Forza Horizon 5 Drift Zones explained and how to unlock them

Forza Horizon 5 Drift Zones test of your drifting ability along a particular stretch of road, racking up a score for Accolade Points and XP. They can be quite challenging, requiring you to be in control of an out-of-control car, but can also be very satisfying when you get them right and set a good score.

There are 20 Drift Zones to try out, but they’re part of the Horizon Rush PR Stunt series in the Horizon Adventure campaign so that means they’re not available right from the start in Forza Horizon 5 either. To help you with all things Drift Zone related, I’ve explained all there is to know about them in Forza Horizon 5, including how Drift Zones work, how to unlock them, and some tips for getting a decent score.

How Forza Horizon 5 Drift Zones work

Drift Zones are challenges found all over the roads in Forza Horizon 5’s Mexico that test players’ drifting abilities. For each Drift Zone, you need to drive along and stay within a particular stretch of road and drift as much as possible to score points. You can initiate a drift by tapping the brakes or e-brake as you turn your car. Maintaining a drift requires practice, but you need to carefully balance your steering in both directions to prevent spinning out or regaining full control. When you exit the Drift Zone, you’ll be awarded your final score.

Each Forza Horizon 5 Drift Zone has three score thresholds that you can cross to get a star rating and certain rewards:

• 1 Star: 100 Accolade Points
• 2 Star: 250 Accolade Points
• 3 Star: 500 Accolade Points

However, it is possible to fail Drift Zones and have your current score wiped, meaning you’ll have to start over. Spending too much time outside the blue flags and being off the designated road, driving back on yourself, or stopping your car will cause you to fail.

How to unlock Forza Horizon 5 Drift Zones

If you want to unlock Forza Horizon 5 Drift Zones, you need to complete the Horizon Rush PR Stunts series Expedition. However, at the start of your FH5 journey, you’ll find that you can’t unlock any of the Horizon Rush activities right away. Instead, focus on completing the introductory Horizon Festival Mexico, Horizon Apex, and Horizon Wilds races and activities first. Keep checking the Horizon Rush series whenever you do get a chapter unlock to so that you can get started with the Expedition as soon as you can.

Once Horizon Rush activities become available, you need unlock the Full Moon Party Canyon Expedition with a Horizon Adventure chapter unlock. After you’ve done that, head to the Canyon Expedition mission location and complete the mission which involves you driving a massive parade float. With the Expedition completed, the Horizon Rush Outpost will be established, and Jaimin will show you loads of new PR Stunt activities such as Speed Traps, Speed Zones, and Drift Zones on the map, ready for you to try out.

Forza Horizon 5 Drift Zone tips

Because of the way the Horizon Adventure campaign works with Accolade Points, you don’t need to do Drift Zones, but if you enjoy drifting or are looking to improve your skills, you should definitely give the Drift Zones a go and bear these tips in mind:

• Drift Zones can be completed in either direction: You can begin the Drift Zone challenge at either end and finish it at the other. However, doing each one both ways is a good idea as you’ll find that one direction feels easier than the other, particularly if one way is downhill and the other is uphill.
• Assists can affect your ability to drift: Drifting in general is made much easier if you have Traction and Stability Control turned off as these two settings try to keep your car under control which you don’t really want when drifting. We've got more advice on tuning your assist setup in this Forza Horizon 5 tips guide.
• Keep on the throttle: You’ll score more points per second the faster you’re driving, so you need to make sure you accelerate through your drift to maintain a decent speed.
• Some cars drift better than others: You need a car that’s quite fast, agile, and suited to rough terrain. It might not be one of the best Forza Horizon cars for drifting, but the Hoonigan Ford Escort RS Cosworth WRC is a good choice early on, especially since all players unlock it after winning the ‘On a Wing and a Prayer’ Showcase Event against the wingsuit stunt team.
• Ignore the racing line and take the widest and longest routes possible: It’s a racing line, after all, not a drifting line. You want to drift around the outside of each corner to maximize your drifting distance to score more points.

Drift Zones are just one of many open world activities you can partake in, and I highly recommend you also keep an eye out for any Forza Horizon 5 Barn Finds as you drive around Mexico.

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