Best Hot Hatch of the 21st Century – vote here

Best Hot Hatch of the 21st Century – vote here

Poll: Best Hot Hatch of the 21st Century – vote here

Voting Closed

Total Members Polled: 542

Renaultsport Megane R26.R: 14%
Honda Civic Type R EP3: 13%
Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk5: 8%
BMW M140i: 10%
Renaultsport Clio 200 Cup: 6%
Alfa Romeo 147 GTA: 4%
Renaultsport Clio 182 Trophy: 22%
Ford Fiesta ST Mk7: 6%
Renaultsport Clio 172 Cup: 10%
Renaultsport Clio V6: 7%
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Author
Discussion

Supersaloons

101 posts

124 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
WCZ said:
voted trophy, the r26r just didn't feel as fun when I drove it

the mk7 fiesta is very very good though
Then you missed something because I thought it was the most fun car I ever did my road trips in.

BenLowden

Original Poster:

5,967 posts

176 months

PH Marketing Bloke

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
Itsallicanafford said:
there appears to be something wrong with your list, there is no Mk3 Megane on it?
Tell me about it! This made me sad too, but just not enough nominations. Still, five Renaults is probably enough hehe

Itsallicanafford

2,759 posts

158 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
...fair enough Ben, i will pop open the garage tonight and give the Cup-S a little pat as a consolation prize....(still, not to include an Ohlins equipped Mk3 on the list....whow!)


BenLowden

Original Poster:

5,967 posts

176 months

PH Marketing Bloke

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
Itsallicanafford said:
...fair enough Ben, i will pop open the garage tonight and give the Cup-S a little pat as a consolation prize....(still, not to include an Ohlins equipped Mk3 on the list....whow!)
It works in my favour really that it's not on there for when I buy another one – values might increase otherwise! Give it another few years and when we run this again in five years time, the world will have woken up to how incredible they are.

Itsallicanafford

2,759 posts

158 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
...nice plan, mums the word wink

nickfrog

20,871 posts

216 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
That's the bizarre thing about the Mk3. While those who've driven it as intended know exactly what a few weirdos like us are talking about, it's STILL massively underrated despite the quasi hysterycally positive reviews here, on Autocar and EVO. People still perceive it as an unreliable souped up shopping Renault.

Orchardab

439 posts

125 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
I’ve had a EP3, 172 and 200cup. Loved them all.
EP3: great car, amazing gearbox and engine.
172: all round fun car, loved it, great mpg.
200: best handling and
The NA 200 Cup nicks it for fun for me. Great handling.

MrNib

105 posts

130 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
Fiesta ST MK7

Rudolf R

35 posts

132 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
182 Trophy.

Cups Renault

163 posts

200 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
Jon_S_Rally said:
I think that's a case of 'each to his own'. I get the argument about it being a bit different to the norm by being RWD and six-pot, but it is a car with many, many flaws. Many might argue that we don't live "in a sea of over blown farting 4 pots" but that the six-pot, RWD BMW was archaic, making buyers sacrifice interior space and practicality purely because BMW refused to wake up to realities of the segment. Proven by the fact that they've now joined others in making the 1-series transverse.

An interesting car for sure, and a good one in some ways, but this is for the absolute cream of the hot hatch crop. For me, the engine doesn't make it worthy of the top ten, given some of the simply stunning hot hatches we've seen in the last two decades. Not because it's a bad car, but because there are so many other good cars.

I actually think the old E81/87 130i is by far more the more interesting car to be honest. I'd rather have seen that on the list.


Edited by Jon_S_Rally on Monday 9th December 13:23
Good shout re the 130i, the original and the 135i coupe built on the brawny but small stature USP.

The practicality aspect I don't get tho....look at the leader of the vote the 182 Trophy, whose front seats don't fold properly in a 3 door.
The space is not great but still useable. The BMW switch to four pot is less about practicality and more about the bottom line management. A corporate decesion that will lose niche buyers and my future trade but win loads of business purchases.

If you have lived with the drivetrain you will know why it's on the list. Better than the Audi offering with one more cylinder, more frugal, more resilient, very good and reliable platform for affordable tuning and 15k less than said RS3 and in most cases faster in gear. The fart box four pots are from a different class of car, they are mechanically brilliant but try an A45 AMG at 80k miles. Over stressed and not a patch pace wise on the go. Yet, the bimmer manages to have also been cheaper/ as cheap as vag, templated options.



re33

269 posts

163 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
Type R for me, despite the crap steering. A clio 172/182 is fun but is the most unreliable car I have owned by country mile. It is poorly mechanically designed and feels cheap in every way. The wiring harness on mine wore through!

slopes

38,748 posts

186 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
182 Trophy because Harry Metcalfe put his money where his mouth was

FastMedicine

3 posts

55 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
Fiesta ST (MK7)

SidewaysSi

10,742 posts

233 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
slopes said:
182 Trophy because Harry Metcalfe put his money where his mouth was
Who cares?

bcr5784

7,102 posts

144 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
slopes said:
182 Trophy because Harry Metcalfe put his money where his mouth was
I agree with him on this. And, as it happens, that he rates the 205GTI at a similar level. That said, I know that nostalgia seems to be a factor in his assessments. As my wife will tell you, I don't have a nostalgiac bone in my body, so I think that even today (and accepting any advances that have been made in the intervening years) I'd choose a 182 Trophy (or 205GTI) over their more modern rivals to fulfill the same role.

Patrick Bateman

12,143 posts

173 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
SidewaysSi said:
slopes said:
182 Trophy because Harry Metcalfe put his money where his mouth was
Who cares?
It's interesting to see what those who have driven all these cars choose to own, more so when you know they could have any of them if they wanted.

bcr5784

7,102 posts

144 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
SidewaysSi said:
Who cares?
Because Harry loves cars, loves driving and has driven everything under the sun. Not only which price influences him remarkably little - though his garage includes cars valued at 100s or thousands. He does have one foot in the Classic Car camp which I don't - but I'll forgive him that.

danterzza

2 posts

90 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
182 trophy

Unreal1066

33 posts

141 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
Honda Civic Type R FN2

Cloverleaf76

10 posts

152 months

Monday 9th December 2019
quotequote all
I’m voting Alfa 147 GTA. The glorious engine would be enough but the responsive steering clinches it for me.
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