Used Car Hunter: small, thrilling hot hatchbacks for £8,000
Our Car hunter has £8,000 to find a small car that offers massive levels of fun
“Dear Auto Express, I want to swap my supermini for a similarly sized hot hatch. What should I be looking at with a budget of £8,000?” - Dan Stevens, E-mail
When your supermini isn’t delivering the level of driving fun that you need, the eye has a habit of wandering towards the hot hatchback market. Our car hunter is in this exact boat and, fortunately, there are a lot of feisty small cars to choose from.
Hot hatches tend to either be based on superminis like the Ford Fiesta or larger family hatchbacks like the Ford Focus. If you can get away with the amount of space inside a supermini then the smaller category of hot hatch is usually cheaper to buy and run. Many hot hatch models restrict you to a three-door bodystyle, however, and be aware that the figure-hugging sports seats can eat into rear legroom. You should also expect higher fuel bills and pricier parts than you'll find in the conventional supermini version. The ride will be also be firmer, and the cabin might be noisier, too.
Top contenders in the family hatchback hot hatch class include the Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic Type R and Volkswagen Golf GTI. Go smaller and you’ll get more fun for your money in cars like the Fiesta ST, VW Polo GTI, Renaultsport Clio, and Vauxhall Corsa VXR.
Here's our expert pick of the three best used hot hatches available for £8,000, together with links to buy them through our Find a Car service...
Peugeot 208 GTI - the stylish choice
- For: Most powerful, stylish cabin, best fuel economy
- Against: Steering lacks feedback, driving position snags
The Peugeot 208 GTi did a decent job of being the modern successor to the eighties’ 205 GTi. Its zesty 1.6-litre turbo engine produces 205bhp and 0-62mph is covered in 6.5 seconds.
Its steering is quick, but a little vague and light. Yet the 208 is very stable through corners, and the six-speed manual gearbox is slick. An official economy figure of 52.3mpg is the best here. Your budget will buy a 43,000-mile 16-plate 208 GTi Prestige, which has sat-nav, a panoramic roof, Bluetooth, DAB radio and touchscreen infotainment.
As with other Peugeot models, the 208 GTi’s small steering wheel can obstruct the instrument cluster for some drivers. Overall, though, the GTi’s interior feels upmarket, while the controls are well laid out and the quality of the plastics is reasonable. The Peugeot’s 285-litre boot matches that of the Corsa VXR and is only five litres smaller than the Fiesta’s. Where the GTi does have an advantage over the ST is rear head and legroom, of which there is a fair bit more in the Peugeot than in the Ford.
See our used Peugeot 208 GTi deals
Ford Fiesta ST - the popular choice
- For: The best-handling car of the three
- Against: Least powerful, outdated cabin
Fast Fords have long been an institution in the UK and the Fiesta ST doesn’t disappoint. Its 1.6-litre turbo engine makes 197bhp, so power is slightly down, while the Ford and Vauxhall are 0.4 seconds quicker from 0-62mph. The Fiesta’s 47.9mpg is more than the Vauxhall officially returns, but short of the 208.
The ST shines in the corners; it’s incredibly balanced, with quick, direct steering that gives exactly the right amount of feedback. We found a 16-plate, 51,000-mile ST-3 for £8,200.
Inside, the Fiesta feels the most dated of this trio; the quality isn’t bad, but the dash layout is quite button-heavy and you only get a small infotainment display that lacks touchscreen functionality, even if you go for an ST-2 or ST-3 with the upgraded Sony stereo. There’s also a shortage of rear seat space compared with the GTi and VXR, which can more comfortably accommodate two adults. The Fiesta’s 290-litre boot is the biggest, but only by a mere five litres, so overall it doesn’t win on practicality.
See our used Ford Fiesta ST deals
Vauxhall Corsa VXR - the sporty choice
- For: Sharp steering, strong grip levels, well equipped
- Against: Image not to all tastes, ride can be harsh
The Vauxhall Corsa VXR looks the part and has the performance to back this up. It also has a 1.6-litre turbo engine, here producing 202bhp, 3bhp less than the GTi, but enough for an identical 0-62mph time of 6.5 seconds.
It only officially returns 37.7mpg, though, indicating you’ll spend more time and money at the pumps than with the Peugeot or Ford. While the Corsa steers nicely, the ride lacks the fluidity of the Fiesta. For £8,500, you’ll get a 16-plate VXR with 42,000 miles. The standard kit level is strong, with cruise control, air- conditioning and touchscreen infotainment.
The Corsa VXR’s interior blends sportiness and comfort well. The flat-bottomed three-spoke steering wheel and chunky gearlever are great to hold, and decent materials have been used throughout the cabin. This interior is superior to that found in the Fiesta ST, and similar to the 208 GTi. Resemblances with the Peugeot continue in terms of practicality, too. There’s an identically sized 285-litre boot, while the back seats in both the Corsa and 208 are similarly spacious, an area where the Fiesta falls a little short. But the Vauxhall arguably lacks the overall desirability of the Ford and Peugeot.
See our used Vauxhall Corsa VXR deals
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