What are your top 5 hot hatches?

[white_goodman]

Sorry if this has already been done but I love hot hatches, although I have only owned one, a Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 (unless an Impreza WRX Estate counts)! I can't think of a bad one off the top of my head (I'm sure at least one of you can prove me wrong)! The Mk V Golf GTI is probably the best all-rounder that I've driven and I'm sure that the Mk VI is much the same but just too sensible for me to be truly desirable. After some thought, these would probably be mine:

1. VW Golf R32 (mk4)
2. Honda Civic Type-R (EP3)
3. Peugeot 205 1.9 GTi
4. VW Golf GTi 16v (mk2)
5. Renault Clio V6

The Abarth 500, RenaultSport Megane 250 and mk1 Focus RS would probably just miss out on the top five for me.

With regards to bad hot hatches, I can actually think of one that I've owned (quite telling that I forgot about it), which was a mk4 VW Golf 2.0 GTi. Not a bad car but a bad hot hatch mainly scuppered by an awful engine. Slow, unrefined, thirsty, unreliable, no fun to drive hard as a hot hatch should be. A bit of a mistake really. I really wanted a Golf but couldn't afford a TDI or a 1.8 turbo, which I think would both have been much more acceptable!

So what would your top 5 hot hatches be?

Edited by white_goodman on Sunday 18th March 12:06

[Onzlouk]

Mk1 Golf
Renault 5 Turbo
R26R
Lancia Delta Integrale
Mini Cooper

In no particular order!

[SimonLS]

1. 306 GTI-6
2. Phase 1 Clio 172
3. EP3 Type-R
4. Golf GTI MkV
5. Clio Williams

[HereBeMonsters]

Peugeot 205 GTI
Clio 182 Trophy
Golf GTI Mk 1
Fiat Panda 100hp
Peugeot 106 Rallye

[Dave Hedgehog]

RS3
R Golf DSG
R32 MKV DSG
S3 8P DSG
R32 MKIV

[seawise]

Megane R26R
Golf GTi 16v mk2
Golf GTi Edition 30 mk5
AX GT
Sunbeam Lotus 2.2

They are my favourites, owned an example of each bar the Sunbeam

[Jw Vw]

1. Honda Civic Type-R (EP3)
2. VW Golf GTi 16v (mk2)
3. Renault Clio Williams
4. Ford Focus RS 500
5. Seat Leon Cupra R

[white_goodman]

5. Seat Leon Cupra R

[/quote]

mk1 or mk2?

[Jw Vw]

white_goodman said:

5. Seat Leon Cupra R

mk1 or mk2?

Mk1.

[Sline]

1. Golf Rallye
2. Delta Evo II
3. Mk2 Golf G60
4. Mk1 Golf Gti
5. Mk5 Golf R32


...I like golfs

[otolith]

I don't aspire to own another hot hatch, they don't really do it for me any more, but if I were going to have one I would consider:

Of the 80's cars, the 309 (or maybe 205) GTi
The EP3 Civic type-R
The Megane R26 (not the .R version)
The BMW 130i
The Alfa 147 GTa

[Lordbenny]

white_goodman said:

5. Renault Clio V6

Can a mid-engined, 2 seater really be allowed into the category of hot hatch?

[wst]

No particular order...

205GTi (or to be cheeky, the T16)
Mk1 Golf Gti
Astra GTE
Abarth 500 (original one... I guess it's technically not a hatch )
Ford Fiesta RS Turbo.

Tough choices to make really. Especially as I feel the proper hot hatches were all before my time...

[steviegunn]

Of the ones I've driven (in alphabetical order):

Fiat Tipo 16V
Lancia Delta Integrale
Nissan Almera GTi
Nissan Pulsar GTiR
Peugeot 309 GTi

[wackojacko]

1. Megane R26 F1 / R26R
2. Clio 182 Trophy
3. 306 Rallye
4. 205 1.9 GTI
5. MK4 Golf R32

[David87]

Hmm. Probably:

1. Renault Clio 182 Trophy
2. Ford Focus RS Mountune MR375
3. Renault Mégane R26.R
4. Renault Clio Williams
5. VW Golf V GTI Edition 30

[fridaypassion]

Lordbenny said:

Can a mid-engined, 2 seater really be allowed into the category of hot hatch?

It is a hot hatch. Should it be in any top 5 though? No!

[Johnboy Mac]

fridaypassion said:

Lordbenny said:

Can a mid-engined, 2 seater really be allowed into the category of hot hatch?

It is a hot hatch. Should it be in any top 5 though? No!

I wouldn't consider it as a hot hatch. More like a mid engined design utilising a hot hatch body imo.

[heebeegeetee]

white_goodman said:

1. VW Golf R32 (mk4)
2. Honda Civic Type-R (EP3)
3. Peugeot 205 1.9 GTi
4. VW Golf GTi 16v (mk2)
5. Renault Clio V6

I haven't driven either, but I suspect that No's. 1 & 5 might be amongst the worst hot hatches.

No.1 'cos it's a big, heavy engine in a lardy chassis, and No.5 'cos it's not really a hot hatch, it's a mid-engined two-seater with a short wheelbase and thus compromised dynamics.

[Eighteeteewhy]

Pug 205 t16

Pug 309 GTI Goodwood

Pug 205 1.9 GTI

Lancia Delta S4

Reanault 5 Gordini