If it seems like genuine automotive entertainment is creeping ever further from reach, the preserve of supercars for the super-rich, then don’t despair – because not only are some new cars at perfectly reasonable prices still fantastic fun, but there should be little stopping you from looking at something a few years older and picking up a past master.
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In fact, the choice has arguably never been better, because the prices for some incredibly capable and entertaining cars from the 2000s are now at their lowest point – as we’ve shown below, with the cheapest of our fun-car picks starting at only £3,000.
We’ve also selected our favourites from £5,000 to £10,000, £10k–£25k, and £25k–£50k, plus five cars you can pick up brand new. There are plenty of sports cars and hot hatches, but we’ve thrown in a few curve-balls too, from a classic to an off-roader, and yes, even an electric car, because there’s one new EV we just couldn’t ignore when it comes to fun.
Best fun cars: £3,000 to £5,000
Fiat Panda 100HP
All the other cars in our £3,000-£5,000 category make more power, grip harder, and go faster, but the Fiat Panda 100HP has always punched well above its weight for pure, simple fun. That starts with the styling, which still looks brilliant 17 years on from its 2007 launch, with 15-inch wheels tucked under arch extensions, and chunky front and rear bumpers giving the Panda’s shape a dose of attitude. The 99bhp 1.4-litre engine begs to be thrashed and has a snappy six-speed manual gearbox to go with it. Plus, while the ride feels like being on a bucking bronco, there’s plenty of grip and in a car so narrow, you’ve always got plenty of road to play with.
Mazda MX-5 (Mk3)
One day, the fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 will no doubt find itself down at this price point, but with good examples of the Mk1 and Mk2 now getting more expensive, it’s the Mk3 (or NC) MX-5’s turn to be the bargain of the group. The Mk3 is occasionally ostracised for being heavier and more grown-up than earlier MX-5s, but things are all relative; it’s still a bluefin tuna in a sea full of blue whales, and being larger than the earlier models makes it easier to live with every day than its predecessors. No MX-5 is more practical, and the brilliant handling remains, thanks to sophisticated front double-wishbone and rear multi-link suspension. Good 2.0-litre models just sneak under £5,000 and 1.8s are cheaper still, but watch for rust, the MX-5’s perennial nemesis.
MINI Cooper S (R53)
You can’t go too far wrong with any modern MINI as far as fun is concerned, but if you’ve got five grand burning a hole in your pocket, then it’s the 2002-2006 R53 Cooper S that’ll give you the most entertainment. It has a supercharged 1.6-litre petrol engine – later MINIs moved to turbochargers – and as well as 163bhp and a brisk 7.4-second 0-60mph time, you get some proper supercharger shriek too. Even later MINIs don’t handle as nimbly as these ones, either. As most R53s are now 20 or more years old, rough (and modified) cars are all too easy to find, but £5k is still enough to secure a tidy one.
Toyota MR2 (Mk3)
We couldn’t include the MX-5 here without also including its most entertaining rival, Toyota’s third-generation MR2, sold between 2000 and 2006. The final MR2 was a less exotic car than its predecessor, ditching Ferrari-esque curves and a coupe roof in favour of a lighter, purely open-topped experience, though the mid-engined layout that gives the MR2 its name remained. The MR2 is more accommodating for tall drivers than the MX-5, and its handling is actually a little sharper too, if less friendly at the limit. The Toyota can suffer from rust and abuse, but even the very best will barely breach our £5,000 budget.
Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk5)
Considering that the Mk5 Volkswagen Golf GTI, which was launched in 2004, was a huge return to form for the GTI badge after the Mk3 and Mk4’s plodding efforts, it’s amazing how affordable it is today. Part of the reason for that is the model’s success, meaning the used car market is littered with them. Punchy performance from a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, and a responsive, well damped chassis make the GTI easy and satisfying to drive quickly, and the boxy body gives the GTI true hot hatch practicality too. Steer clear of badly modified and thrashed cars, and a Mk5 GTI remains a car that’s both great on a B-road and easy to live with.
Best fun cars: £5,000 to £10,000
Ford Fiesta ST
Ford has had a patchy history with hot hatchbacks. They’ve almost always looked fantastic, but it wasn’t until the mid-nineties that they had the fun factor to match their visual pizazz. Since then though the brand has been on a roll, and no more so than with 2013’s Fiesta ST. The 1.6-litre turbocharged 180bhp hatch had a 0-62mph time in the late sixes and a hilariously adjustable chassis to match. With keen pricing too, it sold like umbrellas in a rainstorm, making them abundant on the used market today. Prices do start at under £5k, but you may wish to pay a few grand more for a model that hasn’t been crashed, thrashed or dubiously modified.
Honda Civic Type R (EP3/FN2)
Hard use is a risk with the Honda Civic Type R too, thanks to a red line set at nearly 8,500rpm. We’re including both the 2001-2005 ‘EP3’ and 2007-2011 ‘FN2’ models here, because while they drive quite differently (and have wildly different styling), both have in effect the same fantastic, high-revving engine, and both happen to be priced similarly on the used market too. The best EP3s are actually becoming more expensive than FN2s now, but £5k-£8k should be enough for a tidy, regularly serviced and unmodified example of either. The EP3 is a little lighter and nimbler, the FN2 more planted and refined, but both are defined by that near-200bhp engine.
Porsche Boxster (987)
The 987-generation Porsche Boxster and Cayman are two of the biggest used performance car bargains right now. Their ubiquity – and, truth be told, the potential for big bills – plus Porsche’s continuous evolution of its models making subsequent cars even more desirable, means both seem incredibly good value. We’ve picked the Boxster 987 specifically, because having the wind in your hair almost always adds to the fun factor, which is already high given the car’s perfectly balanced mid-engined handling and great steering feel. With the roof down, it’s all the better for hearing the 2.7-litre flat six, too. We’d max out our £10k budget to find a tidy car with plenty of history.
Renault Sport Clio 200 Cup
Before the turbocharged Fiesta ST, this Renault was the hot hatchback the rest had to beat. In some ways, the Clio 200’s experience is even more intense, with a zingy naturally aspirated engine, a less playful but more focused chassis set-up, and spectacular damping that takes B-road bumps in its stride. Firmer Cup versions are the most sought-after, particularly ones with Recaro seats, while prices start from around £7,000 for great examples and rise to beyond £10k for low-mileage cars. Few front-drive hatches handle better, and the wide-arch styling looks great too. They’re popular with track day drivers, so just look out for signs of hard use.
Suzuki Jimny
Surprised? You shouldn’t be. For sure, the Suzuki Jimny isn’t a car you’ll get much enjoyment from on a B-road, and it’s the polar opposite of entertaining on a long motorway journey. But if you get your automotive kicks where the tarmac runs out, then the Jimny is pretty much perfect. You could call it the Mazda MX-5 of the off-road world: compact (it’ll fit where bigger 4x4s can’t), affordable, cheap to run, sturdy and reliable, and easy to modify. Jimny pricing actually starts a lot lower than £5k, but most examples under that will have been used pretty hard. Spend a bit more, and you’ll find very tidy cars from much later in the third-gen model’s 1998-2018 run.
Best fun cars: £10,000 to £25,000
BMW M3 (E46)
You could make a case for the E46 BMW M3 being the M division’s finest work. The fourth generation of the 3 Series was already a very talented vehicle, and seemingly a perfect platform for a high-performance model. Launched in 2000, the new M3 featured pumped-up arches, deep front and rear bumpers, and most importantly a 3.2-litre ‘S54’ naturally aspirated inline six-cylinder engine making 338bhp, revving to 8,000rpm, and in most examples, driving through a manual gearbox. Perfect balance, a glorious soundtrack, and a healthy kick of performance mean the E46 M3 is as great to drive today as it ever was, and coupes start at £15,000.
Caterham Seven
You can find examples of the Caterham Seven across almost the full breadth of our £10,000-£25,000 budget, and almost every one will be slightly different. You’ll find examples with Rover and Vauxhall engines, plus a sprinkling of later Ford and Suzuki-powered cars, spread from the eighties to the current day. The common link between all is that they’re laugh-out-loud fun to drive, with impossibly agile handling thanks to their low weight, and a sense of connection to the road like few other cars. And the financial risk of a weekend Seven is low: Caterhams are simple to fix and maintain, and tend to hold their value well too.
Honda Integra Type R
While the VTEC-powered Civic Type Rs are fun, a bigger budget can get you an even better R-badged Honda, the original ‘DC2’ Integra Type R. Time was when a DC2 could be found for five grand, but a good one is a lot more than that now – and still worth the money for the driving experience. It remains one of the best-handling front-drive cars ever made, and is as happy on track as on a country road. The 187bhp, 8,400rpm VTEC engine sounds like an old touring car but is amazingly reliable too. Rust can be a problem, but a budget of around £15,000 should get a very nice example.
Hyundai i20 N
If you’d said a decade ago that Hyundai would go on to be responsible for two of the best hot hatchbacks on the market, you might have been charitably described as an optimist. But then the company launched the i30 N, and later the i20 N, which really are two of the best modern performance hatches. The i30 N is more of an all-rounder but the more compact i20 N is arguably even more fun, squeezing down B-roads with more room to spare and driving with a more pugnacious attitude. Prices start from a shade under £20k but even the very oldest models hail from only 2021, so should still be within Hyundai’s five-year warranty.
Rover Mini Cooper
The Rover Mini Cooper seems like a bit of an odd-one-out here. It also seems like not a lot of car for quite a lot of money, given that the best late Sport Pack Coopers now start at well over the £10,000 mark. But size – and power – isn’t everything, and the ten-foot-long Mini with its 63bhp A-Series engine is definitive proof. It’s got the most responsive steering of anything on this page short of the Caterham, is second only to the Seven for total driver involvement, and if you’ve ever watched any racing from Goodwood, you’ll know how fun (and how fast) a Mini can be. And unlike most on this list, it’s equally fun just toddling slowly to the shops.
Best fun cars: £25,000 to £50,000
Alpine A110
The Alpine A110 feels like a spiritual successor to the Lotus Elise, just one that’s a little easier to use every day. It’s small, light, and doesn’t use much fuel, but best of all, it has fantastic ride and handling, flowing down the road better than most family cars yet feeling as light on its feet as a Mazda MX-5. Relatively low supply means depreciation hasn’t hit the A110 too hard, but you can still find used cars from as little as £35,000, a drop of around £15,000 from its new price in 2017. You can find a Porsche Cayman for that kind of money, but we reckon the A110 is even more fun, more of the time.
Audi R8
Not many cars have been able to topple the Porsche 911 from its perch over the years, but when the Audi R8 first appeared in 2006, it did just that. Audi Sport hadn’t just built a good-looking sports car – a supercar, even – but one that drove like no Audi before it. In other words, it was genuinely involving, from the clackety action of the open-gate manual transmission that accompanied its 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8, to steering that’s almost Lotus-like in its clarity and response. The V8 relishes revs, and it’s no slouch, with even early cars making 414bhp, but it’s happy to trickle around slowly like an A3 too. That you can enjoy this experience for less than £50,000 (they start even lower, but prioritise well looked-after cars if you value your sanity) is remarkable.
Ford Mustang
Whatever convinced Ford to make its sixth-generation Mustang available in the UK in 2016, in right-hand drive form, we’re glad they did. The Mustang is a rare treat, not just because it’s one of the automotive performance icons, up there with the Porsche 911, but because its combination of a large naturally aspirated V8 engine and the option of a manual gearbox is basically unique in the last decade of new cars. V8 and manual is absolutely the combination we’d go for too, because the soundtrack adds to the experience, whether you’re cruising on the motorway or hustling the surprisingly capable Mustang down a B-road. Used examples start from around £25k and are plentiful between £30k-£40k.
Lotus Elise
It’s still possible to find a Lotus Elise a fair bit cheaper than our £25,000 starting point in this budget category, but for the best examples of all generations, you’ll be looking at £25k and up. That covers not only pristine early cars, which still offer the purest driving experience, but also the tidiest S2s, special editions from various generations like the Type 49 and Type 72, and low-mileage S3s. Why would you want an Elise? The same reason people have always wanted them: unmatched steering feedback, telepathic agility, and performance that feels just right on both road and track.
Toyota GR86
The Toyota GR86’s flame burned briefly but brightly in the UK. It’s already been delisted from Toyota’s website, leaving the used market your only option now for getting this fantastically entertaining sports car. Toyota fixed almost all the issues people had with its GT86 predecessor, the new 2.4-litre engine giving buyers not just more power, at 231bhp, but more torque too: 184lb ft at 3,700rpm, rather than the old car’s 151lb ft at 6,700rpm. A terrifically adjustable chassis makes the GR86 almost slide-on-demand if you’re so inclined, but this is a car that’s fun at normal speeds too. With restricted supply, they’re not depreciating particularly quickly, so most are priced in the high-£20k range, only a few grand less than when they were new.
Best fun new cars
BMW M2
As the BMW M3 has grown in size and price in recent generations, the BMW M2 has taken up its former mantle as the provider of the more compact, old-school driving experience in the M-car range. It’s still not exactly a tiny, E30 M3-style car – and it weighs 1,700kg – but chunky three-box styling, rear-wheel drive, and even the option of a manual gearbox all add to the smallest M car’s attitude. Importantly, it doesn’t feel too big for narrow B-roads, but with 454bhp from a creamy-sounding turbocharged straight six, it’s still a bit of a hot rod: 0-62mph takes 4.3 seconds with the manual, or only 4.1 seconds with the automatic gearbox.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Even just a few years ago we’d have struggled to justify including any electric car, no matter how fast, among the most fun cars you can buy. But the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N deserves its place here as much as the used i20 N in our £10k-£25k bracket – it just happens to be rather more expensive, quite a bit bigger, and has the power to give supercars a hard time in a straight line. The Ioniq 5 N gets all the fundamentals right, from a balanced chassis to searing performance, but toys like virtual gear ratios, augmented sounds, and a ‘clutch kick’-style drift mode show that Hyundai is serious about plain old fun, too.
Mazda MX-5
Yes, it’s the second MX-5 in this list, but Mazda’s current roadster is as easy to justify brand new as a cheap NC is for a few grand. In fact, after a recent round of updates, the MX-5 is better than ever, its sparkling performance and chuckable feel now backed up by tighter control over its body movements, and genuine steering feedback. You’ll now pay £28,000 for a 1.5-litre car and upwards of £32,000 for a 2.0-litre, but both are as fun as cars many times the price. Thye’re frugal and reliable too; in fact, the only real compromise the MX-5 still makes is in passenger space and luggage capacity.
Morgan Super 3
Cast all thoughts of practicality or weather protection aside, concentrate purely on fun, and the car that results would probably be something a little like the Morgan Super 3. It might be more sophisticated than its 3 Wheeler predecessor, with an inline three-cylinder Ford engine, a wider and more stable chassis, and a larger cockpit, but the goal here is still thrills over all else. A tiny 635kg kerbweight means it does a lot with just 118bhp, getting from 0-62mph in seven seconds, and the sense of speed is even greater – especially when you get to a corner and have to navigate it on those skinny front tyres.
Toyota GR Yaris
The long waiting lists for the original Toyota GR Yaris in 2020 didn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who remembered the golden era of the Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution – Toyota essentially reprised the grippy, all-weather performance formula with its four-wheel-drive homologation special. At £44k, the new model is unfortunately a lot more expensive than before, but it’s also even better, with a lower driving position, driver-focused dashboard, firmer suspension, and more power. It’s still in its element on a B-road too, whatever the weather.
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