You have £7000, which hot hatch do you buy?

You have £7000, which hot hatch do you buy?

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Discussion

VladtheImpala

Original Poster:

142 posts

81 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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My brother and I are playing this game, with the final idea being that he will buy a hot hatch as his 2nd car.

I've got a 182 so naturally, he isn't allowed to get one of those.

He's leaning toward a Cooper S (without having driven one) but I have, and still think there's better out there.

The rules:

1. Has to be a hot hatch, before Mr Tuned BMW 120D turns up in the comments.
2. Petrol
3. Any age past 2000, exceptions will be made for pre-2000 hidden gems.
4. No Vauxhall Astras, c'mon, we're better than that.
5. RHD
6. Ideally 3 doors, 5 is ok as long as it's still a hatchback (so not a BMW 120D).

What have you enjoyed driving? What would you avoid at all costs?

ChocolateFrog

25,841 posts

175 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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I assume Clio 182 Trophy's have bolted out of that price range these days?

Rich135

769 posts

244 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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ChocolateFrog said:
I assume Clio 182 Trophy's have bolted out of that price range these days?
Most are well north of £10k, but I can attest to them being cracking cars! 182 is a good alternative though.

Laira

27 posts

16 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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EP3 Civic Type R.

No bias whatsoever to it as I'll be driving mine home from work in 10 mins but it really is one of the hottest hatches and fits into your budget perfectly even with room for the leftover money to get some tasteful bits to sweeten it even more.

Other shout would be maybe stretching the budget but Lupo GTI.

Roboticarm

1,455 posts

63 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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Abarth 500 (the 160 bhp models or higher) are a good shout in this price bracket
Of course you can't say hot hatch without considering a Golf GTI
Clio 197 if you can find one with a working 3rd gear
Stick either the Renault sport brand and go Mégane 225 or Twingo 133

mmm-five

11,282 posts

286 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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Renaulsport Twingo

Polo GTi

Mazda 3 MPS

Saxo VTS

anonymous-user

56 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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Mk5 golf GTi Edition 30

Drezza

1,426 posts

56 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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Fiesta ST Mk7

Pug 208 GTI

Xcore

1,346 posts

92 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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I don’t think Youl get a n18 jcw mini for 7k, the jcw kit makes a massive difference imo.

Ed30 golf/Leon cupra/s3 if you don’t mind something older, also probably the most tunable, breathing mods and a map will see 360bhpish.

Fiesta st is probably the most fun and newest option if you can stand the image.

Megane r26 are getting pricey for what they are. Meg rs250 cup might just sneak into the budget.

Edited by Xcore on Monday 3rd April 15:29


Edited by Xcore on Monday 3rd April 15:30

bodhi

10,731 posts

231 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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I'd buy a BMW 130i.

TheOctaneAddict

779 posts

49 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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A tidy FN2 Type R, or a Clio 197/200 for me.

JQ

5,780 posts

181 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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I've had A Mk7 Golf R and a MINI R53 JCW. The MINI was loads more fun and was exciting every time I got in the car, like driving a kart.

A left field suggestion as they'll be very leggy now, but I've also had 2 Ford Pumas with the 1.7 Yamaha engine and they were both great fun. For the budget I'd imagine you would get a pristine version. I'd still have the JCW over the Puma though, the supercharger wine is addictive.

TikTak

1,587 posts

21 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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Edition 30 Golf or a Clio 197/200 for me I think. Or I'd go out the box and get a Volvo C30 R.

I'd personally avoid the 1-series/A classes you can squeeze into budget.

Xenoous

1,076 posts

60 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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Megane RS250 just about falls into that price bucket, but not with the cup chassis (LSD and a couple of other bits). There's one up for £7,500 but its been up for a while now.

I'd probably be looking at a Mk7 Fiesta ST to be honest. Widely known as one of the best smaller cars of the era to drive.

The Conflated Outlier

53 posts

15 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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It has to be a Megane R26. Bloody amazing thing.

MustangGT

11,700 posts

282 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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Another vote for the Abarth 595 here.

S100HP

12,745 posts

169 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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A500leroy

5,178 posts

120 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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Swift sport
punto hgt
maybe fiesta rs1800 ( if you can find one)
Saxo vts.

nickfrog

21,361 posts

219 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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In the long tradition of suggesting what I have I would say Clio 200.

66HFM

324 posts

27 months

Monday 3rd April 2023
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Being a bit of a VAG fan I'd go for an Audi S3 or a MK V Golf GTi ED30 if possible.
I've also had a couple of R53s one being a JCW but I think you'd struggle to get a good one for £7k