The Tadpole is the first vehicle most players craft, and it serves as a versatile all-rounder for the early and mid-game. It is a small, one-person submersible with a base crush depth of 200 meters, upgradeable to 400 and 800 meters with hull modules. The Tadpole is nimble, with responsive controls and a compact profile that lets it navigate tight cave systems and wrecks where larger vehicles cannot fit. Its top speed is moderate, making it adequate for mid-depth travel but slow for long-distance open-water transits.
The Tadpole's strengths are affordability and accessibility. It requires relatively common materials to craft and is unlocked early through story progression. Its hull, while fragile at base level, can be reinforced with upgrades to withstand mid-tier predator hits. The Tadpole also supports a torpedo launcher for decoys, a Sonar module for mapping, and a storage module for limited cargo. These customization options make it adaptable, though its single-seat design means co-op players each need their own vehicle.
The Tadpole's weaknesses are durability and capacity. Even upgraded, its hull cannot survive a leviathan grab, and its cargo space is too small for bulk resource hauling. It is also slow enough that fleeing a persistent predator is difficult without decoys. Despite these limitations, the Tadpole remains the best choice for new players and for solo exploration of mid-depth biomes. It is the vehicle that carries you through Act One and much of Act Two, and many players keep one docked at their hub base as a quick-response craft even after acquiring larger vehicles.
Tadpole: The Early All-Rounder
The Tadpole is the first vehicle most players craft, and it serves as a versatile all-rounder for the early and mid-game. It is a small, one-person submersible with a base crush depth of 200 meters, upgradeable to 400 and 800 meters with hull modules. The Tadpole is nimble, with responsive controls and a compact profile that lets it navigate tight cave systems and wrecks where larger vehicles cannot fit. Its top speed is moderate, making it adequate for mid-depth travel but slow for long-distance open-water transits.
The Tadpole's strengths are affordability and accessibility. It requires relatively common materials to craft and is unlocked early through story progression. Its hull, while fragile at base level, can be reinforced with upgrades to withstand mid-tier predator hits. The Tadpole also supports a torpedo launcher for decoys, a Sonar module for mapping, and a storage module for limited cargo. These customization options make it adaptable, though its single-seat design means co-op players each need their own vehicle.
The Tadpole's weaknesses are durability and capacity. Even upgraded, its hull cannot survive a leviathan grab, and its cargo space is too small for bulk resource hauling. It is also slow enough that fleeing a persistent predator is difficult without decoys. Despite these limitations, the Tadpole remains the best choice for new players and for solo exploration of mid-depth biomes. It is the vehicle that carries you through Act One and much of Act Two, and many players keep one docked at their hub base as a quick-response craft even after acquiring larger vehicles.
Tank: The Heavy Cargo Hauler
The Tank is Subnautica 2's heavy-duty vehicle, designed for cargo hauling and extended expeditions. It is significantly larger than the Tadpole, with a base crush depth of 300 meters upgradeable to 600 and 900 meters. The Tank's defining feature is its massive cargo capacity; with storage modules, it can carry several times the resources of a Tadpole, making it the only practical choice for bulk material transport and deep-biome salvage operations. It also supports multiple passengers in co-op, with up to four seats.
The Tank's strengths are capacity, durability, and multi-crew support. Its reinforced hull can withstand multiple mid-tier predator hits, and with full upgrades it can survive a glancing leviathan attack. The cargo bay is large enough to haul all the materials needed for a deep outpost in a single trip, a capability that transforms base-building logistics. In co-op, the Tank lets the entire team travel together, with one player piloting and others operating scanners, repairs, or defensive systems. This makes it the premier co-op vehicle for group expeditions.
The Tank's weaknesses are speed and maneuverability. It is the slowest vehicle in the game, making it a poor choice for escaping predators. Its bulk also prevents it from entering narrow caves and wrecks, limiting its exploration utility. The fuel efficiency nerf in the 1.1 update means the Tank consumes power faster, requiring careful power management on long trips. The Tank is best used as a dedicated hauler and co-op transport, not as an exploration vehicle. Pair it with a Tadpole or Jet Speeder at your hub base so you have the right tool for each mission type.
| Stat | Tadpole | Tank | Jet Speeder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base depth | 200m | 300m | 150m |
| Max depth | 800m | 900m | 400m |
| Top speed | Moderate | Slow | Fast |
| Cargo | Small | Large | Minimal |
| Seats | 1 | 4 | 1 |
Jet Speeder: The Fast Scout
The Jet Speeder is the high-speed scout vehicle, optimized for rapid traversal and evasion. It has a base crush depth of only 150 meters, upgradeable to 300 and 400 meters, making it the shallowest-rated vehicle. However, its top speed is the highest in the game, allowing it to outrun most predators including mid-tier threats. The Jet Speeder's agility and acceleration let it dodge attacks and navigate complex terrain at speed, making it the safest vehicle for traversing hostile biomes where engagement is not an option.
The Jet Speeder's strengths are speed, evasion, and scanning utility. It is the vehicle of choice for leviathan scanning runs, because its speed lets you approach, scan, and escape before the predator can close. It also excels at rapid reconnaissance, letting you map biomes and locate story objectives quickly. In co-op, the Jet Speeder is the Explorer's vehicle, zipping ahead to ping resources and threats for the team. Its minimal cargo capacity is a tradeoff for its speed, so it is purely a scout and not a hauler.
The Jet Speeder's weaknesses are depth and durability. Its shallow crush depth limits it to mid-depth biomes without heavy upgrades, and even upgraded it cannot reach the deepest story objectives. Its hull is the most fragile of the three vehicles, meaning a single solid predator hit can destroy it. The Jet Speeder is best treated as a specialized tool for speed-dependent tasks: scanning dangerous fauna, rapid reconnaissance, and emergency travel. It complements rather than replaces the Tadpole and Tank, and a well-equipped player maintains access to all three.
Which Vehicle Is Best for You?
There is no single best vehicle in Subnautica 2; each excels in a different role. For new players, the Tadpole is the best first vehicle because of its balance of depth, speed, and affordability. It carries you through the early and mid-game and remains useful as a quick-response craft. For co-op groups and cargo hauling, the Tank is essential; its capacity and multi-crew support make it the only practical choice for group expeditions and deep-outpost construction. For experienced players and scouts, the Jet Speeder is the specialist tool for high-speed reconnaissance and leviathan scanning.
The ideal late-game setup is a vehicle fleet at your hub base. Keep a fully upgraded Tadpole for general exploration, a Tank for cargo and co-op trips, and a Jet Speeder for scouting. This lets you select the right tool for each mission. The resource investment is significant, but the efficiency gain is enormous. If you must choose only one, the Tadpole is the most versatile, but players who specialize in deep exploration or co-op will benefit enormously from the Tank or Jet Speeder respectively.
Upgrade priorities differ by vehicle. For the Tadpole, prioritize hull depth and durability modules to extend its range and survivability. For the Tank, prioritize power efficiency and cargo modules to maximize trip length and capacity. For the Jet Speeder, prioritize hull depth and sonar to extend its scouting range. Regardless of vehicle, always install a Sonar module for mapping and a decoy launcher for predator evasion. A well-upgraded vehicle is your lifeline in the deep biomes, so treat upgrades as essential, not optional.
- New players: Tadpole (versatile, affordable)
- Co-op and hauling: Tank (capacity, multi-crew)
- Scouting and scanning: Jet Speeder (speed, evasion)
- Ideal late game: All three at your hub base