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10 Best Hot Wheels Cars in 2022

If your child has a need for speed, Hot Wheels cars are among the best gifts that you can purchase. The HW tradition is one of quality, fun, and collectability — three traits that your child is sure to enjoy.

Picking the right Hot Wheels toy is easier than it may seem — it’s hard to go wrong when it comes to a new car. If you’re short on ideas, in this article we’ll break down ten of the best Hot Wheels cars and sets so that you’ll have a great idea about where to start.

2022’s Best Hot Wheels Cars

1. Hot Wheels 50th Anniversary Black & Gold Collection

Hot Wheels have been around for a long time — more than fifty years! That’s what makes this package of 50th-Anniversary cars so special.

In this pack, you’ll get six timeless classics of the HW selection, including a Ford Ranchero, Dodge Impala, Dodge Dart, Rodger Dodger, Twin Mill, and a Bone Shaker car. Each car in the pack is modeled after one of the Hot Wheels originals, and they’re all highly detailed.

The tires on these special edition cars are real rubber, which makes them a bit more durable than your average Hot Wheels car, which is saying something.

The black and gold die-cast aesthetic of these cars will make any car fanatic pleased, but the designs are a bit dated for a younger enthusiast to recognize. Nonetheless, Hot Wheels lovers of all ages will appreciate the variety of the cars in this set.

2. City Blastin’ Rig

There’s nothing better than using Hot Wheels cars in high-speed play sessions. With the help of this Blastin Rig, your Hot Wheels lover will be able to launch their favorite cars and get the most out of each vehicle.

The Blastin’ Rig sends HW cars flying, and it also carries a series of cars in its belly. This means that if your child is off to a play session, they can grab their Blastin’ Rig and go. You won’t need to make sure that they have another carrying case for their cars.

Likewise, you won’t need to worry about Mattel cars getting left around the living room or elsewhere once your child has this Blastin’ Rig. While the entire Hot Wheels series won’t fit into the rig, it will comfortably hold 14 cars.

As a caveat, the Blastin’ Rig only comes with three cars out of the box. This means that your collector may want to purchase a few more to round out their collection.

3. 24-Car Assortment

If you’re looking for the right Hot Wheels car set to start your child’s collection, the 24-car assortment is the right pick. With this collection, all 24 of the cars will newer than the 2014-vintage toys.

This means that your child’s car collection will be fresh with the latest vehicles from real-world manufacturers as well as a few recent interpretations of classic vehicle designs like the Batmobile.

The new cars are packed individually in blisters which pop out easily. There’s no guarantee which cars you’ll get with each assortment, but you can count on a few specialty vehicles from recent movies as well as a few cars which appear to be 1970s-vintage.

The biggest drawback of this assortment is that it’s a bit light on the SUV-style vehicles. Likewise, there aren’t too many new trucks. If your child prefers these kinds of vehicles, another Hot Wheels series might be a better choice.

4. Hot Wheels 51st Anniversary Exotics Collection

The Hot Wheels 51st-Anniversary celebration led to the production of new car collections like this one, which features modern and exotic cars such as the ’71 El Camino and the ‘71 Datsun 510 Wagon.

This collector pack caters to the exotic car fanatics in the Hot Wheels fandom. Especially for those who deeply appreciate fine new and classic vehicles, this series will provide hours of play.

Best yet, there are six collector cars in the pack, each of which upholds the Hot Wheels standards for quality and value. The cars are packed into one large blister, which means that you’ll probably need to find a place to house these beauties once your child has unpacked them.

5. 50-Car Starter Pack

What’s the ultimate new gift for a Hot Wheels fan? This collection of 50 cars probably comes close. With the power of 50 cars, you could even purchase this one series to split between several children so that each could have a dozen or more cars to call their own.

The strength of this series is quantity. You’ll need to provide a carrying case or storage location for the cars so that they don’t end up strewn all over the house. Likewise, you may need to help your child open the new blister packs — there’s one for each car.

This means that the youngest HW car lovers might be a bit overwhelmed by this pack, though older fans will find themselves right at home.

The other thing that you may want to add to this pack is a track for the cars. There are so many cars that setting them up around a single playspace is probably a good idea if you’re looking to maximize the play value.

6. Hot Wheels 9-Car Pack

For a slightly smaller collector gift pack than the 50-car set, this new nine-car pack is a great substitute. With nine race-themed Hot Wheels cars, this pack is excellent for children who prefer to play with theirs as racers or stunters.

While the selection of cars in the pack varies, the common theme is that the cars are race-ready. This means that everything from Nascar-style stock cars to Formula One-style cars and everything in between will make an appearance.

If your child is looking for something new that’s more day-to-day, this isn’t the right pack — but if they’re looking for white-hot race cars that are ready to tear up the track, they’ll be very pleased.

Hook these cars up to a stunting ramp or other Hot Wheels playset and your child will be ready for a realm of fast-paced fun.

7. Hot Wheels 20 Car Gift Pack

For a collector pack that’s larger than the 9-car set but not as daunting as the 50-car pack, the 20-car set is a great option in the middle. Unlike the 24-car set we reviewed earlier, the 20-car set has a mix of vehicles which include the models produced before 2014.

This means that it is comparatively heavy on vintage vehicles and older vehicles, giving it a lot more diversity. Likewise, this set doesn’t have any specialty cars from recent movies or pop culture.

If you’re trying to decide between the 24-car set and this series, make the choice based on whether the recipient prefers new vehicles and would like the occasional movie-inspired car to make an appearance in the set.

Movie cars aside, the 20-car series has a great mix of cars that includes a little bit of everything. Every type of car from vintage models to modern SUVs and race cars makes an appearance in the series. Specialty collector cars like race cars and construction vehicles are sparse, but still present.

Likewise, you’ll get a number of great suggestions on how to use the vehicles in the set as part of a larger Hot Wheels play area including ramps and tracks.

If you’re interested in giving a memorable gift to someone who has shown interest in the Hot Wheels universe, this pack is the right choice. While the pack is a bit large for testing the waters, it might also be a good introduction to the Hot Wheels toys for a younger child.

This pack is easy to unwrap, and there’s only a minimal amount of interior packaging that you’ll have to discard, which will make your life easier.

8. Hot Wheels Dragon Blast Play Set

This 2017-edition Dragon Blast set contains five unique prototype racing cars that only exist in the Hot Wheels universe. As a result, your child will enjoy playing with unique vehicles that are ideal for running on lanes and jumps.

Unlike other sets, there aren’t any reality-inspired cars here, only Hot Wheels originals — this means that the cars are distinctly racecar-like in their design, but not exactly fitting into any particular race car style.

For collectors with a discriminating taste for race cars, this might mean this set is a gamble — they could either like it a lot because of its uniqueness or be left wanting a more realistic collection of race cars. Either way, this set is made from high-quality die-cast metal, so it will last a long time.

While there are only five cars in the set, they’re perfect to add to an existing Hot Wheels collection.

9. Hot Wheels 50th Anniversary 8-Car Camaro Set

The Camaro is one of America’s most iconic cars, and that’s why Hot Wheels chose to commemorate it with their 50th-anniversary collection. The Camaro grouping contains eight separate iterations of the vehicle, ranging from the legendary 1967 edition up through the 2017 entry.

In this set, you’ll get the ‘67, ‘69, ‘81, ‘85, ‘95, and ‘13 Camaros, along with a special 2010-vintage Copo Camaro in a racing trim. For the Camaro enthusiast, there isn’t a better Hot Wheels set.

In fact, you might even consider getting this set for someone who isn’t interested in cars at all, but only in Camaros. For the Hot Wheels fan of a younger age, they might not yet have an appreciation of the Camaro that is befitting of this set. It’s one of the best!

Nonetheless, for budding Camaro aficionados, there’s no better set to get. The colors of each are fairly limited, however, but fans of the traditional Camaro look won’t be disappointed.

10. Hot Wheels Star Wars C3P0 Character Car

Unsurprisingly, many fans of Hot Wheels are also fans of Star Wars. That’s why this toy combines the best of both worlds to make a C3P0 character car that’s Hot Wheels ready.

This car uses the goldenrod C3P0 aesthetic in combination with a large bus-like Hot Wheels format to make a killer car. The C3P0 car is stunt-ready, and has a large rear wheel which makes it one of the best at stunting on Hot Wheels tracks.

For children who don’t love Star Wars, this still might be a cool car to pick up because of its unique look — it’s somewhere between a bus and a van in an Art Deco style. Given that C3P0 is a droid, there aren’t many other Star Wars cars that can embody a character as completely as this car.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Hot Wheels Cars Durable?

New Hot Wheels cars are among the most durable toys that you can purchase for your child. It’s entirely possible that your child could pass down their HW collection to their children — and they likely won’t be much worse for the wear.

New and older Hot Wheels cars almost never break, so you don’t need to worry about rough play or needing to replace any broken parts or cars.

What Are The Best Attributes In Mattel Hot Wheels Cars?

The best attributes in a new Hot Wheels car are its style and its real-life rarity. Most children will appreciate style more than real-life rarity, but if they show a passion for cars then the rarity can become as important.

New Hot Wheels cars are produced in a handful of different styles, and your child will probably prefer a certain subset of these styles depending on their tastes.

The new styles include racing cars, vintage cars, exotic cars, construction vehicles, workhorse cars, normal real-life cars, specialty movie cars, and unique cars created only for HW. There are also other types of Mattel specialty cars which can vary immensely in design.

In general, you’ll want to identify your child’s preferred Hot Wheels car style and promote that style in your purchases above other styles. You should probably avoid making a monoculture of cars to keep your child’s horizons open, however.

What Accessories Are Best For New Hot Wheels Cars?

The best accessory for new Hot Wheels cars is a carrying case or organizer. HW cars are never alone, and they tend to end up exactly where the cars will be the most painful for you to step on.

As a result, you’ll do well to invest in a stylish place for your child to keep their collection while it isn’t in use. Anything else and the cars will end up in a pile, where they might get their paint chipped.

Of course, the new carrying case is a pragmatic accessory that is mostly enjoyable for the parents of the Mattel Hot Wheels car owner. For the children themselves, the best new accessories are ramps and playscapes which they can use to make their cars go flying or racing.

These introduce a new element of imaginative car play as well as a light element of active play. Furthermore, your child might combine ramps and roads together in a rudimentary form of constructive play, though it isn’t the emphasis of HW toys in general.

Remember, if you purchase your child a new device which can propel their Hot Wheels cars with force, don’t be surprised if they end up shooting cars at things which are inconvenient or hazardous. Make sure they understand not to shoot cars at their friends or siblings.

What Age Groups Enjoy Hot Wheels Cars The Most?

Children between age 5 and age 10 will probably enjoy new Hot Wheel cars the most. Children who are slightly older — potentially up to age 12 — might enjoy the collecting aspect of Hot Wheels, but probably won’t be as enthralled by active play.

Likewise, younger children might enjoy puttering around with cars, but the cars aren’t best for children who are still teething. The cars aren’t small enough for young children to choke on, but they probably aren’t suitable for being put into a child’s mouth regardless.

HW cars don’t have to be for children only, however. Adults can also enjoy collecting the new Hot Wheels cars that represent their favorite new Mattel play vehicles. Adults tend to prefer luxury or exotic vehicles in the HW format.

Which New Hot Wheels Cars Are The Highest Quality?

The Hot Wheels cars produced for the 50th-anniversary of the brand are typically very high quality in the sense that they use more detailed paint jobs and more finely articulated die-casts than other runs of the brand. They are some of the best ever!

In general, the special new Mattel car collections are of higher quality than the other Hot Wheels cars. Remember, the durability of most HW products is very high.

This means that many of the new special car collections might be of less durability than you expect even if they are of higher quality as far as the art is concerned.

The details of the special editions can easily be chipped away, unlike the simpler bodies of the lower quality but higher durability normal runs of the cars.

Are There Any Hot Wheels Cars to Avoid?

No, there aren’t any specific new Mattel Hot Wheels cars or collections to avoid. The only issues that you’ll face when purchasing HW cars relate to the style of the car. If your child doesn’t like the style, they won’t enjoy playing with the car as much.

But if they don’t like the style, it’ll still have the same Hot Wheels standard of durability and quality. So, while your child’s tastes are important, you can rely on HW cars to be safe and manufactured to a high standard whether or not your child likes it.

How Should I Start A Mattel Hot Wheels Collection for My Child?

The best way to start a Hot Wheels collection for your child is to start small. Get a series of 10 cars or less, and see if they enjoy it. If they do enjoy it, you can slowly add to the collection as you see fit.

It’s usually helpful to get a playset to go along with the first batch of cars to stimulate your child’s imagination regarding what they can do with the Hot Wheels cars.

A set of ramps, jumps, and a garage can be a great way of giving them a bit of extra play that they don’t necessarily need to rely on their imagination or their friends to enjoy.