Hot Hatch Owners

I've owned a Megane R26 for almost 2 years now. It's currently running 297bhp 307ftlbs thanks to a Ktec induction kit and exhaust, Forge intercooler, 630cc injectors and an EFI remap. For a relatively cheap (£5.5k) hot hatch it performs well, though it's not a patch on my mk2 JDM import mx5 that it replaced in terms of fun and driver enjoyment. Unfortunately a downside of me having 2 young kids means a return to a 2 seater will be off the cards for a while yet :(

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kinger8938 said:
Wow! Love that colour combo!. Congratulations.

Must admit I'm a bit out of the car loop, but today picked up a 2016 Focus ST! Only picked it up at 5pm in the rain and it got dark shortly after! Hope to have a proper play tomorrow :)
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Thank you ! :D

Post some pics of your ST! :D I’m in the same boat.. picked it up while it was hammering down with rain, so really wasn’t in the mood to take it out for a proper drive this afternoon. Hopefully tomorrow is a little drier :)
 
I've yet to see an i30n in grey on the road, look great for a hatch in pictures. The blue seems popular. The extended version looks truly hideous from some angles though!
 
I was considering a hot hatch, I tried a few of best (actually pretty much the same range as the OP listed!), I always think the problem with these cars is that you know (if we're honest with ourselves) that a lot of the miles we drive in them will be stuck in traffic or on long motorway drives, and to be honest I felt the i30N and the Civic R just don't really feel like £30K cars in that environment, whereas the Audi S3 / BMW 140i really do - they're fast but also interior wise you can (literally) feel the quality. TBH with the stonking deals on the 140i at the moment - it's definitely the buy of the bunch in my mind. But that said, the i30N is a lovely looking motor OP and hope you enjoy it! :)

(Also that ST looks mint!)
 
ultralaser said:
I was considering a hot hatch, I tried a few of best (actually pretty much the same range as the OP listed!), I always think the problem with these cars is that you know (if we're honest with ourselves) that a lot of the miles we drive in them will be stuck in traffic or on long motorway drives, and to be honest I felt the i30N and the Civic R just don't really feel like £30K cars in that environment, whereas the Audi S3 / BMW 140i really do - they're fast but also interior wise you can (literally) feel the quality. TBH with the stonking deals on the 140i at the moment - it's definitely the buy of the bunch in my mind. But that said, the i30N is a lovely looking motor OP and hope you enjoy it! :)

(Also that ST looks mint!)
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Thank you, it's 2016 but only 12k on the clock which I thought seemed pretty good! Hope I can keep it looking well.
 
I've owned a Focus ST for 2.5 years now however it's getting chopped later in the year. Apart from the odd hiccup (constantly blowing rear bulbs, starter button failing to work on a couple of occasions) it's been a great car to own.

However with my commute and mileage I'm going for something automatic, leather and 3l diesel next.

It's great for a B-road blast but those journeys are getting fewer and fewer. It also makes my 7 year old feel car sick longer journeys even though I'd say the suspension has never felt too hard for me.

I would post a pic but I went for a bogo standard ST1 in Race Red (company car and I didn't want to pay too much for extras) so there must be a ton of them on the road.
 
J35T3R said:
I've owned a Focus ST for 2.5 years now however it's getting chopped later in the year. Apart from the odd hiccup (constantly blowing rear bulbs, starter button failing to work on a couple of occasions) it's been a great car to own.

However with my commute and mileage I'm going for something automatic, leather and 3l diesel next.

It's great for a B-road blast but those journeys are getting fewer and fewer. It also makes my 7 year old feel car sick longer journeys even though I'd say the suspension has never felt too hard for me.

I would post a pic but I went for a bogo standard ST1 in Race Red (company car and I didn't want to pay too much for extras) so there must be a ton of them on the road.
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Sounds quite reliable then, all considered! My commute is currently 5-6miles each way :D previous car was a diesel which just wasn't suitable for me!
 
kinger8938 said:
Sounds quite reliable then, all considered! My commute is currently 5-6miles each way :D previous car was a diesel which just wasn't suitable for me!
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Done 36k miles, booked it for its last service with me in a couple of weeks time.

Car came fitted with Goodyear F1s and the original rears are still on it! Now on my second set of Pilot Sport 2s up front mind.

It has been a very good car, just want something that can 'waft' me about now.
 
J35T3R said:
Done 36k miles, booked it for its last service with me in a couple of weeks time.

Car came fitted with Goodyear F1s and the original rears are still on it! Now on my second set of Pilot Sport 2s up front mind.

It has been a very good car, just want something that can 'waft' me about now.
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Wow that's surprising about the rears :O good stuff. I think I'm going to enjoy my time with it. It strikes a nice balance for me between fun and family suitable. Boot is fair, and cabin is a good size for us and our son +one on the way!
 
Majority of my cars over the years have been hot hatches, just seem to gravitate towards them!

By their nature they tend to be pretty good all rounders when it comes to performance, practicality and cost to run.
 
ultralaser said:
I was considering a hot hatch, I tried a few of best (actually pretty much the same range as the OP listed!), I always think the problem with these cars is that you know (if we're honest with ourselves) that a lot of the miles we drive in them will be stuck in traffic or on long motorway drives, and to be honest I felt the i30N and the Civic R just don't really feel like £30K cars in that environment, whereas the Audi S3 / BMW 140i really do - they're fast but also interior wise you can (literally) feel the quality. TBH with the stonking deals on the 140i at the moment - it's definitely the buy of the bunch in my mind. But that said, the i30N is a lovely looking motor OP and hope you enjoy it! :)

(Also that ST looks mint!)
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On the practicality front you get the 5 year warranty on the i30n.

You also have no extras to buy, it all gets chucked in.
 
Long time lurker here.. dont post very often but just pulled the trigger on an M140i Shadow Edition following the comments on here and PH forums. This is my first hot hatch so the test drive was something else.. never experienced so much power and an engaging driving experience before. I was actually laughing at just how quick the car is 5 hours after getting home ha ha.

Test drove an Octavia VRS last week and while I enjoyed it, it was too civilised if that makes sense. The deals on the BMW seem to have changed Saturday morning.. going from £449 P/M with £449 down to £379 P/M with £0 down.. loss leader the dealer was telling me but naturally I take that with a pinch of salt.

Cant wait to collect!
 
J and j said:
Yeah the GTI has been left behind in the power department. Which is a real shame as its a hot hatch legend, its feels well built and its easy to drive. Hoping the new mk8 will be better
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Kenai said:
The Golf GTI now occupies a space for people who are happy enough with a 'hot hatch' being fast enough, rather than the absolute fastest it can be.

The relentless march towards endless power and neck breaking 0 to 60 sprints isn't for everyone and those people are well catered to by the R if that's what they want.
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Was the Golf GTI ever fastest in its class?
 
loltim said:
Was the Golf GTI ever fastest in its class?
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I don't know if it was ever flat out fastest but in the MK1 and Mk2 days, it was certainly in the top set of hot hatch school. It hasn't been the pinnacle of the Golf range since then though. The Mk3 and more so Mk4 reduced it to little more than a trim level. The Mk5 was an improvement but by then the R was established as the new range topper. Since then it has just been developed as a 'fast enough' car. Excepting the Mk4 I don't think it has previously been as far behind the peak as it is now though.
 
Pman85 said:
Long time lurker here.. dont post very often but just pulled the trigger on an M140i Shadow Edition following the comments on here and PH forums. This is my first hot hatch so the test drive was something else.. never experienced so much power and an engaging driving experience before. I was actually laughing at just how quick the car is 5 hours after getting home ha ha.

Test drove an Octavia VRS last week and while I enjoyed it, it was too civilised if that makes sense. The deals on the BMW seem to have changed Saturday morning.. going from £449 P/M with £449 down to £379 P/M with £0 down.. loss leader the dealer was telling me but naturally I take that with a pinch of salt.

Cant wait to collect!
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It's a lovely motor and I was mighty tempted myself, heard they can be had for between £25k - £27k at the moment :eek: which is only about 3K more than a mid spec Focus! Do post some picture :D
 
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