Used hot hatches: best buys for under £2000

While the new Civic Type R comes only with five doors, the EP3 does with three. In fact, it’s a much smaller car all round, yet interior space is good, as is the driving position once you’ve nestled into the Alcantara- centred bucket seats. Don’t expect a glut of gizmos, though: even air-con was an optional extra. 

An annual £305 VED bill stings a bit, as does a group 34 insurance rating, but servicing (required every 12,000 miles) and parts are reasonably priced, and the engine’s low-rev efficiency means fuel consumption approaching 30mpg should be possible with mixed driving. 

Today, VTEC quite literally ain’t what it used to be, but the EP3 offers a cheap and practical route back to those glory days.

Renault sport Clio 172 

The Mk1 Clio yielded the fabulous Williams model, but you’re more likely to find love in the classifieds than one of those for less than two grand. So it falls to the Mk2 Clio 172 to represent Renault, maestros of the contemporary hot hatch genre. 

The big engine, small car formula gives the 172 a decent turn of pace, but that’s as much to do with its trim 1059kg kerb weight as its tractable powerplant. The 172 is wonderfully agile, too, and the steering is chatty enough to warrant a gagging order by today’s monotone standards. You’ll also find examples of the even lighter 172 Cup and 2003’s slightly more powerful 182 available within our modest budget. 

Audi S3 Mk1

The oldest car here had the furthest to fall from its RRP, yet there are now S3s on sale within budget. 

The turbocharged, all-paw, three- door Audi is only challenged by the BMW for quality, but given the Compact is oft seen as one of Munich’s ugliest sisters, the S3 trounces it for desirability. It doesn’t deliver the last word in engagement, but it’s rapid, responsive of both throttle and steering and has a surfeit of traction. It’s also well equipped, and you can even snare an uprated 225bhp car, introduced in 2001, for under £2k. Huge value for money. 

Mini Cooper S R53 

The concept of supercharging a hot hatch is an alien one in 2017; the blown Toyota Yaris GRMN will be a limited-run freak when it appears in December. But BMW did wonders by adding a Roots supercharger to the standard Cooper’s underwhelming Tritec 1.6, delivering a slab of torque all the way from 2500rpm to 6000rpm that made for in-gear pace unknown among classmates. 

Despite foregoing an upgraded chassis, the Cooper S handles with superb responsiveness, body control, and grip only let down by artificial-feeling steering. The ride is a little busy and rear space is limited, but the handsome cabin wins points back. 

BMW 325ti Compact 

There was no six-pot E36 Compact in the UK, so the E46 325ti was the first – and last – hot version of the three-door 3 Series sold here. 

The silken six was atypical for the class, but Double VANOS variable valve timing ensures the upper-range punch to go with the sophistication, easily exploited through shorter gearing than the E46 saloon. The 325ti is also 100kg lighter than the equivalent four-door, and features more focused suspension and quicker steering, helping it trade on its rear-drive set-up to deliver exploitable agility – albeit subject to a noticeably firmer ride. Cabin space is good and quality excellent for its class, so this haute hatch can play the workaday game too. 

Ford Fiesta ST Mk6 

If insurance a concern, there’s solace to be found here. The first Fiesta ST provides a premium-curbing 148bhp from a Focus-sourced Duratec twin-cam, gaining 5bhp with the help of a variable intake system and a sports exhaust, while lower, firmer suspension, a body kit and 17in alloys give it a sporting edge over cooking Ford Fiestas. 

A throttle-sensitive chassis, tidy damping and well-judged steering make up for the modest power output, and while the cabin is a bit plain and the seating position predictably high, this ST is fun, well equipped, roomy enough for four and cheap to service. Seek out a Mountune-fettled example if you really need more grunt. 

Seat Leon Cupra R Mk1 

With its Volkswagen Golf GTI cousin suffering a dip in form, Seat grabbed the spotlight with the Cupra R, the cheapest examples of which just sneak into our price range. It shares engine spec with the original Audi S3 but manages to send all of its 210bhp through the front axle without the steering wheel having conniptions. 

This is a lower and firmer car than the standard Cupra, with quicker steering, stronger brakes and a bespoke body kit. In-gear pace and body control impress, but the helm lacks feel and is overly heavy at low speed, while the cabin is plain without the optional Recaro seats. One from the Mk1 Focus RS school, then, but for a fraction of the price. 

Peugeot 206 GTi 180 

Unloved in comparison with its 205 and even 106 namesakes – and therefore much cheaper to buy than either – is this, the most powerful variant of the 206 GTi. 

Engine tweaks, including variable valve timing, boosted power by 42bhp over the standard GTi, while stiffer, sturdier suspension and a snappier gearshift action added focus to the package. The 180 lacks the handling panache of its illustrious forebears but is quick, grippy and easy to place and has decent body control. It’s also generously equipped and cheap to fix, and there are plenty of previously loved examples to choose from, such as the a tidy-looking 39,500-miler with a fresh timing belt that we found advertised for just £1950. 

MG ZR 160 

We're in the lower floor of the bargain basement now – you’ll struggle to find a ZR 160 for more than £2000. The Rover 25-based hatch was available with three or five doors, or, bizarrely, as a three door, two-seat van, the MG Express.

The ZR’s transformation was achieved via a body kit, lowered, retuned suspension and bigger brakes, and the range-topping 160 got the 1.8-litre K-series four-pot with variable valve timing from the MGF. Despite a sub-8.0sec 0-60mph time, it doesn’t feel especially quick, and while it handles respectably enough, there’s little to be gained from pushing hard. Then there’s the spongy brakes and awful driving position. At least it rides nicely. 

Volkswagen Golf 4Motion Mk4 

Along with the dreary Mk3, the Mk4 Golf GTI barely deserves the ‘hot’ prefix so can’t be included here on ethical grounds, and the Mk5 GTI hasn’t quite settled below our £2000 limit. So we turn to the Mk4 4Motion: three or five doors, a transverse 2.8-litre V6, four-wheel drive and 204bhp and 199lb ft.