How To Get New Cars In Gta 5 Story Mode: Essential Guide

Getting new cars in GTA 5 story mode is easy! You can steal them, buy them from websites, or even find rare ones by exploring. This guide shows you the best ways to fill your garage with cool rides in single-player.

Welcome, fellow adventurers! Are you cruising through Los Santos and feeling like your ride just isn’t cutting it? Maybe you’ve just started playing Grand Theft Auto 5 and are wondering how to upgrade from that rusty old sedan. It’s a common question, and honestly, a fun one to answer! Having a sweet new car can really change how you play, making missions smoother and exploration a blast.

Don’t worry if you’re new to the game or just aren’t sure where to start. We’ve got you covered with simple, straightforward methods to get your hands on some awesome vehicles. Think of this as your friendly guide to navigating the streets and filling your garage with the rides of your dreams. Let’s dive in and find out how to get those shiny new wheels!

Table of Contents

Your Ultimate Guide to New Cars in GTA 5 Story Mode

Grand Theft Auto 5’s story mode offers a vast open world filled with opportunities, and getting new cars is a massive part of the fun. Whether you’re looking for speed, resilience, or just pure style, there’s a method for everyone. We’ll break down the most effective ways to acquire vehicles, from quick grabs to strategic purchases.

1. The Most Common Way: Stealing Cars

Let’s be honest, this is how most of us start out in Los Santos. Stealing cars is the most immediate way to get a new set of wheels, and it’s incredibly simple. You’ll find vehicles everywhere, from quiet suburban streets to busy highways.

How to Steal a Car:

Approach a Vehicle: Walk up to any parked or driven car.
Enter the Vehicle: Press the designated button to open the door and get in. On PlayStation, this is typically the ‘X’ button, and on Xbox, it’s ‘A’. PC players will usually use the ‘E’ key.
Drive Away: Once inside, simply drive away. Be aware that if the car is locked and you force entry (e.g., breaking a window), you might attract police attention immediately.

Tips for Stealing:

Mission Cars: Sometimes, cars needed for story missions can be specifically identified. Driving these might not always be the safest option if you need to escape police.
High-End Cars: Luxury sedans and sports cars are often parked in wealthier neighborhoods like Rockford Hills or Vinewood. They might have alarms, so be quick!
Avoid Alarms: If a car has an alarm, it will sound when you open the door. This draws unwanted attention. Sometimes, you can disable it by entering quickly.

2. Buying Cars: The Guaranteed Method

If stealing isn’t your style, or you’re looking for specific models or want to avoid the hassle of police chases, buying a car is your best bet. GTA 5 features an in-game internet that allows you to purchase vehicles directly to your garage.

Using the Internet to Buy Cars:

Access the Internet: Use your character’s smartphone. Press the D-pad Up on consoles or the corresponding key on PC to bring up the phone menu.
Navigate to the Web Browser: Select the internet icon.
Go to “Travel and Transport”: On the internet homepage, find and click on the “Travel and Transport” category OR directly navigate to the specific dealership websites.
Browse the Dealerships: You’ll find several websites listing available cars. The most popular ones are:
- Legendary Motorsport: For high-performance sports cars, supercars, and luxury vehicles.
- Southern San Andreas Super Autos: Offers a wide range of more affordable sedans, coupes, motorcycles, and off-road vehicles.
- Elitas Travel: Primarily for aircraft, but sometimes lists unique ground vehicles.
- Warstock Cache & Carry: Specializes in military vehicles, armored cars, and unique industrial/specialty vehicles.
Select Your Car: Browse through the listings. You can view details, prices, and images of each vehicle.
Place Your Order: Once you’ve chosen a car, click “Buy Now.” You’ll be prompted to select a garage location where you want the vehicle to be delivered.
Delivery: Your new car will be delivered to the chosen property within a few in-game minutes.

Important Notes on Buying:

Garages are Essential: You need to own a property with a garage for vehicle delivery. Your characters start with basic garages, but you can purchase more spacious and numerous garage properties as you progress.
Cost: Vehicles purchased online can range from a few thousand dollars to over a million. Make sure you have enough cash! Missions and investments through the stock market are great ways to earn money.
Character-Specific Purchases: While you can buy cars for any character, they are delivered to the garages associated with that specific character.

3. Finding Special and Rare Cars

Beyond the everyday models and flashy supercars, GTA 5 hides several unique and rare vehicles that can be found through exploration or by chance. These often don’t appear on regular dealership sites and can be quite the collectors’ items.

Examples of Special Autos:

The Obey 9F Cabrio (Rare Spawn): Sometimes found parked in affluent areas.
Dinka Double-T: A unique motorcycle sometimes spotted in specific areas.
Certain Classic Sports Cars: Models like the Annis Elegy RH8 (which can also be bought for free via the Rockstar Social Club connection) or older sports cars can be found in various locations.

Where to Look:

Wealthy Neighborhoods: Rockford Hills, Vinewood Hills, and Del Perro often have higher concentrations of desirable vehicles.
Parking Garages: Public parking structures can sometimes hold valuable cars.
Exclusive Events/Areas: The Vinewood Movie Studio lots or exclusive clubs might have unique vehicles parked nearby.
Random Spawns: Sometimes, you’ll just stumble upon a cool car while driving around. Keep your eyes peeled!

4. Modifying and Customizing Your Cars

Once you’ve acquired your dream car, the next step is often to make it your own. Los Santos Customs is your go-to place for upgrades and cosmetic changes.

What You Can Do at Los Santos Customs:

Performance Upgrades: Engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, turbo – boost your car’s speed and handling.
Armor and Bulletproof Tires: Increase your vehicle’s durability for tougher situations.
Cosmetic Changes: New paint jobs (including matte and metallic finishes), rims, spoilers, hoods, lights, and more.
Custom Plates: Design your own license plates.
Repair: Fix any damage your car has sustained.

To access Los Santos Customs, simply drive your car into the orange marker on the map. You’ll need money to pay for services, so make sure you’ve got some cash handy.

5. Vehicle Storage: Your Garage is Key

You can’t just keep every car willy-nilly. You need a place to store them! In GTA 5 story mode, each of the three protagonists (Michael, Franklin, and Trevor) has their own set of properties and garages.

Protagonist Garages:

Michael: Starts with a large garage at his Rockford Hills mansion. Can purchase other properties with garages.
Franklin: Initially has a smaller garage at his aunt’s house. Buys a medium-sized garage in La Puerta and can purchase larger properties later.
Trevor: Has access to a garage at his flight school property and later acquires larger garages through story progression.

Cars you steal and keep are automatically stored in the garage of the character you are currently playing as, provided you drive them there. Purchased cars are delivered to the selected garage. If a personal vehicle is destroyed, you can often call your mechanic or insurance company (depending on the vehicle and game version) to have it replaced. For more on vehicle insurance and retrieval, check out resources like the Rockstar Games Support page.

6. Vehicle Properties and Special Garages

As you progress through the story and make money, you can buy various properties around Los Santos and Blaine County. Many of these come with garages, offering more storage space and sometimes unique vehicle access.

Types of Properties with Garages:

Standard Garages: These come attached to apartments or houses and come in various sizes (2-car, 4-car, 6-car).
Vehicle Warehouses: Primarily for CEO work in GTA Online, but in story mode, some properties might function similarly for specific missions or unique vehicle acquisition.
Hangar/Aircraft Hangars: While for planes, they often have space for one or two land vehicles.
Special Vehicle Garages: Certain properties might offer unique storage for specialized vehicles acquired through the story.

Purchasing properties is done via the internet on your in-game phone. Look for properties marked with a green house icon on the map. Once purchased, you can inspect them and see the available garage spaces.

7. Unique and Mission-Specific Vehicles

Throughout the story mode, you’ll encounter vehicles that are crucial to specific missions. Some of these can be kept after the mission is completed, offering you a chance to own some very special rides.

How to Keep Mission Vehicles:

Complete the Mission: First and foremost, finish the mission successfully.
Drive to a Garage: Immediately after the mission concludes, drive the desired vehicle to one of your owned garages.
Save Your Game: It’s highly recommended to hop out, go into your safe house, and save your game. This can help “lock in” the vehicle as yours.
Modify at Los Santos Customs: Driving the vehicle to Los Santos Customs and performing at least one modification (even a cheap one like changing the license plate or buying armor) is often the most reliable way to make it persist as your personal vehicle.

Note: Not all mission vehicles can be kept. Some are scripted to be destroyed or are only temporary during the mission sequence.

8. Free Cars and Special Online Bonuses

Even in story mode, there are ways to get cars for free. One prominent example is the Annis Elegy RH8. If you link your Rockstar Games Social Club account to your gaming profile, this high-performance sports car is often available to download for free from Legendary Motorsport. You’ll still need a garage to store it, but the car itself costs nothing.

Keep an eye out for any in-game events or bonuses that Rockstar Games might offer, as these can sometimes extend to story mode, providing free vehicles or significant discounts. For official updates, the Rockstar Newswire is the best place to check.

GTA 5 Story Mode Vehicle Acquisition: A Quick Look

Here’s a table summarizing your primary methods for getting new cars in GTA 5 story mode:

Method	Pros	Cons	Best For
Stealing	Fastest, immediate, no cost	Risk of police attention, limited selection, car may be damaged	Quick transport, getting early game vehicles
Buying Online	Wide selection, specific models, no police hassle, pristine condition	Requires significant cash, takes time to save	Collecting specific cars, building a specialized garage
Finding Rare Spawns	Unique vehicles, sense of discovery	Can be difficult to find, relies on luck	Collectors, players seeking unique additions
Keeping Mission Vehicles	Own unique story-related cars	Not all vehicles can be kept, requires specific steps	Collecting iconic mission vehicles
Free Online Bonuses	No cost for specific vehicles (e.g., Elegy RH8)	Requires Social Club link, limited selection	Getting powerful cars for free early on

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How do I get a car for Franklin specifically?

To get a car for Franklin, you can steal one and drive it to his current garage. Alternatively, if you have enough money, you can access Legendary Motorsport or Southern San Andreas Super Autos via the internet on his phone and purchase a vehicle. It will be delivered to one of his owned garages.

Q2: Can I store infinite cars?

No, you cannot store an infinite number of cars. Each garage property you own has a specific capacity (usually 2, 4, or potentially more cars depending on the property). You can only store cars up to the limit of your available garage spaces.

Q3: What happens if my purchased car is destroyed?

If a car you purchased (or one you’ve modified at Los Santos Customs to be a “personal vehicle”) is destroyed, you can often call a specific in-game service to have it replaced. For vehicles with insurance, you can call your insurance company (via the phone) to retrieve a replacement, though there might be a fee. Vehicles without insurance may not be recoverable or might require specific plot progression.

Q4: How do I make money to buy expensive cars?

Plenty of ways! Completing story missions rewards you with cash. Robbing armored vans or convenience stores offers quick, albeit risky, income. Investing in the stock market (LCN and BAWSAQ) using the information gained from certain story missions (especially Lester’s assassination missions for Franklin) can yield massive profits. You can find detailed guides on GTA 5 stock market manipulation online.

Q5: Which is the fastest car in GTA 5 Story Mode?

The absolute fastest cars in GTA 5 Story Mode are typically found within the “Supercars” or “Hypercars” category, such as the Grotti Itali RSX, Benefactor Krieger, or Ocelot Pariah. These are best purchased from Legendary Motorsport. However, remember that a car’s top speed isn’t everything; handling and acceleration also play huge roles in performance, especially during races or chases.

Q6: Can I get online-exclusive cars in story mode?

Generally, no. Cars that are added exclusively to GTA Online through updates typically do not make their way into the story mode. However, some older “exclusive” vehicles, like the Annis Elegy RH8, are available for free through the Social Club connection for story mode players.

Conclusion

So there you have it! Getting new cars in GTA 5 story mode is a core part of enjoying the experience, and as you can see, there are plenty of ways to fill your garages with some truly exciting rides. Whether you prefer the thrill of liberating a luxury vehicle from its unsuspecting owner, the strategic planning of saving up for a top-tier supercar, or the joy of finding a rare gem out on the streets, Los Santos has a vehicle waiting for you.

Remember to keep your safes houses and garages in mind, as they are your key to keeping your prized possessions. And don’t forget the customization options at Los Santos Customs – turning a good car into a great one is half the fun! Keep exploring, keep earning, and most importantly, keep driving those amazing machines. Happy cruising!