perfectly viable option for new players or those who want a straightforward build to use in a race.
Koopa Troopa is listed as being in the lightweight class, with a little more weight to them than the babies and other small characters. This slight increase in weight is what gives them a bit better handling ability, but it isn’t so heavy as to be a detriment to the acceleration.
9Baby Rosalina In A Standard Kart Gives High Acceleration
Lots Of Obstacles And Shells Can Slow Down A Race
Each of the babies seems to be at the same stat levels, even with the possibility of hidden stats carrying over to characters as well as karts. Therefore, for this build, it doesn’t have to be baby Rosalina, she is just who I used while testing out combinations. Combining Baby Rosalina with the Standard Kart may seem a bit boring, it is a “standard” kart after all, butthis build is an excellent combo for any situation where someone may come in contact with various obstacles and shells.
Here, the speed and weight suffer as one might expect with the tiny ones, but not as much as with many of the other options. Additionally, theacceleration and handling allow for quick recovery after an attackor collision. This is especially important on high CCs inMario Kart World, as it appears theblue shell brutality is worsethan in previous games.
8Shy Guy Riding The Tune Thumper Has Excellent Acceleration And Handling For Slick Roads
And With The Slope Styler Outfit, It Looks Very Cool
Shy Guy on the Tune Thumper was a pleasant surprise for me. I chose to try this little guy on a boombox due to theincredibly high acceleration levels. Handling is also very high, though speed and weight are quite low compared to many others. His quick acceleration is perfect in races where one could be getting hit by shells and other items, and the handling makes it very easy to weave in and out of tight spots.
Try it on DK Pass. It’s a lot more fun than it has any right to be.
Using him on one of the snow or icetracks inMario Kart Worldalso makes for a good combination, with theextra handling and bursts of acceleration blending smoothly with the icy twists and turns of a slippery slope. When used on a snowy level and dressed in the Slope Styler outfit, this begins to feel a bit more like snowboarding than go-karts.
7Baby Peach In The Roadster Royale Provides A Good Distribution
Great Setup For A Little Of Everything
It just seems fitting to put a princess in the Roadster Royale, even if it is a princess who is seriously underage to be behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. Baby Peach and the Roadster Royale combine to give stats that appear to be nearly identical to the above-mentioned Baby Rosalina in the Standard Kart. This is where the idea of hidden stats really becomes noticeable, as when I raced this one against Baby Rosalina’s ghost in time trials,it seemed to depend on the surface of the track.
When racing on a dirt track, such as Moo Moo Meadows, Baby Rosalina in the Standard Kart was noticeably faster. However,on a paved course, Baby Peach in the Roadster Royale had a significant lead. As there are more instances of paved roads than dirt, I placed this combo higher on this list, but both offer distinct enough advantages to be separate entries.
6Donkey Kong With The Bowser Bruiser Kart
Best For Experienced Players, As Acceleration Is Rather Poor
As usual, Donkey Kong is among the heaviest racers inMario Kart World, which makes him look hilarious when on some of the bikes, like the Tune Thumper, but also gives him the added advantage of speed. Combining this massive ape with the sturdiness of the Bowser Bruiser, to provide a bit of extra handling,the outcome is a very fast kart that is still manageable by experienced players. The look of this combo can also easily strike fear in the hearts of little ones, with the sheer size of DK on this kart easily towering over them.
This combo could also use the Chargin' Truck if the Bowser Bruiser kart has not been unlocked yet.
Because the acceleration is low, using the Donkey Kong and Bowser Bruiser combination effectively will require the finesse of a player who can not only avoid collisions but knows how toavoid being struck by those nefarious blue shells.
5Rosalina In The Stellar Sled Is Ideal For Snow
Good Speed And Weight, With An Affinity For Slippery Surfaces
Rosalina, the grown-up version this time, makes for a fitting combo when placed in theMario Galaxydesigned Stellar Sled kart. This pairing gives poor acceleration, but a lot of speed once it can get going. The sled aspect of theStellar Sled apparently has some hidden stats that work well for snow, as this combination is wonderful on the snowier courses.
However, due to poor acceleration and rather low handling, even though it is good on the snow, it still requires some careful driving. A first-place lead can fall to the back very quickly when Rosalina’s Stellar Sled is stopped for any reason.
4Pianta In The Funky Dorrie Makes Water A Blast
Speed, Acceleration, And Weight Are Good
Seeing that the sled worked better on snow, I also tried the boat-like Funky Dorrie kart on water, and saw similar results. Combined with Pianta, this kart and racer combo gives excellent speed, acceleration, and weight.The only thing that is lacking here is the handling, but with careful driving, this is a viable option for nearly any situation, particularly water.
When this racer combo was used on some of the more water-filled tracks inMario Kart World, I noticed a significant advantage.I tested this by racing against my favorite racer/kart build on both a dry land track and a water track and saw Funky Dorrie easily take the lead in the water, though it didn’t do too terribly on land either.
3Swoop On The Cute Scoot Has The Best Acceleration, But Low Max Speed
Great For Times When Racers Have A Tendency To Get Hit By Shells
If there are hidden stats in the racers as well as the karts, it stands to reason that the tiniest of racers, Swoop, would possibly see a greater advantage than even the babies.Combining Swoop with the Cute Scoot shows the acceleration meter to be nearly maxed out, with three bars into the handling stat as well. Weight and speed are both incredibly low, but when used in the right type of situation, Swoop could absolutely swoop in to steal the lead.
Whether for a driver who may have trouble with staying on the course, or simply for those dangerous situations where good acceleration may be far more important than top speed, Swoop proves to be thebest little racer in the group.
2Cow In The Chargin' Truck Is Good For Dirt Roads
High Speed And Weight With Decent Handling
TalentedMario Kartplayers have known for a long time that often thebiggest and heaviest combinations are the best for reaching those top speeds, as long as you know how to not let anything get in your way. Where usually the heaviest came in as Bowser, Donkey Kong, and others, the fan-favorite new character, Cow, seems to now top that chart.
Combining Cow with the Chargin' Truck gives plenty of speed to charge around those tracks with. Testing out the pairing on various courses,it does very well on both paved tracks and dirt, which makes sense as Moo Moo Meadows is probably quite familiar to the Cow.
1Wario In The Baby Blooper Is A Solid Pick For Fast Driving Anywhere
Mostly Even Stats Across The Board, With A Slightly Higher Speed
While many of the kart and racer combinations work well for specific driving styles, if someone needs a setup with even stats that does well in all environments, Wario and the Baby Blooper kart are perfect.This combination gives stats that all come in at about the 2 mark, with speed getting a slightly higher bump, and handling slightly lower.
Ultimately, players should try out different combinations to see what feels best for them, but keep in mind that the track type may affect the outcomes. These combos shown here can hopefully serve as a jumping off point for your own idea builds inMario Kart World.
