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Gran Turismo 7 gives new players a guided opening rather than a single mandatory build. Follow the active Café Menu Book and its World Map marker, choose whichever of the three compact starter cars you prefer, and use License Tests as short driving lessons. The choice is low stakes: PlayStation says you quickly earn the other two cars, so there is no evidence-based “best” model that you must select. Keep Beginner assistance or Auto-Drive features on if the controls feel busy, then reduce help as your confidence grows.
This route gets you moving without overspending on upgrades or treating Gold medals as a requirement. The Café introduces activities progressively, while World Circuits, Scapes, licenses and the Tuning Shop open up for exploration. A free standalone introduction, My First Gran Turismo, is also available if you want a short way to learn the basics before committing to the full game.
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| Name | Best for | Key spec | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any of the three opening compact cars | Choosing a comfortable first drive | You quickly earn the other two; no supported objective winner | November 2026 |
| Café Menu Book and World Map | Finding the next activity | The active book places a compass marker over the required pavilion | November 2026 |
| License Tests | Practising one driving skill at a time | Short, scenario-based tasks with a predetermined car and clear goal | November 2026 |
| My First Gran Turismo | Trying a free beginner introduction | 18 cars, approximately two hours, with cars transferable to GT7 through the Gift Menu | November 2026 |
The table is a decision guide, not a performance ranking. The available sources do not provide comparable lap times or a head-to-head test of the three opening cars.
What should I do first in Gran Turismo 7?
Start by opening the World Map and reading the active Menu Book in the Café. Select the book’s current task, then follow the compass icon to the highlighted pavilion. Complete that activity, collect its reward, and return to the Café for the next instruction. This is the game’s intended onboarding path and prevents the large map from becoming a list of unexplained icons.
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- Check the active Menu Book. The Café is your early-game route, not a separate restaurant-management mode. Its pages tell you what to collect or which event to enter.
- Use the World Map marker. During a Menu Book, the official manual says a compass icon appears over the pavilion you need to visit. Select that location rather than guessing among the map’s venues. See the World Map and Menu Books manual.
- Run the newly available activity once. Let the game introduce World Circuits, license tests, Scapes or the Tuning Shop as they appear. You can revisit them later; early progress does not require mastering every option immediately.
- Return to the Café. Claim the next Menu Book objective before spending your credits. This keeps your purchases connected to an actual event or collection goal.
You can explore outside the prompt whenever you want. The practical distinction is between direction and obligation: the Menu Book gives you a sensible sequence, but it does not mean every player must abandon free driving or photography until the book is finished.
How do Café Menu Books and the World Map work?
The World Map is GT7’s navigation hub, and the Café’s active Menu Book supplies the early-game context. When a book asks you to visit a pavilion, the compass marker points to it; when it asks for cars or an event, the surrounding map and newly opened venues provide the places to complete that request.
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If you lose track of the current task, return to the Café and inspect the Menu Book page rather than driving random races. The World Map manual explains the relationship between the map, pavilions and active books at Gran Turismo’s online guide.
Do I need to prioritise License Tests?
Work toward Bronze licenses as they become relevant, but do not treat Gold as a gate for ordinary beginner progress. PlayStation describes the tests as short, scenario-based lessons: each uses a predetermined car, a clear goal and a focused driving skill. That makes them useful practice even when you are mainly interested in races.
A productive license routine is:
- Read the target. Identify whether the exercise is about braking, turning, acceleration, positioning or maintaining control.
- Watch the demonstration or target line. The objective is not simply to drive quickly; it is to understand where the car must be placed and when a control input should happen.
- Repeat with one change at a time. If you miss a corner, alter your braking point first. If the car runs wide on exit, reduce steering or throttle rather than changing everything simultaneously.
- Carry the lesson into a race. A braking exercise matters when you apply the same earlier, straighter braking approach at the end of a long straight.
Bronze is a sensible first target. The official license manual states that earning Bronze in all tests awards a gift car, while earning Gold in all tests awards another gift car. Gold can require repeated attempts, so regard it as an optional challenge and a way to refine consistency, not proof that you are allowed to continue.
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Which is the best first car?
The best first car is the one of the three compact opening choices whose handling and appearance appeal to you. PlayStation’s beginner guide says you quickly earn the other two, so the opening selection is not a permanent strategic commitment and no model-specific winner is supported by the official guidance.
Use the first drive to compare feel, not a presumed ranking:
- Can you tell when the car is about to lock a brake or slide?
- Does it turn predictably when you release the brake?
- Can you apply throttle on corner exit without constantly correcting the steering?
- Do you enjoy looking at and driving it enough to practise?
After the game awards another compact, drive it on a familiar section of track before buying upgrades. Notice which car lets you repeat the same braking and turn-in points. That is a personal fit decision, not a claim that one has the fastest lap time. The supplied official sources contain no comparative test, lap-time table or model-by-model recommendation.
Do not restart your career to chase an alleged perfect choice. The other two cars arrive quickly, and the driving habits you build in the opening events matter more than a small difference between compact models.
Should I use driving assists at the start?
Yes, if they reduce workload while you learn. GT7’s official manual offers Beginner, Intermediate and Expert assistance presets and recommends Auto-Drive features for beginners. Assistance is adjustable, so you can change one aid at a time instead of making an all-or-nothing decision.
A practical progression is:
- Begin with the Beginner preset or Auto-Drive. Keep attention on steering, braking points and the racing line while the game handles tasks that are currently distracting.
- Change only one setting after a clean run. If you can complete a race without losing concentration, reduce a single aid and observe what new workload appears.
- Restore help when the task changes. A longer race, unfamiliar weather or a more powerful car can justify returning to an easier setting.
- Use licenses as the check. If removing an aid causes repeated mistakes in a focused test, put it back and practise the underlying skill before trying again.
The goal is control, not a badge for driving with every aid disabled. The Assistance Settings manual documents the available presets and options. It does not impose a universal timetable for moving from Beginner to Expert.
When should I tune the car?
Try the cars and events the game opens before spending heavily on performance parts. PlayStation’s beginner guidance specifically points to tires as an understandable early tuning choice and says there is no need to obsess over fine tuning at the beginning.
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Tires are a useful first comparison because their purpose is easy to observe: drive the same corner before and after the change and pay attention to braking stability, turn-in and corner-exit traction. If the car still feels unfamiliar, more horsepower can make the problem harder to diagnose. Learn the stock car’s behavior first, then decide whether a tire change solves a clear weakness.
Use this order when you are tempted by the Tuning Shop:
- Complete a few events in the car’s standard state.
- Identify one repeatable issue, such as sliding on corner exit.
- Make the simplest relevant change, beginning with tires rather than complex power or suspension adjustments.
- Drive the same kind of corner again and keep the change only if it improves your control.
There is no requirement in the supplied beginner guidance to buy a steering wheel, controller upgrade or paid add-on. A standard setup is enough to follow the Café route and practise licenses.
What is a good first-session route?
The following sequence balances guidance and experimentation. It does not require you to finish every Menu Book before exploring another mode.
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- Set your assistance level. Choose Beginner or enable Auto-Drive if simultaneous steering, braking and shifting feel overwhelming.
- Choose one opening compact car. Pick the design or handling impression you prefer; do not search for an unsupported “meta” choice.
- Open the Café’s active Menu Book. Read the complete objective and note any cars, venue or event it names.
- Follow the compass on the World Map. Visit the highlighted pavilion, then enter the indicated activity.
- Attempt an available License Test. Aim for Bronze and treat the attempt as a drill. Save Gold attempts for when you want an extra challenge.
- Drive the other compact cars when awarded. Compare predictability and comfort on the same type of corner, not just the first impression from a different track.
- Explore newly opened modes. Try a World Circuit event, take a photograph in Scapes or inspect the Tuning Shop when the game introduces it.
- Spend only for a clear purpose. If you tune, start with a simple tire comparison and keep enough credits for the next Menu Book objective.
At the end of this session, you should know where the next Café task is, which assistance settings reduce friction and which compact car you personally enjoy. You do not need Gold medals, a fully tuned vehicle or a final decision about your long-term race car.
What mistakes should a new player avoid?
Chasing a “best” starter car list
Specific model rankings are not supported by the official beginner material. Because the other two opening cars arrive quickly, restarting or delaying progress for a supposed perfect pick costs practice time without solving a real problem.
Turning off every assist immediately
Removing all help at once can replace a driving lesson with control overload. Start with the official Beginner or Auto-Drive recommendation, then reduce assistance in small steps.
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Spending credits before understanding the car
Extra power can hide braking and throttle mistakes. Drive stock, identify a repeatable issue and make a simple change—tires are the clearest early comparison suggested by the beginner guide.
Assuming Gold is mandatory
Bronze and Gold are medal thresholds, not two different licenses you must unlock in sequence. Bronze across all tests has its own gift-car reward; Gold across all tests adds another reward and may require many retries.
Ignoring the Café after free exploration
Exploration is harmless, but the active Menu Book remains the clearest route to the next introduced activity. When you no longer know what to do, return to the Café and follow the World Map compass.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is My First Gran Turismo useful before GT7?
It is a free, standalone beginner introduction for PlayStation players who want a short orientation. PlayStation lists 18 unique cars and describes the full experience as taking approximately two hours. Cars unlocked there can be transferred to GT7 through the Gift Menu, making it a low-commitment way to practise before starting the larger game.
It is optional rather than a prerequisite. If you already own GT7, its Café, licenses and assistance settings provide the same practical starting framework. If you are still deciding whether the driving style suits you, the standalone introduction gives you a defined set of challenges without requiring the full campaign.
Check the current platform listing and transfer instructions on the official My First Gran Turismo page before downloading, because availability and account requirements can change.
Do the latest updates change the beginner route?
Not at the beginning. The latest official notice in the supplied material is version 1.72, dated October 15, 2026. It adds cars and World Circuit events and lists new Brand Central content, but its Extra Menus and Seasonal Menu require clearing Menu Book 39 and watching the ending. Those are late-game additions, not prerequisites for choosing a starter car, following the Café or earning Bronze licenses.
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Update 1.71 coverage also describes different driving experiences among that update’s featured cars, but it does not establish a best beginner model. Treat update cars as additional options once you reach the relevant content, not as a reason to restart the opening.
You can read the 1.72 update notice for the current unlock conditions and the 1.71 field guide for its featured-car context.
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How we picked this beginner route
The route follows the strongest evidence in the official manual and PlayStation’s beginner guidance: use the World Map and active Menu Book for direction; choose among the three compact cars by preference because the alternatives arrive quickly; use License Tests as focused, scenario-based practice; begin with Beginner assistance or Auto-Drive when needed; explore before investing heavily in tuning; and treat tires as a simple early comparison. It avoids unsupported lap-time rankings, pass-rate statistics and claims that Gold or Expert settings are required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip the Café and just race wherever I want?
You can explore other available activities, but the Café remains the clearest way to see which pavilion or event the onboarding currently expects. If you become disoriented, return to the active Menu Book and follow its World Map compass marker.
Are Extra Menus available as soon as I start a new save?
No. In the 1.72 update notice, Extra Menus and the Seasonal Menu become available after Menu Book 39 is cleared and the ending is watched. They are therefore not part of the opening route.
Does My First Gran Turismo replace Gran Turismo 7?
No. It is a separate, shorter introduction with 18 cars and an approximately two-hour complete experience. Its unlocked cars can be transferred to GT7 through the Gift Menu, but the full game still contains the broader Café and campaign structure.
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What should I do if a license test feels impossible?
Keep the assistance level that lets you concentrate, identify the single skill the test is teaching and change one input at a time. Bronze is an appropriate first target; Gold is an optional refinement challenge rather than a condition for normal early progress.
