It’s that time of year again: lock away your bank cards and bury your smartphone in the garden, because we’re going to decide this year’s most cost-effective route to performance thrills, handling poise and driver engagement.
Last year the not-for-wallflowers Honda Civic Type R topped an order full of full-fat, full-sized hot hatchbacks that included the Mercedes-AMG A45, Volkswagen Golf R, Ford Focus RS and Audi RS3 Sportback, in doing so proving that you don’t need to spend Porsche Cayman levels of cash in order to get the best of this particular breed.
But this year we’re sliding our definition of ‘affordable’ downwards in a direction which should please your mortgage advisor. This year’s flurry of new, downsized pocket rockets, ranging from the £14k VW Up GTI to the £27k Toyota Yaris GRMN, means we’re stacking the deck with particularly cheap and exceptionally cheerful front-driven hot hatchback options. Moreover, the priciest car we’ll tempt you with is the £29k Renault MeÃgane RS 280 Cup, the heir of a car that’s won our annual Britain’s Best Affordable Driver’s Car (let’s call it BBADC) shootout before.
Sit tight, then, and enjoy the action as it took place on the roads of the Lincolnshire wolds and South Yorkshire peaks, followed by a couple of sunny, skiddy, kerb-hoppy days at the outstanding Blyton Park Driving Centre.
Click here to read the second part of our 2018 Britain's best affordable driver's car feature
Part One: The grateful eight
We need four from the eight, that’s the idea. There’s a fifty-fifty chance of getting through to the knockout phase, then, and, as was said quite a lot earlier this summer, once you’re there, there’s every chance, right? At the end of the day, Clive, on the night, with a little bit of luck, it could go your way. Isn’t it, eh?
So consider this to be the important group stage, over two legs, on road and track. It’s the important reckoning where the obvious duffers are sent home while those with potential leap, or scrabble, through.
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Affordable cars
I'm car lover and whenever I think about switcing a car I must go with these features. 1. Comfort 2. Durability 3. Low price 4. Availability 5. The most important market. If all these features are met i'll go with it. I also found some exciting offers to get some extra cash only by filling the online surveys at Customers Satisfaction Survey
BBADC18
Feels like the the right cars have moved on to the final four. Hiunday in particular really seem to have nailed with the i30N. It's just a shame that it looks a bit meh ( that profile ), but the Fastback will be getting this same spec in the coming months, and that one looks great.
Found it strange that the Yaris made it to the list. Not that it isn't a nice car ( it pretty much got great reviews everywhere ), but it's been sold out for months, and they only made 2500 ( ? ) of them anyway, so good luck finding one.
And i'm sorry, but the Cooper S does not look good. The car itself is no beauty, and the S bodykit makes it even worse.