Trying to choose next car...warm/hot hatch

SixTwoSix

SixTwoSix

SixTwoSix

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I'm getting really frustrated trying to choose my next car.

My car history is pretty dismal, passed my test just over 3 years ago at age 31, drove a 1.2 corsa for a year. Then bought a 1.6 Focus and drove that until a few months ago after getting 3 years NCB.

On impulse I went out and looked at a 2002 Leon Cupra, test drove it, fell in love, bought it and didn't notice all the faults and problems that would need fixing. Spoke with a few people who suggested better to sell it on at a slight loss rather than risk it becoming a money pit.

Cupra has gone and I now have about £2000 to spend. I can stretch to £2300 with a lot of sweet talking the missus. She's already given me £400 towards my next car.

The problem is, the Focus was only about 100BHP, the Cupra was 180BHP, now i've had a taste of a bit more power after 3 years of mundane driving, I really want to get another warmish/hot hatch.

So far i've been looking online @:

Clio 172/182 (love the look of these, heard they handle great, getting the typical "avoid french" advice from folks)
Focus ST170 (ticks the power box, utterly boring to look at)
other Cupra's (like the aggressive styling, not impressed with interior)
Civic Type R/S (R would tick all my boxes but would get a bad example for what I can afford)
Corolla T Sport (187BHP but heard handling isn't all that great)

...all in the 170-200BHP range. Don't really have an opinion on the 206 GTI but they do a 180BHP version.

I'd like to call on your collective knowledge of which of these cars would be the best suited to me. Are there any obvious choices i've missed in the short list above? I only drive about 10 miles a day maximum, weekends that can go up to between 30 and a few hundred miles depending on if the mood takes me. Over the last year i've done just short of 4000 miles.

Due to my short journeys through the week, i've been told to rule out any kind of turbo diesel as my 2 mile journey to and from work wouldn't be good for the engine.

Insurance isn't a concern, since moving from Coventry to Rugby, my insurance has more than halved. Road tax is a slight concern, I don't mind paying up to £280 for the K band, anything higher is too much.

This weekend i'm going to go and test drive each of what i've listed above to get more of a feel for the cars. I definitely want a hatchback, I just prefer the looks over a coupe/saloon.

Sorry for going on, wanted to cover all the bases.

TL;DR version...want a warm/hot hatch around the £2k mark...don't know what though!!!
 
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Mk1 Focus RS?

215bhp standard, great out of the box handling, practical but not very comfy.

Interior is vey marmite.

You can pick up good condition low milers for around 8.5-9k

I've had mine for over 3 years, best car I've ever owned. Always puts a smile on my face and gets lots of positive attention to :)
 
Gonzo0 said:
Mk1 Focus RS?

215bhp standard, great out of the box handling, practical but not very comfy.

Interior is vey marmite.

You can pick up good condition low milers for around 8.5-9k

I've had mine for over 3 years, best car I've ever owned. Always puts a smile on my face and gets lots of positive attention to :)
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I'd have one in a heartbeat if I could get one with the £2300 I have to spend ;)

SixTwoSix said:
Cupra has gone and I now have about £2000 to spend. I can stretch to £2300 with a lot of sweet talking the missus.
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Gonzo0 said:
Mk1 Focus RS?

215bhp standard, great out of the box handling, practical but not very comfy.

Interior is vey marmite.

You can pick up good condition low milers for around 8.5-9k
Click to expand...
Hardly ideal on a budget of £2300 though, eh?

Of the options you suggest, the Clio is probably the most sensible choice for your budget. Personally I don't know why you'd want to drive around in a tin can though.

My 2p - 325ti (and not just because I own one.. for now). 192hp, RWD, better made, more comfortable and, despite it's polarising styling, still better looking in Sport-trim than any of the above. Can pick up some proper bargins in your budget if you remember to give the car a good checkover!
 
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Fast

Reliable

Cheap


Pick two of the above. You're not going to get a hot/warm hatch that's not got its fair share of issues for not a lot of money. What was so bad about the Cupra? (Guessing a Leon?)
 
My vote would go on the Clio 172/182. I had one for a couple of years and it was a great car to hoon around in. Handling was fantastic, great acceleration and stopping power, and not uncomfortable (in the front) even for longish journeys. I think there's a few things to look out for on older models, other folks can probably advise but I can't as I had mine from new as a company car.

The only other car from your list that I drove was a Focus ST170, and while it wasn't bad the chassis could handle so much more power, and it just felt a bit...slow.
 
neverender said:
Of the options you suggest, the Clio is probably the most sensible choice for your budget. Personally I don't know why you'd want to drive around in a tin can though.

My 2p - 325ti (and not just because I own one.. for now). 192hp, RWD, better made, more comfortable and, despite it's polarising styling, still better looking in Sport-trim than any of the above. Can pick up some proper bargins in your budget if you remember to give the car a good checkover!
Click to expand...

A few people have mentioned 325 to me, I understand it is more of a "proper" car and undoubtedly better on all fronts, just not keen on the styling. In regards to driving the tin can, 90% of my journeys are less than 20 minutes so I don't mind. ;)

Lowe said:
What was so bad about the Cupra? (Guessing a Leon?)
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Nothing majorly wrong with the Leon cupra, just loads of small issues that when added up, would cost quite a bit. Most of it was electrical issues such as wipers/locking. ECU kicked up quite a few error codes. It was due a major service and also needed a cambelt/water pump change. It was also lowered when I bought it and found out after a few weeks, I really didn't like a lowered motor. so would have had to get new springs as well. I bought too much on impulse, so taking my time this time.
 
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If getting an extra 300 quid requires 'a lot of sweettalking' then you should probably focus on something warm rather than hot.
 
clio 182 or fiesta ST

actually, no. 2300 will probably not buy a nice ST

get a clio

a 2300 CTR will be a dirty pre face lift and will likely be in barry condition.

the ctr costs a bit more to run than a warm hatch too.

my fiesta used to get 32mpg, my ctr much less
 
SixTwoSix said:
A few people have mentioned 325 to me, i'm just really set on a hatchback. I understand it is more of a "proper" car and undoubtedly better on all fronts, just not keen on the styling. In regards to driving the tin can, 90% of my journeys are less than 20 minutes so I don't mind. ;)
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325ti does have a hatchback.
 
Havana_UK said:
My vote would go on the Clio 172/182. I had one for a couple of years and it was a great car to hoon around in. Handling was fantastic, great acceleration and stopping power, and not uncomfortable (in the front) even for longish journeys. I think there's a few things to look out for on older models, other folks can probably advise but I can't as I had mine from new as a company car.

The only other car from your list that I drove was a Focus ST170, and while it wasn't bad the chassis could handle so much more power, and it just felt a bit...slow.
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No matter what other cars I look at, I always end up searching back through 172/182's, have really fallen for the look, have to actually test drive one now and see if I like the feel as much as the look.
 
[TW]Fox;24767359 said:
If getting an extra 300 quid requires 'a lot of sweettalking' then you should probably focus on something warm rather than hot.
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Any other time it wouldn't be an issue but she's fixated on our wedding next year, she's also already given me £400 towards the £2k.
 
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SixTwoSix said:
No matter what other cars I look at, I always end up searching back through 172/182's, have really fallen for the look, have to actually test drive one now and see if I like the feel as much as the look.
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I loved mine. They're actually pretty economical too, I used to average about 33mpg from it.
 
SixTwoSix said:
Any other time it wouldn't be an issue but she's fixated on our wedding next year.
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Yea but.. it's 300 quid. If thats quite a bit of money then an ageing hot hatch is probably not a millstone you want around your neck. You'll enjoy owning a car thats less likely to cause you hardship. I'd especially avoid the 325Ti for that reason.

300 quid won't even buy a set of tyres for these cars!
 
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