The new Zhaba in GTA Online costs you at least 1.8 million GTA Dollars. But is the price for this armored vehicle worth it, or should you leave it standing at the dealer?
What kind of car is this? Since January 2, 2020, the “Rune Zhaba” has been available for sale at the Warstock dealer in GTA Online. This is an armored vehicle that belongs to the cars from the new Casino Heist update.
How expensive is it? The purchase price is 1,800,000 GTA Dollars. If you play the finale of the Casino Heist with it, this price gets unlocked. Regularly, the car costs 2,400,000 GTA Dollars.
What is special about it? The Zhaba is a boxy vehicle that stands out with its huge tires. These have a strong tread designed to help the vehicle navigate rough terrain. Additionally, the unique tread pattern of the tires is necessary for the Zhaba to drive on water.
Moreover, it comes with strong armor that can withstand several rockets.
But are these points important enough to justify the price?
The Practical Test – Is the Zhaba Worth the Money?
Patrick tested: In GTA Online, I have now reached over 600 play hours, spending a large part of it in vehicles. In time trials, stunt races, or even in free roam, I regularly test the new vehicles released in the game, assessing their speed, handling, and overall suitability in multiplayer lobbies.
So I had to grab the Zhaba immediately upon release and find out what the box is worth. I definitely needed this drivable cube in my collection. Keep in mind that this test took place on snow, as the online world of GTA 5 was still snowy at that time.
The Tuning: After purchasing the Zhaba, I took the car, like probably every other player in GTA Online, directly for tuning. Here you see the usual options for front and rear bumpers, paint, engine tuning, and so forth. You cannot install weapons.
How fast is the Zhaba? After tuning on the track, it’s quickly clear that the Zhaba is quite slow. In comparison with its direct competitor, the APC, the Zhaba is the loser. A similar picture is seen on the water. The APC is also faster when swimming than the Zhaba.
Offroad Performance: With a vehicle that has such huge tires and strong tread, I had hoped for a more positive offroad experience. It struggles to climb steep hills and simply slides back down. Overall, there is little traction in the terrain.
As an Escape Vehicle? For the Casino Heist , the Zhaba is suggested as a possible escape vehicle. To test it solo, I built up a wanted level of 3 stars in free roam and tried to escape from the police with the Zhaba. I encountered the following problems:
- The ramming of other vehicles is unreliable
- Sometimes the Zhaba flies into the air instead of pushing or crushing other cars
- Ramming is only possible with large vehicles like trucks
- The size and bulky shape make it difficult to hide in smaller alleys
The Armor: One of the most important aspects for you when buying the Zhaba is probably its armor. And here the vehicle can score points. Especially in free roam when you are chased by annoying MK2’s. The Zhaba can withstand 14 rockets from these flying motorcycles before it explodes on the 15th. An Oppressor MK2 can have a maximum of 20 rockets onboard. If 5 of them have already been fired, you can survive an attack in the Zhaba.
The windows can withstand some shots before they shatter. So you are only temporarily protected from shots to your head while behind the wheel.
A downside is that the Zhaba can be thrown around quickly by explosive attacks or even flip over. Even if you withstand the rocket attacks, you will still be thrown off course.
Conclusion
Who is the purchase worthwhile for? Anyone who wants to buy the Zhaba needs to have a clear goal in mind. As an escape vehicle or offroad wonder, it is less suitable. However, the car scores points with its strong armor and the 4 seats.
As a fun vehicle for free roam, I think the Zhaba is quite suitable. But, as suggested in the game, it is less so as an escape vehicle in the heist. It would require some buffs in terms of speed (on land and water) as well as traction.
Have you tried the Zhaba yet?
