Forget family sedans with big V8 engines; in many parts of the world, particularly Europe, the hot-hatch is king of the road. They're practical, they're fun to drive and they can be cheap to run. But which are the best used car buys on a $15,000 budget?
Honda Civic Type R 2007-2011
While most hot-hatches of the last decade or more have been turbocharged, the Honda Civic Type R made do without one. Instead, it used a high-tech – and complex – system of tuning itself on the run to give the driver what he or she wanted. And it worked, provided what you wanted was lots of noise and lots of engine revs.
The Civic Type R is probably not the best choice of hatchback for an interstate drive, but it's certainly an entertaining car for a twisty road. That frenetic little engine demands that you drive it hard, but the car itself has the sharp steering, flat cornering and six-speed manual gearbox to make that possible.
When shopping, make sure that the banzai engine is in good shape, so that starts with a complete service history. The engine works hard and can sip a little oil, so weekly dipstick checks are part of ownership. And make sure the car you're looking at has quality tyres fitted, because cheap replacement tyres will ruin the feel and handling of the Civic.
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Three doors, front-wheel-drive, four-cylinders, 148kW, six-speed manual.
- Price from: $11,000
Ford Focus XR5 Turbo 2006-2011
The Ford Focus XR5 Turbo is very faithful to the classic hot-hatch recipe of a small car with a big engine. In fact, it's not even a four-cylinder, it's a five-cylinder (borrowed from Volvo) with a turbocharger and it measures 2.5 litres. A six-speed manual was the only transmission choice, so if you want or need an automatic, the Focus is not for you.
But if you like a car that loves corners and really entertains the driver, then the Ford XR5 Turbo should be on your short list. It's roomy inside, has great front seats and came in a range of wild colours that don't seem to have dated too badly.
Watch out for a car that shudders on take-off or one where the clutch doesn't engage until the clutch pedal is all the way out. Both those thing suggest clutch wear. Beyond that, the motor is tough but like all turbocharged engines, it needs to have been serviced properly. Don't buy one without a service history. Oh, and don't buy an XR5 to drone up the freeway; like a lot of European cars, the Focus didn't have cruise-control.
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Five doors, front-wheel-drive, five cylinders, 166kW, six-speed manual.
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Price from: $9000
Mini Cooper S R53 2002-2007
The secret was a simple one; bolt a supercharger to the Mini's 1.6-litre engine, add a six-speed manual transmission and stand back. The already firm Mini suspension was up to the job and the super-quick steering makes the Cooper S felt like a real go-kart around the suburbs. It's a little less comfortable on rougher country roads, but it's still plenty of fun.
The reborn Mini was probably the most successful of the retro designs that hit the market around the turn of the century. Undeniably cute, the Mini also had a real sting in its tail in Cooper S guise and remains a good hot-hatch.
BMW build quality (BMW owns the Mini brand these days) meant the car was well put together and by far the biggest caveat when shopping for a second-hand example is avoiding the one that has been thrashed by an unsympathetic previous owner. Check carefully for mis-matched paint, scuffed wheel rims and panels that don't align properly; all signs of a well-used car. Minis are also very sensitive to wheel alignment and were available in a huge range of trim levels and special editions, so make sure you know exactly what you're looking at.
The pick of the crop is a car built after September 2004 when the model got a six-speed manual gearbox as standard.
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Three doors, front-wheel-drive, four cylinders, 120kW, six-speed manual.
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Price from: $7000
Lancer Ralliart Sportback 2008-2013
Mitsubishi's Lancer Evo models are legendary as rally cars for the road. But for most of us, they're just too much of a trade off in terms of (mainly) ride comfort. The solution, then, is to look at Mitsubishi's solution to this problem, the Lancer Ralliart which was most of a Lancer Evo at two-thirds of the price.
And while it was also sold as a sedan, the Sportback version was indeed a hot-hatchback and a pretty handy one at that. You still, for instance, got a turbocharged engine, just with a simpler turbocharger unit and slightly less (but still plenty of) power. And you still got all-wheel-drive which is not only great for grip on loose surfaces, it's also safer in everyday use.
The catch is that the Ralliart was only available with the DCT transmission which meant no conventional manual gearbox option. You also need to beware of a car that has been tricked up to look like a Ralliart, but isn't a real one. And for some reason, thieves love Mitsubishi Lancers, so make sure the car checks out as not being stolen.
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Five doors, all-wheel-drive, four cylinders, 177kW, six-speed DCT.
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Price from: $13,500
VW Golf 5 GTi 2005-2009
The four-cylinder turbocharged engine was strong and smooth and you had the option of the slick-shifting DSG transmission which could be driven like a race-car or simply left in automatic mode for when you were feeling lazy.
Volkswagen really scored a goal with the Series 5 Golf GTi. The car was so good, it gave VW a whole new lease on life and waiting lists for a GTi were up to nine months long. The secret was in the way the GTi combined refinement and sportiness with good build quality.
The engines can use a little oil between services, so you need to keep an eye on the dipstick. The biggest worry, though, is that high-tech DSG transmission which can fail expensively. An independent pre-purchase check by NRMA is good peace of mind. The other GTi we'd avoid would be one that has been modified for more performance. The motors were very responsive to tuning, but that can seriously shorten their life expectancy.
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Three or five doors, front-wheel-drive, four cylinders, 147kW, six-speed manual or six-speed DSG.
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Price from: $8000
Renault Clio
Slightly over budget, but worth mentioning for a brand new car. The Renault Clio picked up 'Best Light Car' in the 2014 and 2015 Australia's Best Cars awards and has since picked up more features and sharper pricing. The entry-level Life manual, with its 900cc engine, is $17,990 drive away, while the larger 1.2-litre auto is $19,990. The Life gets some impressive standard tech, including hands-free entry and button start, dusk-sensing headlamps, automatic wipers, rear-view camera and rear parking sensors which aren't always found in some of the second-hand models mentioned above.
The Clio is one of just a handful of light cars that punch above their weight for general driveability.
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Three doors, front-wheel-drive, four cylinders, 88kW, six-speed manual or six-speed DSG.
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Price from: $19,990 (plus ORC)
When looking for a used car don't forget to check out our comprehensive buyer's guide which gives safety ratings for 227 vehicles covering most of the popular vehicles in Australian and New Zealand fleets.
What's your favourite hatchback?
