Best Hot Hatch of the 21st Century – nominations
Discussion
zedx19 said:
I'm not a driving god and just because a reviewer says they loved it, doesn't mean everyone will love it. I drove a manual, the sales rep was keen on me fully utilising it, so I did but just found it dull, devoid of any character. At one point I pulled into a layby, asked if it was in Race mode, the sales rep checked and it was. I launched it out the layby and it just went down the road with no bother, no squirming, no drama, no noise and no sense that I was needed in the driving process. I wanted to love it, everyone harps on about how amazing they are, I found it boring, other people seemingly love them, everyones entitled to their views.
I'm with you on this, found exactly the same the the golf.I also wasn't overly impressed with the interior - felt ilke I was perched on a seat in the golf, rather than sat in it. The touchscreen is a daft idea and made worse by the fact its out of the driver's view. Driving a performance car should be an event and the golf isn't IMHO. Its a hot hatch for people who like to wear beige cardigans.
Anyway..
M135/140 ? hmm definately unique but is it really a hot hatch ? not sure its light or nimble enough ? Its a car that you could cover large distances at a decent rate and feel very comfortable doing so, but thats not really a trait of a hot hatch ?
I think it has to be the clio or megane. Light, good handling wise, a bit compromised but ultimately something you'd want to drive hard because its fun ? I think they fit the original 80s hatch ethos best.
I've owned a few hot hatches including:
Saxo Vts
Clio 182 Cup
306 Gti 6
Civic Type R ep3
Civic Type R fn2
Clio 200 Cup
Best engine/gearbox combo has to go to the hondas. Unfortunately the steering in the ep3 completely ruined the car for me, I sold it for this reason.
I have only just bought the fn2, enjoying it so far, it makes a great everyday car if you can ignore the slightly harsh ride. But it's not as exciting as the french cars.
I much preferred the Saxo to the 306, the 306 was slightly leggy and had probably lost it's mojo slightly, I'd love to try a good one. The Saxo was great fun, it was small, quick enough, cheap as chips to run and great handling. A car that really was more than the sum of it's parts.
I also had an alien green clio 200 cup and a racing blue 182 cup. I found the 200 was just a bit harsh for daily use, which sort of misses the point of a hot hatch, it was great when in the mood though. It was just so neutral, no understeer, no oversteer, I could really take liberties with it.
My favourite is the 182 cup. It basically had all the good bits about the saxo, but it was quicker in a straight line and had pedals that my feet could actually fit on.
Saxo Vts
Clio 182 Cup
306 Gti 6
Civic Type R ep3
Civic Type R fn2
Clio 200 Cup
Best engine/gearbox combo has to go to the hondas. Unfortunately the steering in the ep3 completely ruined the car for me, I sold it for this reason.
I have only just bought the fn2, enjoying it so far, it makes a great everyday car if you can ignore the slightly harsh ride. But it's not as exciting as the french cars.
I much preferred the Saxo to the 306, the 306 was slightly leggy and had probably lost it's mojo slightly, I'd love to try a good one. The Saxo was great fun, it was small, quick enough, cheap as chips to run and great handling. A car that really was more than the sum of it's parts.
I also had an alien green clio 200 cup and a racing blue 182 cup. I found the 200 was just a bit harsh for daily use, which sort of misses the point of a hot hatch, it was great when in the mood though. It was just so neutral, no understeer, no oversteer, I could really take liberties with it.
My favourite is the 182 cup. It basically had all the good bits about the saxo, but it was quicker in a straight line and had pedals that my feet could actually fit on.
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