On the positive side, the cars accelerate so fast a mistake here or there is not too detrimental. In fact, expect 0 to 60 times under 3 seconds. Think of V-Rally as nothing more than an arcade racer. You don't even have to worry too much about braking in the game. Likewise, the response is rooted in the arcade.
Cars have excellent control authority and turn on a dime.
I liken the handling to Midway's arcade title 4 Wheel Thunder on the Dreamcast. The tracks are diverse. Some are unchallenging, but most are technical in nature. The track design reflects the sport of rally racing well. The courses are narrow, with many stretches suitable for single file racing.