Half Price Hot Hatch

In a world full of fun and fizzy hot hatches, the Abarth 500 is one of a kind. Better still, used examples are now well into half price hot hatch territory, as Vicky Parrott explains.

It might have officially been the ‘entry-level’ RS model during its brief run from 2011 until 2012, but don’t let that fool you: the Audi RS3 is still a very serious hot hatch. Indeed, the term ‘hot hatch’ might not even do it justice, the Audi RS3 instead one of the pioneers of the ‘super…

The second-generation Audi S3 (sold between 2006 and 2012) is a great option those who need a hot hatch that can double up as an express commuter in the week. So the fact that you can now get one for less than £8,000 is potentially very good news indeed. The S3 is, of course, Audi’s…

It took its time, but the BMW M135i has firmly tipped into half price hot hatch territory, which is to say you can now buy a decent used example for 50 per cent of the original £29,995 asking price. This is very good news indeed, because the M135i was and still is a real belter…

The hype surrounding the launch of the latest Ford Fiesta ST is no doubt justified, but so too is the admiration afforded to its direct predecessor, which is the latest addition to our collection of half price hot hatches. Used examples of the Mk7 Ford Fiesta ST now kick off from a fraction under £8,000, which…

Ford is rather good at injecting a bit excitement into ordinary family cars, in turn creating some of the best hot hatches there have ever been. The Focus ST that was built between 2006 and 2010 is a fine example, and a quick browse through the CarGurus classified listings reveals it can now be bought…

If you’re after a hot hatch that combines a raw, high-revving engine with sharp handling and modern creature comforts then the FN2-generation of Honda Civic Type R is well worth a look.

Hang on a minute: a Kia hot hatch? ‘Sort of’, is probably the best answer to that, and if the Pro ceed GT is not outright hot then it is certainly sufficiently warm to warrant a few column inches here. That’s especially so when you realise not only that the car’s original £19,995 asking price…

The MINI Cooper S JCW is an intense hot hatch that’s now available for half of its original price. Vicky Parrott takes a closer look at what makes it so special.

In the history of the hot hatch the Renaultsport Clio 200 will surely come to be regarded as the pinnacle of the old school formula. A car where stuffing a big, naturally aspirated motor into a supermini body was still the name of the game, rather than the current trend for smaller turbocharged engines and…

By 2012 Renault’s fast car division seemed unable to put a foot wrong when it came to building hot hatches. It was no surprise therefore when that year’s Renault Megane 2.0 Renaultsport 265 proved to be an instant hit, nor indeed that it continues to make a fine purchase six years on with good examples…

It is always tempting with a half price hot hatch to seek out the maximum performance per pound, but seeing as our last guide to the Suzuki Swift Sport went down so well we’ve instead directed our attention towards another minnow in the hot hatch gene pool. That car is the Renaultsport Twingo 133, and…

It is no secret that the Seat Leon Cupra has long provided access to the same engines, gearboxes and technology as the Volkswagen Golf GTI, but for a heavily reduced price. So the story went when the third generation Leon hot hatch was introduced to the UK in early 2014, using the VW Group’s MQB…

The Skoda Octavia vRS is fairly unusual in the world of hot hatches in that it is available in several configurations. You can, for example, have front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, petrol or diesel, manual or automatic, and even hatchback or estate. It follows that there should be an Octavia vRS for every requirement, which…

While not officially called an Impreza, the WRX STI that was sold between 2008 and 2013 was a clear descendant of the rally-bred saloon that had so dominated the performance car scene in the 1990s. As such you’d be right to have high expectations when it comes to the performance on offer, not only in…

There are many who will say that a car with a mere 134bhp does not qualify as a hot hatch, and that a 0-62mph time of 8.7 seconds is simply too slow to ever feel exciting. We can’t help thinking a quick go in a Suzuki Swift Sport would begin to change their minds. For here…

The latest in our series of half price hot hatches is a car that deserves more attention than it’s ever given: the Vauxhall Astra GTC VXR. Underrated when new, it continues to fly beneath the radar even now you can pick one up for less than 50 per cent of its original £27,720 list price.…

The current generation of Volkswagen Golf R is one of the finest hot hatches money can buy. And with used examples now available for half the original asking price, it’s never looked more tempting…

The idea behind this new weekly feature is hopefully self-explanatory, but if you’re yet to have your morning coffee and need a helping hand, we’ll be scouring the CarGurus classified listings to find examples of hot hatches that can now be bought for a bargainous 50% of their original price. This week we look at…