Are you looking for a lot of ‘fun’ for relatively little money? Then purchasing a ‘hot hatch’ is a good idea. Perhaps you immediately think of something with the GTI label, or the widely acclaimed Renault Clio Sport. These five copies are less obvious, but are certainly no less fun.
Over the years, hot hatches have become more and more powerful and faster. The first Golf GTI – the pioneer in this field – delivered 110 hp in 1976. Even a Polo GTI already delivers 200 hp. The new Toyota GR Yaris, which operates in the same segment, takes it a step further with 261 hp. Bizarre of course for such a compact car. Toyota delivers a really fast hatchback for the first time in ages. In this part of the used car market, there are actually two options that are immediately obvious: the Volkswagen Polo GTI and the Renault Clio Sport. Of course there is much more choice than just those two. With a budget of € 8,000, we have found five hot-hatches from the B-segment on the used car market that are perhaps less obvious, but are certainly no less fun.
1. Toyota Yaris TS – € 5,500
Yes, actually the Yaris TS has too little power to be classified as a ‘hot hatch’. Under the hood is a naturally aspirated 1.8-liter four-cylinder with 135 hp and 173 Nm of torque. He can still be in the list because the GR Yaris was more or less the reason for this piece. Compared to the rest, it is about 40 hp short to really participate. Actually, it competes more with the Swift Sport. In addition, the Toyota is also not really sporty. The Yaris TS comes from an era when Toyota was mainly focused on offering solidity and reliability, not so much on driving pleasure. Topman Akio Toyoda, under the credo ‘no more boring cars’, however, launched a whole offensive on cars to change that. The new ‘Gazoo Racing’ Yaris and Supra are examples of this. The Yaris TS is less extreme, but by far the cheapest car in our list, both in terms of purchase and use. You will not run much risk with it and they no longer really write off. In particular, the automatic transmission of the XP90, as this generation of the Yaris is referred to internally, causes problems. Fortunately, the TS has no problems with that thanks to its manual gearbox. This copy has run over 160,000 km, but still looks very neat.
2. Peugeot 206 RC – € 6,495
According to some purists, the 205 GTI is the last really nice Peugeot to be screwed together by the French. In 1999, the 138 hp 206 GTI came on the market, but the public received that variant somewhat lukewarm. The GTI had few distinct elements from the 206 XS. In 2003 a faster version of the 206 came on the market: the RC. It still has a naturally aspirated 2.0 liter four-cylinder, but now with 177 hp and 202 Nm of torque. The higher power is achieved, among other things, by a modified manifold. In addition, the RC has special sports seats in the interior and the meter housing is wrapped in leather. Compared to the Renault Clio Sport, the 206 RC is a neglected child. The Clio is just a bit more sporty and is generally more popular on the market. However, this does mean that the 206 RC is also immediately cheaper to purchase. Moreover, it still rides very nice and feels pretty fast. The undersigned also has one in the driveway. Problems with the 206 are mainly of an electronic nature, the engine is – if properly maintained – quite reliable. This black copy has a fairly low mileage and still looks original to the eye.
3. Skoda Fabia RS – € 7,999
If you think of a ‘hot hatch’, then you certainly do not immediately think of a Skoda. In essence, the Skoda Fabia RS is a fifth-generation Polo GTI under the skin. It was delivered from 2010 to 2014 and had the same 1.4 TSI with 180 hp and 250 Nm of torque under the hood. This power source was equipped with both a turbo and a supercharger. In the Fabia RS it is always linked to a seven-speed DSG. The sporty Fabia can be recognized by a more aggressive front bumper, 17-inch wheels with red brake calipers behind them and a diffuser with dual exhaust. In green with a contrasting black roof, it looks anything but boring. However, you have to be careful with the engine. The 1.4 TSI is known for its high oil consumption, which in some cases requires the complete engine to be replaced. From 2012 it got slightly better, but it still needs to be carefully considered when purchasing. Furthermore, the DSG is also an expensive part to replace. This copy has run more than 207,000 km and is just within budget.
4. Seat Ibiza Cupra Bocanegra – € 7,409
If you still find the Skoda a bit too dull, the Seat Ibiza Cupra Bocanegra offers a solution. The sleek Ibiza looks a lot sportier than the Fabia, but you do of course give up something through the three doors in practical terms. ‘Bocanegra’ is literally translated from Spanish ‘black mouth’, which is evident from the front of the Cupra. At first glance it does indeed seem as if you are looking into one big gaping hole. Furthermore, the centrally placed exhaust in the rear bumper is a nice detail that distinguishes the Cupra from the Ibiza FR. Since the drivetrain is the same as with the Fabia, the same problems are also reflected in the Ibiza Cupra. Incidentally, no manual gearbox was available on the Seat either. This imported copy is from 2010 and has just under 175,000 km behind its teeth. Given the oil consumption and the fact that these types of cars are usually not driven slowly, a purchase inspection may not hurt.
5. Opel Corsa OPC – € 7,945
Opel now doesn’t do much with the OPC label, but over the years a number of nice sporty models have come rolling out from Rüsselsheim. The Corsa OPC is one of them. It came on the market in 2007, with an output of 192 hp and 266 Nm of torque, it was by no means a childish kid in hot hatchland. Nevertheless, the OPC has always been inferior to the GTIs of this world in terms of popularity. In terms of appearance, the Corsa OPC is quite distinctive. The front bumper has a splitter and extra ‘gills’ on the side, the side skirts are thicker and in the rear bumper is a large diffuser with a triangular centrally placed exhaust. The interior includes Recaro seats and aluminum pedals. This car is further equipped with modified wheels, seems to have been lowered and the Opel logo on the boot lid has been removed. The Corsa OPC is relatively reliable, but take care that it has not been truncated and maintenance is carried out correctly, as is of course for every car in this list. The turbo can sometimes cause problems.