Wednesday 20th February 2013

PH Blog: Goodbye three-door, hello estate?

Will fast wagons one day replace three-doors as the hot 'hatches' of choice?

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I’ve never been enormously fussed about whether my hot hatch comes with three or five doors. If it’s priced keenly, is entertaining to drive and practical it’s a good hot hatch. Looks matter too but – with a few exceptions – the difference between three- and five-door versions isn’t a deal breaker to me.

GT's OK, but an RS version would be tasty

Of course, I could be the exception. And the recent grumbles over the lack of a three-door version of two popular hot hatches – the Focus ST and the Clio200 Turbo – show that this is an issue people are pretty passionate about. But it looks like this is the start of a trend that we’re set to see more of. Sales figures of three-door cars have dropped off to such an extent now that most manufacturers will seriously be questioning the point of developing such a model in their next cycle.

So where does that leave three-door fans? Well, buying a five-door hatch, whether they like it or not, is the obvious answer. But Ford’s Focus ST estate – and the arrival of Renault’s not unattractive (but not for the UK) Megane GT estate – has made me wonder whether the small, fast estate could, if the three-door does become extinct, fill the vacuum.

Fabia vRS is the sleeper of the bunch

The logic in buying an ostensibly more utilitarian car because you don't want one that’s become too utilitarian seems perverse, I admit. But just hear me out. I’m a huge fan of a fast estate – and, judging by the reaction to the Focus ST, I’m not alone. Ford’s sold 500 estates over here so far – roughly a quarter of the total since the ST was introduced, and that proportion is ever increasing. Then there’s Skoda, which has introduced the Fabia vRS in understated estate form for the first time. Meanwhile, further up the scale, Mercedes reports a 106 per cent jump in sales of its E-Class AMG estate year-on-year in 2012. A different class of car, true, but a staggering figure and worth mentioning.

There’s no doubt that appetite for performance estates is ramping up in the UK, then. But this isn’t a new idea. Honda’s Civic VTi met with some success in Aerodeck form back in the late 90s. And then there was Ford’s Focus ST170 estate, which came shortly thereafter. I’ve always had a yen (no pun intended) for both. Maybe it’s the way an estate’s longer waist and curtailed rump suits spoilers and chunkier bumpers. Or maybe it's more conceptual - the idea of a workhorse being elevated to become something greater than its humdrum origins. Whatever the reason, I can’t shake the fascination.

Civic VTi led the way in the late 90s

Cooking versions of the estate models are increasingly popular too as car sizes inflate and larger models are simply too big. Over in Europe, meanwhile, estate cars in this sector have always sold strongly. So there’s clearly far more logic in developing a basic estate bodyshell than a three-door. Ford has realised this, and seems to be reaping the benefits – but I wonder if more will follow.

Three-door hot hatches have been a part of the landscape since the genre was invented, and I know many still prefer them. But I can’t help but feel their extinction is fast becoming an inevitability. At least if they were replaced by hot estates, we’d have alternatives – and, potentially, very appealing ones at that – to the five-door hot hatches that we'll be seeing more of as a result.  

Alex

[matty1980]

From my personal point of view maybe this makes sense? I have gone from a Clio 182 to an Octavia vRS estate. Now I can't see myself not having a fast estate.

[Evo]

Er no, young people without families I'm sure would prefer a hot hatch.

Those with families that have to compromise and need the extra space will buy a hot estate as it does two jobs in one.

[X5TUU]

Anything with more than 3 doors is a family wagon ... no exceptions

I do like the idea of fast estates etc... ever since the heady days of the T5-R in the 90's but for me, no thank you

[goron59]

I don't even want back seats, let alone doors, etc.

But if I did, I kind of like the wagon/sportback arrangement.

[anonymous-user]

Lack of a 3 door Focus ST and 3 door Clio RS means that unfortunately I'll never again consider buying one of these cars (unless they revert to a 3 door format). 3 door cars have always been associated with youth and sportiness - where as a 5 door is for taking the kids to school, or for old people. Fast estates are a completely different market all together.

[HowardB]

WRX Wagon - awesome, five doors, roof bars, tow bar, etc,.... too thirsty but sadly missed

[MonkeyDust]

I've always had a thing for fast estates more so than fast saloons despite not needing the boot space, for years I thought I was the only one. Reassuring to find out I'm not the only one.

[Evo]

Think that just about sums up my original point.

Yes we do still want the 3dr Hot Hatch please, still would make for an interesting Clio Cup Championship

[GTiFrank]

For some reason if something has 5 doors I am put off.

I normally go hmmmn, nice car, but it is just a bit too practical. I'll buy one late in life when I have a family to kart around.

[kambites]

I've never really seen the point in 3-door hatches since they ceased to be significantly lighter and/or stiffer than the 5-doors.

[405dogvan]

I've been an estate fan for eons but they ARE issues with estates over hatchbacks...

In days of yore, estates tended to 'cheap out' on the rear suspension, choosing compact setups for flat floors instead of sporty handling - and compromising loadspace for cornering on an estate is daft.

They also tended to compromise fuel tank size for floor flatness.

Biggest issue tho, is that estates are just noisier than hatchbacks (which are in their turn noisier than saloons). In the Chris Harris/Alex Roy video Chris talks about dropping the rear seat for 'more noise' and that's just what you're getting in those cases.

Back in 2000 I had a choice between a Civic VTi 5dr or 'Aerodeck' and after driving both I chose the 5dr purely because the Aero was MUCH noisier - esp. at motorway speeds (the fact the Aerodeck was also pricier for no real benefit was a smaller factor).

[Oz83]

Estate cars do say 'family' and for a hot hatch that's just not right. When I was younger I wouldn't even entertain the thought of owning a four/five door car and much piss taking would ensue if any of our circle of friends even looked at one.

Now I'm a bit older I couldn't care less, in fact the more practical a fast car is, the cooler it is.

[anonymous-user]

kambites said:

I've never really seen the point in 3-door hatches since they ceased to be significantly lighter and/or stiffer than the 5-doors.

But 3 doors are generally much better looking, and in a 3 door you have a nice big door to get in and out of rather than a small front door and an even smaller rear door with 5 door hatch.

[Krikkit]

I generally prefer 3 doors for the reasons above - generally they're a bit more youthful in their impression because they're less practical, the shell is a bit stiffer and lighter (generally) too.

That said, I'm a lover of fast estates too - I was awestruck over the weekend having seen a new, blue ST estate - it just looked right.

[kambites]

Andy20vt said:

kambites said:

I've never really seen the point in 3-door hatches since they ceased to be significantly lighter and/or stiffer than the 5-doors.

But 3 doors are generally much better looking, and in a 3 door you have a nice big door to get in and out of rather than a small front door and an even smaller rear door with 5 door hatch.

Obviously the looks thing is a deeply personal thing (and I disagree, I think all modern hatches look equally bloated and ugly regardless of the number of doors).

The shorter front doors are one of the reasons I prefer five doors... it means you can open the door wider in confined spaces.

[timmeh2k]

Andy20vt said:

But 3 doors are generally much better looking, and in a 3 door you have a nice big door to get in and out of rather than a small front door and an even smaller rear door with 5 door hatch.

If you struggle to get through the front doors of a 5 door hatch you need to leave the pies alone.....

[405dogvan]

timmeh2k said:

Andy20vt said:

But 3 doors are generally much better looking, and in a 3 door you have a nice big door to get in and out of rather than a small front door and an even smaller rear door with 5 door hatch.

If you struggle to get through the front doors of a 5 door hatch you need to leave the pies alone.....

AND you'll be getting in and out in carparks with MUCH less fuss. Some 3dr cars now have ENORMOUS doors - the current Astra, for example, needs an aircraft hangar, not a garage.

[Guvernator]

I'd agree, we seem to be seeing a worrying trend where 3 and even 5 door hot hatches are turning into estates or MPV's (very tall and wide) which I don't understand at all.

If I want an estate or an MPV I'll buy one, if I want hatchback, I want it to look like a hatchback but for some reason manufacturers seem to have decided that traditional hatchbacks just aren't cool any more.

[cml24]

Most of the arguments put forward above for the 3 doors are the exact reason I dislike them!

I don't want to drive around in something that looks sporty, or aimed at a youth market.

I want 5 doors, or estate, I want it to look sensible, and be practical.

I'm 24, and don't have kids, and I'm stuck with a 3 door hatch at the moment, and always wish it had more doors! I'm constantly having to get out to let people in/out the back and unload stuff from the back seats.

And, performance wise, there usually seems little difference between estate and hatch, in regards to speed, MPG etc, I can't see why you wouldn't want the added space at no cost.

[Robmarriott]

I love estate cars.

I had a Focus St170 estate which I still regret selling, very rare to see another as they only built 150 of them!

The new st looks better in estate form (so long as you can get away from the awful bonnet shut line)

I think my lust for a quick estate car is deep rooted from the BTCC Volvo 850s, damn you Sweden!