What Small-Medium Fine handling car?

[MC Bodge]

With a view to updating the family fleet.
Maybe swapping the Mondeo Estate and the low-powered Fabia for

a load-lugging people carrier for family duties and
a medium-sized "driver's car" for me to use.

What medium-sized, fine handling 5 door hatchback from the past 10 years?
RWD would be ideal, but that would have to be a BMW or Mercedes. FWD would be fine. Power isn't too important, but a free-revving 130+bhp petrol would be good.

Edited by MC Bodge on Friday 3rd September 21:58

[jbi]

Ford Focus or Honda Civic would be my first choice

Edited by jbi on Friday 3rd September 21:51

[Simbu]

jbi said:

Ford Focus would be my first choice

+1. Mine is fairly chuckable, has a great chassis and i love the steering feel.

[nottyash]

MC Bodge said:

With a view to updating the family fleet.
Maybe swapping the Mondeo Estate and the low-powered Fabia for a load-lugging people carrier for family duties and more of a driver's car for me to use.

What medium-sized, fine handling 5 door hatchback from the past 10 years?
RWD would be ideal, but that would have to be a BMW or Mercedes. FWD would be fine. Power isn't too important, but a free-revving 130+bhp petrol would be good.

Fine handling 5 door hatchback?
I can only think RX8 its not technically a hachback...but it kind of is and its RWD, maybe a Leon Cupra R?
Oh, and power IS always important

Edited by nottyash on Friday 3rd September 21:54

[vit4]

People carrier as in mpv?

If not I'd imagine a 2 litre Focus would fit the bill?

[MC Bodge]

nottyash said:

Fine handling 5 door hatchback?
I can only think RX8 its not technically a hachback...but it kind of is and its RWD, maybe a Leon Cupra R?

Ok, so 'Fine' handling may have been exaggerating a bit.

Cheap to run is another factor, so not an RX8...

[nottyash]

MC Bodge said:

nottyash said:

Fine handling 5 door hatchback?
I can only think RX8 its not technically a hachback...but it kind of is and its RWD, maybe a Leon Cupra R?

Ok, so 'Fine' handling may have been exaggerating a bit.

Cheap to run is another factor, so not an RX8...

Yes but they are cheap to buy. 24MPG at best is pretty bad though.

[MC Bodge]

vit4 said:

People carrier as in mpv?

Yes, an mpv, plus a good handling hatchback.

vit4 said:

I'd imagine a 2 litre Focus would fit the bill?

I did once have a Mk1 2.0 Zetec ESP Estate and it was a good car.

Edited by MC Bodge on Friday 3rd September 21:58

[robsco]

Yep, Focus here too, wonderful steering feel and chassis balance comparatively speaking with most of its rivals. Always good fun.

[gareth.e]

BUDGET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????!?!?!?!?

[Vidal Baboon]

Panda 100hp?
Polo GTi?

[Rouleur]

A Focus ST170 fits the bit perfectly seeing as you're not hung up on power - great chassis balance, quick steering with good feedback, minimal brake servo assistance, flows very nicely along fast roads...

I really like mine, it's a proper driver's car, plus they're excellent value and tough as old boots. Oh, and they're actually fairly quick once wound up to 5000+rpm.

[Rammy76]

Rouleur said:

A Focus ST170 fits the bit perfectly seeing as you're not hung up on power - great chassis balance, quick steering with good feedback, minimal brake servo assistance, flows very nicely along fast roads...

I really like mine, it's a proper driver's car, plus they're excellent value and tough as old boots. Oh, and they're actually fairly quick once wound up to 5000+rpm.

+1

[Steameh]

MG ZS might be worthy of a look, I know it's not overly small but its a hatch and handles well...also the accord type-r

[DuncanM]

Lexus IS 200 is a nice alternative to BMW/Merc for RWD thrills.

Great build quality and nice chassis from my experience (original IS not latest one).

Regards

Duncan

[Chris_w666]

Rammy76 said:

Rouleur said:

A Focus ST170 fits the bit perfectly seeing as you're not hung up on power - great chassis balance, quick steering with good feedback, minimal brake servo assistance, flows very nicely along fast roads...

I really like mine, it's a proper driver's car, plus they're excellent value and tough as old boots. Oh, and they're actually fairly quick once wound up to 5000+rpm.

+1

Another +1 for this especially the estate version, you lose very little of the 5 doors handling in one and its a good sized motor if a little rare.

[otolith]

MC Bodge said:

nottyash said:

Fine handling 5 door hatchback?
I can only think RX8 its not technically a hachback...but it kind of is and its RWD, maybe a Leon Cupra R?

Ok, so 'Fine' handling may have been exaggerating a bit.

Cheap to run is another factor, so not an RX8...

Also, the seats don't fold and while the boot is a decent size, youhave to post your luggage through a tiny aperture. If hatchback genuinely needed, look elsewhere.

[Beyond Rational]

BMW 1 Series (no idea of budget or how much you need those rear seats)

[GravelBen]

Impreza wagon could be worth a shot too.

[Lancashire]

306 GTi 6
Clio Cup
Primera GT (dirt cheap)