Sub 1.5k Smoll Hot Hatches

[S2000]

I’ve been driving eldest child’s  ‘zippy’  1.25 fiesta style since I MOT’d it on Monday, quite clearly she has no interest in self sufficiency having spent 10 minutes behind the wheel since October and not used any of the driving lessons she has….. I digress… I had a MK2 Fiesta 1.3 CVH as my first Car which I modified to get as much as I could from it (wheels, suspension, XR2 Janspeed exhaust, Weber  carb etc etc) and drove it flat out everywhere!! 
 

Driving the more modern Fiesta still gives a great feeling, it’s nimble, can be driven flat out and a hoot on the country roads where I live. It got me thinking, apart from the 2.0 ST Fiesta of the same 06 Vintage has anyone had experience of decent Smoll ‘lukewarm’ hatchbacks?? We have a Cooper S at the moment but it is a larger car in all ways.

Question….. What would you spend 1.5K on that will mainly be used for 10 mile round trips on country roads to my nearest market town??

[tooSavvy]

One of these.... 

*obv, bought by 'the shadow'!

[montytom]

I had many mgzrs back when they were more  current and they are brilliant rev happy little things. I still miss my first 105. I have had a 160 aswell and that was nice but for me now a nicely sorted 105 will do me. 

[sierraman]

Focus ST170. Not that quick but a leggy one will be sub £1500. In fairness there’s not much worth buying round that price point.

[Matty]

Stock answer from me (getting like New POD with his astras). If you like the one you have, get a 2.0 ST. They are brilliant. I have one and I am a man of impeccable taste

[S2000]

4 hours ago, sierraman said:

Focus ST170. Not that quick but a leggy one will be sub £1500. In fairness there’s not much worth buying round that price point.

That’s the challenge of the price point…. We could spend more but it’s finding that forgotten gem out there.

[AnnoyingPentium]

Standard answer from me...

A ropey Fabia vRS or an Elegance with the detuned version of the 1.9 TDI.

[Leyland Worldmaster]

VW Lupo GTI. 🤩🤩🤩

[S2000]

Just now, Leyland Worldmaster said:

VW Lupo GTI. 🤩🤩🤩

For a bag and a half?

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 minutes ago, Leyland Worldmaster said:

VW Lupo GTI. 🤩🤩🤩

Find me a cheap one that isn't shagged to death and I'll eat my hat. 😂

[Leyland Worldmaster]

4 minutes ago, S2000 said:

For a bag and a half?

When I last checked. *But* that was back in 2018... 

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 minutes ago, Leyland Worldmaster said:

When I last checked. *But* that was back in 2018... 

[gadgetgricey]

Any good?

 

[Leyland Worldmaster]

40 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Fuck! Wow, the prices are slightly* higher now... 😱

[Muniphobia]

Has to be a Puma 1.7

[tom13]

Yaris tsport or tspirit, Ignis sport, panda 100hp, swift sport.

I wouldn't go with the fiesta. They are nice but all the cheaper ones seem to be very ropey. 

[fairkens]

8 hours ago, Muniphobia said:

Has to be a Puma 1.7

This, they are awesome if you can find one that isn't rusty. Which you can't 

[JMotor]

Surprised at how hard it is to find anything at that money. 

The stuff I was gonna suggest has really jumped in price. 

Did find a Swift Sport for £1.5k 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/304303530287

But doubt if it's any good though. 

[Nullzwei]

How about a Renault Twingo 1.2 TCe GT 1.2 turbo. 100bhp. 0-60 in 9.8.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201191534980?include-delivery-option=on&make=Renault&price-to=2000&postcode=ne22te&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&radius=1501&sort=relevance&model=Twingo&advertising-location=at_cars&page=1

 

[Bren]

One and a half k will get nothing really at the mo - shagged out or needing ££££ spending on it. Spend the money on some track days.

[sierraman]

1 minute ago, Bren said:

One and a half k will get nothing really at the mo - shagged out or needing ££££ spending on it. Spend the money on some track days.

Tried getting this through to someone the other day, £1,500 is starting point for a car that’s half a chance of seeing the year out. So he goes ‘that’s worth £500’... and I’m going ‘prices have gone up’. You wouldn’t go in Morrisons and go ‘Pasta was only 8p in 1984 so that’s what it’s worth’. 

[JMotor]

8 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Tried getting this through to someone the other day, £1,500 is starting point for a car that’s half a chance of seeing the year out. So he goes ‘that’s worth £500’... and I’m going ‘prices have gone up’. You wouldn’t go in Morrisons and go ‘Pasta was only 8p in 1984 so that’s what it’s worth’. 

This. Had this exact conversation with people too. 

Unfortunately they don't understand inflation. 

Also yes, it's pointless explaining it to them. As it doesn't sink in. 

 

[sierraman]

15 minutes ago, JMotor said:

This. Had this exact conversation with people too. 

Unfortunately they don't understand inflation. 

Also yes, it's pointless explaining it to them. As it doesn't sink in. 

 

Fundamentally people don’t understand the differing concepts between value and worth. 

[GeordieInExile]

R50 Cooper or R53 Cooper S.

 

Assuming you can find one that isn't completely borked at that money. That one that roffled on here at £30 for two tickets was a cracker.

[2flags]

When I started as a driving instructor we used Rover Metro 114 GTA's. Great little cars, but the interior build quality was somewhat suspect. Fantastic little pocket rocket though. No idea what one would cost now. Some people seem to want far too much money for them. 

[bangernomics]

WCPGW

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201131306991

[AnnoyingPentium]

@bangernomics - have you seen that registration plate?! 😆

[Spurious]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108216500962?atmobcid=soc3

This doesn't look too bad. 

Then again, it's at the very ropey end of the market considering you can struggle getting anything with an MOT for the 1k mark. 

[billy_bunter]

finding one that is MOT'able would be the  Challenge - fiat cinquecento. I have heard they are even more fun than the punto sporting I drove for a while and that was an absolute hoot.

Would fit your brief for fun. Not a clue on prices though.

Assume hot fords, renaults and peugots from the early 2000's are out of that price bracket now.

[warch]

A Cooper S would be my choice, they were weirdly slightly less bork prone than the lesser models. I wouldn’t be scared off by the prospect of dropping the front sub frame and dealing with the inevitable steering box and suspension wear issues but some people aren’t quite so spanner happy. 
 

Otherwise it’d inevitably be a MK IV GTi, hopefully the 1.8 version not the non turbo 2.0. These were ok but I couldn’t really work up any enthusiasm for owning one, unless I could remap it to 250hp or something.