Hot hatchbacks have long been popular in the UK, combining great handling and punchy power delivery, while being wrapped up in a practical package. However, with hot hatch prices hitting dizzying heights on the new car market, affordability is a concern for many. Fortunately, there are plenty of used hot hatches that can deliver the same driving thrills for a wide variety of budgets. We’ve picked out some of our favourites below.
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Which hot hatch you go for depends on your priorities and how much you’re willing to pay. For example, a Volkswagen Golf GTI from 2008 will give you 197bhp and is equally capable carving up a back road and nipping to the shops, all while accommodating up to five people in a way that a Mazda MX-5 can’t.
Alternatively, if you have a more generous budget and want to leave supercars in your wake, a Mercedes-AMG A 45 is a realistic option.
With a sensible approach and realistic aims, you should be blasting down a B-road in no time. It’s worth remembering, though, that as with any used car, a thorough inspection and test drive before handing over any money are advisable. And if a deal looks too good to be true, then it probably is. With performance on tap and prices of parts and maintenance likely to be higher than for a standard hatchback, paying a little extra for something which has a full service history and evidence of careful ownership is worthwhile.
Best cheap hot hatches
Read on to discover the best cheap hot hatches…
Volkswagen Golf GTI
We found: 2.0T petrol, 2008, 46k miles
Years produced: 2005-2009
Engines available: 2.0T petrol
There are some people who reckon that the fifth-generation was peak VW Golf GTI. It’s certainly a better overall proposition than earlier versions, at least for everyday use, and it really is all the car you could ever need, whether it’s popping to the shops, ferrying the kids to school, or even embarking on the odd track day.
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You can pick between having three doors or five, and manual or DSG automatic gearboxes. All versions are front-wheel drive and come with a 197bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, apart from a few 227bhp special editions.
| Positives | Negatives |
| Family friendly | Door sills can perish |
| Accessible performance | ABS control units fail |
Ford Focus ST
We found: 2.0T petrol ST-3, 2016, 35k miles
Years produced: 2012-2018
Engines available: 2.0 petrol, 2.0 diesel
The current ST is out of reach (prices start at £19k), but for £15k you can buy a superb example of the Focus Mk3-based model, complete with a 247bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine. There was a 182bhp diesel option from autumn 2014, and it’s good, but the petrol is much more exciting.
Of course, the whole point of the Focus ST is the driving experience, which is something to savour. But it’s the Focus’s usability that impresses so much. It doesn’t guzzle fuel, you can take the family along for the ride, and it comes packed with equipment to make every journey more comfortable.
| Positives | Negatives |
| Brilliant handling | Diesel doesn’t thrill |
| Very practical | Anonymous exterior design |
Hyundai i30 N
We found: 2.0T-GDi, 2019, 40k miles
Years produced: 2018 to date
Engines available: 2.0T petrol
Hyundai’s first hot hatch put the cat among the pigeons when it arrived six years ago, just as the i30 range as a whole had done when it made its debut almost a decade before. Nobody associated Hyundai with enthusiast cars, but the i30 N quickly changed those perceptions.
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With a 271bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre engine and a chassis that felt as if it could take more power, this unlikely hot hatch was fast, well made, great value and handled superbly. The market isn’t awash with used examples, but there are enough 40,000-mile cars on sale to go round.
| Positives | Negatives |
| Sensibly priced | Drab interior |
| Brilliant dynamically | Tight rear legroom |
Honda Civic Type R
We found: 2.0 Type R GT, 2017, 24k miles
Years produced: 2015-2017
Engines available: 2.0T
The regular Honda Civic is about as unexciting a car as you’ll find, so what the firm achieved in creating the Type R is little short of miraculous. Known as the FK2, this generation of Type R was the first with a turbo, which was enough for 310bhp and 0-62mph in less than six seconds.
Crucially, the Type R retains the usability and reliability that make the regular Civic appealing. On sale here for just 18 months, these Type Rs aren’t plentiful and those that are available are almost exclusively the GT edition, which adds climate control, parking sensors and sat-nav.
| Positives | Negatives |
| Incredible dynamically | Not very discreet |
| Very accessible performance | Poor infotainment |
Mercedes-AMG A 45
We found: 2.0 auto, 2017, 6k miles
Years produced: 2013-2018
Engines available: 2.0T petrol
With a massive 360bhp on tap, the A 45 AMG featured the world’s most powerful four-cylinder engine when it arrived in 2013. But that was just the start of the story, because the German hot hatch deployed that power to great effect, thanks to its standard 4Matic all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch auto gearbox.
With hatchback usability and typically excellent Mercedes build quality, this is one of the quickest hot hatches around (capable of 0-62mph in just 4.6 seconds). And best of all, the whole family can come along for the ride, too.
| Positives | Negatives |
| Incredible grip | Harsh ride |
| High quality interior | Costly to buy and run |
Best cheap hot hatches
Read more of our guides to cheap used cars…
Content editor
Ryan is responsible for looking after the day-to-day running of the Auto Express website and social media channels. Prior to joining Auto Express in 2023, he worked at a global OEM automotive manufacturer, as well as a specialist automotive PR and marketing agency.