What Hot Hatch for under £10k
Discussion
Yeah its another of these threads but they always throw up some fun. The wife has finally set a date for me to change the car (currently in a Fiesta ST) but it comes at a price.
No.1 - After our honeymoon in August
No.2 - Must buy her a Focus ST (around £8-9k for a decent one)
Leaves me with a limited budget. Was originally afer a decent DC5 but now prob going to be out of my price range.
I want something that isnt going to allow the missus to embarress me in a straight line but after the Fiesta ST Chassis need something thats atleast close to its equal in the bends. Going to be a daily driver (30 mile round trip on pretty poor roads at times ((Fenland)) but will be used on the Black Mountain pass a few times a year and on a few PH gatherings if I get chance. Ill be the grand old age of 27 in June but still young enough not to warrent a pipe and slipper mobile.
Things that are currently on the list with pros and cons I can see:
Astra VXR - Fast but a little mental. Not got the chassis i would necessarily want.
EP3 CTR - Vtec but soon to be three generations old and lack of torque might be a pain for daily driving.
Clio 197 - Its Renault Sport but its been hammered at times in the press for various things and EVO slated its straight line performance in a recent test against other like minded hatches. Is the 200 really that much better?
Corsa VXR - Fast and fun but a bit try hand and prone to blowing up?
Golf GTI - Maybe top end of my budget so a bit leggy and maybe too sensible a choice.
Cupra 225 - Maybe getting a bit dated much like the EP3?
Can I have a sensible response and no badge bashing. And no I DONT want a BMW before anyone says.
No.1 - After our honeymoon in August
No.2 - Must buy her a Focus ST (around £8-9k for a decent one)
Leaves me with a limited budget. Was originally afer a decent DC5 but now prob going to be out of my price range.
I want something that isnt going to allow the missus to embarress me in a straight line but after the Fiesta ST Chassis need something thats atleast close to its equal in the bends. Going to be a daily driver (30 mile round trip on pretty poor roads at times ((Fenland)) but will be used on the Black Mountain pass a few times a year and on a few PH gatherings if I get chance. Ill be the grand old age of 27 in June but still young enough not to warrent a pipe and slipper mobile.
Things that are currently on the list with pros and cons I can see:
Astra VXR - Fast but a little mental. Not got the chassis i would necessarily want.
EP3 CTR - Vtec but soon to be three generations old and lack of torque might be a pain for daily driving.
Clio 197 - Its Renault Sport but its been hammered at times in the press for various things and EVO slated its straight line performance in a recent test against other like minded hatches. Is the 200 really that much better?
Corsa VXR - Fast and fun but a bit try hand and prone to blowing up?
Golf GTI - Maybe top end of my budget so a bit leggy and maybe too sensible a choice.
Cupra 225 - Maybe getting a bit dated much like the EP3?
Can I have a sensible response and no badge bashing. And no I DONT want a BMW before anyone says.
Seems to me your two most important factors are 1)£10k and 2)must be quicker than wifeys car.
No hot hatches in my suggestions, I don't really see the point in having two in the household
http://pistonheads.com/sales/2734656.htm
http://pistonheads.com/sales/2042890.htm
WRT to DC5s though, what is it about the examples available around the £10k mark that puts you off?
http://pistonheads.com/sales/2507107.htm
http://pistonheads.com/sales/2720606.htm
http://pistonheads.com/sales/2748985.htm
Can't see much wrong with these
No hot hatches in my suggestions, I don't really see the point in having two in the household
http://pistonheads.com/sales/2734656.htm
http://pistonheads.com/sales/2042890.htm
WRT to DC5s though, what is it about the examples available around the £10k mark that puts you off?
http://pistonheads.com/sales/2507107.htm
http://pistonheads.com/sales/2720606.htm
http://pistonheads.com/sales/2748985.htm
Can't see much wrong with these
All of those cars, except the Astra VXR will be slightly slower than a Focus ST in a straight line. Evo did a hot hatch group test a few years ago with most of the cars you are looking at. The fastest was a Mazda 3 MPS followed by the Astra then the Focus (iirc).
Having driven most of them, I'd go for the Mazda. Its a mad thing, its like they just picked the most powerful engine they've got and worried about the rest later.
Having driven most of them, I'd go for the Mazda. Its a mad thing, its like they just picked the most powerful engine they've got and worried about the rest later.
oj121 said:
Did look but how far behind the focus is it in terms of overall performance. Im not overly interested in the 0-60 etc but on an A-B blatt surely it would be left trailing?
Focus ST - 1392kg
225bhp
Cupra R
1376kg
225bhp
Not a lot in it, the figures are pretty similar. Both will remap to 260bhp quite easily and both are quick and comfy cars. I know you are buying an ST for the missus regardless, keep in mind she will probably see around the 21mpg mark in her car, I get an average of about 33mpg in my Cupra R day to day.
EDLT said:
The fastest was a Mazda 3 MPS followed by the Astra then the Focus (iirc).
Having driven most of them, I'd go for the Mazda. Its a mad thing, its like they just picked the most powerful engine they've got and worried about the rest later.
If it really has to be a hot hatch, I'd go for the MPS as well. Having driven most of them, I'd go for the Mazda. Its a mad thing, its like they just picked the most powerful engine they've got and worried about the rest later.
It's got more power than the focus, and an LSD to deploy it better in the corners.
Sorry the comment I made earlier regarding considering it but was it too slow was about the VRS. I love the LCR. Its possible but as I said is it maybe getting a bit dated?
The Mazda has always been reported as being a little boring and not having the said cornering abilities as some of its hot hatch counterparts. Is that the case? It also looks a littleboring too.
Sorry mate I have to consider running costs. That puts the Sub out of the equation.
The Clio 197 was reported in evo as being left for dead by cars such as the Corsa VXR during their group test of normal roads. Yes it won on the 5th gear track but theres more too it that that. Thats what I was getting at. Hope its a little clearer now.
The Mazda has always been reported as being a little boring and not having the said cornering abilities as some of its hot hatch counterparts. Is that the case? It also looks a littleboring too.
Sorry mate I have to consider running costs. That puts the Sub out of the equation.
The Clio 197 was reported in evo as being left for dead by cars such as the Corsa VXR during their group test of normal roads. Yes it won on the 5th gear track but theres more too it that that. Thats what I was getting at. Hope its a little clearer now.
another vote for the MPS i looked at most of these hot hatches to and went for the MPS in the end, i dont think you can find a newer better spec quicker hot hatch for a 10k budget
"he Mazda has always been reported as being a little boring and not having the said cornering abilities as some of its hot hatch counterparts. Is that the case? It also looks a littleboring too.
couldnt be more wrong.
"he Mazda has always been reported as being a little boring and not having the said cornering abilities as some of its hot hatch counterparts. Is that the case? It also looks a littleboring too.
couldnt be more wrong.
oj121 said:
The Mazda has always been reported as being a little boring and not having the said cornering abilities as some of its hot hatch counterparts. Is that the case? It also looks a littleboring too.
The chassis is basically a Ford Focus, make of that what you will in terms of its cornering ability vs an ST.As for boring looks, yes, the early models are less in your face than the later ones. This did change with the 06 model which got a fair bit more agressive.
oj121 said:
Sorry mate I have to consider running costs. That puts the Sub out of the equation.
No real reason why an Impreza would cost particularly more than a Focus ST to run, had a Scoob for 4 years and cost less to run per year than the previous 306Gti-6 did, although this was a bulletproof 2.0 - do hear some horror stories about the 2.5's. Would be a more interesting choice than having another hot hatch on the drive, otherwise it would be the ITR or an Elise for me.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff