The best wildcard used hot hatches on the market
Rorty engines, racey styling and reasonable insurance – here are our picks of the best used hot hatches
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by Jonathan Bryce and Charlie Martin
5 mins read
5 August 2024
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If your interest is piqued by today’s hot hatchbacks such as the Abarth 500e, Mini Cooper SE, or Toyota GR Yaris but you don’t fancy an electric powertrain or a £30,000-plus asking price, we’ve compiled a list of the some of the best used hot hatchbacks you can buy right now.
Our guide covers some alternative versions – the foundations, if you like – of some of the most exciting cars on sale today and some of their closest rivals on the used market, from the original Mini GP and Peugeot 106 Rallye to Renault’s Clio V6.
It’s also worth mentioning that these cars deliver plenty of driver involvement, car park cachet and handsome looks for a fraction of the price of their modern counterparts; the cheapest ones can be yours from just £1000.
We’ve also included some wild card alternatives, complete with even wackier styling, rorty engines and outright exclusivity.
1. Abarth 595 Biposto
Pros
Makes a great noise
Faster than you think
Cons
No rear seats
Pricey compared to others on this list
The Fiat 500’s diddy proportions and sloping roofline make its rear seats pretty redundant anyway, so why include them in the first place? That was the rationale behind the Abarth 695 Biposto, which ditched the back seats for a strut brace. It also got 45bhp more than the regular Abarth 500, giving it a 0-62mph time of 5.9sec and a scrabbly personality.
It’s like owning a terrier, with a hilarious mismatch between bark and bite, so the Abarth is not for everyone but some will adore it. Prices start at £20k and cars with the incredibly rare dog-ring gearbox option – £50k when new – cost more than double that.
Read our Abarth 595 Biposto review
Finance this car with Drivenfi
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2. Mini Coupe John Cooper Works
Pros
Funky, distinctive styling
As playful as it is powerful
Cons
Fragile engine
A lot of power for the chassis to handle
Designed to look like somebody wearing a baseball cap backwards, the Mini Coupé was one of those incredibly rare examples of a big firm showing a sense of humour. The car was also a hoot to drive, with an almost Ford-like tail-happiness. The John Cooper Works packed a 208bhp punch and its 0-62mph time was up there with the class’s best.
Prices start just below £5000 but it’s worth spending more on one with a full service history because its turbocharged four-pot is known for its fragility.
Read our Mini Coupe John Cooper Works review
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3. Renault Twingo RS
Pros
Very agile
Surprisingly practical given its size
Cons
Very noisy at speed
Not many available on the used market
With annual sales of around 250, this was a disaster for Renault’s sales department but today it is a delight for an enthusiast driver looking for fun and a savvy investment because you can pick one up from around £2500.
With a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine providing a 0-62mph time of 8.7sec and 125mph top speed, it was marked out from the standard Twingo in both its performance and appearance. Outside, it got a front spoiler, rear wing, attractive 16in alloy wheels, tinted rear windows and a larger exhaust.
If you choose a car with the optional Cup pack, you also get suspension lowered by 4mm and a weight saving of 10kg.
Read our Renault Twingo RS review
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4. Fiat Grande Punto Abarth
Pros
Sharp, distinctive looks
Great cornering feel and agility
Cons
Engine gets asthmatic above 5000rpm
Poor low-speed ride
This crisply styled, 155bhp Italian supermini is the definition of a pocket rocket. With brakes upgraded over the standard car’s, a 10mm-lower ride height and a slightly wider front track, the Punto Abarth is as sharp to look at as it is to drive.
And we really do mean sharp. Despite its electrically assisted steering, we praised the car when it first came out for its inherent feel and plucky, lively dynamism.
If you want more bang for your buck, however, you could look for one equipped with the Esseesse kit, which hikes the power to 180bhp, cuts the 0-62mph time from 8.2sec to 7.7sec, gains even beefier brakes and lowers the suspension by an additional 20mm.
Finance this car with Drivenfi
5. Ford Fiesta ST 150
Pros
We chose it over the Renault Megane RS
Still looks modern, even today
Cons
Many on the market have been carelessly modified
Poor fuel economy
Winning the favour of our road testers over the likes of the Mazda MX-5 and Renault Megane RS, the subtly-styled, motorsport-inspired Fiesta ST 150 is a gem of a hot hatch that can be bought for just £1000.
Its naturally aspirated 148bhp 2.0-litre four-pot and kerb weight of just 1137kg means it shoots to 62mph in around eight seconds. Its racy styling, well-equipped interior and low insurance costs make them very popular with young enthusiasts, which means there are plenty to choose from.
However, this also means you need to make sure any aftermarket modifications such as ECU remaps, air filters, a performance exhaust, uprated cams etc are backed up with comprehensive paperwork and originate from a renowned, trusted brand. Else, simply walk away.
Read our Ford Fiesta ST 150 review
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6. Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works GP
Pros
Fast. Very fast
Bespoke bodykit provides a distinctive look
Cons
Consumes its front tyres, which themselves are expensive
Strict two-seater
The GP was the swansong for the first BMW-developed Mini, taking the three-door hatchback to its absolute limit. Its supercharged 1.6-litre four-pot was boosted to 215bhp and 184lb ft, which might not seem much by today’s standards but is more than enough in a car weighing just 1140kg.
That’s 55kg down on the regular Cooper S, thanks in part to the removal of the rear seats. The result was giant-killing performance. The GP had the looks to back that up too, with a special bodykit and slate-grey paint, plus four-spoke alloys. Prices start at around £14,000 today.
Read our Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works GP review
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7. Peugeot 106 Rallye
Pros
Looks smart, especially in red with white steelies
Engine loves to rev
Cons
Harsh ride
Sits in the 205’s shadow
As the successor to the 205 Rallye, this car had a lot riding on it when it came out. To help win over the hearts of 205 fans and those looking to buy a Ford Fiesta RS 1800 instead, the 106 got a revvy 1.3-litre petrol engine and distinctive styling like its popular predecessor. Smart white Michelin steel wheels were matched with racing stripes on the body and squared-off wheel-arch extensions. It was also lighter than a standard 106.
Starting from around £6000 now, there is a choice of the Rallye S1 or the facelifted Rallye S2, the former with a 0-62mph time of 9.6sec and top speed of 113mph, and the latter 8.8sec and 121mph.
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8. Renault Clio V6 (Phase 1)
Pros
Sonorous engine note
The most distinctive car here…
Cons
…but also the most expensive
Not the most stable in wet conditions
The original Clio V6 is rather, err, spicy: mid-mounted 230bhp V6, rear-wheel drive, a short wheelbase and inadequate steering lock. Legend has it that several were written off in slippery conditions on the car’s press launch, prompting a major redesign that led to the facelifted Phase 2 car.
So why have we picked the original? Accessibility, mainly. A nice example of an early V6 can be had for around £30,000, whereas Phase 2s bottom out at around £50,000. Just don’t take it out in the wet…
Read our Renault Clio V6 (Phase 1) review
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9. Rover Metro GTI
Pros
Enthusiastic, characterful engine
Beat its key competitors on driving dynamics
Cons
Engine could do with more power
Uncomfortable at lower speeds
Rover led the 1990 hot hatchback class with the Metro GTi. With a characterful, naturally aspirated 1.4-litre K-series engine producing 95bhp and a 0-62mph time of 9.3sec, the little British hatchback went head to head with the likes of the Peugeot 205 XS and Ford Fiesta 1.6 S.
The engine chases its 6500rpm redline with verve and enthusiasm, the handling is endearingly sweet and there’s plenty of grip. And a tidy example can be picked up for around £7000 today.
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10. Renault Wind
Pros
Chassis loses no rigidity even with the roof down
Sweet-shifting gearbox
Cons
Weight penalty detracts from its performance
Harsh ride
No, this isn’t a hot hatch, but we haven’t gone completely bonkers in suggesting it here because it’s effectively a rebodied Renault Twingo. Opt for the atmospheric 1.6-litre powerplant and what you have is the punchy RS but with a folding roof.
That does bring a penalty of 124kg, which detracts from the engine’s performance and the chassis’ delicacy, but some might consider that worth it for the extra dimension of being exposed to the elements – especially as they start from just £2k.
