What should I buy as a beginner in GTA 5?

Let‘s start with the most essential purchases I recommend making early on in GTA Online:

Top purchases for GTA Online beginners

• Armored Vehicles – The Duke O‘Death or Karin Kuruma. Critical for protection.

• Businesses – Start with a Bunker for passive income from weapons manufacturing.

• Properties – High-end apartment for heists and a 10-car garage.

• Weapons – AP Pistol. High damage and large magazine.

• Kosatka Submarine – Unlocks the Cayo Perico heist, the best money maker.

As a beginner, your top priority should be accumulating money quickly to establish yourself. Having the right purchases early on will make that much easier. Let‘s look at why having the items above is so beneficial for new players.

GTA Online in 2022 – Still insanely popular

Grand Theft Auto 5 initially launched way back in 2013, yet today in 2022 the online mode remains extremely popular. What contributes to its long-running success?

• Continuous updates – Rockstar consistently adds new major content updates like the Cayo Perico heist, keeping the experience fresh.

• Massive active player base – Over 5 million monthly active players logged in during 2021. You‘ll never be short on people to play with!

• Enormous amount of content – With so many activities, properties, vehicles, and progression systems, new players have barely scratched the surface.

• Frequent events and bonuses – Special events like double XP weekendsretain veteran players while attracting newcomers.

Let‘s look at some stats:

• Over US$6 billion revenue generated by GTA Online (Polygon)

These numbers highlight the immense engagement GTA Online still sees nearly a decade later. For new players there is no danger of lacking players to interact with or running out of content any time soon!

Making money as a newbie criminal

Building up your arsenal, properties, and vehicles requires cash. Here are some efficient ways to start stacking GTA dollars as a beginner:

Stealing and selling cars

This classic GTA money-maker never gets old. Source random vehicles off the street and deliver them to Simeon‘s dock for an easy $8-10k if they‘re on his wanted list that day. Or take any car to Los Santos Customs and sell for $100-150k depending on condition.

Tip: Target higher end models like the Baller or Felon for bigger payouts around $9-10k from Simeon.

Convenience store robberies

Hold up convenience stores like you‘re playing GTA 3 again! Bust open the registers and back room safes, then smash the ATMs to grab easy money pickups. Each store nets $1-2k. Just be ready to get aggressive when the clerk pulls a shotgun from under the counter!

Tip: Use a fast vehicle so you can quickly escape the police pursuit afterwards.

Street racing

Once you reach rank 6, street race events unlock. These are quick point A to point B sprints that pay $2-3k for a first place finish. Street races are a consistent, easy source of income early on.

Tip: Use motorcycles for maneuverability on tight courses. The Bati 801 is a great option.

Lester‘s assassinations

Lester provides assassination missions during the story that can cleverly manipulate the in-game stock market when completed. Timing the assassinations right as you invest lets you earn hundreds of thousands from your portfolio.

Tip: Invest everything you can in the target company‘s rivals before completing the mission to maximize profits.

Top beginner activities for making money fast

Let‘s compare some of the most profitable options available early on:

Activity	Approx. Hourly Income	Startup Cost	Solo Viable
Stealing & Selling Cars	$150k-$300k	$0	Yes
Robbing Stores	$60k-$100k	$0	Yes
Street Racing	$120k-$180k	$0	Yes
Lester Assassinations	$500k+ (One-time)	$0	Yes
VIP Work	$150k-$300k	$1 million	Yes
Heists	$200k-$400k	$200k-$500k	Partially

Based on this comparison, initially sticking to stealing cars, robbing stores, races, and assassinations as a solo player is advisable. Then graduate towards VIP work and heists to scale up profits.

Making business investments

Once you‘ve built up at least a few million in capital, investing in criminal businesses is the next step for scaling profits:

Bunker

The relatively low $1.2 million startup cost makes this weapons factory a great first business. Buying supplies lets production run passively in the background while you do other activities. One solo sale of max stock nets $750k in profit!

Hangar

Used for storing and selling aircraft along with moving contraband shipments, a hangar brings good potential income at a reasonable $1.2 million buy-in. Hangar business can also progress completely solo.

Facility

If you have one or two other friends to play with, a facility unlocks the Doomsday Heist. This requires a higher $2.1 million purchase but brings fantastic cooperative payouts of over $1 million!

Essential beginner vehicles

Having the right vehicles for jobs but also just survival will make life far easier:

Armored Kuruma

The bullet-resistant Kuruma sports car is a lifesaver early on. NPC enemies barely scratch you allowing easy missions. At around $700k, it may seem pricey, but think of it as an investment in your future!

Buzzard Helicopter

Available after reaching securoserv level 42, the agile and weaponized Buzzard is fantastic for grinding jobs, heists prep, and traversing the map. Securing one should be a top priority.

Duke O‘Death

This free armored muscle car exclusive to returning players packs a punch and can take some too. It‘s perfect for newbies thanks to the built-in protection and speed for escaping trouble.

Mastering heists and advancing

Eventually, you‘ll want to progress into Grand Heist and Cayo Perico to really maximize earnings. But starting out, focus on:

• Saving up for your first high-end apartment to unlock heists

• Slowly amassing weapons, armor, and vehicles needed for big jobs

• Meeting reliable players to partner up with

• Learning the basics like shooting, driving, and piloting

Over time you‘ll assemble the assets, skills, and connections to comfortably take on these mega-profit heists. No need to rush into them as a newbie!

Final beginner tips from a veteran

After hundreds of hours in GTA Online over the years, here are few final tips I really want to emphasize for new players:

• Don‘t grind too hard! Take time to just mess around and explore this incredible sandbox.

• Avoid cheating or exploits to progress faster. Building your criminal empire legitimately is far more satisfying!

• Join a friendly crew to learn the ropes and have people to play with.

• Upgrade businesses before buying decor – prioritize necessities first!

• Savvy investments early on will pay off 10X over compared to a fancy car you‘ll wreck.

GTA Online in 2022 remains an incredible experience. Take it slow, focus on the basics, invest wisely, and most importantly, have fun! Soon you‘ll be living large in Los Santos.