Hot hatches, £10k or less | Six of the Best
Cheap, yes - and also likely to make you very cheerful
Seat Leon Cupra 280, 2015, 104k, £9,995
Once upon a time, the cheap hot hatch was the gateway drug for young enthusiasts. To some extent, it still is - though because the selection has tapered with lack of supply (and the new car market is arguably overpriced), the chances of finding a dirt cheap runaround these days are slim. Unless you’re willing to chance your arm, £10k is an advisable starting place. That amount will buy you something like this Leon Cupra 280. Not in the hot hatch premier league, perhaps, but it shares its bones with the Mk7 GTI, and that’s a good thing across the board. It’s got the manual ‘box and adaptive dampers, too, and has been cared for by just one owner. Spot on, in other words.
Ford Fiesta ST, 2018, 92k, £9,500
If reputational excellence is key, you can hardly go wrong with the Fiesta ST. You’ll struggle to find a car journalist who didn’t like it, and there’s an extra piquancy about buying one since Ford opted to kill it. But mostly there’s just the synthesis of a positive, perfectly-tuned front-drive chassis with a peppy engine, which ought to be the simplest thing in the world, but isn’t. The fact that it also looks great and is cheap to run is just the clincher. Well shy of £10k will buy you a high-mile example of the outgoing model, and honestly you could spend three times that much on something else and have conspicuously less fun. A latter day legend, for sure.
BMW M135i, 2014, 86k, £9,990
The F20 M135i was not a legend - or at least not a wholesale one. It had plenty of issues, and if you declared yourself entirely uninterested in BMW’s (suspiciously ugly) rear-drive take on the hot hatch, then you wouldn’t be alone. But many people, us included, have tended to forgive the model’s shortcomings to be within earshot of its 3.0-litre turbocharged straight six. Moreover, what seemed like a pleasing sonorous engine a decade ago is now the equivalent of having honey poured in your ears. Again, shopping with a smaller budget means higher miles, but don’t let those put you off - a nice-looking three-door like this ought to run and run. And reward every mile.
Audi S1, 2016, 88k, £9,695
Not everyone is a fan of Audi’s pumped-up supermini - and if you’re inclined to dismiss the five-door as the sort of thing a primary school teacher would drive, you might have a point. But the S1 is a hoot to pedal fast. Not adjustable or nuanced like the Fiesta, sure, but Audi’s introduction of all-wheel drive (at considerable expense) resulted in a roller skate of many other talents, not least its all-season appeal. Much like the GR Yaris, you’ll find yourself driving a bit too quickly virtually everywhere, though it’s the amusement that comes with it that sets the car apart from so many other fast Audis. Aside from having too many doors, this one, in black, looks ideal.
Renault Megane R.S 275, 2015, 81k, £8,995
Something we can all agree on: the second generation Renaultsport Megane, particularly in facelift format, was a wonderful and special thing. It had no right to be: the hatchback on which it was built seemed as humble as a pit pony. But after several earlier goes, Dieppe had worked its magic so consistently and capably that one of the great B road cars resulted. Granted, you’ll be wanting the trick chassis components for the ultimate iteration, but even a more bog standard 275 like this one, will show you why so many people fawned over the Megane when new. Perhaps there have been better all-round hot hatches in the grand scheme of such things - yet none towers over Renaultsport’s achievement where it matters.
Vauxhall Corsa VXR, 2017, 49k, £8,400
The Corsa VXR obviously had a smaller claim to fame - though it was no less popular for it. Vauxhall, after all, has been overhauling hatchbacks almost as long as anyone, and its route-one solution for doing so (combined with competitive pricing) earned it plenty of fans over the years. Much like the Megane, the VXR came good when its maker finally got around to installing a limited-slip diff, though even without it there is much to like - not least the 200hp you get from the spunky 1.6-litre turbo motor. Again, refer back to the Fiesta if you want to appreciate the finer points of lift-off oversteer, but the Corsa will get you most of the way there, and for well under budget, too. Same as it ever was.
The Cupra would be great fun as it's essentially a FWD Golf R, shares the same engine and the bigger IS38 turbo. A tune from a reputable company would release serious power on that.
The Fiesta ST is obviously a brilliant car.
The S1 is a great outsider. They tend to be dismissed, usually by people that have never driven one.
I bought one brand new in 2016 and it was so much fun. People don't expect a car that small to be that quick.
I don't always get excited about Audi's, because they're not exactly dynamic to drive in my experience, but they're lovely things to live with though, and I've always had a soft spot for the S1.
Stick an LSD in the M135i, and I'd also be interested in that too I think, even though they aren't easy on the eyes to look at though for me.
The Audi on paper makes sense but I get the impression it’s a bit meh in reality, not the sum of its parts.
Renault appeals, Corsa less so and have got an older ST, kind of done that now.
Had a very noisy M140i appear behind me the other day, like machine gun fire, Jesus Christ it was so fast, must have been 500 bhp. Serious cars when tuned with supporting mods, liability when tuned without, would spend more and get the M140i for the additional tuning scope over the M135i.
Driven a few Fiesta STs and they are brilliant and worthy of the hype. TDC (part of the Auto Alex group on YouTube if you aren’t familiar, worth a watch.) recently bought a cheap one to take to the Ring. Funny watching them searching at the murkier end of market. Absolute mine field!
The Audi is also great. Driven a couple and they are tremendous fun.
Never driven the Megane so that would be my choice. Are these the ones with the dodgy gearbox?
I'm fairly certain this model produces 211 bhp. It looks like a really nice, unmolested example at a bargain price. These cars are seriously underrated and getting quite rare now a true "sheep in wolf s clothing." It s a real shame I m not currently in the market for a cheap hot hatch.
https://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/sea...
The price of anything interesting shot up few yeas ago with hatchbacks, particularly hot ones seemingly a dying breed.
I suppose it’s because everyone decided the family car had to be an SUV. I’m guilty of that but ours does actually go off road and tow - that’s my excuse!
Plenty of Qashqis and ratty Q5s out there if you want one of those.
I paid £7250 for my 2015 ST3 from a dealer 2 years ago. One owner 80k and came with dash cam, Mountune stage 1, exhaust, tracker and Ghost 2 immobilizer and full Ford service history.
Really tidy as well with perfect rims and new Michelin PS5s.
The later ST is a better day to day car I think but the fun is a bit harder to access by all accounts.
My son had a Megane RS of that version and it was great fun. Nice list full of cars that might be a bit leggy but I guess that’s what you get for your money these days.
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