Hot hatch for less than £2000

joneve

Fiesta ST is a great shout to be fair. 

I've always had a soft spot for the Clio's but that would be heart overruling the head at the detriment of my wallet long term, I feel. 

joneve

Civic Type-R for that real Bellend seal of approval?? the older shapes were quite reliable I seem to remember? 

nick79

Type R is a good shout, but you would have to find a nice clean unmolested one - I think the only thing to be careful of with them is that they can drink a bit of oil, so a good service history is a must. The engine doesn't really feel like anything special until you get the revs up and the v-tec kicks in, but they are good fun. 

To be honest i can see the values of good non modified Type R's going up in the not too distant future so could be a good buy. 

Haych

Volvo C70 T5.  Volvo reliability, fast as, cheap as and often owned by enthusiasts so can find really good ones for not much dosh.

breakstuff

Mk4 Golf GT tdi?

150 bph and bags of torque.I had one and it pulled like a train in all of its six gears.Pretty good fuel economy too.Mine averaged 42 mpg.Handling not as good as others,but felt well enough planted.

Mine had full black leather Recaro heated seats and was a lovely place to be.I actually bought it mainly because I liked the interior so much.

lovestrat74

Bought my first hot hatch in '96 for £1500. Peugeot 205 GTI.  Man that thing could shift!

underdog

lovestrat74 said:

Bought my first hot hatch in '96 for £1500. Peugeot 205 GTI.  Man that thing could shift!

My first car when I passed my test, 205 GTi 1900cc in Porsche sports blue. Amazing handling and plenty quick enough for an 18 year old.

Zoolooter

Better off with an older well looked after 6 cylinder BM 3 series.

prowla

Zoolooter said:

Better off with an older well looked after 6 cylinder BM 3 series.

Lovely engines!

Can be a bit pricey when things go wrong on them, though.

prowla

robgilmo said:

B6 Passat Estate, leather interior, decent stereo, loads of room, diesel, 50+ MPG, eats up the miles, comfy, lovely to drive, looks good with dents and scratches, doesnt matter about the kerbed alloys cos its a big school run taxi full of half eaten sweets, stones and bits of dried up foliage.
I have one for sale if your interested! 

That's stretching the concept of a "hot hatch" a bit...

prowla

I have to say that the hatches I would aspire to owning are:

Golf GTi.

Clio Williams.

Escort Cosworth.

I think at least two of them would bust the budget, though.

I'd also fancy a Scooby, but they will have been caned, so you really need expert advice.

Zoolooter

prowla said:

Zoolooter said:

Better off with an older well looked after 6 cylinder BM 3 series.

Lovely engines!

Can be a bit pricey when things go wrong on them, though.

But, they are reliable and not too expensive on repair at an independent BM garage. Like with most used cars, the biggest problem is finding one that's been maintained well with one or two owners max. 

Nunogilberto

I’d look for a decent nick Puma 1.7 with all the toys and leather interior etc. A Fiesta underneath, but faster and more stylish.

menamestom

Hattigol said:

menamestom said:

Does it need to be a hatch?  If not an MX5 might be an option.

The MG ZS 180’s were supposed to be good.  The 2.5l 6 cylinder engine is nice.  Not many anout now though.

I think the OP is male, which would rule that out.

Depends on his age, he might be too young for 90’s motoring cliches?

prowla

Zoolooter said:

prowla said:

Zoolooter said:

Better off with an older well looked after 6 cylinder BM 3 series.

Lovely engines!

Can be a bit pricey when things go wrong on them, though.

But, they are reliable and not too expensive on repair at an independent BM garage. Like with most used cars, the biggest problem is finding one that's been maintained well with one or two owners max. 

I had the ABS control box go on a 5-series; a new replacement was over £1k, but I got one on ebay. I also had an a/c control unit and got a remanufactured one. Munich Motors of Wokingham did the work.

digitalscream

Nunogilberto said:

I’d look for a decent nick Puma 1.7 with all the toys and leather interior etc. A Fiesta underneath, but faster and more stylish.

This. I bloody love mine...the only trouble is rust, which may well mean mine ends up a scrapper at the next MOT.

If you do find a decent one, check the sills for it and go round the arches with a magnet. If it's been filled, the problem's only going to get worse.

Haych

Zoolooter said:

prowla said:

Zoolooter said:

Better off with an older well looked after 6 cylinder BM 3 series.

Lovely engines!

Can be a bit pricey when things go wrong on them, though.

But, they are reliable and not too expensive on repair at an independent BM garage. Like with most used cars, the biggest problem is finding one that's been maintained well with one or two owners max. 

There is something very satisfying about an inline six. The noise and power delivery are both very smooth. 

The M52/M54 engines aren’t a nightmare to look after either and there are plenty of you tubers eager to show you how to do it properly. 

They do use a bit of oil though, the M54 particularly but don’t be put off, they’re really nice cars to live with. 

skullfunkerry

My mark 1 BMW Mini Cooper S is the best car I've ever owned, by miles... it's been bulletproof (apart from the Clutch at 110,000 miles) and it's great to drive. Friend of mine picked up a Cooper (non-S) for a few hundred quid and he loves it too