The latest hot hatches can cost £40k - but here are ten top picks from the past that you can snap up for £2k or less
- A spec upgrade on today's highest-rated hot hatches can cost £2k
- Instead, you could buy a whole performance car from the past for same price
- Our top 10 features some of the most potent practical cars from the 90s and 00s
If you want to buy a brand new hot hatch today, expect to fork out more than £40,000 if you want a Mercedes-AMG A45.
They're not all that expensive of course. The latest Honda Civic Type R, for example, is the hot hatch hero car of the moment. However, it's still not cheap at £30,995, and the one most drivers want – the GT – costs an extra £2,000 on top.
This got This is Money thinking. Instead of buying a new Honda Civic Type R GT, what could you buy for just the price of the upgrade alone?
A hot-hatch for the price of an upgrade: The Honda Civic Type R (pictured) is currently our favourite hot hatchback of the moment. However, it costs £31,000 as standard, and choosing the higher-spec GT version is an extra £2,000. Here are 10 cars you can get for the same price
Is it still possible to find a fun, entertaining hot hatch for the price of a few in-car gadgets on a brand new hot hatch star?
Here are 10 cars that show you can indeed do just that, all with a target price of £2,000 or less:
Not one that might have popped into your mind right away, but MG's little hatch packed an impressive 160bhp - no shortage of power for the early noughties
10. MG ZR 160
If you're really on a tight budget but hanker after a hot hatch, try an MG ZR (pictured top).
It's dated these days, but the MG makeover of lowered suspension, rev-happy 160bhp engine from the MGF sports car and a standout bodykit give off the right sort of hot hatch vibes.
And will perhaps help you overlook the dated interior, poor driving position, weak brakes…
The sleeper hot hatch among cars caked in spoilers and side skirts. Only the V6 badge gave away the potency of the Golf 4Motion
9. Volkswagen Golf 4Motion (Mk4)
The Mk4 Golf GTI was too soft and unfocused to warrant the badge, but one alternative that does deserve inclusion here is the V6-engined 4Motion model.
Its 2.8-litre motor's 240bhp gave it decent grunt and the four-wheel drive chassis handles it in all weathers.
You also have a classy cabin and the power of the VW badge to win hot hatch Brownie points too.
Peugeot 205 GTIs are selling for staggering amounts on the collectible car market today. The 206 GTI didn't quite match the iconic performance, but it's still a good all-rounder
8. Peugeot 206 GTI 180
It's not a classic like the original 205 GTI was, but the tuned-up 180bhp 206 GTI was still interesting - an extra 42bhp over the regular car was combined with a firmed-up chassis and nicer gearchange.
It's a decent car to drive – there are also lots of low-mileage, well-loved examples out there, proving its enthusiast appeal.
The Leon Cupra R's 210bhp made it one of the most powerful hot hatches of its generation - it's still quick by today's standards
7. Seat Leon Cupra R (Mk1)
The Cupra was the car that made Seat famous in the early 2000s, and the Leon Cupra R was the hottest of the lot.
210bhp was sent through just the front wheels, which made for a lively drive at times, but it also had great acceleration when you could get the power down, plus a tight chassis and quick steering.
Look out for cars with the optional Recaro seats.
The Fiesta ST (Mk6) wasn't the most powerful of hot hatchbacks - packing 150bhp - but to shoehorn a 2000cc engine into such a small package was something you had to love
6. Ford Fiesta ST (Mk6)
The cheap-to-insure Ford Fiesta ST has a beefy 2.0-litre engine, a sports exhaust and a slick set of 17-inch alloys.
It's a tidy car to drive, with just the right level of involvement, while Ford running costs mean even those on a tight budget will be able to get their hot hatch driving thrills.
Word is, it's highly tunable, too…
Yes, the Compact was a hatchback, so it does qualify to be in this list. A silky-smooth straight-six engine and premium feel make it a brilliant, though underrated, performance car
5. BMW 325ti Compact
It's not often you get a silky-smooth straight-six engine in a hot hatch, and rarer still is rear-wheel drive - this is why the BMW 325ti Compact is today such as standout.
It's a purist's dream, and it's pretty practical within the three-door cabin as well, while BMW build quality is some of the best in the business.
The first of the modern generation Mini Cooper S models combined wonderful go-kart-like handling with an engine that had a brilliant whining surcharged soundtrack
4. Mini Cooper S (R53)
We love the original Mini Cooper S hot hatch - its charismatic supercharged 1.6-litre engine gives loads of grunt from low revs and a distinctive engine whine throughout the rev range.
What really sets it apart is the handling – it's genuinely pin-sharp and if the ride suffers as a result, you'll be having too much fun to care.
The Audi S3 managed to handle 225bhp by sending it to all four wheels. Finding a decent example today is no easy task, though
3. Audi S3 (Mk1)
You can even get a premium-badge hot hatch for £2,000. The original Audi S3 is the oldest car here, but its 225bhp four-wheel drive quattro drivetrain still stacks up for speed.
It's not the most involving of cars, but it's still an exemplar for interior quality and the S3 badge carries plenty of kudos.
Another supermini with a 2.0-litre engine squeezed under the bonnet. You can pick up later 172 and 182 models for under £2k, but this was generation is a guaranteed bargain
2. Renaultsport Clio 172
The original Renaultsport Clio 172 was a standout car in its day – few cars this small had such a large, highly-tuned motor as this 2.0-litre beefcake.
A kerbweight of less than 1.1 tonnes meant it was a real firecracker, and Renault's impeccable chassis tuning made it a blast to drive.
If you're really lucky, you might even track down one of the later, even faster, Clio 182s.
For less than £2k you're going to end up with a Civic Type R that's had a hard life - they were and still are a boy racer's dream
OUR WINNER: Honda Civic Type R (EP3)
The obvious choice if you love the new Civic Type R is to look at an older model for a £2,000 budget. Here, the first UK-built model, called EP3 by experts, falls within range.
Thanks to an ultra-high-revving 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine, it does 0-62mph in 6.6sec, and what it lacks in low-down pull it makes up for in high-speed excitement.
The suspension isn't quite as super as the engine, although the firm ride will leave you little doubt as to its sporty intent.
But it's decent on fuel, cheap to service and naturally extremely reliable – it does wear the Honda badge, after all.
If you want to see how Honda VTEC screamers used to feel, it's a great blast from the past for a song.
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