How to Drift
Drifting helps you maintain speed through a turn and makes driving around Steelport more satisfying. For best results, begin your drift shortly before the intersection. Keep holding the accelerator and the drift button at the same time, and begin your turn. If you started too early, you can countersteer (turn away from the drift instead of into it) to better maintain your angle. Once you’re lined up with the road, release the drift button and resume driving normally.
Developer’s Choice Vehicles
Kaneda
The Kaneda is the fastest of all the motor-cycles. It’s less twitchy than the Kenshin, and its extra weight keeps it more stable on the road and in a collision. Unlock the special X-2 Phantom version by completing Deckers Trail Blazing for one badass alternative bike.
Specter
The Specter is everything you love about the VTOL in a more compact package. On top of that, it’s hands down the most agile aircraft in the game. Its smaller frame makes it great for flying around the world for collectibles, as well as barnstorming. Try to fly it as close to street level as you can for the ultimate vehicular rush.
Attrazione
The Attrazione combines superior acceleration and agility with an extreme top speed. This one goes so fast you may find yourself struggling to keep up. But if you can tame the beast, you’ll find a car that handles like no other. Finish Deckers Trail Blazing to unlock the special Wraith variant.
Hammerhead
Can’t go wrong with American muscle. The weight, the sound, the handling—it’s all there. The Hammerhead is just a really solid, great looking car—and that’s what has kept it a favorite around the Volition offices.
Bootlegger
This car has been a favorite since the original Saints Row. It drives a bit looser than some other cars, but that just adds to its character. Right down to its engine sound effects, the Bootlegger has that certain something, that je ne sais quoi that just feels right. And with room for four, it makes for a great choice no matter what you’re up to.
Torch
The Torch handling is somewhere in between the insanity of the Attrazione and other more mortal vehicles. It sports a great top speed and really tight turning. And the look is oh so sexy.
Infuego
The Infuego is a bit beefier than most other cars on the road. It seats four, making it a great option when you’ve got a full group of homies. It also has a somewhat unique drift profile that helps it to better maintain speed through a drift.
Peacemaker
By the sound of this vehicle, you can tell there’s something serious under the hood. Besides having great handling and acceleration, this is one of the most convenient cars in the game. Given that you can usually find a cop when you want (or even when you don’t), you’re usually not far away from one of these bad boys. If the car you brought to the fight doesn’t make it through, you can’t go wrong with a Peacemaker.
Tornado
The Tornado is the most agile of the combat choppers. Its laser-guided missiles can redirect themselves midflight to hit whatever your reticle is on, and can even lock on to targets. They’re rare, so if you see one of these outside of a mission, make sure to store it at your helipad.
F-69 VTOL
The F-69 is the king of the skies. In helicopter mode, it’s an overbearing force to enemies with its sweeping laser and lock-on missiles (hold down the trigger to shoot up to five at a time). When your targets are farther away, switch to its agile plane mode for greater speed.
N-Forcer
The STAG’s standard issue vehicle is anything but standard. This car is beefy enough to easily push almost anything else on the road out of its way, and its ring turret can decimate enemies and their vehicles alike.
Developer Tips
General Tips
If you spend any money on a car (customize it at all), it will automatically be added to your garage.
Performance upgrades can turn a regular car into a street-legal tank. A fully upgraded car has way more health, tires that almost never go flat, and takes much less damage from collisions.
If you try to enter a vehicle while sprinting you’ll get in much quicker.
You can access your garage and helipad (where available) directly through the main crib menu.
There is a special combat variant of the Eagle that spawns on the restricted National Guard island. It sports heavy Gatling guns and rocket launchers.
You can find helicopters to add to your helipad in the airport.
Oleg won’t be seen riding in just any car. Only the Criminal has been deemed worthy.
The Specter is great for flying around the world and picking up collectibles.
Laser-guided rockets—as seen in the Tornado and the fully upgraded rocket launcher—will redirect mid-flight to hit whatever your reticle is currently pointing at.
The Donovan is named after Saints Row: The Third’s lead producer, Greg Donovan.
If you prefer your planes to handle like a flight simulator, try setting the Airplane Controls option to Advanced.
Double tap the roll button in a plane to perform a barrel roll
Be sure that your VTOL isn’t aimed at a building before switching into plane mode.
Titan armored trucks are (unsurprisingly) filled with cash. Take out these vehicular piñatas to fund your future exploits.
Heavy trucks, though sluggish, are great at barreling through everything else on the road. It doesn’t always have to be about agility.
Vehicle stats and tips were provided by: David Bianchi, Designer
Locating Vehicles
Almost all vehicles are found (in greater or lesser degrees) in most neighborhoods types. Here are some general tips for vehicle location spawning to assist those looking for specific vehicles to complete Vehicle Theft missions or just to add them to your garage.
Those super-fast, super-exotic sports cars are most easily found downtown (especially Loren Square and Sunset Park) and on the casino strip (New Baranec) at night. Other nightspots such as Ashwood and Espina can also spawn them.
During the day, armored cars can also most often be found in those same neighborhoods, picking up the prior night’s casino take and delivering it to the big banks downtown.
Need a truck or other utility vehicle? Try the more industrial neighborhoods (Salander, The Grove, Arapice Island, Henry Steel Mills, and Camano Place).
Vehicle traffic in the residential neighborhoods (Yearwood, Brickston and Rosen Oaks) is usually considerably lower than elsewhere, especially at night, so these are good places to take your cars out for an unimpeded test drive.
Gang Vehicles: Luchadores drive the big, beefy Compensator and the Bulldog; Deckers prefer economical sportiness of the Solar and the Kayak; while Morningstar thugs prefer the refined luxury of the Justice and the Infuego.
Most nonmilitary aircraft are found at Wesley Cutter International, but attack choppers can only be found at the National Guard base at Sierra Point. There is a special, attack version of the Eagle chopper there, too—the only place in Steelport where it appears.
Taxis aren’t exactly rare, but the best place to find one is at the airport.
Status Quo limos are rare, but can be found downtown during the day and cruising the casino strip at night.
A variety of boats and wavecraft are scattered in marinas and at docks around Steelport for the player’s use, but police have boats, too. They can and will pursue you if you take to the waves with law notoriety.
The cigarette in Johnny’s mouth on the Gatmobile is actually a flamethrower. Players seeking to harness this power for themselves can find Gatmobiles only in New Baranec, Ashwood, Henry Steel Mills, and Espina. As a last resort, a player can always check the Planet Saints in Yearwood, as sometimes the Gatmobile can be found parked outside.
Steelport Municipal garbage trucks and street sweepers (Scrubbers), while rare during the day, become much more common at night.
In a few select backwoods areas around Steelport’s perimeter, you can find off-road enthusiasts taking to the trails. These locations are the only place you can find the four-wheel ATV for your garage.
Steelport’s only Ultimate variant of the Shark is landlocked, tucked away somewhere in Sunset Park, awaiting some enterprising player to figure out a way to get it to the open sea.
Locating Vehicles tips provided by: John Brunkhart, Associate Designer