Which £2k-3k Hot Hatch ?
Discussion
Hi all,
I am contemplating adding a fun hot hatch to my car collection.
It will mainly be used for running around town or short Motorway/A-Road trips.
It has to be manual, nippy not too big and reliable. My budget is around £2k to £3k but obviously, the cheaper the better
I was thinking of the following:
- Clio 172 or 182:
Pros - Cheap to buy, economical for a hot hatch, small and fun.
Cons - Seem to be a little unreliable and always need some part or other changing
- Civic Type-R:
Pros - Seem to be pretty reliable, nice seats and high revving engine (great fun when in the mood)
Cons - Less economical than a Clio, larger and high revving engne (tiring when not in mood ?)
- Mini Cooper S (R53):
Pros: Small, nippy and great handling
Cons: Least economical of the three and more expensive to maintain (?)
In most cases, for my budget, I am looking at a 10 year old car with around 80k miles.
I would welcome people's thoughts on the cars I have listed and whether my summary of each is correct.
I am also interested in any other cars I should be considering and also which fun, hot hatch they would buy for £2k to £3k ?
I am contemplating adding a fun hot hatch to my car collection.
It will mainly be used for running around town or short Motorway/A-Road trips.
It has to be manual, nippy not too big and reliable. My budget is around £2k to £3k but obviously, the cheaper the better
I was thinking of the following:
- Clio 172 or 182:
Pros - Cheap to buy, economical for a hot hatch, small and fun.
Cons - Seem to be a little unreliable and always need some part or other changing
- Civic Type-R:
Pros - Seem to be pretty reliable, nice seats and high revving engine (great fun when in the mood)
Cons - Less economical than a Clio, larger and high revving engne (tiring when not in mood ?)
- Mini Cooper S (R53):
Pros: Small, nippy and great handling
Cons: Least economical of the three and more expensive to maintain (?)
In most cases, for my budget, I am looking at a 10 year old car with around 80k miles.
I would welcome people's thoughts on the cars I have listed and whether my summary of each is correct.
I am also interested in any other cars I should be considering and also which fun, hot hatch they would buy for £2k to £3k ?
I had the same dilemma and went for the corolla T sport.
Pros - Understated whilst still good looking, good MPG, LIFT! Cheapest to insure no doubt.(was for me)
Cons - not great handling (if you gfo for the pre facelift!)
Id recommend looking at them for sure, go for a Facelift ((uprated dampers and strut braces and a nicer interior)
best value for money out the 4 certainly
Pros - Understated whilst still good looking, good MPG, LIFT! Cheapest to insure no doubt.(was for me)
Cons - not great handling (if you gfo for the pre facelift!)
Id recommend looking at them for sure, go for a Facelift ((uprated dampers and strut braces and a nicer interior)
best value for money out the 4 certainly
Spy said:
Hi all,
I am contemplating adding a fun hot hatch to my car collection.
It will mainly be used for running around town or short Motorway/A-Road trips.
It has to be manual, nippy not too big and reliable. My budget is around £2k to £3k but obviously, the cheaper the better
I was thinking of the following:
- Clio 172 or 182:
Pros - Cheap to buy, economical for a hot hatch, small and fun.
Cons - Seem to be a little unreliable and always need some part or other changing
- Civic Type-R:
Pros - Seem to be pretty reliable, nice seats and high revving engine (great fun when in the mood)
Cons - Less economical than a Clio, larger and high revving engne (tiring when not in mood ?)
- Mini Cooper S (R53):
Pros: Small, nippy and great handling
Cons: Least economical of the three and more expensive to maintain (?)
In most cases, for my budget, I am looking at a 10 year old car with around 80k miles.
I would welcome people's thoughts on the cars I have listed and whether my summary of each is correct.
I am also interested in any other cars I should be considering and also which fun, hot hatch they would buy for £2k to £3k ?
172's don't have to be unreliable, had mine for 3.5yrs & it was not mint when I bought it, once the initial niggles were sorted it's been 100% reliable & flown threw the last two MoT's. It doesn't have an easy life either, it's either doing a short commute or being hillclimbed!I am contemplating adding a fun hot hatch to my car collection.
It will mainly be used for running around town or short Motorway/A-Road trips.
It has to be manual, nippy not too big and reliable. My budget is around £2k to £3k but obviously, the cheaper the better
I was thinking of the following:
- Clio 172 or 182:
Pros - Cheap to buy, economical for a hot hatch, small and fun.
Cons - Seem to be a little unreliable and always need some part or other changing
- Civic Type-R:
Pros - Seem to be pretty reliable, nice seats and high revving engine (great fun when in the mood)
Cons - Less economical than a Clio, larger and high revving engne (tiring when not in mood ?)
- Mini Cooper S (R53):
Pros: Small, nippy and great handling
Cons: Least economical of the three and more expensive to maintain (?)
In most cases, for my budget, I am looking at a 10 year old car with around 80k miles.
I would welcome people's thoughts on the cars I have listed and whether my summary of each is correct.
I am also interested in any other cars I should be considering and also which fun, hot hatch they would buy for £2k to £3k ?
I couldn't come to terms with the flimsiness of the 172/182 so I looked but never even drove one. The yellowing headlights also put me off most of them and they aren't cheap.
Used to have a CTR and it's a great car, whether you're in the mood or not. Fabulous gearbox. Rear seats make access to rear constricted and seats don't go back to setting.
MINI - not driven one - muy sister has one and it's been very reliable and she likes it but not my cup of tea.
I bought a Fiesta ST Mk 6 - "only" 150bhp but fun to drive through weighty steering, cheap to run, cheap on parts, cheap to insure (just over £200 this year).
It does lack power, in extremis, but it handles well, is chunky and quite well-built. It also has 3 rear seatbelts.
Mileage tends to be lower and prices are also far more negotiable as everyone wants 200hp...
Used to have a CTR and it's a great car, whether you're in the mood or not. Fabulous gearbox. Rear seats make access to rear constricted and seats don't go back to setting.
MINI - not driven one - muy sister has one and it's been very reliable and she likes it but not my cup of tea.
I bought a Fiesta ST Mk 6 - "only" 150bhp but fun to drive through weighty steering, cheap to run, cheap on parts, cheap to insure (just over £200 this year).
It does lack power, in extremis, but it handles well, is chunky and quite well-built. It also has 3 rear seatbelts.
Mileage tends to be lower and prices are also far more negotiable as everyone wants 200hp...
The MINI is easily the best looking, arguably the coolest (real world, not PH 
) and wouldn't look out of place pretty much anywhere.
Civic is the fastest, but will likely be seen as Chav chariot or pensioners run-about. Personally I'm still not sold on the MPV come Van looks of it either. Engine should be a cracker though, provided you like that style of power delivery.
Clio again might suffer the image tag. Quality is questionable. Good performer, but I'm lead to believe often over hyped and with poor seating position.
________________________
Other options:
-MG ZS 180. Just as fast and capable as the Clio, but slightly more roomy and a lovely V6.
-Rover 200 BRM. Still one of the best FWD vehicles I've driven and the closest thing to an Integra Type R I've sampled yet. Front LSD and close ratio box make a big difference. Not as speedy as a Civic Type R, but for my money a better drive.
-Pug 205. Retro and I suspect still doable for this money. It'll be old, rattly and not as comfy as newer peers. But my gut feeling is, it does the Clio 172/182 "thing" much better than the Clio manages it.
) and wouldn't look out of place pretty much anywhere.Civic is the fastest, but will likely be seen as Chav chariot or pensioners run-about. Personally I'm still not sold on the MPV come Van looks of it either. Engine should be a cracker though, provided you like that style of power delivery.
Clio again might suffer the image tag. Quality is questionable. Good performer, but I'm lead to believe often over hyped and with poor seating position.
________________________
Other options:
-MG ZS 180. Just as fast and capable as the Clio, but slightly more roomy and a lovely V6.
-Rover 200 BRM. Still one of the best FWD vehicles I've driven and the closest thing to an Integra Type R I've sampled yet. Front LSD and close ratio box make a big difference. Not as speedy as a Civic Type R, but for my money a better drive.
-Pug 205. Retro and I suspect still doable for this money. It'll be old, rattly and not as comfy as newer peers. But my gut feeling is, it does the Clio 172/182 "thing" much better than the Clio manages it.
I'm in a similar situation and I've been contemplating a MK6 Fiesta ST. Not the quickest from what I've read but more than enough for me at the moment.
Mind you, it depends on your car history, this will be my second car coming from an underpowered bog-standard punto. If you've had 200bhp cars in the past then you may find the 150bhp of the ST to be lacking...
Perhaps a Focus ST170?
Mind you, it depends on your car history, this will be my second car coming from an underpowered bog-standard punto. If you've had 200bhp cars in the past then you may find the 150bhp of the ST to be lacking...
Perhaps a Focus ST170?
Grimezy93 said:
I'm in a similar situation and I've been contemplating a MK6 Fiesta ST. Not the quickest from what I've read but more than enough for me at the moment.
Mind you, it depends on your car history, this will be my second car coming from an underpowered bog-standard punto. If you've had 200bhp cars in the past then you may find the 150bhp of the ST to be lacking...
Perhaps a Focus ST170?
Not so. I've had a series of 300hp plus cars and my 462hp Mustang sits in the garage. My only real gripe is the lack of a 6th gear (which the Honda has) making it noisy on the motorway 9though going faster leaves this behind... Mind you, it depends on your car history, this will be my second car coming from an underpowered bog-standard punto. If you've had 200bhp cars in the past then you may find the 150bhp of the ST to be lacking...
Perhaps a Focus ST170?
For me, it's just a fun car which is short, compact, very easily placed and by god, you can see out of it!
Three very good cars you are considering there. I will obviously nominate a Corrado Vr6, as I love them to bits. A good original useable car from within the owners club circle should be achievable within budget. Very rare sight on the roads, good economy when cruising on motorway (think 35mpg), practical 4seater, a formidable grand tourer which is very comfy, very quick and great sounding engine. The spoiler is also something I never tire of seeing do it's thing!
Ignoring the way they drive for a moment and remembering you are buying a 2-3 grand car...
The Mini Cooper S will cost a fortune in maintenance. The exhausts rot and are single piece beyond the cat, the cats fail (which is part of the manifold - nice and cheap!), the electrics are guff, the PAS pumps fail like clockwork (v.expensive), they use expensive tyres, and all the interiors wear. I'm not sure how some people are driving but ours does 29.5 mpg. Bearing in mind they run on 95 as well, they really aren't bad.
The Clio will cost less the maintain but will be even worse than the Mini. The exhaust hanger will fall off, the interior will literally fall off, the consumables (including calipers) will fail at a rate only found in French performance hatches. The timing belt fees are crippling (poss chain I forget). You may also end up with one the "duff" Clios which handle like s
t. Probably because after 10+ years and a dozen boy racers all the legendary suspension is for the bin.
The Honda will seem disproportionately expensive. It's interior is horrid but solid. It's parts are more expensive, and it's a bd to find an unmolested one but it will be the most reliable used by. I
We're changing our Cooper S for a Type R. I couldn't sell you ours for that little though as it's not yet fked!
The Mini Cooper S will cost a fortune in maintenance. The exhausts rot and are single piece beyond the cat, the cats fail (which is part of the manifold - nice and cheap!), the electrics are guff, the PAS pumps fail like clockwork (v.expensive), they use expensive tyres, and all the interiors wear. I'm not sure how some people are driving but ours does 29.5 mpg. Bearing in mind they run on 95 as well, they really aren't bad.
The Clio will cost less the maintain but will be even worse than the Mini. The exhaust hanger will fall off, the interior will literally fall off, the consumables (including calipers) will fail at a rate only found in French performance hatches. The timing belt fees are crippling (poss chain I forget). You may also end up with one the "duff" Clios which handle like s
t. Probably because after 10+ years and a dozen boy racers all the legendary suspension is for the bin. The Honda will seem disproportionately expensive. It's interior is horrid but solid. It's parts are more expensive, and it's a b
d to find an unmolested one but it will be the most reliable used by. IWe're changing our Cooper S for a Type R. I couldn't sell you ours for that little though as it's not yet f
ked!300bhp/ton said:
The MINI is easily the best looking, arguably the coolest (real world, not PH ) and wouldn't look out of place pretty much anywhere.
Civic is the fastest, but will likely be seen as Chav chariot or pensioners run-about. Personally I'm still not sold on the MPV come Van looks of it either. Engine should be a cracker though, provided you like that style of power delivery.
Clio again might suffer the image tag. Quality is questionable. Good performer, but I'm lead to believe often over hyped and with poor seating position.
________________________
Other options:
-MG ZS 180. Just as fast and capable as the Clio, but slightly more roomy and a lovely V6.
-Rover 200 BRM. Still one of the best FWD vehicles I've driven and the closest thing to an Integra Type R I've sampled yet. Front LSD and close ratio box make a big difference. Not as speedy as a Civic Type R, but for my money a better drive.
-Pug 205. Retro and I suspect still doable for this money. It'll be old, rattly and not as comfy as newer peers. But my gut feeling is, it does the Clio 172/182 "thing" much better than the Clio manages it.
You denounce the Clio on it's questionable quality then go on the recommend a 205 - inspired thinking there! ) and wouldn't look out of place pretty much anywhere.Civic is the fastest, but will likely be seen as Chav chariot or pensioners run-about. Personally I'm still not sold on the MPV come Van looks of it either. Engine should be a cracker though, provided you like that style of power delivery.
Clio again might suffer the image tag. Quality is questionable. Good performer, but I'm lead to believe often over hyped and with poor seating position.
________________________
Other options:
-MG ZS 180. Just as fast and capable as the Clio, but slightly more roomy and a lovely V6.
-Rover 200 BRM. Still one of the best FWD vehicles I've driven and the closest thing to an Integra Type R I've sampled yet. Front LSD and close ratio box make a big difference. Not as speedy as a Civic Type R, but for my money a better drive.
-Pug 205. Retro and I suspect still doable for this money. It'll be old, rattly and not as comfy as newer peers. But my gut feeling is, it does the Clio 172/182 "thing" much better than the Clio manages it.
Thanks for all the comments.
The most surprising is the fact that Clios don't seem to go wrong as often as I thought
I had read from a few former Clio owners where they saud that there was always something needing replacing and seemed like an endless procession of part changes
I agree, the CTR is abused but seems to be able to take it although not the nicest looking car out of the bunch.
Yes, the Cooper is the best looking but the fact they are not necessarily more reliable and parts being more expensive puts me off.
I am not really looking for a coupe (read Corrado, Puma etc).
Any thoughts on a Lupo GTI ?
The most surprising is the fact that Clios don't seem to go wrong as often as I thought
I had read from a few former Clio owners where they saud that there was always something needing replacing and seemed like an endless procession of part changes
I agree, the CTR is abused but seems to be able to take it although not the nicest looking car out of the bunch.
Yes, the Cooper is the best looking but the fact they are not necessarily more reliable and parts being more expensive puts me off.
I am not really looking for a coupe (read Corrado, Puma etc).
Any thoughts on a Lupo GTI ?
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